Comments by "wily wascal" (@wilywascal2024) on "Brian Tyler Cohen"
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“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
"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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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, and our country.
Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. And it's extremely dangerous to our security, to our democracy, and to our country. They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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Hypocritical Republican cult whines about cancel culture...
--while making death threats against those disagreeing with them
--while conducting a terrorist attack against the nation's Capitol in insurrection, beating and killing police, intent on killing lawmakers and the Republican VP, attempting a coup to overthrow the results of a free and fair election...just because their candidate lost.
--while trying to cancel out the votes of millions of Democrats and minorities by objecting solely to their votes, enacting numerous voter suppression measures, and engaging in egregious gerrymandering.
--while labeling MSM "the enemy of the people."
--while censoring and moving to remove fellow Republicans of integrity who speak up for truth and decency, and against GOP lies, terrorism, and crackpot conspiracy theories.
--while Reich-wing media turns off comments yet rants against "censorship."
--while Faux News fires its news editor for truthfully reporting that Arizona had been called for Biden.
--while trying to run a Biden campaign bus off the road.
--while Rep. Marjorie Greene prevents press from covering town hall meetings where nobody wore a mask.
--after seriously injuring over 140 police officers and killing one in the Republican cult's seditious terrorist attack of insurrection against the nation's Capitol, Republican cult terrorists threaten to call the cops on reporters trying to get their side of the story.
--after canceling out millions of American's jobs under George W. Bush's recession and the largest loss of jobs since the great Depression under Toxic Trump due to his gross incompetence, lies, and willful criminal negligence in responding to a global pandemic.
--while canceling out the lives of hundreds of thousands of their fellow Americans by spreading lies about COVID-19, politicizing a deadly pandemic, and refusing to follow common sense health guidelines.
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"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 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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You don't get denialism without nihilism. As life-long conservative Bill Kristol astutely pointed out, the Republican party has embraced nihilism. Republicans still labeling COVID-19 a "hoax;" Republicans still refusing to wear masks or social distance after over half-a-million American fatalities from COVID-19; Congressional Republicans obstructing a COVID-19 stimulus bill certain to pass just to delay vital and urgently needed relief to Americans desperate for help; not one Congressional Republican in either chamber voting for the badly needed stimulus bill; Republican governors dropping mask mandates and all restrictions on businesses, heedless of rising case counts in their states and deadly new variants of the virus; and Republican leaders continuing to push the Big Lie that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen without evidence and in disregard of plentiful evidence and facts to the contrary, even AFTER their Big Lie incited a terrorist attack by a mindless Republican mob against the nation's Capitol in insurrection against the government, attempting to overturn a legitimate election, sieging, storming, sizing, sacking, defiling, defacing and disgracing America's citadel of, and temple to, democracy--these are all prime examples of nihilism.
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"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
“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
“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
"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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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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Candace Owens is propagating another bald-faced Republican Big Lie. As of inauguration day, January 20, 2021, over 411,000 Americans had died from Covid-19 in just TEN months under Trump. (Covid-19 infections only began to spread widely in late February and early March 2020 in the U.S. With the subsequent lag time between contraction of the disease and death, significant amounts of fatalities didn't result until mid-March 2020.) As of December 20, 2021, the total was 808,000. Which translates to 397,000 Covid-19 deaths in ELEVEN months under Biden. Considering that most of those deaths under Biden were incurred by Republicans refusing to get vaccinated, and who are also adamantly opposed to vaccine mandates, it appears Republicans are literally DYING to make Biden look bad.
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Sounds like Moscow on the line again, calling impeachment a coup, now! OMG, stop the presses, man the trenches, lock the wives and kids in the closet--Republicans are following Putin's marching orders!!!
1) Putin is playing U.S. population, gaming elections.
2) Republicans are playing U.S. population, gaming elections.
3) Republicans are willfully and knowingly spreading Putin's debunked propaganda in aid of both their own and Russia's aforementioned efforts.
4) Republicans are willfully and knowingly protecting a President that has compromised himself with our chief foreign adversary, Russia, despite clear and overwhelming evidence of criminality of the highest order threatening our elections, democracy, and national security.
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@connerredel9971 - That's the BS you're swallowing and we ain't buying. Most places you vote by mail--absentee or otherwise--you can't check, because they aren't counted until Election Day or after. Even if you vote in person on Election Day, people trust their vote is counted, they're not running around trying to verify. Election fraud is a mere 0.00006 in the U.S., and is even less with mail-in voting. The only mail-in votes not getting counted are those without signatures, without selections, with invalid postmarks. It's a non-issue, the BIG LIE you WANT to swallow whole. GOP never been about voter enfranchisement; GOP all about gerrymandering, voter suppression, voter disenfranchisement. GOP all about sliming their opponents and CHEATING! We suspect that you're not as dumb as you make out, that you're just another gaslighting CHEATER, because you know that's the only way Putin's Republican cult can win. Which, ironically and paradoxically, actually only makes you MORE ignorant than just being uninformed!
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You get an upvote on each video I catch this! Not that I personally need any reminder after over 600,000 Americans senselessly killed, but there are plenty of others that do!
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM, or “the Wall”) is dedicated not to the war, but to the 2.7 million U.S. military men and women who served in the war zone, living and dead. It contains nearly 58,300 names of those dead or missing, on two ten-foot high granite wings, each spanning nearly 250 feet. A close uncle’s name is etched into the black rock of the Wall.
Propose erecting a similar monument for all those who senselessly lost their lives to COVID-19 due to our Traitor-‘n-Thief, Toxic Trump, and all those Republican so-called “leaders” in Congress, SCOTUS, and the GOP, along with Reich-wing demagogues and media, who were complicit in enabling, aiding, and abetting his malfeasance, and in spreading disinformation and misinformation. In just four MONTHS, the U.S. had ALREADY needlessly lost more than TWICE as many to COVID-19 than died in all thirteen YEARS of the Vietnam war. By the time Trump left office, one out of every 800 Americans had died from COVID-19 in just ten months--over 410,000 fatalities, as many American casualties as all of WWII. To put it into further perspective, throughout Trump's catastrophic mishandling of a deadly global pandemic, the U.S. led the world in cases and deaths, suffering nearly 25% of each, despite having only 4.25% of global population, despite having the advantage of being the richest and most advanced nation in the world.
The memorial would also honor all those front-line ESSENTIAL workers who selflessly put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe and secure; the names of their dead to be given prominence and note upon the structure. Whether constructed in the form of a wall or something different, its principle intent would be to serve as a constant, enduring reminder to us all and to future generations; as a testament to—and a barrier against—our own American ignorance, arrogance, avarice, cowardice, and malevolence. A sort of visual prophylactic, if you will, built in hope of protecting us against inbred hubris, greed, and stupidity. It’s design should be open, with interchangeable elements that challenge—and help teach—people to reason, and to think critically and objectively, while stressing humanity, humility and humbleness.
The VVM Wall is likewise also a monument to American ignorance, hubris, avarice, and malevolence, although erected solely to honor those military personnel. Few may think, or have thought, of it that way; and doubtless many would refuse to think of it as such, but the truth stands out in stark, prominent display for everyone to see…if they just apply a little critical, objective reasoning.
Another thought to ponder: The VVM Wall marks the first time America fatally failed that generation; the proposed monument would mark our second time they were senselessly sacrificed. Would like to see the proposed COVID-19 monument erected adjacent to the prior monument attesting failure, the VVM Wall, to serve as symbolic bookends, as a further tribute to that ill-served generation of Americans.
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@HD4all - You know what REALLY pisses me off most? It's that all these Toxic Trump sycophants and acolytes KNOW he is a grave security threat to the U.S. But, they don't care, play dumb. They would sell out their country and souls for filthy lucre, fleeting fame that quickly turns to infamy, and empty promises. They lie, deny, deceive, divide, denigrate, diminish, and work to destroy our cherished Republic.
GOP has gone rogue, doesn't want to play by the rules in America, anymore. Republicans are all about constant deceit and hypocrisy, rigging elections, and rampant crony corruption.
One would hope that his cabinet or the Republican Senate would have done the right thing and removed him. Or, that the Republican SCOTUS would have defended our Constitution, instead of partisan power grabs. In fact, it's more than hope--those are the minimal basic expectation of our public officials. They failed themselves, and they failed our nation horribly. Because they are weak, and ignorant, and corrupt.
Thus, we are forced to suffer another five months of a failed Presidency, a failed Senate, and a failed SCOTUS. While confident Trump would be defeated before the pandemic and ensuing economic collapse, his loss has since become a virtual certainty. So, that isn't really about hope, either.
What does give hope is that the majority of Americans reject Trump. There is hope that the end of Trump will mark the beginning of the end for the Republican cult. There is hope that out of this darkness will come the realization progress is vital to our future, and that reactionary conservatism stagnates and kills.
In short, the GOP has become proto-fascist, bound by the ignorant Republican cult they created, and the fear, bigotry and hate they cultivated and nourished for decades. Fortunately, the cult is not the majority, so there is hope yet for America!
"The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over decades by plutocrats, the GOP, and right-wing media. Those Americans elected this pitiful, puerile President, and have continued to support him no matter what travesty he commits! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated."
Conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it's what they peddle, it's what they traffic in, it's what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear to hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It's the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone--unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
The only thing been stopping the GOP cult from turning America fascist has been the long-held universal repulsion and rejection of Toxic Trump's hero, Adolf Hitler, by Americans. Fortunately, the majority of Americans still remember that painful historical lesson many Republicans choose to ignore. There is hope that good will once again triumph over evil; love prevail over hate; common sense outweigh blind faith, mindless tribalism, and silly superstitions.
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@tiffanyvang9814 ~ But if you can't count on Manchin when it matters most and he's voting with the Republicans, anyway, what's the big difference? We don't pass The People's Act, Democrats will almost certainly lose control of both the House and the Senate, and it may well lead to the end of our democracy----game, set, and match to the fascists. If we get it passed, at least we'll have a fighting chance in the midterms. Besides which, if we put enough pressure on Manchin to let him know he's going to be primaried and lose his seat, we at least did what we could to change his mind. We tried. Which would be better than just waving the white flag, essentially giving up all power to a single Senator who is putting himself before the will of his constituents and the American people, as well as the good of democracy and the country. If you got any better ideas, please let us know! That isn't sarcasm, it's a serious request, looking for solutions to a very serious problem.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. And it's extremely dangerous to our security, to our democracy, and to our country. They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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@connerredel9971 - You really believe that, we got a great parcel of land down in the Everglades to sell you, Doc! She was asked a simple question, which she couldn't answer. Toxic Trump said nothing of provisional ballots, his remarks aren't being taken out of context. Conversely, McHeinous' gaslighting and filibustering, using two primary propaganda talking points that were definitely taking things out of context. Just like Putin's corrupt Russian government, corrupt Toxic Trump and Republican cult all about slimy projecting. The BIG LIES right out in plain sight, but GOP sheep want to be blind, eating it all up so they can be fleeced, then slaughtered. If you think we're the enemy because we care enough to help you see, you really need to get a clue!
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That great big dysfunctional Donald Trump family intersection in limbo land, where arrogance, ignorance, privilege, ignominy, vapid, heartless, dumb, insecurity, stupidity, desultory, idiocy, hubris, vanity, pompous, venality, avarice, psychosis, unscrupulous, vituperative, entitlement, banality, brutality, vice and vile all meet together to form a black hole sucking humanity out of the world.
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Like and respect Rep. Schiff, but his waffling on investigations and holding the Trump administration accountable after they leave office is deeply disturbing and disheartening. So-called "healing" is just a euphemism for evading the dirty work that may be distasteful and divisive, but that vitally needs to be done to preserve our democracy.
Moreover, investigations for prosecutions involving corrupt and unlawful acts by Trump and those in his administration are not under the purview of Congress, nor up to it to decide, but are the DOJ's responsibility. This doesn't mean Congress shouldn't conduct its own investigations in order to determine security breaches, possible legislation to prevent recurrences of malfeasance, abuses of power, etc.
Another aspect of this is that "healing" is not going to happen with the GOP cult in its present state. This needs to be acknowledged, accepted, and acted upon accordingly, or Democrats are only setting themselves up for failure and weakness. Democrats need to stand up for the American people--ALL the American people, Rep. Schiff, which includes single people and young people, not just "families" and "working families." If Democrat leaders could just grow a pair, they would find the American people standing more firmly behind them. The Republican cult has declared political war, a war where they don't abide by any rules. It's a war Democrats can't and won't win by lying down and rolling over, trying to "make nice." If Democrats haven't learned that by now, this nation is in deep trouble.
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RL West ~ Going forward, Democrats must have constructive discussions over policy and political strategy disagreements, while staying strong, united, focused, vocal, and active in rejecting highly destructive Republican proto-fascist cultdom. We must continue to reach out to young voters, independents, as well as conservatives of reason and conscience, working to increase and expand our diverse base. It's also essential to remain scrupulous in our ethics and fierce in fighting government corruption, that we retain public confidence and support. It's going to take a lot of determination, commitment, and hard work, but it's a vital, noble cause to preserve this nation, to build a better America, a more perfect union. Not apropos of your replies or anything; just a few thoughts wanted to share.
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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.
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@alioucisse1548 ~ GOP has gone rogue, doesn’t want to play by the rules in America, anymore. Republicans are all about constant deceit and hypocrisy, rigging elections, and rampant crony corruption.
One would hope that his cabinet or the Republican Senate would have done the right thing and removed him. Or, that the Republican SCOTUS would have defended our Constitution, instead of partisan power grabs. In fact, it’s more than hope—those are the minimal basic expectation of our public officials. They failed themselves, and they failed our nation horribly. Because they are weak, and ignorant, and corrupt.
Thus, we are forced to suffer another two months of a failed Presidency, a failed Senate, and a failed SCOTUS. While confident Trump would be defeated before the pandemic and ensuing economic collapse, his loss has since become a virtual certainty. So, that isn’t really about hope, either.
What does give hope is that the majority of Americans reject Trump. There is hope that the end of Trump will mark the beginning of the end for the Republican cult. There is hope that out of this darkness will come the realization progress is vital to our future, and that reactionary conservatism stagnates and kills.
In short, the GOP has become proto-fascist, bound by the ignorant Republican cult they created, and the fear, bigotry and hate they cultivated and nourished for decades. Fortunately, the cult is not the majority, so there is hope yet for America!
“The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over decades by plutocrats, the GOP, and right-wing media. Those Americans elected this pitiful, puerile President, and have continued to support him no matter what travesty he commits! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated.”
Conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it’s what they peddle, it’s what they traffic in, it’s what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear to hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It’s the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone—unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
The only thing been stopping the GOP cult from turning America fascist has been the long-held universal repulsion and rejection of Toxic Trump’s hero, Adolf Hitler, by Americans. Fortunately, the majority of Americans still remember that painful historical lesson many Republicans choose to ignore. There is hope that good will once again triumph over evil; love prevail over hate; common sense outweigh blind faith, mindless tribalism, and silly superstitions.
"United we stand, divided we fall." A simple concept, really, that too many Americans seem to have forgotten or abandoned. Our nation is like an airplane; it requires both the left and right wings working together in tandem to operate properly and safely. Only problem is the Reich-wing decided to try flying solo, forcing us all into a nose-dive! Care about the issues, disdain political gamesmanship, while still recognizing politics is an inseparable and necessary element. Have always respected and valued loyal opposition, even if in disagreement with the ideology. Fact is, though, the GOP has abdicated the requisite role of loyal opposition to become a mindless, tribalistic hyper-partisan Republican cult placing political party over truth, reason, decency, and country.
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You know what REALLY pisses me off most? It's that all these Toxic Trump sycophants and acolytes KNOW he is a grave security threat to the U.S. But, they don't care, play dumb. They would sell out their country and souls for filthy lucre, fleeting fame that quickly turns to infamy, and empty promises. They lie, deny, deceive, divide, denigrate, diminish, and work to destroy our cherished Republic.
GOP has gone rogue, doesn't want to play by the rules in America, anymore. Republicans are all about constant deceit and hypocrisy, rigging elections, and rampant crony corruption.
One would hope that his cabinet or the Republican Senate would have done the right thing and removed him. Or, that the Republican SCOTUS would have defended our Constitution, instead of partisan power grabs. In fact, it's more than hope--those are the minimal basic expectation of our public officials. They failed themselves, and they failed our nation horribly. Because they are weak, and ignorant, and corrupt.
Thus, we are forced to suffer another five months of a failed Presidency, a failed Senate, and a failed SCOTUS. While confident Trump would be defeated before the pandemic and ensuing economic collapse, his loss has since become a virtual certainty. So, that isn't really about hope, either.
What does give hope is that the majority of Americans reject Trump. There is hope that the end of Trump will mark the beginning of the end for the Republican cult. There is hope that out of this darkness will come the realization progress is vital to our future, and that reactionary conservatism stagnates and kills.
In short, the GOP has become proto-fascist, bound by the ignorant Republican cult they created, and the fear, bigotry and hate they cultivated and nourished for decades. Fortunately, the cult is not the majority, so there is hope yet for America!
"The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over decades by plutocrats, the GOP, and right-wing media. Those Americans elected this pitiful, puerile President, and have continued to support him no matter what travesty he commits! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated."
Conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it's what they peddle, it's what they traffic in, it's what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear to hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It's the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone--unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
The only thing been stopping the GOP cult from turning America fascist has been the long-held universal repulsion and rejection of Toxic Trump's hero, Adolf Hitler, by Americans. Fortunately, the majority of Americans still remember that painful historical lesson many Republicans choose to ignore. There is hope that good will once again triumph over evil; love prevail over hate; common sense outweigh blind faith, mindless tribalism, and silly superstitions.
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You know what REALLY pisses me off most? It’s that all these Toxic Trump sycophants and acolytes KNOW he is a grave security threat to the U.S. But, they don’t care, play dumb. They would sell out their country and souls for filthy lucre, fleeting fame that quickly turns to infamy, and empty promises. They lie, deny, deceive, divide, denigrate, diminish, and work to destroy our cherished Republic.
GOP has gone rogue, doesn’t want to play by the rules in America, anymore. Republicans are all about constant deceit and hypocrisy, rigging elections, and rampant crony corruption.
One would hope that his cabinet or the Republican Senate would have done the right thing and removed him. Or, that the Republican SCOTUS would have defended our Constitution, instead of partisan power grabs. In fact, it’s more than hope—those are the minimal basic expectation of our public officials. They failed themselves, and they failed our nation horribly. Because they are weak, and ignorant, and corrupt.
Thus, we are forced to suffer another four months of a failed Presidency, a failed Senate, and a failed SCOTUS. While confident Trump would be defeated before the pandemic and ensuing economic collapse, his loss has since become a virtual certainty. So, that isn’t really about hope, either.
What does give hope is that the majority of Americans reject Trump. There is hope that the end of Trump will mark the beginning of the end for the Republican cult. There is hope that out of this darkness will come the realization progress is vital to our future, and that reactionary conservatism stagnates and kills.
In short, the GOP has become proto-fascist, bound by the ignorant Republican cult they created, and the fear, bigotry and hate they cultivated and nourished for decades. Fortunately, the cult is not the majority, so there is hope yet for America!
“The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over decades by plutocrats, the GOP, and right-wing media. Those Americans elected this pitiful, puerile President, and have continued to support him no matter what travesty he commits! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated.”
Conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it’s what they peddle, it’s what they traffic in, it’s what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear to hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It’s the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone—unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
The only thing been stopping the GOP cult from turning America fascist has been the long-held universal repulsion and rejection of Toxic Trump’s hero, Adolf Hitler, by Americans. Fortunately, the majority of Americans still remember that painful historical lesson many Republicans choose to ignore. There is hope that good will once again triumph over evil; love prevail over hate; common sense outweigh blind faith, mindless tribalism, and silly superstitions.
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Who'd have ever equated voting in America with survival? But that's pretty much what it has boiled down to, hasn't it? Survival of ourselves, survival of our democracy, survival of our nation, and survival of our planet. The irony is that Republicans have always tried to paint Democrats as an existential threat...but in doing so it is actually they who have become exactly that.
Democrat voters need an even greater turnout in '22 and '24, put the final fork in Trumpism! Republicans want to engage in Jim Crow voter suppression laws, voter intimidation, and egregious gerrymandering? Republicans want to engage in corruption, gaslight their corruption, coverup their corruption? Republicans want to live in delusion and denial about the major problems confronting the nation and planet? Let's just prove that's fuel for the fire, and make their fascist antidemocratic corruption backfire on them!
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Republicans constitute the minority, can't win on their merits, have sunk so low that they cheat to win elections. Under the Traitor-'n-Thief, Toxic Trump, they've even taken to pushing Russian propaganda crackpot conspiracies to smear Democrats, using the DOJ and Congress to conduct phony investigations in an effort to unethically, if not illegally, influence elections. Most disturbing and troubling is the Republican cult that not only tolerates such nefarious aberrations, but encourages it, in short-sighted mindless tribalism willing to flush America down the toilet if perceived to benefit their power-obsessed partisan purpose of the moment. This reflects an abject failure not only in GOP so-called "leadership," but among that minority Republican electorate that enables such highly destructive damage to our democratic Republic.
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~ Bad Vibration / Grave Reverberation ~
So much frustration and aggravation
Indignation plus exasperation
Immoderation the new sensation
Death, devastation, soaring inflation
Infestation the explanation
Justification for isolation
Depopulation due incitation
Dispensation of disinformation
Nevermind creation, innovation
Accommodation, consideration
No imagination, variation
Just castigation and condemnation
Infatuation with degradation
Causation of much mortification
Sick fascination, no reservation
Saud assassination operation
Race relation huge conflagration
Brutalization, victimization
Zero toleration immigration
Child separation, stigmatization
Retardation dreamer deportation
Not consolation--only stagnation
Monumentalization curation
Ceaseless rotation, dizzy gyration
Obfuscation, lie regeneration
Exaggeration, wild speculation
Constant conflation and truth negation
Instigation scam investigation
Evasion of his incarceration
Militarization provocation
Abomination seeks domination
Truncation of secure education
Renunciation, big demonstration
Still no resignation expectation
Thinks due ovation, congratulation
Admiration, always adulation
Mass desperation with situation
Trump's COVID nation obliteration!
What location revitalization?
What permutation for our salvation
Rejuvenation, and relaxation?
Cancellation any coronation
Repatriation determination
Motivation for illumination
Honest communication fixation
Cessation media manipulation
Magnification of inspiration
Amplification of education
Cooperation, collaboration
Through expiation, edification
Restoration results in elation
Evaporation of consternation
Realization unification
Invitation to glorification!
Consolidation brings excitation
Consummation big celebration
With each generation, jubilation!
In summation, joyful radiation!!!
Termination more elaboration...
Now reaching vacation destination!
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@emmawillard1261 ~The highly-coveted Top Prize for our contestants today is an all-funeral-expenses-paid romantic getaway for two aboard the magnificent Corona Queen, taking you for an exclusive extended cruise, to a secluded stay on the exotic, remote, tropical Isle of Covid-19, where the fevered fun is SUPER-contagious, and you will luxuriously bask in fabulous face masks and rejuvenating oxygen respirators, with the wonderful scent of disinfectant surrounding you! Sure to be a lifetime experience for some lucky few! Just remember--the couple that dies together, stays together!
BONUS SPECIAL CASES: Providing accompanying entertainment is Chief Jester Roberts and the entire Trump comedy team, featuring the Clown Commander, for laughs and coughs! There just ain't no cure, for them ocean cruise blues! Bon voyage!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwE7EFyQDm0 (audio version)
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@emmawillard1261 ~We got a MAJOR malfunction in the White House responsible for senselessly killing thousands of Americans, but Republicans don't care, want the killing of Americans to continue, want to give him a shot at four more years of chaos, confusion, mayhem, devastation, degradation, and destruction! America is in serious trouble with another disease besides coronavirus, with Trump just the glaring, flaring symptom! No vaccine for ignorance, unfortunately.
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@christopherclements7155 - Ironically, more established branches of Christianity, like Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Episcopalian understand and appreciate the separation of church and state, as do many, if not most of their followers. Conversely, Baptists--which were largely instrumental in establishing that doctrine in America to keep their faith secure and themselves safe from persecution--and Evangelicals are the ones most wanting to blur or erase that demarcation line.
Just yesterday saw there was a group of such misguided individuals conducting a hate protest outside of a mosque, with signs also expressing religious bigotry against Mormons!
Both bigotry and gross ignorance (often willful) of American government and its history among the Republican cult is pervasive and highly destructive. America didn't even have a Catholic President until 1960 because of fears the Vatican would have too much influence upon our government! We've come a long way, baby...backwards!
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The Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM, or “the Wall”) is dedicated not to the war, but to the 2.7 million U.S. military men and women who served in the war zone, living and dead. It contains nearly 58,300 names of those dead or missing, on two ten-foot high granite wings, each spanning nearly 250 feet. A close uncle’s name is etched into the black rock of the Wall.
Propose erecting a similar monument for all those who senselessly lost their lives to COVID-19 due to our Traitor-‘n-Thief, Toxic Trump, and all those Republican so-called “leaders” in Congress, SCOTUS, and the GOP, complicit in enabling, aiding, and abetting his malfeasance.
In just four MONTHS, the U.S. had ALREADY needlessly lost more than TWICE as many to COVID-19 than died in all thirteen YEARS of the Vietnam war. By the time Trump left office, one out of every 800 Americans had died from COVID-19 in just ten months--over 410,000 fatalities, as many American casualties as all of WWII. It would also honor all those front-line ESSENTIAL workers who selflessly put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe and secure; the names of their dead to be given prominence and note upon the structure.
Whether constructed in the form of a wall or something different, its principle intent would be to serve as a constant, enduring reminder to us all and to future generations; as a testament to—and a barrier against—our own American ignorance, arrogance, avarice, cowardice, and malevolence. A sort of visual prophylactic, if you will, built in hope of protecting us against inbred hubris, greed, and stupidity. It’s design should be open, with interchangeable elements that challenge—and help teach—people to reason, and to think critically and objectively, while stressing humanity, humility and humbleness.
The VVM Wall is likewise also a monument to American ignorance, hubris, avarice, and malevolence, although erected solely to honor those military personnel. Few may think, or have thought, of it that way; and doubtless many would refuse to think of it as such, but the truth stands out in stark, prominent display for everyone to see…if they just apply a little critical, objective reasoning.
Another thought to ponder: The VVM Wall marks the first time America fatally failed that generation; the proposed monument would mark our second time they were senselessly sacrificed. Would like to see the proposed COVID-19 monument erected adjacent to the prior monument attesting failure, the VVM Wall, to serve as symbolic bookends, as a further tribute to that ill-served generation of Americans.
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Toxic Trump and Republicans are traitors to America. They've been gaslighting Trump's Russian collusion and election fraud for years, and continue doing so. Trump should have been impeached and convicted after the Mueller Report, which didn't happen only because of A.G. Barr and Republicans, who were ultimately responsible for that failure. Then Congressional Republicans refused to impeach despite overwhelming evidence of Trump's Ukraine shakedown. The worst was the third time Republicans refused to impeach Trump after he incited a terrorist insurrection against his own government on the nation's Capitol. Now, Republicans refuse to even have a BIPARTISAN commission to investigate January 6. Moreover, throughout Trump's term and even after, Republicans have been KNOWINGLY spreading Russian propaganda designed to weaken America, kill Americans. So, when is Merrick Garland and the DOJ going to step up and hold Trump and his Republican accomplices accountable for their many FEDERAL crimes, or is Garland going to set the terrible, horrific precedent that a former President is a King and above the law?
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You know what REALLY pisses me off most? It’s that all these Toxic Trump sycophants and acolytes KNOW he is a grave security threat to the U.S. But, they don’t care, play dumb. They would sell out their country and souls for filthy lucre, fleeting fame that quickly turns to infamy, and empty promises. They lie, deny, deceive, divide, denigrate, diminish, and work to destroy our cherished Republic.
GOP has gone rogue, doesn’t want to play by the rules in America, anymore. Republicans are all about constant deceit and hypocrisy, rigging elections, and rampant crony corruption.
One would hope that his cabinet or the Republican Senate would have done the right thing and removed him. Or, that the Republican SCOTUS would have defended our Constitution, instead of partisan power grabs. In fact, it’s more than hope—those are the minimal basic expectation of our public officials. They failed themselves, and they failed our nation horribly. Because they are weak, and ignorant, and corrupt.
Thus, we are forced to suffer another four months of a failed Presidency, a failed Senate, and a failed SCOTUS. While confident Trump would be defeated before the pandemic and ensuing economic collapse, his loss has since become a virtual certainty. So, that isn’t really about hope, either.
What does give hope is that the majority of Americans reject Trump. There is hope that the end of Trump will mark the beginning of the end for the Republican cult. There is hope that out of this darkness will come the realization progress is vital to our future, and that reactionary conservatism stagnates and kills.
In short, the GOP has become proto-fascist, bound by the ignorant Republican cult they created, and the fear, bigotry and hate they cultivated and nourished for decades. Fortunately, the cult is not the majority, so there is hope yet for America!
“The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over decades by plutocrats, the GOP, and right-wing media. Those Americans elected this pitiful, puerile President, and have continued to support him no matter what travesty he commits! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated.”
Conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it’s what they peddle, it’s what they traffic in, it’s what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear to hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It’s the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone—unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
The only thing been stopping the GOP cult from turning America fascist has been the long-held universal repulsion and rejection of Toxic Trump’s hero, Adolf Hitler, by Americans. Fortunately, the majority of Americans still remember that painful historical lesson many Republicans choose to ignore. There is hope that good will once again triumph over evil; love prevail over hate; common sense outweigh blind faith, mindless tribalism, and silly superstitions.
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GOP is the party of lies, the party of conspiracy theories, the party of hate, the party of cowards, the party of pollution, the party of corruption, the party of sedition, the party of terrorists, the party of fascism, the party of tyranny, the party of evil, the party of Satan. Republican cult doesn't care about America and ALL Americans, don't want to bargain in good faith...because they already made their deal with the Devil.
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“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
"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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Trump’s False Claims About His Response to the Coronavirus
Linda Qiu - The New York Times - Friday, March 13, 2020
As he declared a national emergency over the coronavirus outbreak, President Trump attempted to deflect criticisms of his administration’s response to the virus with inaccurate claims. Here’s a fact-check.
what the facts are
Mr. Trump wrongly blamed the Obama administration for coronavirus testing shortages and falsely said it “didn’t do testing” during the swine flu epidemic of 2009.
What Mr. Trump Said
“I don’t take responsibility at all because we were given a set of circumstances and we were given rules, regulations, and specifications from a different time.”
False. The Food and Drug Administration issued a “draft guidance” in 2014 in which it sought to extend its authority to regulate laboratory-developed tests. But it’s wrong to blame that effort for the scattered and insufficient delivery of coronavirus tests as the guidance was not particularly relevant to emergency situations and was never finalized or generally enforced.
A law enacted in 2004 created the process and requirements for the use of unapproved products in public health emergencies. Under the law and guidance set by the Trump administration itself, the Food and Drug Administration requires developers of laboratory-developed tests to submit information and to comply with certain procedures.
The agency said in early March that it would permit unapproved tests for the coronavirus for 15 days while developers are preparing their emergency authorization request. Neither the 2004 law nor subsequent amendments restricted the Trump administration from doing so, nor did it hamper previous administrations in fast-tracking testing for other health crises.
What Mr. Trump Said
“If you go back to the swine flu, it was nothing like this. They didn’t do testing like this, and actually they lost approximately 14,000 people, and they didn’t do the testing. They started thinking about testing when it was far too late.”
False. This is blatantly wrong. Diagnostic tests for the swine flu were approved and shipped out less than two weeks after the H1N1 virus was identified and a day before the first death in the United States.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified the first case of the virus on April 14, 2009. The Obama administration declared swine flu a public health emergency on April 26. The Food and Drug Administration approved a rapid test for the virus two days later. At the time, the C.D.C. had reported 64 cases and zero deaths. The C.D.C. began shipping test kits to public health laboratories on May 1 (at 141 cases and one death) and a second test was approved in July. From May to September 2009, the agency shipped more than 1,000 kits, each one able to test 1,000 specimens.
To be sure, researchers found flaws and limitations in the tests but testing was conducted. A vaccine became available in early October but, amid reports of shortages, President Obama declared the outbreak a national emergency later that month. The estimated death toll in the United States from the H1N1 epidemic was 12,469 from April 2009 to April 2010.
What the Facts Are
Mr. Trump inaccurately described a website in development to mitigate the outbreak.
What Mr. Trump Said
“I want to thank Google. Google is helping to develop a website, it’s going to be very quickly done, unlike websites of the past, to determine whether a test is warranted and to facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location.”
This is misleading. Mr. Trump misstated the company developing the website and exaggerated its scope. After Mr. Trump spoke, Google issued a statement on Twitter from Verily, a separate subsidiary of Google’s parent company.
“We are developing a tool to help triage individuals for Covid-19 testing. Verily is in the early stages of development, and planning to roll testing out in the Bay Area, with the hope of expanding more broadly over time,” the statement read.
A spokeswoman for Verily said it had originally intended for the website to be used only by health care workers. Mr. Trump’s statement prompted the company to make it available to the public. The site will direct people to “pilot sites” for testing in the Bay Area, the spokeswoman said.
what the facts are
Mr. Trump again mischaracterized travel restrictions imposed on certain European countries.
What Mr. Trump Said
“As you know, Europe was just designated as the hot spot right now and we closed that border a while ago.”
This is misleading. Mr. Trump imposed some travel restrictions on 26 European countries on Wednesday night, but those restrictions do not go into effect until midnight on Friday and do not amount to a total shutting down of the border.
The restrictions bar the entry of foreign nationals who have been to any of the 26 countries that make up Europe’s Schengen Area of open borders within 14 days. That area does not include more than 20 other European countries, including Britain. The proclamation also does not apply to American citizens, permanent residents, their immediate families, or those who are members of air or sea crews.
what the facts are
Mr. Trump described telemedicine technology as “fairly new,” though it’s been used for decades.
What Mr. Trump Said
“This includes the following critical authorities — the ability to waive laws to enable telehealth, a fairly new and incredible thing that has happened in the not-so-distant past.”
This is exaggerated. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services expanded access to telehealth services — for example, virtual check-ins and telephone consultations with doctors — for Medicare beneficiaries this week. But these technologies have beenin usesince the 1960s.
The University of Nebraska used video links to provide exams and diagnoses with a state hospital 112 miles in 1964. Three years later, the University of Miami and a local fire department transmitted cardiac rhythms using radio channels. Federal agencies initiated a host of other services in the 1970s and 1980s.
A 1997 government report noted a severely injured sailor aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln was able to be treated by a doctor in San Diego 6,000 miles away through telemedicine. By 2014, “more than 20 federal agencies were engaged in some aspect of telehealth,” according to the Congressional Research Service, with the Department of Veterans Affairs providing more than 2.1 million telehealth consultations in the 2015 fiscal year.
what the facts are
Mr. Trump said he was not responsible for disbanding the White House’s pandemic team.
what Mr. Trump said
“When you say me, I didn’t do it. We have a group of people I could ask — perhaps my administration — but I could perhaps ask Tony about that because I don’t know anything about it.”
This is misleading. The top White House official tasked with leading the country’s response to a pandemic left the administration in May 2018 and his team was disbanded by Mr. Trump’s national security adviser at the time, John R. Bolton, The Washington Post has reported.
While there is no evidence that Mr. Trump personally directed the ousting of these officials, he also did not replace them in the nearly two years since, despite repeated bipartisan urgings from lawmakers and experts.
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Bush v. Gore, Citizens United, Shelby County v. Holder, Rucho v. Common Cause, Chief Jester Roberts smiling and nodding along while presiding over sham Senate impeachment trial, Assassination Goon B.S. Barr butchering the law, slaughtering justice, politicizing and weaponizing the DOJ. So, now, thanks to conservative Justices on SCOTUS, we have partisan Republican judges deciding elections instead of voters; a return to Jim Crow laws promoting voter suppression; unlimited dark money in elections buying off politicians; a lack of accountability enabling the Executive Branch to blackmail and coerce foreign governments into interfering in our elections, severely degrading our national security; and legalization of even the most egregious Republican gerrymandering. In essence, a deck stacked heavily in favor of corrupt, racist, anti-democratic Republican minority rule over the majority. It's why we lost all respect for these conservative Supreme Courts, the law, and the justice system in this country. Congratulations, Republicans, on turning our nation into a banana Republic, making America an object lesson to the world on how to destroy democracy!
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The Molotov cocktail recipe:
Mix in equal parts of mental illness, willful ignorance, fear, hate, greed, decades of 24/7 Reich-wing disinformation, misinformation, and crackpot conspiracy programming by Republican politicians, plutocrats, media and demagogues, add supplemental divisive Russian propaganda attacking and weakening America, stir well, garnish with COVID-19, and you have the mindless Republican cult descending into fascism, committing terrorism and sedition. Then, grab a stiff drink--you'll need it.
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Let's just call January 6 what it actually was -- a Republican smash and grab, an act of violent larceny against democracy and our government, sedition employing domestic terrorism right out in open sight. It was just one of Trump's failed attempts to achieve an autogolpe.
"Without accountability, an attempted autogolpe and insurrection is just practice."
"What happened on January 6 is the very definition of sedition." ― Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson
So, why has Traitor Trump not been charged yet by the DOJ? That's what a lot of people are wondering! Not just prosecution of Trump, but all his accomplices, too! Obstruction charges outlined in the Mueller Report, the Ukraine extortion racket, inciting an insurrection, sedition, and federal election interference. The evidence is all in plain sight, where are the indictments, the arrests? Our democracy hangs in the balance; this is no time to play nice, there is no time to waste! The DOJ shouldn't be worried about appearances, either, because it's a matter of impartially enforcing the law and not setting bad precedent that encourages future lawlessness and authoritarianism by the Executive Branch. Because our democracy, our institutions, and our very security is seriously endangered. And because rule of law and justice for all really does matter.
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Sounds like Moscow on the line again, calling impeachment a coup, now! OMG, stop the presses, man the trenches, lock the wives and kids in the closet--Republicans are following Putin's marching orders!!!
1) Putin is playing U.S. population, gaming elections.
2) Trump is playing U.S. population, gaming elections.
3) Republicans are playing U.S. population, gaming elections.
4) Republicans are willfully and knowingly spreading Putin's debunked propaganda in aid of both their own and Russia's aforementioned efforts.
5) Republicans are willfully and knowingly protecting a President that has compromised himself with our chief foreign adversary, Russia, despite clear and overwhelming evidence of criminality of the highest order threatening our elections, democracy, and national security.
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Hypocritical Republican cult whines about cancel culture...
--while making death threats against those disagreeing with them
--while conducting a terrorist attack against the nation's Capitol in insurrection, beating and killing police, intent on killing lawmakers and the Republican VP, attempting a coup to overthrow the results of a free and fair election...just because their candidate lost.
--while trying to cancel out the votes of millions of Democrats and minorities by objecting solely to their votes, enacting numerous voter suppression measures, and engaging in egregious gerrymandering.
--while labeling MSM "the enemy of the people."
--while censoring and moving to remove fellow Republicans of integrity who speak up for truth and decency, and against GOP lies, terrorism, and crackpot conspiracy theories.
--while Reich-wing media turns off comments yet rants against "censorship."
--while Faux News fires its news editor for truthfully reporting that Arizona had been called for Biden.
--while trying to run a Biden campaign bus off the road.
--while Rep. Marjorie Greene prevents press from covering town hall meetings where nobody wore a mask.
--after seriously injuring over 140 police officers and killing one in the Republican cult's seditious terrorist attack of insurrection against the nation's Capitol, Republican cult terrorists threaten to call the cops on reporters trying to get their side of the story.
--after canceling out millions of American's jobs under George W. Bush's recession and the largest loss of jobs since the great Depression under Toxic Trump due to his gross incompetence, lies, and willful criminal negligence in responding to a global pandemic.
--while canceling out the lives of hundreds of thousands of their fellow Americans by spreading lies about COVID-19, politicizing a deadly pandemic, and refusing to follow common sense health guidelines.
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Biggest Loser shreds Iran nuclear deal for no good reason, other than blind malice and pure ignorance. Feeling neglected by the Clown-in-Chief, Boo Boo Bolton mounts massive Iran operation to help boss distract the public from the Mueller Report and impending impeachment, while satisfying fetish for bloody wars. But Coward-in-Chief not want war -- cuts into golf time too much -- so whole operation called off, to tremendous relief of nation. To relieve increasing pressure, Cheater-in-Chief takes a dump on Congress, releasing 12-page turd declaring Constitution invalid. Boo Boo Barr and Republicans continue chipping away at foundation, our Constitution, and sacred institutions, simultaneously multitasking undermining both justice and American security. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court remains out to lunch, likely to distance itself from the overripe, corrupt stench permeating the White House.
Just another close call in a terrifying rollercoaster ride, with America passenger to a lunatic, narcissistic, power-drunk driver.
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“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
"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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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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@KathrynLee5456 ~ Anti-fascist is what America is all about--it's why we fought against Hitler and Mussolini in WWII. The fascists in America today and their Republican enablers try to turn it into a dirty word, to project their own evil upon others. Look what the lack of democracy has wrought, with too many people not voting in 2016, a good portion of it due to Republican voter suppression. Don't let them confuse you, don't get sleepy; get angry, get active, vote BLUE, and GET OUT THE VOTE BLUE!!! Our very lives and country depend upon it! This will likely be the most important election of our lifetime, arguably the most important ever in our nation's history.
Big money, Republicans, and the Reich-wing media created a fascist cult, a cult of sheep eager and willing to be fleeced, then slaughtered. They promoted ignorance, fear, and hate to line their corrupt pockets, putting profits before people. But the beast to which they chained themselves has consumed them, thus becoming slaves to their own creation.
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Freedoms can exist only up to the point they infringe upon the freedom of others. Religious tolerance can be practiced only up to the point it becomes intolerant of others. Our Constitution is a secular document, not a religious one, and it was certainly never intended to be a suicidal death pact. Getting vaccinated and following CDC guidelines brings freedom from preventable illness or injury, and a senseless premature death, but the mindless fascist Republican cult only believes in freeDUMB. Just as they don't understand or would deny the Constitution is as much about the common good as personal liberties, and that those two things are intrinsically and inextricably intertwined.
"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
"Want of care does us more damage than want of knowledge." ~ Ben Franklin, from Poor Richard's Almanack
Those who scorn public health guidelines during a deadly global pandemic and confuse a grievous public health issue with "essential" liberty to kill and harm themselves and their fellow citizens--as well as their nation--sorely lack both care and knowledge. They are also sorely lacking in common sense, something else about which Mr. Franklin was quite keen. Mr. Franklin was also one our nation's first scientists--yet these modern-day knuckleheads who ought know better refute science! Were he alive today, he would be rather dismayed, disgruntled, and disgusted with the fascist anti-science Republican cult, that much is crystal clear.
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Bush v. Gore, Citizens United, Chief Jester Roberts smiling and nodding along while presiding over sham Senate impeachment trial, Assassination Goon B.S. Barr butchering the law, slaughtering justice, politicizing and weaponizing the DOJ. It's why we lost all respect for the Supreme Court, the law, and the justice system in this country. Congratulations, Republicans, on turning our nation into a banana Republic, making America an object lesson to the world on how to destroy democracy!
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Toxic Trump and Republicans are traitors to America. They've been gaslighting Trump's Russian collusion and election fraud for years, and continue doing so. Trump should have been impeached and convicted after the Mueller Report, which didn't happen only because of A.G. Barr and Republicans, who were ultimately responsible for that failure. Then Congressional Republicans refused to impeach despite overwhelming evidence of Trump's Ukraine shakedown. The worst was the third time Republicans refused to impeach Trump after he incited a terrorist insurrection against his own government on the nation's Capitol. Now, Republicans refuse to even have a BIPARTISAN commission to investigate January 6. Moreover, throughout Trump's term and even after, Republicans have been KNOWINGLY spreading Russian propaganda designed to weaken America, kill Americans. So, when is Merrick Garland and the DOJ going to step up and hold Trump and his Republican accomplices accountable for their many FEDERAL crimes, or is Garland going to set the terrible, horrific precedent that a former President is a King and above the law? Just when America most needed a strong and courageous AG at the DOJ, we instead got a cowardly enabler in Merrick Garland.
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GOP is the party of lies, the party of crackpot conspiracy theories, the party of gross hypocrisy, the party of fear, the party of hate, the party of greed, the party of cowards, the party of pollution, the party of plutocrats, the party of corruption, the party of anti-democracy, the party of sedition, the party of terrorists, the party of fascism, the party of tyranny, the party of evil, the party of Satan. Republican cult doesn't care about America and ALL Americans, doesn't want to bargain in good faith...because they already made their pact with the Devil.
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@blingbling2841 ~ Well, Doc, such a distinction doesn't make a wit of difference, since if you were being a big boy, you wouldn't have gotten triggered and offended by the truth. Plus, your reply wasn't addressed to the OP, it was addressed to our comment. So, just as Republicans constantly do, you're being disingenuous, besides. Get a clue, not a cult.
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RL West ~ Last checked, 78 million outnumbers 72 million, we're still a democracy, votes still count. But you got an upvote, because you make a valid point, although it's Congressional Republicans, GOP leaders, Republican governors and state legislatures, and rank-and-file Republicans--not just Senate Republicans who enabled, aided, and abetted a fascist authoritarian President.
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GOP cult: “Democracy is great…only so long as we can subvert it with lies, cheating, a multitude of Jim Crow voter suppression laws, egregious gerrymandering, obstruction, coups, election interference, sedition, and terrorism to gain power and maintain our corrupt, plutocratic, minority fascist rule!”
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Hypocritical Republican cult whines about cancel culture...
--while making death threats against those disagreeing with them
--while conducting a terrorist attack against the nation's Capitol in insurrection, beating and killing police, intent on killing lawmakers and the Republican VP, attempting a coup to overthrow the results of a free and fair election...just because their candidate lost.
--while trying to cancel out the votes of millions of Democrats and minorities by objecting solely to their votes, enacting numerous voter suppression measures, and engaging in egregious gerrymandering.
--while labeling MSM "the enemy of the people."
--while censoring and moving to remove fellow Republicans of integrity who speak up for truth and decency, and against GOP lies, terrorism, and crackpot conspiracy theories.
--while Reich-wing media turns off comments yet rants against "censorship."
--while Faux News fires its news editor for truthfully reporting that Arizona had been called for Biden.
--while trying to run a Biden campaign bus off the road.
--while Rep. Marjorie Greene prevents press from covering town hall meetings where nobody wore a mask.
--after seriously injuring over 140 police officers and killing one in the Republican cult's seditious terrorist attack of insurrection against the nation's Capitol, Republican cult terrorists threaten to call the cops on reporters trying to get their side of the story.
--after canceling out millions of American's jobs under George W. Bush's recession and the largest loss of jobs since the great Depression under Toxic Trump due to his gross incompetence, lies, and willful criminal negligence in responding to a global pandemic.
--while canceling out the lives of hundreds of thousands of their fellow Americans by spreading lies about COVID-19, politicizing a deadly pandemic, and refusing to follow common sense health guidelines.
--while threatening to cancel baseball's anti-trust exemption for exercising their right to free speech
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"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
“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
“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
"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.
Once again, nationalism, aka fascism, has risen its ugly head in America, in European nations, and in some other countries around the world. The fight of good people against ignorance, the fears that sprout from it, the hate which then blossoms, culminating in the bitter toxic fruit of evil, senseless brutalities and deaths, is a constant, never-ending battle we fear, but it is a battle from which we must never shrink.
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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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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"We have met the enemy, and he is us!" ~ Walt Kelly
"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
“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
“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
"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.
~ How Fascism Works, The Politics of Us and Them by Jason Stanley
Once again, nationalism, aka fascism, has risen its ugly head in America, in European nations, and in some other countries around the world. The fight of good people against ignorance, the fears that sprout from it, the hate which then blossoms, culminating in the bitter toxic fruit of evil, senseless brutalities and deaths, is a constant, never-ending battle we fear, but it is a battle from which we must never shrink.
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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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
(Reference also Father Charles E. Coughlin and Henry Ford in regards to the first America First movement.)
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
Malcolm Nance: We Are In A Neo-Fascist Era In American Politics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_RxUAe2zeM
Political Analyst Tells Joy Reid: Forget Trumpism, IT’s Neo-Fascism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IgNp84JA4A
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You know what REALLY pisses me off most? It’s that all these Toxic Trump sycophants and acolytes KNOW he is a grave security threat to the U.S. But, they don’t care, play dumb. They would sell out their country and souls for filthy lucre, fleeting fame that quickly turns to infamy, and empty promises. They lie, deny, deceive, divide, denigrate, diminish, and work to destroy our cherished Republic.
GOP has gone rogue, doesn’t want to play by the rules in America, anymore. Republicans are all about constant deceit and hypocrisy, rigging elections, and rampant crony corruption.
One would hope that his cabinet or the Republican Senate would have done the right thing and removed him. Or, that the Republican SCOTUS would have defended our Constitution, instead of partisan power grabs. In fact, it’s more than hope—those are the minimal basic expectation of our public officials. They failed themselves, and they failed our nation horribly. Because they are weak, and ignorant, and corrupt.
Thus, we are forced to suffer another four months of a failed Presidency, a failed Senate, and a failed SCOTUS. While confident Trump would be defeated before the pandemic and ensuing economic collapse, his loss has since become a virtual certainty. So, that isn’t really about hope, either.
What does give hope is that the majority of Americans reject Trump. There is hope that the end of Trump will mark the beginning of the end for the Republican cult. There is hope that out of this darkness will come the realization progress is vital to our future, and that reactionary conservatism stagnates and kills.
In short, the GOP has become proto-fascist, bound by the ignorant Republican cult they created, and the fear, bigotry and hate they cultivated and nourished for decades. Fortunately, the cult is not the majority, so there is hope yet for America!
“The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over decades by plutocrats, the GOP, and right-wing media. Those Americans elected this pitiful, puerile President, and have continued to support him no matter what travesty he commits! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated.”
Conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it’s what they peddle, it’s what they traffic in, it’s what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear to hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It’s the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone—unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
The only thing been stopping the GOP cult from turning America fascist has been the long-held universal repulsion and rejection of Toxic Trump’s hero, Adolf Hitler, by Americans. Fortunately, the majority of Americans still remember that painful historical lesson many Republicans choose to ignore. There is hope that good will once again triumph over evil; love prevail over hate; common sense outweigh blind faith, mindless tribalism, and silly superstitions.
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Suspect what will be most remarkable to future generations is not the Traitor-‘n-‘Thief, Toxic Trump, so much—although his name will surely be enshrined in infamy for the ages—as it is and will be the Republican so-called leaders and cult that enabled him and supported a racist, misogynist, xenophobic, bigoted, narcissistic, sociopathic, moronic, raving lunatic and his corruption. A decade or two down the road, Trump is likely to be viewed as a tragic Hitleresque figure; a victim of himself and his upbringing who should have never been put in a position to victimize others, and who should have been removed long before being allowed to victimize so many others.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, and our country.
Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. And it's extremely dangerous to our security, to our democracy, and to our country. They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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GOP cult: “Democracy is great…only so long as we can subvert it with lies, cheating, a multitude of Jim Crow voter suppression laws, egregious gerrymandering, obstruction, coups, election interference, election fraud, sedition, insurrection and terrorism to gain power and maintain our corrupt, plutocratic, minority fascist rule!”
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You don't get denialism without nihilism. As life-long conservative Bill Kristol astutely pointed our just recently in a tweet, the Republican party has embraced nihilism. Republicans still labeling COVID-19 a "hoax;" Republicans still refusing to wear masks or social distance after over half-a-million American fatalities from COVID-19; Congressional Republicans obstructing a COVID-19 stimulus bill certain to pass just to delay vital and urgently needed relief to Americans desperate for help; not one Congressional Republican in either chamber voting for the badly needed stimulus bill; Republican governors dropping mask mandates and all restrictions on businesses, heedless of rising case counts in their states and deadly new variants of the virus; and Republican leaders continuing to push the Big Lie that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen without evidence and in disregard of plentiful evidence and facts to the contrary, even AFTER their Big Lie incited a terrorist attack by a mindless Republican mob against the nation's Capitol in insurrection against the government, attempting to overturn a legitimate election, sieging, storming, sizing, sacking, defiling, defacing and disgracing America's citadel of, and temple to, democracy--these are all prime examples of nihilism.
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Meet the new ugly face of white supremacy in America! Funny--it looks just like the old ugly face. Except this time they got their Imperial Wizard installed as Chief Jester of the Supreme Court, where he magically declared racism somehow no longer a problem in America, paving the way for thousands of new Jim Crow laws and egregious gerrymandering suppressing and disenfranchising millions of American voters. Of course, harsh realities will continue to exist irrespective of any blind eye or pretentious, capricious edicts by some Supreme Court. And Roberts' conservative SCOTUS decisions only confirm how the white supremacist problem and its perpetual "fix" on the American judicial branch and justice system has never gone away, as America continues to struggle with overcoming a racist history of colonialism, slavery, and discrimination.
Chief Justice Roberts and his fellow conservative SCOTUS justices: the architects of a new era of Jim Crow in America. Need to expand SCOTUS to 15 justices, do away with the filibuster, pass a new Voting Rights Act, and let Biden appoint six new justices to bring sanity and justice back to the Supreme Court.
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from _'Trumpism is American Fascism'
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"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
“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
“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
"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.
Once again, nationalism, aka fascism, has risen its ugly head in America, in European nations, and in some other countries around the world. The fight of good people against ignorance, the fears that sprout from it, the hate which then blossoms, culminating in the bitter toxic fruit of evil, senseless brutalities and deaths, is a constant, never-ending battle we fear, but it is a battle from which we must never shrink.
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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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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The Molotov cocktail recipe:
Mix in equal parts of mental illness, willful ignorance, fear, hate, decades of 24/7 Reich-wing disinformation, misinformation, and crackpot conspiracy programming by Republican politicians, plutocrats, media and demagogues, add supplemental divisive Russian propaganda attacking and weakening America, stir well, garnish with COVID-19, and you have the mindless Republican cult descending into fascism, committing terrorism and sedition. Then, grab a stiff drink--you'll need it.
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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.
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, jingoism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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GOP cult: “Democracy is great…only so long as we can subvert it with lies, cheating, a multitude of Jim Crow voter suppression laws, egregious gerrymandering, obstruction, coups, election interference, election fraud, sedition, insurrection and terrorism to gain power and maintain our corrupt, plutocratic, minority fascist rule!”
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"We have met the enemy, and he is us!" ~ Walt Kelly
"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
“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
“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
"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.
~ How Fascism Works, The Politics of Us and Them by Jason Stanley
Once again, nationalism, aka fascism, has risen its ugly head in America, in European nations, and in some other countries around the world. The fight of good people against ignorance, the fears that sprout from it, the hate which then blossoms, culminating in the bitter toxic fruit of evil, senseless brutalities and deaths, is a constant, never-ending battle we fear, but it is a battle from which we must never shrink.
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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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
(Reference also Father Charles E. Coughlin and Henry Ford in regards to the first America First movement.)
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
Malcolm Nance: We Are In A Neo-Fascist Era In American Politics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_RxUAe2zeM
Political Analyst Tells Joy Reid: Forget Trumpism, IT’s Neo-Fascism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IgNp84JA4A
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. And it's extremely dangerous to our security, to our democracy, and to our country. They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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Republicans have proven they don't care about our Constitution, so their reprehensible innuendo and baseless attacks unjustly smearing decorated fellow veterans only speaking truth that needs telling comes as no real surprise, and is the second strike for these seditious rats. They'll soon get one more swing when voting very soon on impeachment, and we're hoping they don't blow it and strike out on the American people, or they're out of there!!
Most vets have seen more than enough with this compromised clown and corrupt administration. We've taken enough, and we've had enough-Toxic Traitor Trump and ALL his crooked, craven cronies need to go, NOW! Republican rats are putting not just all our brothers and sisters who are actively serving proudly and ably at risk, they are putting this whole nation at risk! Those of us not active need to speak out loudly for our brothers and sisters-in-arms who cannot speak out, and for those who know not, too!
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Why hasn't Merrick Garland and his DOJ not yet arrested and charged Trump, Jeffery Clark, Mark Meadows, and any other accomplices for their involvement in federal election interference and sedition??? WTF? How much more evidence is needed?
18 U.S. Code § 595 - Interference by administrative employees of Federal, State, or Territorial Governments
"Whoever, being a person employed in any administrative position by the United States, or by any department or agency thereof, or by the District of Columbia or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or by any State, Territory, or Possession of the United States, or any political subdivision, municipality, or agency thereof, or agency of such political subdivision or municipality (including any corporation owned or controlled by any State, Territory, or Possession of the United States or by any such political subdivision, municipality, or agency), in connection with any activity which is financed in whole or in part by loans or grants made by the United States, or any department or agency thereof, uses his official authority for the purpose of interfering with, or affecting, the nomination or the election of any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the Senate, Member of the House of Representatives, Delegate from the District of Columbia, or Resident Commissioner, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both."
Disqualification form Holding Office, U.S. Constitution, 14th Amendment, Section 3.1.1
"No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof."
Merrick Garland’s House Testimony Demonstrated the Failure of His Hyper-Cautious Approach to His Job
Despite Garland’s many efforts to not appear political by declining to investigate Trump and his cronies for possible crimes and by using DOJ resources to actively protect Trump from civil liability, Republicans are still portraying him as the most political attorney general in history.
The other weakness of Garland’s timid approach was on full view during his opening statement and responses to Democratic members of Congress. “The essence of the rule of law is that like cases are treated alike. That there not be one rule for Democrats and another for Republicans; one rule for friends, another for foes,” Garland stated grandly. But by declining to investigate Trump and his associates, Garland is enabling further attacks on our democracy. (While proving inequity by putting Republicans above the law.)
Crucially, the two parties are not the same. Garland’s standard sets up a false equivalency between the Democratic Party and a political party whose national leader, Donald Trump, incited and celebrated a violent assault on our nation’s Capitol to overthrow the results of a free and fair election and who continues to portray the insurrection as a glorious “protest.” To that end, in the middle of the attorney general’s testimony, Trump issued a statement highlighting Garland’s feebleness at failing to even investigate the organizers and leaders of the Jan. 6 events, declaring “the insurrection took place on November 3, Election Day. January 6 was the Protest!”
Garland’s efforts to depoliticize the DOJ have proved to be an abdication of his responsibility to protect the rule of law. Take just a few examples: Garland’s failure to reconsider the obstruction of justice case against the former president, his deferral of an investigation of possible financial crimes by Trump and his organization to local prosecutors in New York City and Westchester, his use of the DOJ to protect Trump from defamation allegations, and his deferral of a soliciting of voter fraud felony probe in Georgia to local prosecutors there. By abdicating his responsibility, Garland is also opening the door for Trump to commit these possibly criminal abuses all over again, this time with the full support of the Republican Party, and maybe ultimately return to power.
--Mark Stern
"Try as he may, Merrick Garland cannot perform boring independence fast enough to outrun GOP claims that he’s a wild-eyed, violent socialist. And while the GOP currently exists only to cast everything you thought you believed into doubt, the real endgame is vigilantism. The endgame is to ensure that people mistrust government, election systems, school boards, (teachers, health care officials) the media, and the justice system enough to lend a hand in their destruction."
--Dahlia Lithwick
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@kramnoslaw4474 ~ Bravo, Biden! Biden is correct to call out and put pressure on Manchin and Sinema, who are acting naïve, but have to know better by now that Congressional Republicans want nothing to do with bipartisanship----only total domination. Republicans already ended the filibuster for SCOTUS nominations because it didn't suit their agenda of packing the courts, and they'll do away with the filibuster altogether in the future when it gets in their way. Congressional Republicans have already proven numerous times that their word means nothing. If Democrats don't end the filibuster, then Republicans will, using it to their own advantage, anyway.
Congressional Republicans just proved--once again--they are unwilling to operate in good faith, first in the House, now in the Senate, unwilling to even pass a BIPARTISAN commission to investigate the January 6 insurrection! How many times does Lucy have to pull the football out at the last minute before Charlie Brown Manchin and Silly Sinema finally wise up? New voting rights protections sorely needed in the wake of new Republican Jim Crow legislation nationwide, a badly needed infrastructure and jobs bill, and numerous other pieces of critical legislation the Democrats want to pass don't stand a chance if the filibuster is allowed to stand. If Republicans are going to abuse the filibuster, then it's time to LOSE THE FILIBUSTER!!!
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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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
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The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over decades by the GOP, plutocrats, Reich-wing demagogues, Reich-wing Christian nationalism religious leaders, and Reich-wing print, radio, TV, and social media, programmed 24/7, radicalizing them and creating mass delusion. A straight line can be drawn through to the inevitable catastrophic conclusion witnessed today from Lee Atwater, Roger Aisles, Pat Buchanan, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, Newt Gingrich, Ann Coulter, Karl Rove, Lou Dobbs, Mitch McConnell, Billy Graham, Sean Hannity, Jim Jordan, to Donald J. Trump. Sure, some in the Republican cult truly are that ignorant or gullible; but most are willfully ignorant, being fed the lies they want to hear. They bear personal responsibility. Part of it's a cultural problem, as some mostly older white people's mistaken perception is that the America they knew is slipping away. Well, America is still America, but--like most nations--is constantly evolving, as progress invariably rolls on, but they are unwilling to accept that, or change with the times.
Those Americans elected that pitiful, pathetic puerile President, and have continued to support him no matter what travesty he committed! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated. They created the beast, thought they could ride the tiger, exploit it for their own greed, vanity, and power, too stupid or uncaring to realize that it would instead inevitably come to consume them.
American conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it’s what they peddle, it’s what they traffic in, it’s what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear into hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It’s the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone—unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry all were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
"United we stand, divided we fall." A simple concept, really, that too many Americans seem to have forgotten or abandoned. Our nation is like an airplane; it requires both the left and right wings working together in tandem to operate properly and safely. Only problem is the Reich-wing decided to try flying solo, forcing us all into a nose-dive! Care about the issues, disdain political gamesmanship, while still recognizing politics is an inseparable and necessary element. Have always respected and valued loyal opposition, even if in disagreement with the ideology. Fact is, though, the GOP has abdicated the requisite role of loyal opposition to become a mindless, tribalistic, hyper-partisan Reich-wing cult that places greed and political party over truth, reason, decency, and country.
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
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It's the judicial activism of chauvinistic Reich-wing Talibanazi SCROTUM justices in action, turning the clock back in America to the Dark Ages, while delegitimizing themselves and the Court.
Woman's reproductive choice is a Constitutional right under Roe v. Wade, which was rendered 50 years ago in a 7-2 decision by a SCOTUS containing a 7-2 conservative majority. For the past five decades, an overwhelmingly majority of Americans have consistently supported that decision. Besides, Republicans don't give a crap about zygotes, embryos, fetuses, children, or women, as repeatedly and amply proven by their policies. And if Republicans really cared about human life, they wouldn't be banning mask and vaccine mandates during a deadly global pandemic that has already taken over 660,000 American lives in just 18 months. Fascist GOP is a Jim Jones-style cult pro-death party full of heinous hypocrites!
“The lie that abortion is murder is right-wing propaganda designed to demonize Democrats. Abortion is legal all over the world because a fetus without a cerebral cortex cannot think or feel before the 27th week. According to the CDC almost all abortions happen before the 13th week.”
― Oliver Markus Malloy
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Toxic Trump: A clear and present danger to himself and others. U.S. #1 national security threat sits in the Oval.
Republicans: Like to play dumb, demonstrating just how really, REALLY dumb they are. Complicity renders them likewise a clear and present danger to themselves, others, the nation. Decades of programming from right-wing media, demagogues, plutocrats, religious grifters, and seedy politicians created a mindless, fascist Republican cult, too hyper-partisan to place national interest over ignorant tribalism. GOP chained themselves to the rabid, ravenous beast of willful ignorance consuming them, which they created, nourished, and exploited.
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
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Republican cult is the new ISIS.
Republican politicians are appeasing terrorists...because that's their voter base, radicalization and extremism is what they have cultivated, nourished, exploited, and profited from for four decades. Reich-wing politicians, plutocrats, media, Christian nationalism religious leaders, and demagogues thought they could ride the tiger, too arrogant, greedy, and stupid to foresee that master would become slave, and the beast would soon come to consume them.
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Suspect what will be most remarkable to future generations is not the Traitor-‘n-‘Thief, Toxic Trump, so much—although his name will surely be enshrined in infamy for the ages—as it is and will be the Republican so-called leaders and cult that enabled him and supported a racist, misogynist, xenophobic, bigoted, narcissistic, sociopathic, moronic, raving lunatic and his corruption. A decade or two down the road, Trump is likely to be viewed as a tragic Hitleresque figure; a victim of himself and his upbringing who should have never been put in a position to victimize others, and who should have been removed long before being allowed to victimize so many others.
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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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from _'Trumpism is American Fascism'
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@idalarsen2540 ~ Populist nationalism (aka fascism) has been cropping up in many Western nations (including some Scandinavian ones), as well as other places around the globe. Trump is gone, but what about the leaders of Poland and Bulgaria, for example? While the far right in those nations has suffered some recent setbacks as happened in America, it remains a cause for concern.
While I largely share your views about America, I nonetheless find some of them somewhat simplistic and overly dire. Was the Marshall Plan a bad thing? Is NATO a bad thing? Is promoting democracy around the world a bad thing? There is a difference between promoting democracy in general, and using that as a guise to exploit other nations, or to use it for undemocratic purpose, and that should be recognized. One can and should support the former, and oppose the latter. However, that doesn't mean forcing democracy upon any nation against the will of its people, nor should we be particularly concerned about nations with other forms of government that its people are content with and which serves them well. Will post separately to you here some other commentary of mine providing additional perspective which you may find informative about the situation and current political landscape in America.
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@idalarsen2540 ~ "We have met the enemy, and he is us!" ~ Walt Kelly
"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
“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
“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
"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.
Once again, nationalism, aka fascism, has risen its ugly head in America, in European nations, and in some other countries around the world. The fight of good people against ignorance, the fears that sprout from it, the hate which then blossoms, culminating in the bitter toxic fruit of evil, senseless brutalities and deaths, is a constant, never-ending battle we fear, but it is a battle from which we must never shrink.
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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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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Republicans are willing to gain and hold power at any cost...even if the price is our democracy!
Farmer wakes up one morning, goes outside to milk his cows, and discovers his entire herd is missing! So, he then walks over nest door to where the Republican cult lives, notices them grinding a whole bunch of beef into hamburger, and asks them, "Did you see what happened to all my cows?"
Republican cult: "Yeah, they jumped over the moon."
Farmer: "Do you have any actual evidence of that?"
Republican cult: "No, because they landed on the dark side, and you can't see them over there. But we're conducting a bunch of investigations and fraudits, and we're confident evidence will soon emerge to prove it!"
Farmer: "You know, that sounds like a load of manure!"
Republican cult: "Well, that's what we all choose to believe!"
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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Who'd have ever equated voting in America with survival? But that's pretty much what it has boiled down to, hasn't it? Survival of ourselves, survival of our democracy, survival of our nation, and survival of our planet. The irony is that Republicans have always tried to paint Democrats as an existential threat...but in doing so it is actually they who have become exactly that.
Democrat voters need an even greater turnout in '22 and '24, put the final fork in Trumpism! Republicans want to engage in Jim Crow voter suppression laws, voter intimidation, and egregious gerrymandering? Republicans want to engage in corruption, gaslight their corruption, coverup their corruption? Republicans want to turn a blind eye to Russian election interference and knowingly disseminate Russian propaganda for Putin? Republicans want to instigate and sanction Reich-wing domestic terrorist insurrection? Republicans want to live in delusion and denial about the major problems confronting the nation and planet? Let's just prove that's fuel for the fire, and make their fascist antidemocratic corruption backfire on them!
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Congressional Republicans just proved--once again--they are unwilling to operate in good faith, first in the House, now in the Senate, unwilling to even pass a BIPARTISAN commission to investigate the January 6 insurrection! How many times does Lucy have to pull the football out at the last minute before Charlie Brown Manchin finally wises up? New voting rights protections sorely needed in the wake of new Republican Jim Crow legislation nationwide, a badly needed infrastructure and jobs bill, and numerous other pieces of critical legislation the Democrats want to pass don't stand a chance if the filibuster is allowed to stand. If Republicans are going to abuse the filibuster, then it's time to LOSE THE FILIBUSTER!!!
As Republicans continue relitigating the 2020 election in Arizona, Georgia, and other states based upon a Big Lie they pushed, and after Republicans relitigated Benghazi for years with TEN partisan investigations, Moscow McConnell doesn't want a bipartisan commission to investigate an insurrection against the nation's Capitol because it would be "relitigating?" Nevermind the heights of hypocrisy reached here; that's an insult to the intelligence of the American people, and a gross dereliction of duty by Republicans.
Naturally, Republicans don't want their ties to terrorists and the insurrection exposed, nor does McCarthy want to be forced to testify about his damning phone call to Traitor Trump on January 6th.
While it would be better to have a bipartisan commission with both sides operating in good faith to get to the truth, Republicans have demonstrated themselves to be incapable of operating in good faith. Given that they amply proved that by voting against the January 6 commission, it will actually be for the better, because a House select committee investigating January 6 won't be blocked by Republicans from subpoenaing witnesses, or bogged down with Republican obstructionism, obfuscations, deflections, and irrelevancies.
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Confronted with a conundrum contrary or conflicting, the Republican cult instinct for self-preservation induces a shut down of blood flow to the cranium, causing confusion, chaos, crisis, corruption, and criminality! Cult for cult, con for con, convolution after convolution, concocted crackpot conspiracy after concocted crackpot conspiracy, cover-up after cover-up, the GOP is alone, in a league all its own!
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
(NOTE: Gerson is a staunch life-long conservative, who served as former President George W. Bush's chief speech writer.)
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Who'd have ever equated voting in America with survival? But that's pretty much what it has boiled down to, hasn't it? Survival of ourselves, survival of our democracy, survival of our nation, and survival of our planet. The irony is that Republicans have always tried to paint Democrats as an existential threat...but in doing so it is actually they who have become exactly that.
Democrat voters need an even greater turnout in '22 and '24, put the final fork in Trumpism! Republicans want to engage in Jim Crow voter suppression laws, voter intimidation, and egregious gerrymandering? Republicans want to engage in corruption, gaslight their corruption, coverup their corruption? Republicans want to turn a blind eye to Russian election interference and knowingly disseminate Russian propaganda for Putin? Republicans want to instigate and sanction Reich-wing domestic terrorist insurrection? Republicans want to live in delusion and denial about the major problems confronting the nation and planet? Let's just prove that's fuel for the fire, and make their fascist antidemocratic corruption backfire on them!
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You don't get denialism without nihilism. As life-long conservative Bill Kristol astutely pointed out, the Republican party has embraced nihilism. Republicans still labeling COVID-19 a "hoax;" Republicans still refusing to wear masks or social distance after over half-a-million American fatalities from COVID-19; Congressional Republicans obstructing a COVID-19 stimulus bill certain to pass just to delay vital and urgently needed relief to Americans desperate for help; not one Congressional Republican in either chamber voting for the badly needed stimulus bill; Republican governors dropping mask mandates and all restrictions on businesses, heedless of rising case counts in their states and deadly new variants of the virus; and Republican leaders continuing to push the Big Lie that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen without evidence and in disregard of plentiful evidence and facts to the contrary, even AFTER their Big Lie incited a terrorist attack by a mindless Republican mob against the nation's Capitol in insurrection against the government, attempting to overturn a legitimate election, sieging, storming, sizing, sacking, defiling, defacing and disgracing America's citadel of, and temple to, democracy--these are all prime examples of nihilism.
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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.
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GOP cult: “Democracy is great…only so long as we can subvert it with lies, a multitude of Jim Crow voter suppression laws, egregious gerrymandering, obstruction, sedition, and terrorism to gain power and maintain our corrupt, plutocratic, minority fascist rule!”
It's quite obvious that these Republican efforts purportedly to promote election integrity are a sham and a fraud designed to do exactly the opposite: undermine confidence in the electoral process in America, and undermine our democracy. Republicans are doing this to impose their minority rule over the majority----the very antithesis of democracy.
Meet the new ugly face of white supremacy in America! Funny--it looks just like the old ugly face. Except this time they got their Imperial Wizard installed as Chief Jester of the Supreme Court, where he magically declared racism somehow no longer a problem in America, paving the way for thousands of new Jim Crow laws and egregious gerrymandering suppressing and disenfranchising millions of American voters. Of course, harsh realities will continue to exist irrespective of any blind eye or pretentious, capricious edicts by some Supreme Court. And Roberts' conservative SCOTUS decisions only confirm how the white supremacist problem and its perpetual "fix" on the American judicial branch and justice system has never gone away, as America continues to struggle with overcoming a racist history of colonialism, slavery, and discrimination.
"...we must recognize that one of the two political parties is routinely engaged in sabotaging free elections with voter-suppression efforts aimed at the minority voters it cannot win over at the ballot box. These anti-democratic power grabs became a GOP staple decades before Donald Trump, culminating in the actions of a George W. Bush–anointed chief justice, John Roberts, whose Supreme Court shredded the Voting Rights Act of 1965. As Roberts famously put it in his 2007 opinion for the plurality, “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.” Since then, discrimination on the basis of race has only expanded in states like Georgia and Florida, where Black voting rights have been cavalierly undermined and trashed."
~ Frank Rich, November 9, 2020 (Written well before the rash of new Jim Crow laws now being proposed and passed by Republicans in many states.)
Chief Justice Roberts and his fellow conservative SCOTUS justices: the architects of a new era of Jim Crow in America.
Need to expand SCOTUS to 15 justices, do away with the filibuster, pass a new Voting Rights Act, and let Biden appoint six new justices to bring sanity and justice back to the Supreme Court.
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The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which supplies about 90% of the state with its power, said Tuesday that wind power is responsible for just a fraction of the loss.
"Of the power shortfall that hit Texas, over 80% was due to problems at coal- and gas-fired plants," PolitiFact reported.
Experts say traditional energy sources, including coal and natural gas, performed below expectations, while wind power actually performed above expectations.
"Main story continues to be the failure of thermal power plants — natural gas, coal, and nuclear plants — which ERCOT counts on to be there when needed. They've failed," Princeton engineering professor Jesse Jenkins tweeted Tuesday. "Those of you who have heard that frozen wind turbines are to blame for this, think again. The extreme demand and thermal power plant outages are the principle cause."
Just to also note; this is the third time Texas has experienced power losses due to winter weather events. It happened before in 1986 and 2011, and the Texas legislature and Governors have repeatedly ignored warnings of catastrophe and recommendations that power generating infrastructure urgently needed upgrading to winterize it. In fact, it was current Texas Governor Greg Abbott who sued the EPA in 2011 as Texas AG to resist compliance with Federal energy grid regulations. Compounding the problem is that Texas and ERCOT decided to be independent of the national grid to avoid regulations, which would have helped ameliorate power losses. Now, instead of Texas having spent a little money to insure themselves energy security, U.S. taxpayers will be bailing out hundreds of millions in aid to Texas because of their ignorance, greed, and criminal negligence.
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
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There has never been a graceful exit for the losing side in any war.
Truth is, our hasty withdrawal from Vietnam was even worse if you look at the numbers and the whole picture. Only 7,000 were evacuated from Vietnam during the fall of Saigon, with many more left behind, including two dead American soldiers----the last to die in the Vietnam War----left behind in a hospital and not returned until a year later by the Vietnamese. That evacuation occurred under hostile NVA and Vietcong fire. Since August 14, over 120,000 have already been evacuated from Afghanistan despite the complete capitulation of the Afghan government and Afghan Army, with no hostile fire upon American troops by the Taliban so far. Over 125,000 have been evacuated since the end of July. Moreover, the January 27, 1973 peace agreement signed by the Americans with the North Vietnamese ended all direct U.S. military involvement in Vietnam, and provided sixty days for troop removal. Just as with Afghanistan, all troops were removed. However, it was over two years later, on April 30, 1975, when the fall of Saigon occurred. So, the U.S. had nearly two-and-a-half years to evacuate everyone else before the fall of the South Vietnamese government and armed forces, instead of just the two weeks like in Afghanistan so far.
The other thing in stark contrast between Vietnam and Afghanistan is that no Democrats----including Carter, who was running against Ford for President----tried to use the situation for political gain like Republicans are so desperately and depravedly doing now. That, despite the fact that it was the previous Trump administration which bears the brunt of the blame for the current situation.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. And it's extremely dangerous to our security, to our democracy, and to our country. They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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Suspect what will be most remarkable to future generations is not the Traitor-'n-'Thief, Toxic Trump, so much--although his name will surely be enshrined in infamy for the ages--as it is and will be the Republican so-called leaders and cult that enabled him and supported a racist, misogynist, xenophobic, bigoted, narcissistic, sociopathic, moronic, raving lunatic and his corruption. A decade or two down the road, Trump is likely to be viewed as a tragic Hitleresque figure; a victim of himself and his upbringing who should have never been put in a position to victimize others, and who should have been removed long before being allowed to victimize so many others.
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In typical Republican Orwellian fashion, down is up, white is black, and anti-fascists are fascists. But do you know why the Reich-wing hates anti-fascists so much and tries so hard to demonize and vilify them? It's not really because anti-fascists try to deter and counter violence from fascist white supremacists, although that does dull efforts by white supremacists to intimidate and terrorize decent folk. No, the primary reason is because anti-fascists expose and publicize the identities of white supremacists. And in typical Republican Orwellian fashion, the creepy Cringeshow video engages in projectionism, trying to project strength, patriotism, and fearlessness upon fascist Republicans, and the opposite upon those opposing them, when, in fact, it is fascist Republicans who have continually demonstrated themselves to be weak, unpatriotic, and cowardly.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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You don't get denialism without nihilism. As life-long conservative Bill Kristol astutely pointed out, the Republican party has embraced nihilism. Republicans still labeling COVID-19 a "hoax;" Republicans still refusing to wear masks or social distance after over half-a-million American fatalities from COVID-19; Congressional Republicans obstructing a COVID-19 stimulus bill certain to pass just to delay vital and urgently needed relief to Americans desperate for help; not one Congressional Republican in either chamber voting for the badly needed stimulus bill; Republican governors dropping mask mandates and all restrictions on businesses, heedless of rising case counts in their states and deadly new variants of the virus; and Republican leaders continuing to push the Big Lie that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen without evidence and in disregard of plentiful evidence and facts to the contrary, even AFTER their Big Lie incited a terrorist attack by a mindless Republican mob against the nation's Capitol in insurrection against the government, attempting to overturn a legitimate election, sieging, storming, sizing, sacking, defiling, defacing and disgracing America's citadel of, and temple to, democracy--these are all prime examples of nihilism.
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Bush v. Gore, Citizens United, Shelby County v. Holder, Rucho v. Common Cause, Chief Jester Roberts smiling and nodding along while presiding over sham Senate impeachment trial, Assassination Goon B.S. Barr butchering the law, slaughtering justice, politicizing and weaponizing the DOJ. So, now, thanks to conservative Justices on SCOTUS, we have partisan Republican judges deciding elections instead of voters; a return to Jim Crow laws promoting voter suppression; unlimited dark money in elections buying off politicians; a lack of accountability enabling the Executive Branch to blackmail and coerce foreign governments into interfering in our elections, severely degrading our national security; and legalization of even the most egregious Republican gerrymandering. In essence, a deck stacked heavily in favor of corrupt, racist, anti-democratic Republican minority rule over the majority. It's why we lost all respect for these conservative Supreme Courts, the law, and the justice system in this country.
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What we are witnessing from so-called Republican "leaders" is just pure evil.
Republican politicians are only interested in helping themselves, sadly. It's not even really placing party before country, because they don't really care about the GOP, either, which is evidenced by their destruction of it; they only use that as a convenient vehicle to grift their voters and us taxpayers.
You don't get denialism without nihilism, and Sen. Hirono hits the nail on the head when she said that "Republicans don't give a shit."
Republicans have had lots and lots of practice gaslighting and revising history. Pretty soon, they're going to make the GOP disappear! They're already on the wrong side of history, yet keep edging ever closer to extinction.
GOP = fascism + nihilism The few patriots in the Republican party are rejected by the vast majority of Republicans. Hard as it may be for some to believe or accept, it is to our own and our nation's peril to ignore, diminish, or dismiss that the GOP has become a fascist cult. Their fascism, nihilism and cultdom needs to be recognized, acknowledged, called out, condemned, and strongly opposed if we are to keep our democracy.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and disturbing. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, and our country.
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America's enemies don't need to spread disinformation, doubt, discord, and division to weaken America, kill Americans--Republican politicians, Reich-wing demagogues, Faux News, OAN, Newsmax, Breitbart and the rest of the Reich-wing media do that so effectively for them, already. More Americans need to realize that the GOP has abdicated it's duty as loyal opposition, and that its prioritization of party over country diminishes both our government and our national security, endangering ALL Americans, as well as weakening and endangering America itself.
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Republican cult is the new ISIS.
Republican politicians are appeasing terrorists...because that's their voter base, radicalization and extremism is what they have cultivated, nourished, exploited, and profited from for four decades. Reich-wing politicians, plutocrats, media, Christian nationalism religious leaders, and demagogues thought they could ride the tiger, too arrogant, greedy, and stupid to foresee that master would become slave, and the beast they created would soon come to consume them.
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
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Suspect what will be most remarkable to future generations is not the Traitor-‘n-‘Thief, Toxic Trump, so much—although his name will surely be enshrined in infamy for the ages—as it is and will be the Republican so-called leaders and cult that enabled him and supported a racist, misogynist, xenophobic, bigoted, narcissistic, sociopathic, moronic, raving lunatic and his corruption, a man compromised by foreign nations, including our principle adversary, through his tremendous debt, presenting our most serious national security threat. A decade or two down the road, Trump is likely to be viewed as a tragic Hitleresque figure; a victim of himself, mental illness, and his upbringing, who should have never been put in a position to victimize others, and who should have been removed long before being allowed to victimize so many others.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. And it's extremely dangerous to our security, to our democracy, and to our country. They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over four decades by the GOP, plutocrats, Reich-wing demagogues, Reich-wing Christian nationalism religious leaders, and Reich-wing print, radio, TV, and social media, programmed 24/7, radicalizing them and creating mass delusion. A straight line can be drawn through to the inevitable catastrophic conclusion witnessed today from Lee Atwater, Roger Aisles, Pat Buchanan, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, Newt Gingrich, Ann Coulter, Karl Rove, Lou Dobbs, Mitch McConnell, Billy Graham, Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Jim Jordan, to Donald J. Trump, Matt Gaetz, and Marjorie Taylor Greene. Sure, some in the Republican cult truly are that ignorant or gullible; but most are willfully ignorant, being fed the lies they want to hear. They bear personal responsibility. Part of it's a cultural problem, as some mostly older white people's mistaken perception is that the America they knew is slipping away. Well, America is still America, but--like most nations--is constantly evolving, as progress invariably rolls on, but they are unwilling to accept that, or change with the times.
Those Americans elected that pitiful, pathetic puerile President, and have continued to support him no matter what travesty he committed! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated. They created the beast, thought they could ride the tiger, exploit it for their own greed, vanity, and power, too stupid or uncaring to realize that it would instead inevitably come to consume them.
American conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it’s what they peddle, it’s what they traffic in, it’s what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear into hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It’s the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone—unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry all were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
"United we stand, divided we fall." A simple concept, really, that too many Americans seem to have forgotten or abandoned. Our nation is like an airplane; it requires both the left and right wings working together in tandem to operate properly and safely. Only problem is the Reich-wing decided to try flying solo, forcing us all into a nose-dive! Care about the issues, disdain political gamesmanship, while still recognizing politics is an inseparable and necessary element. Have always respected and valued loyal opposition, even if in disagreement with the ideology. Fact is, though, the GOP has abdicated the requisite role of loyal opposition to become a mindless, tribalistic, hyper-partisan Reich-wing cult that places greed and political party over truth, reason, decency, and country.
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"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
“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
“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
"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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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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Merrick Garland’s House Testimony Demonstrated the Failure of His Hyper-Cautious Approach to His Job
Despite Garland’s many efforts to not appear political by declining to investigate Trump and his cronies for possible crimes and by using DOJ resources to actively protect Trump from civil liability, Republicans are still portraying him as the most political attorney general in history.
The other weakness of Garland’s timid approach was on full view during his opening statement and responses to Democratic members of Congress. “The essence of the rule of law is that like cases are treated alike. That there not be one rule for Democrats and another for Republicans; one rule for friends, another for foes,” Garland stated grandly. But by declining to investigate Trump and his associates, Garland is enabling further attacks on our democracy. (While proving inequity by putting Republicans above the law.)
Crucially, the two parties are not the same. Garland’s standard sets up a false equivalency between the Democratic Party and a political party whose national leader, Donald Trump, incited and celebrated a violent assault on our nation’s Capitol to overthrow the results of a free and fair election and who continues to portray the insurrection as a glorious “protest.” To that end, in the middle of the attorney general’s testimony, Trump issued a statement highlighting Garland’s feebleness at failing to even investigate the organizers and leaders of the Jan. 6 events, declaring “the insurrection took place on November 3, Election Day. January 6 was the Protest!”
Garland’s efforts to depoliticize the DOJ have proved to be an abdication of his responsibility to protect the rule of law. Take just a few examples: Garland’s failure to reconsider the obstruction of justice case against the former president, his deferral of an investigation of possible financial crimes by Trump and his organization to local prosecutors in New York City and Westchester, his use of the DOJ to protect Trump from defamation allegations, and his deferral of a soliciting of voter fraud felony probe in Georgia to local prosecutors there. By abdicating his responsibility, Garland is also opening the door for Trump to commit these possibly criminal abuses all over again, this time with the full support of the Republican Party, and maybe ultimately return to power.
--Mark Stern
"Try as he may, Merrick Garland cannot perform boring independence fast enough to outrun GOP claims that he’s a wild-eyed, violent socialist. And while the GOP currently exists only to cast everything you thought you believed into doubt, the real endgame is vigilantism. The endgame is to ensure that people mistrust government, election systems, school boards, (teachers, health care officials) the media, and the justice system enough to lend a hand in their destruction."
--Dahlia Lithwick
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The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over decades by the GOP, plutocrats, Reich-wing demagogues, Reich-wing Christian nationalism religious leaders, and Reich-wing print, radio, TV, and social media, programmed 24/7, radicalizing them and creating mass delusion. A straight line can be drawn through to the inevitable catastrophic conclusion witnessed today from Lee Atwater, Roger Aisles, Pat Buchanan, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, Newt Gingrich, Ann Coulter, Karl Rove, Lou Dobbs, Mitch McConnell, Billy Graham, Sean Hannity, Jim Jordan, to Donald J. Trump. Sure, some in the Republican cult truly are that ignorant or gullible; but most are willfully ignorant, being fed the lies they want to hear. They bear personal responsibility. Part of it's a cultural problem, as some mostly older white people's mistaken perception is that the America they knew is slipping away. Well, America is still America, but--like most nations--is constantly evolving, as progress invariably rolls on, but they are unwilling to accept that, or change with the times.
Those Americans elected that pitiful, pathetic puerile President, and have continued to support him no matter what travesty he committed! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated. They created the beast, thought they could ride the tiger, exploit it for their own greed, vanity, and power, too stupid or uncaring to realize that it would instead inevitably come to consume them.
American conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it’s what they peddle, it’s what they traffic in, it’s what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear into hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It’s the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone—unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry all were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
"United we stand, divided we fall." A simple concept, really, that too many Americans seem to have forgotten or abandoned. Our nation is like an airplane; it requires both the left and right wings working together in tandem to operate properly and safely. Only problem is the Reich-wing decided to try flying solo, forcing us all into a nose-dive! Care about the issues, disdain political gamesmanship, while still recognizing politics is an inseparable and necessary element. Have always respected and valued loyal opposition, even if in disagreement with the ideology. Fact is, though, the GOP has abdicated the requisite role of loyal opposition to become a mindless, tribalistic, hyper-partisan Reich-wing cult that places greed and political party over truth, reason, decency, and country.
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The Molotov cocktail recipe:
Mix in equal parts of mental illness, lies, willful ignorance, fear, hate, greed, decades of 24/7 Reich-wing disinformation, misinformation, and crackpot conspiracy programming by Republican politicians, plutocrats, media and demagogues, add supplemental divisive Russian propaganda attacking and weakening America, stir well, garnish with COVID-19, and you have the mindless Republican cult descending into fascism, committing terrorism and sedition. Then, grab a stiff drink--you'll need it.
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GOP cult is NOT the party of law and order, NOT the party of the Constitution and patriots, NOT the party of "values," NOT the party of "Christianity,"_* NOT the party of fiscal responsibility, NOT the party of clean government, NOT the party of freedom. It's the party of terrorism, lawlessness, corruption, fascism, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, bigotry, misogyny, Big Lies, crackpot conspiracy theories, unmitigated greed, gross hypocrisy, socialism for plutocrats, sedition, traitors, and tyranny.
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~ Bad Vibration / Grave Reverberation ~
So much frustration and aggravation
Indignation plus exasperation
Immoderation the new sensation
Death, devastation, soaring inflation
Infestation the explanation
Justification for isolation
Depopulation due incitation
Dispensation of disinformation
Nevermind creation, innovation
Accommodation, consideration
No imagination, variation
Just castigation and condemnation
Infatuation with degradation
Causation of much mortification
Sick fascination, no reservation
Saud assassination operation
Race relation huge conflagration
Brutalization, victimization
Zero toleration immigration
Child separation, stigmatization
Retardation dreamer deportation
Not consolation--only stagnation
Monumentalization curation
Ceaseless rotation, dizzy gyration
Obfuscation, lie regurgitation
Exaggeration, wild speculation
Constant conflation and truth negation
Instigation scam investigation
Evasion of his incarceration
Militarization provocation
Abomination seeks domination
Truncation of secure education
Renunciation, big demonstration
Still no resignation expectation
Thinks due ovation, congratulation
Admiration, always adulation
Mass desperation with situation
Trump's COVID nation obliteration!
What location revitalization?
What permutation for our salvation
Rejuvenation, and relaxation?
Cancellation any coronation
Repatriation determination
Motivation for illumination
Honest communication fixation
Cessation media manipulation
Magnification of inspiration
Amplification of education
Cooperation, collaboration
Through expiation, edification
Restoration results in elation
Evaporation of consternation
Realization unification
Invitation to glorification!
Consolidation brings excitation
Consummation big celebration
With each generation, jubilation!
In summation, joyful radiation!!!
Termination more elaboration...
Now reaching vacation destination!
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"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
“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
“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
"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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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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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.
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Tucker Carlson and Faux News: mainstreaming American fascism purely for profit.
America's enemies don't need to spread disinformation, doubt, discord, and division to weaken America, kill Americans--Republican politicians, Reich-wing demagogues, Faux News, OAN, Newsmax, Breitbart and the rest of the Reich-wing media do that so effectively for them, already. More Americans need to realize that the GOP has abdicated it's duty as loyal opposition, and that its prioritization of party over country and welcoming embrace of violent radical Reich-wing extremists diminishes both our government and our national security, endangering ALL Americans, as well as weakening and endangering America itself.
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GOP is the party of lies, the party of conspiracy theories, the party of hate, the party of cowards, the party of pollution, the party of corruption, the party of sedition, the party of terrorists, the party of fascism, the party of tyranny, the party of evil, the party of Satan. Republican cult doesn't care about America and ALL Americans, doesn't want to bargain in good faith...because they already made their deal with the Devil.
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GOP is the party of lies, the party of conspiracy theories, the party of gross hypocrisy, the party of fear, the party of hate, the party of cowards, the party of pollution, the party of corruption, the party of sedition, the party of terrorists, the party of fascism, the party of tyranny, the party of evil, the party of Satan. Republican cult doesn't care about America and ALL Americans, doesn't want to bargain in good faith...because they already made their deal with the Devil.
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You don't get denialism without nihilism. As life-long conservative Bill Kristol astutely pointed our just recently in a tweet, the Republican party has embraced nihilism. Republicans still labeling COVID-19 a "hoax;" Republicans still refusing to wear masks or social distance after over half-a-million American fatalities from COVID-19; Congressional Republicans obstructing a COVID-19 stimulus bill certain to pass just to delay vital and urgently needed relief to Americans desperate for help; Republican governors dropping mask mandates and all restrictions on businesses, heedless of rising case counts in their states and deadly new variants of the virus; and Republican leaders continuing to push the Big Lie that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen without evidence and in disregard of plentiful evidence and facts to the contrary, even AFTER their Big Lie incited a terrorist attack by a mindless Republican mob against the nation's Capitol in insurrection against the government, attempting to overturn a legitimate election, sieging, storming, sizing, sacking, defiling, defacing and disgracing America's citadel of, and temple to, democracy--these are all prime examples of nihilism.
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GOP is the party of lies, the party of crackpot conspiracy theories, the party of gross hypocrisy, the party of fear, the party of hate, the party of cowards, the party of pollution, the party of plutocrats, the party of corruption, the party of anti-democracy, the party of sedition, the party of terrorists, the party of fascism, the party of tyranny, the party of evil, the party of Satan. Republican cult doesn't care about America and ALL Americans, doesn't want to bargain in good faith...because they already made their pact with the Devil.
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“I'm not scared of the Maos and the Stalins and the Hitlers.
I'm scared of the thousands or millions of people that hallucinate them to be "authority", and so do their bidding, and pay for their empires, and carry out their orders.
I don't care if there's one looney with a stupid moustache. He's not a threat if the people do not believe in "authority".” ― Larken Rose
Setting aside the sleazy immoral Reich-wing grifters at the top -- people like Trump, Congressional Republicans, Reich-wing demagogues and media -- the rank-and-file of the GOP has become a fascist cult. To be clear, Trump did not create the cult, it existed before him. He merely served as a unifying figure they chose to rally around and worship as their fool's gold god. Trump appealed to their basest nature and told them what they wanted to hear. Now, those Reich-wing grifters may have cultivated their cult to exploit for their own greed, power and vanity, but at least to some extent the Republican cult in turn seeks to exploit the GOP for their own various misguided purposes. They CHOOSE to be willfully ignorant, to believe or espouse the lies, because as a political calculus they shortsightedly see it as expedient to their ends.
What must also be taken into consideration are the characteristics of a cult. Why do people join a cult? Why do they choose to remain in a cult? No need to go into detail; the answers are largely common knowledge or easily researched. But it should be pointed out that in a complex world, the simplistic and rigid beliefs embraced by cults can be very alluring, no matter how fantastical and removed from reality. It should also be acknowledged that the Republican cult is not a monolithic entity, but an amalgamation of sects, including White supremacists, Christian nationalists, libertarians, sovereign nationals, anarchists, tax resistors, Qanon and other extremist fringe groups. Of course, not every Republican is an extremist, a fascist, or untethered from reality. But this latter more benign group is nevertheless part of the fascist Republican cult, complicit in their support of the whole, whether through their silent acquiescence and votes or willing assistance.
It's a very dangerous feedback loop, a vicious circle, one that as it sinks further into depravity its threat correspondingly rises, for as the Republican cult has over time been becoming increasingly more radicalized, we witness the election of more radical politicians to represent them, more radicalized Reich-wing media and demagogues to feed them propaganda. While some Republicans are leaving the GOP and some others are speaking out and trying to save their party, they constitute a weak minority, unfortunately.
In a normal, sane world, the Republican cult would have ended or been marginalized after the Mueller Report, after Trump's Ukraine shakedown and impeachment, after Trump's horrendous handling of a deadly global pandemic, after his election defeat, or after January 6th and his second impeachment. But that hasn't happened. Instead, the Republican cult continues to become increasingly more radicalized and extreme. As President Biden says, "We are in a battle for the soul of this nation." And that battle is far from over.
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Toxic Trump and Republicans are traitors to America. They've been gaslighting Trump's Russian collusion and election fraud for years, and continue doing so. Trump should have been impeached and convicted after the Mueller Report, which didn't happen only because of A.G. Barr and Republicans, who were ultimately responsible for that failure. Then Congressional Republicans refused to impeach despite overwhelming evidence of Trump's Ukraine shakedown. The worst was the third time Republicans refused to impeach Trump after he incited a terrorist insurrection against his own government on the nation's Capitol. Now, Republicans refuse to even have a BIPARTISAN commission to investigate January 6. Moreover, throughout Trump's term and even after, Republicans have been KNOWINGLY spreading Russian propaganda designed to weaken America, kill Americans. So, when is Merrick Garland and the DOJ going to step up and hold Trump and his Republican accomplices accountable for their many FEDERAL crimes, or is Garland going to set the terrible, horrific precedent that a former President is a King and above the law?
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You don't get denialism without nihilism. As life-long conservative Bill Kristol astutely pointed our just recently in a tweet, the Republican party has embraced nihilism. Republicans still labeling COVID-19 a "hoax;" Republicans still refusing to wear masks or social distance after over half-a-million American fatalities from COVID-19; Congressional Republicans obstructing a COVID-19 stimulus bill certain to pass just to delay vital and urgently needed relief to Americans desperate for help; Republican governors dropping mask mandates and all restrictions on businesses, heedless of rising case counts in their states and deadly new variants of the virus; and Republican leaders continuing to push the Big Lie that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen without evidence and in disregard of plentiful evidence and facts to the contrary, even AFTER their Big Lie incited a terrorist attack by a mindless Republican mob against the nation's Capitol in insurrection against the government, attempting to overturn a legitimate election, sieging, storming, sizing, sacking, defiling, defacing and disgracing America's citadel of, and temple to, democracy--these are all prime examples of nihilism.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and disturbing. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, and our country.
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Hypocritical Republican cult whines about cancel culture...
--while making death threats against those disagreeing with them
--while conducting a terrorist attack against the nation's Capitol in insurrection, beating and killing police, intent on killing lawmakers and the Republican VP, attempting a coup to overthrow the results of a free and fair election...just because their candidate lost.
--while trying to cancel out the votes of millions of Democrats and minorities by objecting solely to their votes, enacting numerous voter suppression measures, and engaging in egregious gerrymandering.
--while labeling MSM "the enemy of the people."
--while censoring and moving to remove fellow Republicans of integrity who speak up for truth and decency, and against GOP lies, terrorism, and crackpot conspiracy theories.
--while Reich-wing media turns off comments yet rants against "censorship."
--while Faux News fires its news editor for truthfully reporting that Arizona had been called for Biden.
--while trying to run a Biden campaign bus off the road.
--while Rep. Marjorie Greene prevents press from covering town hall meetings where nobody wore a mask.
--after seriously injuring over 140 police officers and killing one in the Republican cult's seditious terrorist attack of insurrection against the nation's Capitol, Republican cult terrorists threaten to call the cops on reporters trying to get their side of the story.
--while canceling out the lives of hundreds of thousands of their fellow Americans by spreading lies about COVID-19, politicizing a deadly pandemic, and refusing to follow common sense health guidelines.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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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 and justice--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.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and disturbing. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, and our country.
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Why hasn't Merrick Garland and his DOJ not yet arrested and charged Trump, Jeffery Clark, Mark Meadows, John Eastman and all other accomplices for their involvement in federal election interference and sedition??? WTF? How much more evidence is needed? If Garland doesn't stand up for the rule of law, justice and democracy, this nation is soon doomed.
18 U.S. Code § 595 - Interference by administrative employees of Federal, State, or Territorial Governments
"Whoever, being a person employed in any administrative position by the United States, or by any department or agency thereof, or by the District of Columbia or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or by any State, Territory, or Possession of the United States, or any political subdivision, municipality, or agency thereof, or agency of such political subdivision or municipality (including any corporation owned or controlled by any State, Territory, or Possession of the United States or by any such political subdivision, municipality, or agency), in connection with any activity which is financed in whole or in part by loans or grants made by the United States, or any department or agency thereof, uses his official authority for the purpose of interfering with, or affecting, the nomination or the election of any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the Senate, Member of the House of Representatives, Delegate from the District of Columbia, or Resident Commissioner, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both."
Disqualification form Holding Office, U.S. Constitution, 14th Amendment, Section 3.1.1
"No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof."
18 U.S.C. §2383 -- Rebellion or insurrection
Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof … shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
18 U.S.C. §2384 -- Seditious conspiracy
If two or more persons … in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, … they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
18 U.S.C. §2385 -- Advocating overthrow of Government
Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States or the government of any State … by force or violence, ... they shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
18 U.S. Code § 2331 -- Domestic Terrorism (Supplemental penalty of up to 17 years imprisonment)
(5) the term “domestic terrorism” means activities that—
(A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State;
(B) appear to be intended—
(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;
(ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or
(iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and
(C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States
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Republican cult is the new ISIS.
Republican politicians are appeasing terrorists...because that's their voter base, radicalization and extremism is what they have cultivated, nourished, exploited, and profited from for four decades. Reich-wing politicians, plutocrats, media and demagogues thought they could ride the tiger, too arrogant, greedy, and stupid to foresee that master would become slave, and the beast would soon come to consume them.
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GOP is the party of lies, the party of crackpot conspiracy theories, the party of gross hypocrisy, the party of fear, the party of hate, the party of cowards, the party of pollution, the party of plutocrats, the party of corruption, the party of anti-democracy, the party of sedition, the party of terrorists, the party of fascism, the party of tyranny, the party of evil, the party of Satan. Republican cult doesn't care about America and ALL Americans, doesn't want to bargain in good faith...because they already made their pact with the Devil.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. And it's extremely dangerous to our security, to our democracy, and to our country. They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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Like and respect Rep. Schiff, but his waffling on investigations and holding the Trump administration accountable after they leave office is deeply disturbing and disheartening. So-called "healing" is just a euphemism for evading the dirty work that may be distasteful and divisive, but that vitally needs to be done to preserve our democracy.
Moreover, investigations for prosecutions involving corrupt and unlawful acts by Trump and those in his administration are not under the purview of Congress, nor up to it to decide, but are the DOJ's responsibility. This doesn't mean Congress shouldn't conduct its own investigations in order to determine security breaches, possible legislation to prevent recurrences of malfeasance, abuses of power, etc.
Another aspect of this is that "healing" is not going to happen with the GOP cult in its present state. This needs to be acknowledged, accepted, and acted upon accordingly, or Democrats are only setting themselves up for failure and weakness. Democrats need to stand up for the American people--ALL the American people, Rep. Schiff, which includes single people and young people, not just "families" and "working families." If Democrat leaders could just grow a pair, they would find the American people standing more firmly behind them. The Republican cult has declared political war, a war where they don't abide by any rules. It's a war Democrats can't and won't win by lying down and rolling over, trying to "make nice." If Democrats haven't learned that by now, this nation is in deep trouble.
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You know what REALLY pisses me off most? It’s that all these Toxic Trump sycophants and acolytes KNOW he is a grave security threat to the U.S. But, they don’t care, play dumb. They would sell out their country and souls for filthy lucre, fleeting fame that quickly turns to infamy, and empty promises. They lie, deny, deceive, divide, denigrate, diminish, and work to destroy our cherished Republic.
GOP has gone rogue, doesn’t want to play by the rules in America, anymore. Republicans are all about constant deceit and hypocrisy, rigging elections, and rampant crony corruption.
One would hope that his cabinet or the Republican Senate would have done the right thing and removed him. Or, that the Republican SCOTUS would have defended our Constitution, instead of partisan power grabs. In fact, it’s more than hope—those are the minimal basic expectation of our public officials. They failed themselves, and they failed our nation horribly. Because they are weak, and ignorant, and corrupt.
Thus, we are forced to suffer another four months of a failed Presidency, a failed Senate, and a failed SCOTUS. While confident Trump would be defeated before the pandemic and ensuing economic collapse, his loss has since become a virtual certainty. So, that isn’t really about hope, either.
What does give hope is that the majority of Americans reject Trump. There is hope that the end of Trump will mark the beginning of the end for the Republican cult. There is hope that out of this darkness will come the realization progress is vital to our future, and that reactionary conservatism stagnates and kills.
In short, the GOP has become proto-fascist, bound by the ignorant Republican cult they created, and the fear, bigotry and hate they cultivated and nourished for decades. Fortunately, the cult is not the majority, so there is hope yet for America!
“The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over decades by plutocrats, the GOP, and right-wing media. Those Americans elected this pitiful, puerile President, and have continued to support him no matter what travesty he commits! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated.”
Conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it’s what they peddle, it’s what they traffic in, it’s what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear to hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It’s the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone—unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
The only thing been stopping the GOP cult from turning America fascist has been the long-held universal repulsion and rejection of Toxic Trump’s hero, Adolf Hitler, by Americans. Fortunately, the majority of Americans still remember that painful historical lesson many Republicans choose to ignore. There is hope that good will once again triumph over evil; love prevail over hate; common sense outweigh blind faith, mindless tribalism, and silly superstitions.
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Who'd have ever equated voting in America with survival? But that's pretty much what it has boiled down to, hasn't it? Survival of ourselves, survival of our democracy, survival of our nation, and survival of our planet. The irony is that Republicans have always tried to paint Democrats as an existential threat...but in doing so it is actually they who have become exactly that.
Democrat voters need an even greater turnout in '22 and '24, put the final fork in Trumpism! Republicans want to engage in Jim Crow voter suppression laws, voter intimidation, and egregious gerrymandering? Republicans want to engage in corruption, gaslight their corruption, coverup their corruption? Let's just prove that's fuel for the fire, and make their fascist antidemocratic corruption backfire on them!
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Toxic Trump and Republicans are traitors to America. They've been gaslighting Trump's Russian collusion and election fraud for years, and continue doing so. Trump should have been impeached and convicted after the Mueller Report, which didn't happen only because of A.G. Barr and Republicans, who were ultimately responsible for that failure. Then Congressional Republicans refused to impeach despite overwhelming evidence of Trump's Ukraine shakedown. The worst was the third time Republicans refused to impeach Trump after he incited a terrorist insurrection against his own government on the nation's Capitol. Republicans refused to even have a BIPARTISAN commission to investigate January 6. Moreover, throughout Trump's term and even after, Republicans have been KNOWINGLY spreading Russian propaganda designed to weaken America, kill Americans. So, when is Merrick Garland and the DOJ going to step up and hold Trump and his Republican accomplices accountable for their many FEDERAL crimes, or is Garland going to set the terrible, horrific precedent that a former President is a King and above the law? Just when America most needed a strong and courageous AG at the DOJ, we instead got a cowardly enabler in Merrick Garland.
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The Molotov cocktail recipe:
Mix in equal parts of mental illness, lies, willful ignorance, fear, hate, greed, decades of 24/7 Reich-wing disinformation, misinformation, and crackpot conspiracy programming by Republican politicians, plutocrats, media and demagogues, add supplemental divisive Russian propaganda attacking and weakening America, stir well, garnish with COVID-19, and you have the mindless Republican cult descending into fascism, committing terrorism and sedition. Then, grab a stiff drink--you'll need it.
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@texgal516 ~ "Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again." ― Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney
More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, jingoism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
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Republican cult is the new ISIS.
Republican politicians are appeasing terrorists...because that's their voter base, radicalization and extremism is what they have cultivated, nourished, exploited, and profited from for four decades. Reich-wing politicians, plutocrats, media, Christian religious leaders, and demagogues thought they could ride the tiger, too arrogant, greedy, and stupid to foresee that master would become slave, and the beast would soon come to consume them.
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
(NOTE: Gerson is a staunch life-long conservative, who served as former President George W. Bush's chief speech writer.)
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Who'd have ever equated voting in America with survival? But that's pretty much what it has boiled down to, hasn't it? Survival of ourselves, survival of our democracy, survival of our nation, and survival of our planet. The irony is that Republicans have always tried to falsely paint Democrats as an existential threat...but in doing so it is actually they who have become exactly that.
Democrat voters need an even greater turnout in '22 and '24, put the final fork in Trumpism! Republicans want to engage in Jim Crow voter suppression laws, voter intimidation, and egregious gerrymandering? Republicans want to engage in corruption, gaslight their corruption, coverup their corruption? Republicans want to turn a blind eye to Russian election interference and knowingly disseminate Russian propaganda for Putin? Republicans want to instigate and sanction Reich-wing domestic terrorist insurrection? Republicans want to live in delusion and denial about the major problems confronting the nation and planet? Let's just prove that's fuel for the fire, and make their fascist antidemocratic corruption backfire on them!
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Bush v. Gore, Citizens United, Chief Jester Roberts smiling and nodding along while presiding over sham Senate impeachment trial, Assassination Goon B.S. Barr butchering the law, slaughtering justice, politicizing and weaponizing the DOJ. It's why we lost all respect for the Supreme Court, the law, and the justice system in this country. Congratulations, Republicans, on turning our nation into a banana Republic, making America an object lesson to the world on how to destroy democracy!
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Who'd have ever equated voting in America with survival? But that's pretty much what it has boiled down to, hasn't it? Survival of ourselves, survival of our democracy, survival of our nation, and survival of our planet. The irony is that Republicans have always tried to paint Democrats as an existential threat...but in doing so it is actually they who have become exactly that.
Democrat voters need an even greater turnout in '22 and '24, put the final fork in Trumpism! Republicans want to engage in Jim Crow voter suppression laws, voter intimidation, and egregious gerrymandering? Republicans want to engage in corruption, gaslight their corruption, coverup their corruption? Republicans want to turn a blind eye to Russian election interference and knowingly disseminate Russian propaganda for Putin? Republicans want to instigate and sanction Reich-wing domestic terrorist insurrection? Republicans want to live in delusion and denial about the major problems confronting the nation and planet? Let's just prove that's fuel for the fire, and make their fascist antidemocratic corruption backfire on them!
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The Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM, or "the Wall") is dedicated not to the war, but to the 2.7 million U.S. military men and women who served in the war zone, living and dead. It contains nearly 58,300 names of those dead or missing, on two ten-foot high granite wings, each spanning nearly 250 feet. A close uncle's name is etched into the black rock of the Wall.
Propose erecting a similar monument for all those who senselessly lost their lives to COVID-19 due to our Traitor-'n-Thief, Toxic Trump, and all those Republican so-called "leaders" in Congress, SCOTUS, and the GOP, complicit in enabling, aiding, and abetting his malfeasance. In just four MONTHS, the U.S. had ALREADY needlessly lost more than TWICE as many to COVID-19 -- than died in all thirteen YEARS of the Vietnam war.
It would also honor all those front-line ESSENTIAL workers who selflessly put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe and secure; the names of their dead to be given prominence and note upon the structure.
Whether constructed in the form of a wall or something different, its principle intent would be to serve as a constant, enduring reminder to us all and to future generations; as a testament to--and a barrier against--our own American ignorance, arrogance, avarice, cowardice, and malevolence. A sort of visual prophylactic, if you will, built in hope of protecting us against inbred hubris, greed, and stupidity. It's design should be open, with interchangeable elements that challenge--and help teach--people to reason, and to think critically and objectively, while stressing humanity, humility and humbleness.
The VVM Wall is likewise also a monument to American ignorance, hubris, avarice, and malevolence, although erected solely to honor those military personnel. Few may think, or have thought, of it that way; and doubtless many would refuse to think of it as such, but the truth stands out in stark, prominent display for everyone to see...if they just apply a little critical, objective reasoning.
Another thought to ponder: The VVM Wall marks the first time America fatally failed that generation; the proposed monument would mark our second time they were senselessly sacrificed. Would like to see the proposed COVID-19 monument erected adjacent to the prior monument attesting failure, the VVM Wall, to serve as symbolic bookends, as a further tribute to that ill-served generation of Americans.
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Market drops over 3,000 in just three days, wiping out $3.6 TRILLION from our accounts and economy in one WEEK--setting records for biggest losses EVER in the stock market for a day and for a week. Bankruptcy king Trump, dismissing COVID-19 as a "hoax": "Our Big Pharma, Big Med, and disinfectant companies are prospering!" That was the previous week. Monday, 03/08/20, market recorded it's new single biggest point loss day EVER--over 2,000 drop in the Dow, with nearly 8% loss in S&P and other benchmarks. Wednesday, 3/11/20, the market lost another 1,600 points, double the brief correction bounce it wiped out from the previous day.
On 03/12/20, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 2,352 points, or 10%. The index had its worst drop since the 1987 Black Monday market crash, when it collapsed by more than 22%.The S&P 500 plummeted 9.5%, joining the Dow in a bear market. The S&P 500 also hat its worst day since 1987. The Nasdaq closed 9.4% lower. Both the Dow and the S&P are now officially in a bear market (-20%), down more than 26% from its record high set just last month.
Thursday’s plunge came after yet another wild session on Wall Street and the demise of the Dow’s record-setting bull market run that began in March 2009. The blue-chip index tumbled 1,464.94 points, or 5.9%, to close at 23,553.22. The 30-stock average closed in a bear market, putting to end an expansion that started in 2009 amid the financial crisis. The Dow also plummeted more than 2,000 points on Monday.
“These markets have been impossible to predict,” said David Lafferty, chief market strategist at Natixis Investment Managers. “I think of them as kind of wind-sock markets. They’re just changing with whatever way sentiment is. There’s no fundamentals under these markets right now.”
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Silly "Surrender" Sinema: "I strongly support these critical voting rights reform bills!"
Silly "Surrender" Sinema: "I will block passing these critical voting rights reform bills!"
Yeah, let's not abolish the filibuster because of its racist history, which is further perpetuating racism by not abolishing it! That's the warped logic of people like Charlie Brown Manchin and Silly "Surrender" Sinema.
Silly "Surrender" Sinema is once again being disingenuous, knowing and ignoring how the Republican obstructionism that began under Mitch McConnell in 2008 and has only gotten worse is not going to magically cease. She knows and ignores how Republicans have no interest in unity, that they instead seek to profit from divisiveness. She knows and ignores how passage of these voting rights bills is essential to preserving our democracy and republic. She knows and ignores that the filibuster is not a tradition, but a Civil War and Jim Crow relic, the legacy of slavery, White supremacists and White separatists. She dishonestly omits mention of the filibuster carve out for the debt ceiling made just a couple of weeks previous she voted for. And she deliberately neglects to inform us of all the corrupt money she is receiving from Republican donors and corporate lobbyists.
If Manchin and Sinema don't get on board with Biden, Schumer, Pelosi and all the rest of the Democrats, they will not only sink the Democratic Party and themselves, but they will be responsible for sinking democracy and America, too.
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Republican cult is the new ISIS.
Republican politicians are appeasing terrorists...because that's their voter base, radicalization and extremism is what they have cultivated, nourished, exploited, and profited from for four decades. Reich-wing politicians, plutocrats, media, Christian nationalism religious leaders, and demagogues thought they could ride the tiger, too arrogant, greedy, and stupid to foresee that master would become slave, and the beast would soon come to consume them.
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@bsadewitz ~ Republicans only lie, deny,
And point fingers at the other guy.
We've posted that little ditty more than a few times, and it invariably draws approval, because it speaks a basic truth widely appreciated by anyone trying to have an honest political discussion with the Republican cult.
Whataboutism, projectionism, denialism, baseless ad hominem, blatant outright lies, misinformation, and other assorted logical fallacies are staples of the Republican cult. Intellectual dishonesty is their name, and it's their only game, because Republican cult can't argue honestly about the issues and their ideologies. They use it to distract, deflect, digress from the discussion at hand. It's been that way for four decades, steadily only getting worse, more pernicious and more pronounced. As someone old enough and intelligent enough to know, can bear solemn witness and testimony to that sad fact.
They've been programmed to fear, which is in turn then transformed to hate. They justify and rationalize their deceit, their lack of character and integrity by convincing themselves their political opponents are all socialists and baby-killers, welfare queens and lazy layabouts, leeching their hard-earned tax-payer dollars, unworthy Americans who are ashamed of their country and would destroy it.
It's all nonsense, of course, with little basis in fact, but that doesn't matter to the Republican cult, which has been cultivated, nourished, groomed, manipulated, and exploited by plutocrats and their media and corrupt politicians. The Republican cult knows at some level that Democrats are their neighbors, friends, family members, and fellow Americans, but through willful ignorance choose to label and perceive them as evil incarnate.
The solution? The Republican cult needs to be deprogrammed. How? Don't know. Don't think there are any easy answers to that.
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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.
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Republicans use obstructionism as a means to gain power, and power as a means to further their corruption. The Republican party is composed of grifters, grafters, white supremacists, Christian nationalists, lunatics, assorted bigots, and the gullible sheep they prey upon. Their ideology is no longer conservatism, but fascism and nihilism. It traffics in lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, jingoism, bogus victimhood, ignorant culture wars, and hypocrisy.
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
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"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
(NOTE: Gerson is a staunch life-long conservative, who served as former President George W. Bush's chief speech writer.)
As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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You don't get denialism without nihilism. As life-long conservative Bill Kristol astutely pointed out, the Republican party has embraced nihilism. Republicans denying systemic racism; Republicans denying climate change; Republicans still labeling COVID-19 a "hoax;" Republicans refusing to wear masks or social distance after over half-a-million American fatalities from COVID-19; Congressional Republicans obstructing a COVID-19 stimulus bill certain to pass just to delay vital and urgently needed relief to Americans desperate for help; not one Congressional Republican in either chamber voting for the badly needed stimulus bill; Republican governors dropping mask mandates and all restrictions on businesses, heedless of rising case counts in their states and deadly new variants of the virus; and Republican leaders continuing to push the Big Lie that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen without evidence and in disregard of plentiful evidence and facts to the contrary, even AFTER their Big Lie incited a terrorist attack by a mindless Republican mob against the nation's Capitol in insurrection against the government, attempting to overturn a legitimate election, sieging, storming, sizing, sacking, defiling, defacing and disgracing America's citadel of, and temple to, democracy; and now Republicans attempting history revisionism, trying to sweep the January 6 insurrection under the rug, refusing to support a January 6 bipartisan commission----these are all prime examples of nihilism.
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Worst-Case Estimates for U.S. Coronavirus Deaths
Sheri Fink - The New York Times - Saturday, March 14, 2020
Officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and epidemic experts from universities around the world conferred last month about what might happen if the new coronavirus gained a foothold in the United States. How many people might die? How many would be infected and need hospitalization?
One of the agency’s top disease modelers, Matthew Biggerstaff, presented the group on the phone call with four possible scenarios — A, B, C and D — based on characteristics of the virus, including estimates of how transmissible it is and the severity of the illness it can cause. The assumptions, reviewed by The New York Times, were shared with about 50 expert teams to model how the virus could tear through the population — and what might stop it.
The C.D.C.’s scenarios were depicted in terms of percentages of the population. Translated into absolute numbers by independent experts using simple models of how viruses spread, the worst-case figures would be staggering if no actions were taken to slow transmission.
Between 160 million and 214 million people in the United States could be infected over the course of the epidemic, according to one projection. That could last months or even over a year, with infections concentrated in shorter periods, staggered across time in different communities, experts said. As many as 200,000 to 1.7 million people could die.
And, the calculations based on the C.D.C.’s scenarios suggested, 2.4 million to 21 million people in the United States could require hospitalization, potentially crushing the nation’s medical system, which has only about 925,000 staffed hospital beds. Fewer than a tenth of those are for people who are critically ill.
The assumptions fueling those scenarios are mitigated by the fact that cities, states, businesses and individuals are beginning to take steps to slow transmission, even if some are acting less aggressively than others. The C.D.C.-led effort is developing more sophisticated models showing how interventions might decrease the worst-case numbers, though their projections have not been made public.
“When people change their behavior," said Lauren Gardner, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering who models epidemics, “those model parameters are no longer applicable,” so short-term forecasts are likely to be more accurate. “There is a lot of room for improvement if we act appropriately.”
Those actions include testing for the virus, tracing contacts, and reducing human interactions by stopping mass gatherings, working from home and curbing travel. In just the last two days, multiple schools and colleges closed, sports events were halted or delayed, Broadway theaters went dark, companies barred employees from going to the office and more people said they were following hygiene recommendations.
(more...)
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and disturbing. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, and our country.
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Toxic Trump: A clear and present danger to himself and others. U.S. #1 national security threat sits in the Oval.
Republicans: Like to play dumb, demonstrating just how really, REALLY dumb they are. Complicity renders them likewise a clear and present danger to themselves, others, the nation. Decades of programming from right-wing media, demagogues, plutocrats, religious grifters, and seedy politicians created a mindless, fascist Republican cult, too hyper-partisan to place national interest over ignorant tribalism. GOP chained themselves to the rabid, ravenous beast of willful ignorance consuming them, which they created, nourished, and exploited.
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@ilanamillion8942 ~ “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
"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.
~ How Fascism Works, The Politics of Us and Them by Jason Stanley
Once again, nationalism, aka fascism, has risen its ugly head in America, in European nations, and in some other countries around the world. The fight of good people against ignorance, the fears that sprout from it, the hate which then blossoms, culminating in the bitter toxic fruit of evil, senseless brutalities and deaths, is a constant, never-ending battle we fear, but it is a battle from which we must never shrink.
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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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
(Reference also Father Charles E. Coughlin and Henry Ford in regards to the original America First movement.)
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
(NOTE: Gerson is a staunch life-long conservative, who served as former President George W. Bush's chief speech writer.)
Malcolm Nance: We Are In A Neo-Fascist Era In American Politics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_RxUAe2zeM
Political Analyst Tells Joy Reid: Forget Trumpism, IT’s Neo-Fascism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IgNp84JA4A
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Elmer Fudd's always trying to convince me he just wants unity.
What he really means is that he wants to eat me.
Unity and compromise is a two-way street that only works if both parties operate in good faith. Republicans have a long history of failing to do that--or even trying. Recent history since Biden won the election shows no indication of them changing their divisive, destructive words, attitudes, obstruction and other acts. Tyrant Trump incited a terrorist insurrection against the nation's Capitol to overthrow an election, endangering his VP and members of Congress, sat by and gleefully reveled in watching it happen for hours, ignoring desperate pleas for help, and only a very few Republican were willing to speak out, impeach him, convict him, and prevent him from holding public office again? That's not loyal opposition--that's a dangerous terrorist political cult of fascists.
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The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over decades by the GOP, plutocrats, Reich-wing demagogues, Reich-wing Christian nationalism religious leaders, and Reich-wing print, radio, TV, and social media, programmed 24/7, radicalizing them and creating mass delusion. A straight line can be drawn through to the inevitable catastrophic conclusion witnessed today from Lee Atwater, Roger Aisles, Pat Buchanan, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, Newt Gingrich, Ann Coulter, Karl Rove, Lou Dobbs, Mitch McConnell, Billy Graham, Sean Hannity, Jim Jordan, to Donald J. Trump. Sure, some in the Republican cult truly are that ignorant or gullible; but most are willfully ignorant, being fed the lies they want to hear. They bear personal responsibility. Part of it's a cultural problem, as some mostly older white people's mistaken perception is that the America they knew is slipping away. Well, America is still America, but--like most nations--is constantly evolving, as progress invariably rolls on, but they are unwilling to accept that, or change with the times.
Those Americans elected that pitiful, pathetic puerile President, and have continued to support him no matter what travesty he committed! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated. They created the beast, thought they could ride the tiger, exploit it for their own greed, vanity, and power, too stupid or uncaring to realize that it would instead inevitably come to consume them.
American conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it’s what they peddle, it’s what they traffic in, it’s what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear into hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It’s the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone—unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry all were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
"United we stand, divided we fall." A simple concept, really, that too many Americans seem to have forgotten or abandoned. Our nation is like an airplane; it requires both the left and right wings working together in tandem to operate properly and safely. Only problem is the Reich-wing decided to try flying solo, forcing us all into a nose-dive! Care about the issues, disdain political gamesmanship, while still recognizing politics is an inseparable and necessary element. Have always respected and valued loyal opposition, even if in disagreement with the ideology. Fact is, though, the GOP has abdicated the requisite role of loyal opposition to become a mindless, tribalistic, hyper-partisan Reich-wing cult that places greed and political party over truth, reason, decency, and country.
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Vote BLUE for science, humanity, sanity, justice, truth, inclusiveness, reason, decency, democracy, and reality! And, don't forget to also GET OUT THE VOTE! With anti-democratic, fascist Trump and GOP, must vote to win too big to rig, too real to steal, create too much heat to cheat; if complete, Dems can't be beat.
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from _'Trumpism is American Fascism'
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Republican cult are corrupt LYING hypocrites. Dirty, disgusting, deplorable, despicable, deranged, disgraceful, demented, dishonorable, depraved, disingenuous, devious, diabolical, duplicitous...and that's just a partial tabulation of the 'D' words describing the GOP; the complete listing of their nasty traits is far too many to enumerate.
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Fascist Congressional Republican immoral cowards: No caucus vote on punishment for Rep. Greene's racism, telling dangerous lies, making death threats against members of Congress. Instead, they voted to punish Rep. Cheney for telling the truth about Traitor-'n-Thief Trump's incitement to insurrection.
Marjorie Taylor Greene deserves all three options: banished from committee seats, censure, and expulsion from Congress. She is unfit to hold high office...or any public office.
Marginalized Greene contradicted herself, lied, never apologized to the people she hurt, still refuses to wholly own her racism and incitement to violence, and still shows no real remorse. Instead of contrition, we get only rationalization, lame excuses, doubling down, and baseless attacks against others from Greene.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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"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
“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
“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
"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.
Once again, nationalism, aka fascism, has risen its ugly head in America, in European nations, and in some other countries around the world. The fight of good people against ignorance, the fears that sprout from it, the hate which then blossoms, culminating in the bitter toxic fruit of evil, senseless brutalities and deaths, is a constant, never-ending battle we fear, but it is a battle from which we must never shrink.
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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
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GOP is the party of lies, the party of crackpot conspiracy theories, the party of gross hypocrisy, the party of fear, the party of hate, the party of greed, the party of cowards, the party of pollution, the party of plutocrats, the party of corruption, the party of anti-democracy, the party of sedition, the party of terrorists, the party of fascism, the party of tyranny, the party of evil, the party of Satan. Republican cult doesn't care about America and ALL Americans, doesn't want to bargain in good faith...because they already made their pact with the Devil.
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GOP cult: “Democracy is great…only so long as we can subvert it with lies, a multitude of Jim Crow voter suppression laws, egregious gerrymandering, obstruction, sedition, and terrorism to gain power and maintain our corrupt, plutocratic, minority fascist rule!”
"...we must recognize that one of the two political parties is routinely engaged in sabotaging free elections with voter-suppression efforts aimed at the minority voters it cannot win over at the ballot box. These anti-democratic power grabs became a GOP staple decades before Donald Trump, culminating in the actions of a George W. Bush–anointed chief justice, John Roberts, whose Supreme Court shredded the Voting Rights Act of 1965. As Roberts famously put it in his 2007 opinion for the plurality, “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.” Since then, discrimination on the basis of race has only expanded in states like Georgia and Florida, where Black voting rights have been cavalierly undermined and trashed."
~ Frank Rich, November 9, 2020 (Written well before the rash of new Jim Crow laws now being proposed and passed by Republicans in many states.)
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Welcome to war. This is what war is. It's terrible, it's tragic, it's ugly, it stinks, it's unfair, it's sad, it's wasteful, it's hell, innocents die, and things always go wrong. You think we'd have learned that by now, but no, it's a lesson that has to be repeatedly learned, evidently. The consensus is that nobody foresaw the Afghan government and its armed forces completely capitulating so quickly as they did. Some say there should have been a contingency plan for this, but even though hindsight is 20/20, have yet to hear any rational plan that could have dealt with this situation. Shit happens, and Biden got handed a turd with Afghanistan. Instead of allowing the crap to continue, Biden made the hard, responsible decision to pull the U.S. out of another country's civil war. Fallout was inevitable, and Republicans trying to capitalize on that politically or media trying to profit from it is truly degenerate.
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Trump refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the election!
Traitor-'n-Thief Toxic Trump: "Get rid of the ballots and we'll have a very peaceful — there won't be a transfer, frankly, there'll be a continuation."
WTF?!? Get rid of the ballots means getting rid of ALL the votes--absentee, mail-in, and in-person ballots! It means a Toxic Trump coup, an illegal seizure of power, a dictator, ignoring citizen's votes, no more democracy!!!
"This is how democracy dies. A president so desperate to cling to power that he won't commit to a peaceful transition of power. That he seeks to throw out millions of votes. And a Republican Party too craven to say a word," Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff
"In case anyone is unclear on the concept, in the United States of America, we do not "get rid of" ballots. We count them. Counting the ballots — all the ballots — is the way we determine who leads our country after our elections. The only way," Ellen Weintraub, a commissioner of the Federal Elections Commission, tweeted. Weintraub has previously debunked Trump's claims about mail-in voting fraud.
Trump has a long history of making unsubstantiated claims about electoral fraud, dating back to his allegations that he lost the popular vote in 2016 only because "millions" of people voted illegally. He has also been waging legal battles in multiple states in an attempt to stop the expansion of vote-by-mail and has admitted to using the USPS to sabotage those efforts.
Over the years, multiple extensive studies have found that widespread voter fraud is virtually nonexistent, difficult to successfully pull off, and discouraged through steep criminal penalties.
The US has had successful peaceful transitions of power in every single election since its inception in 1776, including following a contested election between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, during the US Civil War, and on multiple occasions when the electoral college vote has diverged from the popular vote.
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Federal government not protecting its workers exposed to public from coronavirus
These federal workers were exposed to the coronavirus while serving the public. Now they’re quarantined.
By Kimberly Kindy
March 14, 2020 at 5:00 a.m. CDT
When Alexander Spain, a supervisor with the Transportation Security Administration, was told Tuesday to self-quarantine and not report to work at San Jose International Airport, he was not surprised.
A screener he supervises, who checks IDs and boarding passes, had been sick for weeks and then tested positive for the coronavirus. Spain, 58, was told to remain at home but said he was given no instructions for how to self-quarantine. So Spain said he “went out to grab food twice. I stopped at a Chinese food restaurant and got some quick bites from 7-Eleven.”
On Thursday, the day he was scheduled to return to work, Spain called his supervisors in the morning, asking how to get tested for the virus. “They acted like I was speaking French,” he said in an interview.
Spain’s experience mirrors what federal workers across the country who deal with the public are sayingabout the lack of direction, protocols and protective gear they need from their agencies. They fear these failures may cause them to become ill and spread the virus not only in the United States but across the globe.
The federal government has hundreds of thousands of workers who come in daily contact with the public — workplace inspectors, mail carriers, hospital workers, park rangers, passport processors, Social Security representatives, museum workers.
Workers and union representatives from six different agencies — including the Social Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — said in interviews, emails and text messages with The Washington Post that Spain’s experience is not unique. They or their co-workers also have been exposed to the virus and say their supervisors are not giving proper guidance or support.
The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 700,000 federal employees, has criticized the Trump administration.
“Agencies are not communicating with their workforces with enough information or to a degree that will allow them to protect themselves or the public in a timely manner to contain the spread of this virus,” union president Everett Kelley said recently during testimony before Congress.
The Trump administration has not publicly addressed the unions’ concerns. The White House’s coronavirus task force did not respond to requests for comment.
The federal government is not keeping a tally of the number of workers who have tested positive for the virus, nor does it have an estimate of how many federal workers have been exposed to the coronavirus, like Spain, the TSA supervisor. At least three other TSA screeners in the San Jose airport have AD tested positive for the virus.
Spain’s quarantine was short because the infected security screener’s last day at work — when Spain would have been last exposed — was two weeks ago. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a self-quarantine of 14 days in such circumstances. Spain, who did not have symptoms as of Friday, said he will not return to work until he gets tested, something the Navy veteran is now seeking through the Department of Veterans Affairs. TSA representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
Wash hands, wear mask
Other workers are complaining about being exposed to the virus at work and finding out about it from colleagues, not their managers.
Jason Phillips, a technician who performs X-rays and CT scans at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Portland, Ore., filed a whistleblower complaint with the Office of Special Counsel on Thursday after he worked with a patient who later tested positive for the coronavirus.
Phillips said he helped the patient on and off a gurney and also helped him on and off of a CT scanner table. Phillips was wearing gloves, but no mask, and was with the patient for about 15 minutes, the sort of exposure that health officials say places people at heightened risk of infection.
“I learned he had coronavirus through a text message from a worker, not a supervisor, so I was panicking,” Phillips said in an interview, adding that he alerted his supervisors the next day. “They told me to come to work like normal. Wash my hands, wear a mask.”
Instead, Phillips, 47, contacted the Washington State Department of Health and the CDC, which told him to self-quarantine.
By then, Phillips had exposed his wife, their four children and his father-in-law. They are all now secluded in their home in Washougal, Wash. Phillips said he filed the whistleblower complaint because he was not notified by supervisors of the sick patient, but also because he said his supervisor tried to coach him to change his story about not wearing a mask and about the length of time he was exposed to the patient.
Daniel Herrigstad, a spokesman for the VA Portland Health Care System, said in a statement: “These are serious allegations and the department will look into them right away.”
Social Security Administration workers in Casa Grande, Ariz., wonder if they have been infected with the coronavirus.
On Monday, a colleague who returned from a cruise over the weekend reported to work “hacking and coughing” but remained on the job throughout the workday, said Ralph Dejuliis, national president for the union that represents SSA workers.'
On Tuesday, the worker called in sick. Coronavirus was suspected. Panic spread.
Information about the worker’s health, and what the rest of the office staff should do in response, has not been shared with the sick workers’ colleagues, Dejuliis said.
On any given workday, about 200 people come through that field office — one of about 160 across the country — with most of them particularly vulnerable to the virus. They are often seeking benefits because they are either elderly, disabled or both.
Nicole Tiggemann, a spokeswoman for the Social Security Administration, declined to comment on the ill employee but said in a statement: “We are implementing additional steps to protect our employees who may be most vulnerable to COVID-19” through expanded telework, social distancing and other measures.
Dejuliis said guidance has been vague. Workers are told to not report to work if they are sick, but the SSA did not outline which symptoms should be of concern until Friday. “We’ve been asking the administration for information about what is going on in that office — it’s been nothing but crickets,” Dejuliis said.
Short on hand sanitizer
TSA workers have similar complaints. A notice to TSA employees, obtained by The Washington Post, directs workers to stay home if they are ill.
However, the memo does not say what symptoms should prompt a worker to stay home. The notice also directed workers to wash their hands with warm soap and water if hand sanitizer and alcohol wipes are not available — something screeners can’t do without leaving their work station.
“They are running out of hand sanitizer and alcohol wipes at some of the larger airports,” said Hydrick Thomas, president of the union representing TSA workers. “They don’t have the right sized gloves at others. They are too big for some people and they are rolling off of their hands. It’s unacceptable.” The TSA did not respond to calls and emails seeking comment.
Some federal workers said that in the absence of clear safety protocols, they are proposing their own to their supervisors, but those requests are often ignored or have been rejected, they said.
In addition to the 160 Social Security field offices, the Social Security Administration has another 163 offices with hearing rooms, where sick and disabled people appeared before administrative law judges who rule on their requests for federal benefits.
Judge Melissa McIntosh, who works in Tampa and is also union president for the judges, said people are showing up in hearing offices and courtrooms across the country with respiratory problems and fevers. In a Feb. 27 email, McIntosh asked SSA officials to give judges the authority to ask those who show up with these symptoms to consider doing the hearing over the telephone. A week later, an associate commissioner rejected her request, saying only SSA management can make such a suggestion, according to an email obtained by The Post. SSA officials did not provide further comment.
“They show up sick because it can take months to get a hearing. Sometimes [they are] in the waiting room with other people for hours,” McIntosh said in an interview. “We would simply like the ability to give them the option so they don’t get other people sick, including us. It is stunning SSA refuses to respond to its judges and simply implement our common-sense suggestions.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/these-federal-workers-deal-with-the-public-theyve-been-exposed-to-the-coronavirus/2020/03/14/096a4400-647f-11ea-845d-e35b0234b136_story.html
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. And it's extremely dangerous to our security, to our democracy, and to our country. They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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GOP is the party of lies, the party of conspiracy theories, the party of hate, the party of cowards, the party of pollution, the party of corruption, the party of sedition, the party of terrorists, the party of fascism, the party of tyranny, the party of evil, the party of Satan. Republican cult doesn't care about America and ALL Americans, don't want to bargain in good faith...because they already made their deal with the Devil.
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GOP is the party of lies, the party of crackpot conspiracy theories, the party of gross hypocrisy, the party of fear, the party of hate, the party of greed, the party of cowards, the party of pollution, the party of plutocrats, the party of corruption, the party of anti-democracy, the party of sedition, the party of terrorists, the party of fascism, the party of tyranny, the party of evil, the party of Satan. Republican cult doesn't care about America and ALL Americans, doesn't want to bargain in good faith...because they already made their pact with the Devil.
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
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The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over decades by the GOP, plutocrats, Reich-wing demagogues, Reich-wing Christian nationalism religious leaders, and Reich-wing print, radio, TV, and social media, programmed 24/7, radicalizing them and creating mass delusion. A straight line can be drawn through to the inevitable catastrophic conclusion witnessed today from Lee Atwater, Roger Aisles, Pat Buchanan, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, Newt Gingrich, Ann Coulter, Karl Rove, Lou Dobbs, Mitch McConnell, Billy Graham, Sean Hannity, Jim Jordan, to Donald J. Trump. Sure, some in the Republican cult truly are that ignorant or gullible; but most are willfully ignorant, being fed the lies they want to hear. They bear personal responsibility. Part of it's a cultural problem, as some mostly older white people's mistaken perception is that the America they knew is slipping away. Well, America is still America, but--like most nations--is constantly evolving, as progress invariably rolls on, but they are unwilling to accept that, or change with the times.
Those Americans elected that pitiful, pathetic puerile President, and have continued to support him no matter what travesty he committed! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated. They created the beast, thought they could ride the tiger, exploit it for their own greed, vanity, and power, too stupid or uncaring to realize that it would instead inevitably come to consume them.
American conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it’s what they peddle, it’s what they traffic in, it’s what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear into hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It’s the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone—unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry all were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
"United we stand, divided we fall." A simple concept, really, that too many Americans seem to have forgotten or abandoned. Our nation is like an airplane; it requires both the left and right wings working together in tandem to operate properly and safely. Only problem is the Reich-wing decided to try flying solo, forcing us all into a nose-dive! Care about the issues, disdain political gamesmanship, while still recognizing politics is an inseparable and necessary element. Have always respected and valued loyal opposition, even if in disagreement with the ideology. Fact is, though, the GOP has abdicated the requisite role of loyal opposition to become a mindless, tribalistic, hyper-partisan Reich-wing cult that places greed and political party over truth, reason, decency, and country
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Bush v. Gore, Citizens United, Chief Jester Roberts smiling and nodding along while presiding over sham Senate impeachment trial, Assassination Goon B.S. Barr butchering the law, slaughtering justice, politicizing and weaponizing the DOJ. It's why we lost all respect for the Supreme Court, the law, and the justice system in this country. Congratulations, Republicans, on turning our nation into a banana Republic, making America an object lesson to the world on how to destroy democracy!
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You don't get denialism without nihilism. As life-long conservative Bill Kristol astutely pointed our just recently in a tweet, the Republican party has embraced nihilism. Republicans still labeling COVID-19 a "hoax;" Republicans still refusing to wear masks or social distance after over half-a-million American fatalities from COVID-19; Congressional Republicans obstructing a COVID-19 stimulus bill certain to pass just to delay vital and urgently needed relief to Americans desperate for help; not one Congressional Republican in either chamber voting for the badly needed stimulus bill; Republican governors dropping mask mandates and all restrictions on businesses, heedless of rising case counts in their states and deadly new variants of the virus; and Republican leaders continuing to push the Big Lie that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen without evidence and in disregard of plentiful evidence and facts to the contrary, even AFTER their Big Lie incited a terrorist attack by a mindless Republican mob against the nation's Capitol in insurrection against the government, attempting to overturn a legitimate election, sieging, storming, sizing, sacking, defiling, defacing and disgracing America's citadel of, and temple to, democracy--these are all prime examples of nihilism.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, and our country.
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Christie is a two-faced weasel, desperate to stay relevant, stay in the public spotlight on ABC and the other networks, so he says the right things on the air, but then goes out and votes for Trump. He's also a perfect example of the Republican cult, with his gaslighting, his twisting of the truth, his lies, his willingness to put people's lives in danger with Christiegate to strongarm his opponents, then deny and cover-up. Just like Santorum and a host of other Republican cult weasels, who know better, but "cultivate" and exploit the mindless Republican cult mob.
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The Molotov cocktail recipe:
Mix in equal parts of mental illness, lies, willful ignorance, fear, hate, greed, decades of 24/7 Reich-wing disinformation, misinformation, and crackpot conspiracy programming by Republican politicians, plutocrats, media and demagogues, add supplemental divisive Russian propaganda attacking and weakening America, stir well, garnish with COVID-19, and you have the mindless Republican cult descending into fascism, committing terrorism and sedition. Then, grab a stiff drink--you'll need it.
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The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over decades by the GOP, plutocrats, Reich-wing demagogues, Reich-wing Christian nationalism religious leaders, and Reich-wing print, radio, TV, and social media, programmed 24/7, radicalizing them and creating mass delusion. A straight line can be drawn through to the inevitable catastrophic conclusion witnessed today from Lee Atwater, Roger Aisles, Pat Buchanan, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, Newt Gingrich, Ann Coulter, Karl Rove, Lou Dobbs, Mitch McConnell, Billy Graham, Sean Hannity, Jim Jordan, to Donald J. Trump. Sure, some in the Republican cult truly are that ignorant or gullible; but most are willfully ignorant, being fed the lies they want to hear. They bear personal responsibility. Part of it's a cultural problem, as some mostly older white people's mistaken perception is that the America they knew is slipping away. Well, America is still America, but--like most nations--is constantly evolving, as progress invariably rolls on, but they are unwilling to accept that, or change with the times.
Those Americans elected that pitiful, pathetic puerile President, and have continued to support him no matter what travesty he committed! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated. They created the beast, thought they could ride the tiger, exploit it for their own greed, vanity, and power, too stupid or uncaring to realize that it would instead inevitably come to consume them.
American conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it’s what they peddle, it’s what they traffic in, it’s what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear into hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It’s the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone—unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry all were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
"United we stand, divided we fall." A simple concept, really, that too many Americans seem to have forgotten or abandoned. Our nation is like an airplane; it requires both the left and right wings working together in tandem to operate properly and safely. Only problem is the Reich-wing decided to try flying solo, forcing us all into a nose-dive! Care about the issues, disdain political gamesmanship, while still recognizing politics is an inseparable and necessary element. Have always respected and valued loyal opposition, even if in disagreement with the ideology. Fact is, though, the GOP has abdicated the requisite role of loyal opposition to become a mindless, tribalistic, hyper-partisan Reich-wing cult that places greed and political party over truth, reason, decency, and country.
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GOP is the party of lies, the party of conspiracy theories, the party of gross hypocrisy, the party of fear, the party of hate, the party of cowards, the party of pollution, the party of corruption, the party of sedition, the party of terrorists, the party of fascism, the party of tyranny, the party of evil, the party of Satan. Republican cult doesn't care about America and ALL Americans, doesn't want to bargain in good faith...because they already made their deal with the Devil.
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The Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM, or “the Wall”) is dedicated not to the war, but to the 2.7 million U.S. military men and women who served in the war zone, living and dead. It contains nearly 58,300 names of those dead or missing, on two ten-foot high granite wings, each spanning nearly 250 feet. A close uncle’s name is etched into the black rock of the Wall.
Propose erecting a similar monument for all those who senselessly lost their lives to COVID-19 due to our Traitor-‘n-Thief, Toxic Trump, and all those Republican so-called “leaders” in Congress, SCOTUS, and the GOP, along with Reich-wing demagogues and media, who were complicit in enabling, aiding, and abetting his malfeasance, and in spreading disinformation and misinformation. In just four MONTHS, the U.S. had ALREADY needlessly lost more than TWICE as many to COVID-19 than died in all thirteen YEARS of the Vietnam war. By the time Trump left office, one out of every 800 Americans had died from COVID-19 in just ten months--over 410,000 fatalities, as many American casualties as all of WWII. To put it into further perspective, throughout Trump's catastrophic mishandling of a deadly global pandemic, the U.S. led the world in cases and deaths, suffering nearly 25% of each, despite having only 4.25% of global population, despite having the advantage of being the richest and most advanced nation in the world.
The memorial would also honor all those front-line ESSENTIAL workers who selflessly put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe and secure; the names of their dead to be given prominence and note upon the structure. Whether constructed in the form of a wall or something different, its principle intent would be to serve as a constant, enduring reminder to us all and to future generations; as a testament to—and a barrier against—our own American ignorance, arrogance, avarice, cowardice, and malevolence. A sort of visual prophylactic, if you will, built in hope of protecting us against inbred hubris, greed, and stupidity. It’s design should be open, with interchangeable elements that challenge—and help teach—people to reason, and to think critically and objectively, while stressing humanity, humility and humbleness.
The VVM Wall is likewise also a monument to American ignorance, hubris, avarice, and malevolence, although erected solely to honor those military personnel. Few may think, or have thought, of it that way; and doubtless many would refuse to think of it as such, but the truth stands out in stark, prominent display for everyone to see…if they just apply a little critical, objective reasoning.
Another thought to ponder: The VVM Wall marks the first time America fatally failed that generation; the proposed monument would mark our second time they were senselessly sacrificed. Would like to see the proposed COVID-19 monument erected adjacent to the prior monument attesting failure, the VVM Wall, to serve as symbolic bookends, as a further tribute to that ill-served generation of Americans.
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from _'Trumpism is American Fascism'
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The Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM, or “the Wall”) is dedicated not to the war, but to the 2.7 million U.S. military men and women who served in the war zone, living and dead. It contains nearly 58,300 names of those dead or missing, on two ten-foot high granite wings, each spanning nearly 250 feet. A close uncle’s name is etched into the black rock of the Wall.
Propose erecting a similar monument for all those who senselessly lost their lives to COVID-19 due to our Traitor-‘n-Thief, Toxic Trump, and all those Republican so-called “leaders” in Congress, SCOTUS, and the GOP, along with Reich-wing demagogues and media, who were complicit in enabling, aiding, and abetting his malfeasance, and in spreading disinformation and misinformation. In just four MONTHS, the U.S. had ALREADY needlessly lost more than TWICE as many to COVID-19 than died in all thirteen YEARS of the Vietnam war. By the time Trump left office, one out of every 800 Americans had died from COVID-19 in just ten months--over 410,000 fatalities, as many American casualties as all of WWII. To put it into further perspective, throughout Trump's catastrophic mishandling of a deadly global pandemic, the U.S. led the world in cases and deaths, suffering nearly 25% of each, despite having only 4.25% of global population, despite having the advantage of being the richest and most advanced nation in the world.
The memorial would also honor all those front-line ESSENTIAL workers who selflessly put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe and secure; the names of their dead to be given prominence and note upon the structure. Whether constructed in the form of a wall or something different, its principle intent would be to serve as a constant, enduring reminder to us all and to future generations; as a testament to—and a barrier against—our own American ignorance, arrogance, avarice, cowardice, and malevolence. A sort of visual prophylactic, if you will, built in hope of protecting us against inbred hubris, greed, and stupidity. It’s design should be open, with interchangeable elements that challenge—and help teach—people to reason, and to think critically and objectively, while stressing humanity, humility and humbleness.
The VVM Wall is likewise also a monument to American ignorance, hubris, avarice, and malevolence, although erected solely to honor those military personnel. Few may think, or have thought, of it that way; and doubtless many would refuse to think of it as such, but the truth stands out in stark, prominent display for everyone to see…if they just apply a little critical, objective reasoning.
Another thought to ponder: The VVM Wall marks the first time America fatally failed that generation; the proposed monument would mark our second time they were senselessly sacrificed. Would like to see the proposed COVID-19 monument erected adjacent to the prior monument attesting failure, the VVM Wall, to serve as symbolic bookends, as a further tribute to that ill-served generation of Americans.
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First, we got the wolf in the White House stupidly poking the hornet's nest, in a deliberate deed of desperation doing anything to distract from his crimes and impeachment. Then we got the idiots in Iran forgot to ground passenger flights while their radar searching, on high alert for imminent counter-attack by U.S. And, let's not forget the wolf in the Kremlin, who bit off a whole lot of trouble for himself and others--more than he can chew. Last, and least, we got those forming the Republican cult flock of sheep to be fooled, fleeced, then left flummoxed, furious, and frazzled after dazzled and discarded.
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Suspect what will be most remarkable to future generations is not the Traitor-‘n-‘Thief, Toxic Trump, so much—although his name will surely be enshrined in infamy for the ages—as it is and will be the Republican so-called leaders and cult that enabled him and supported a racist, misogynist, xenophobic, homophobic, bigoted, narcissistic, sociopathic, moronic, divisive, anti-democratic raving lunatic and his corruption, a man compromised by foreign nations, including our principle adversary, through his tremendous debt. Between that, his catastrophic, irresponsible handling of COVID-19, and his incitement of anti-democratic violent Reich-wing groups, Trump has made himself America's #1 most serious national security threat. A decade or two down the road, Trump is likely to be viewed as a tragic Hitleresque figure; a victim of himself, mental illness, and his upbringing, who should have never been put in a position to victimize others, and who should have been removed long before being allowed to victimize so many others.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. And it's extremely dangerous to our security, to our democracy, and to our country. They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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Woman's reproductive choice is a Constitutional right under Roe v. Wade, which was rendered 50 years ago in a 7-2 decision by a SCOTUS containing a 7-2 conservative majority. For the past five decades, an overwhelmingly majority of Americans have consistently supported that decision. Besides, Republicans don't give a crap about zygotes, embryos, fetuses, children, or women, as repeatedly and amply proven by their policies. And if Republicans really cared about human life, they wouldn't be banning mask and vaccine mandates during a deadly global pandemic that has already taken over 660,000 American lives in just 18 months. Fascist GOP is a Jim Jones-style cult pro-death party full of heinous hypocrites!
“The lie that abortion is murder is right-wing propaganda designed to demonize Democrats. Abortion is legal all over the world because a fetus without a cerebral cortex cannot think or feel before the 27th week. According to the CDC almost all abortions happen before the 13th week.”
― Oliver Markus Malloy
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"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 is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” ~ James A. Baldwin
"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.
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Suspect what will be most remarkable to future generations is not the Traitor-‘n-‘Thief, Toxic Trump, so much—although his name will surely be enshrined in infamy for the ages—as it is and will be the Republican so-called leaders and cult that enabled him and supported a racist, misogynist, xenophobic, bigoted, narcissistic, sociopathic, moronic, raving lunatic and his corruption. A decade or two down the road, Trump is likely to be viewed as a tragic Hitleresque figure; a victim of himself and his upbringing who should have never been put in a position to victimize others, and who should have been removed long before being allowed to victimize so many others.
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Trump and Giuliani have threatened to throw each other under the bus before. The real scoop isn't some O'Reilly interview, scintillating as that is. Should come as no surprise to anyone that there is no honor among thieves. No, the day's real scoop was that Toxic Traitor Trump knew about the whistle-blower before the end of August, before releasing the military aid to Ukraine, and after Congress was notified, how he likely delayed the IG whistle-blower report to Congress, in an attempt to cover-up his crimes. The other big scoop was the deposition of OMB's Sandy, which provides direct testimonial evidence of Trump ordering the Ukrainian military aid withheld, which is well-documented by a paper trail implicating Trump and others in the administration. At least two OMB officials resigned in protest of the illegality of Trump's hold on the appropriated money.
Moreover, Giuliani and Trump are joined at the hip in crime; neither stands to gain anything by ratting the other out, it's a lose-lose scenario for either man--neither of which is going to receive much, if any, credit for confessing their principal roles, anyway. Not to mention Giuliani is Trump's lawyer, with all the implications that entails. Consequently, while tantalizing to salivate over the possibility, more objective to consider it more likely for Pence, Perry, Pompeo, and/or Mulvaney to be the Republican rat(s) possessing high-level complicity and criminal exposure to turn, sinking the pirate ship.
The takeaway from this aspect is that Trump and Giuliani's sparring only serves to motivate other's betrayal, because their truthful testimony is a once-in-a-lifetime deal, with a very limited shelf-life, very soon to expire, and the opportunity presented strictly on a first-come, first-served basis! Keep in mind, any competent personal defense attorney (and they've all lawyered-up) is by this point, no doubt, advising them not to implicate themselves further, and to testify truthfully. So far, they have not heeded that advice, but we can be assured at this rate even they will realize how untenable their position and, finally, capitulate to common sense. The writing is on the wall, the wall will crack, then crumble, then fall, then be washed away by the winds of political vicissitude.
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America's enemies don't need to spread disinformation, doubt, discord, and division to weaken America, kill Americans--Republican politicians, Reich-wing demagogues, Faux News, OAN, Newsmax, Breitbart and the rest of the Reich-wing media do that so effectively for them, already. More Americans need to realize that the GOP has abdicated it's duty as loyal opposition, and that its prioritization of party over country and welcoming embrace of violent radical Reich-wing extremists diminishes both our government and our national security, endangering ALL Americans, as well as weakening and endangering America itself.
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"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
“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
“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
"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.
Once again, nationalism, aka fascism, has risen its ugly head in America, in European nations, and in some other countries around the world. The fight of good people against ignorance, the fears that sprout from it, the hate which then blossoms, culminating in the bitter toxic fruit of evil, senseless brutalities and deaths, is a constant, never-ending battle we fear, but it is a battle from which we must never shrink.
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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
(NOTE: Gerson is a staunch life-long conservative, who served as former President George W. Bush's chief speech writer.)
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. And it's extremely dangerous to our security, to our democracy, and to our country. They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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Suspect what will be most remarkable to future generations is not the Traitor-'n-'Thief, Toxic Trump, so much--although his name will surely be enshrined in infamy for the ages--as it is and will be the Republican so-called leaders and cult that enabled him and supported a racist, misogynist, xenophobic, bigoted, narcissistic, sociopathic, moronic, raving lunatic and his corruption. A decade or two down the road, Trump is likely to be viewed as a tragic Hitleresque figure; a victim of himself and his upbringing who should have never been put in a position to victimize others, and who should have been removed long before being allowed to victimize so many others.
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Republican cult is the new ISIS.
Republican politicians are appeasing terrorists...because that's their voter base, radicalization and extremism is what they have cultivated, nourished, exploited, and profited from for four decades. Reich-wing politicians, plutocrats, media, Christian nationalism religious leaders, and demagogues thought they could ride the tiger, too arrogant, greedy, and stupid to foresee that master would become slave, and the beast they created would soon come to consume them.
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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 and justice--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.
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GOP cult: “Democracy is great…only so long as we can subvert it with lies, cheating, a multitude of Jim Crow voter suppression laws, egregious gerrymandering, obstruction, coups, election interference, election fraud, sedition, insurrection and terrorism to gain power and maintain our corrupt, plutocratic, minority fascist rule!”
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GOP cult is NOT the party of law and order, NOT the party of the Constitution and patriots, NOT the party of "values," NOT the party of "Christianity,"_* NOT the party of fiscal responsibility, NOT the party of clean government, NOT the party of freedom. It's the party of terrorism, lawlessness, corruption, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, bigotry, misogyny, Big Lies, unmitigated greed, gross hypocrisy, socialized taxpayer payouts for plutocrats, sedition, traitors, and tyranny.
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Why hasn't Merrick Garland and his DOJ not yet arrested and charged Trump, Jeffery Clark, Mark Meadows, John Eastman and all other accomplices for their involvement in federal election interference and sedition??? WTF? How much more evidence is needed? If Garland doesn't stand up for the rule of law, justice and democracy, this nation is soon doomed.
18 U.S. Code § 595 - Interference by administrative employees of Federal, State, or Territorial Governments
"Whoever, being a person employed in any administrative position by the United States, or by any department or agency thereof, or by the District of Columbia or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or by any State, Territory, or Possession of the United States, or any political subdivision, municipality, or agency thereof, or agency of such political subdivision or municipality (including any corporation owned or controlled by any State, Territory, or Possession of the United States or by any such political subdivision, municipality, or agency), in connection with any activity which is financed in whole or in part by loans or grants made by the United States, or any department or agency thereof, uses his official authority for the purpose of interfering with, or affecting, the nomination or the election of any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the Senate, Member of the House of Representatives, Delegate from the District of Columbia, or Resident Commissioner, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both."
Disqualification form Holding Office, U.S. Constitution, 14th Amendment, Section 3.1.1
"No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof."
18 U.S.C. §2383 -- Rebellion or insurrection
Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof … shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
18 U.S.C. §2384 -- Seditious conspiracy
If two or more persons … in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, … they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
18 U.S.C. §2385 -- Advocating overthrow of Government
Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States or the government of any State … by force or violence, ... they shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
18 U.S. Code § 2331 -- Domestic Terrorism (Supplemental penalty of up to 17 years imprisonment)
(5) the term “domestic terrorism” means activities that—
(A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State;
(B) appear to be intended—
(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;
(ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or
(iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and
(C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States
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Suspect what will be most remarkable to future generations is not the Traitor-'n-'Thief, Toxic Trump, so much--although his name will surely be enshrined in infamy for the ages--as it is and will be the Republican so-called leaders and cult that enabled him and supported a racist, misogynist, xenophobic, bigoted, narcissistic, sociopathic, moronic, raving lunatic and his corruption. A decade or two down the road, Trump is likely to be viewed as a tragic Hitleresque figure; a victim of himself and his upbringing who should have never been put in a position to victimize others, and who should have been removed long before being allowed to victimize so many others.
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The Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM, or “the Wall”) is dedicated not to the war, but to the 2.7 million U.S. military men and women who served in the war zone, living and dead. It contains nearly 58,300 names of those dead or missing, on two ten-foot high granite wings, each spanning nearly 250 feet. A close uncle’s name is etched into the black rock of the Wall.
Propose erecting a similar monument for all those who senselessly lost their lives to COVID-19 due to our Traitor-‘n-Thief, Toxic Trump, and all those Republican so-called “leaders” in Congress, SCOTUS, and the GOP, complicit in enabling, aiding, and abetting his malfeasance.
In just four MONTHS, the U.S. had ALREADY needlessly lost more than TWICE as many to COVID-19 than died in all thirteen YEARS of the Vietnam war. By the time Trump left office, one out of every 800 Americans had died from COVID-19 in just ten months--over 400,000 fatalities, as many American casualties as WWII. It would also honor all those front-line ESSENTIAL workers who selflessly put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe and secure; the names of their dead to be given prominence and note upon the structure.
Whether constructed in the form of a wall or something different, its principle intent would be to serve as a constant, enduring reminder to us all and to future generations; as a testament to—and a barrier against—our own American ignorance, arrogance, avarice, cowardice, and malevolence. A sort of visual prophylactic, if you will, built in hope of protecting us against inbred hubris, greed, and stupidity. It’s design should be open, with interchangeable elements that challenge—and help teach—people to reason, and to think critically and objectively, while stressing humanity, humility and humbleness.
The VVM Wall is likewise also a monument to American ignorance, hubris, avarice, and malevolence, although erected solely to honor those military personnel. Few may think, or have thought, of it that way; and doubtless many would refuse to think of it as such, but the truth stands out in stark, prominent display for everyone to see…if they just apply a little critical, objective reasoning.
Another thought to ponder: The VVM Wall marks the first time America fatally failed that generation; the proposed monument would mark our second time they were senselessly sacrificed. Would like to see the proposed COVID-19 monument erected adjacent to the prior monument attesting failure, the VVM Wall, to serve as symbolic bookends, as a further tribute to that ill-served generation of Americans.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and disturbing. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, and our country.
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from _'Trumpism is American Fascism'
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@calhensley820 ~ Well, to be honest, some of the atrocities (by people left and right) derive as a result of, and from a backlash against, Toxic Trump and Republican lies. Such as their lie about being no problem with systemic racism in this country. Still, far more atrocities are being committed every single day by Republicans refusing to wear a mask and social distance, due almost solely to Republican politicization of a public health issue, and to a critical lack of Republican leadership. They are killing far more people, doing far more damage to businesses and our economy, causing far more suffering. Furthermore, Republican lies denying systemic racism enable the atrocities we all witness happening by law enforcement and our justice system.
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I ran the White House pandemic office. Trump closed it.
Beth Cameron -- 03/13/20 -- Washington Post
Beth Cameron is vice president for global biological policy and programs at the Nuclear Threat Initiative. She previously served as the senior director for global health security and biodefense on the White House National Security Council.
When President Trump took office in 2017, the White House’s National Security Council Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense survived the transition intact. Its mission was the same as when I was asked to lead the office, established after the Ebola epidemic of 2014: to do everything possible within the vast powers and resources of the U.S. government to prepare for the next disease outbreak and prevent it from becoming an epidemic or pandemic.
One year later, I was mystified when the White House dissolved the office, leaving the country less prepared for pandemics like covid-19.
The U.S. government’s slow and inadequate response to the new coronavirus underscores the need for organized, accountable leadership to prepare for and respond to pandemic threats.
In a health security crisis, speed is essential. When this new coronavirus emerged, there was no clear White House-led structure to oversee our response, and we lost valuable time. Yes, we have capable and committed global and national disease-prevention and management organizations, as well as state and local health departments, all working overtime now. But even in prepared cities like Seattle, health systems are struggling to test patients and keep pace with growing caseloads. The specter of rapid community transmission and exponential growth is real and daunting. The job of a White House pandemics office would have been to get ahead: to accelerate the response, empower experts, anticipate failures, and act quickly and transparently to solve problems.
It’s impossible to assess the full impact of the 2018 decision to disband the White House office responsible for this work. Biological experts do remain in the White House and in our government. But it is clear that eliminating the office has contributed to the federal government’s sluggish domestic response. What’s especially concerning about the absence of this office today is that it was originally set up because a previous epidemic made the need for it quite clear.
The U.S. government worked hard to fight the 2014 Ebola epidemic. Unlike Central Africa, Ebola was not a usual occurrence in West Africa; the necessary elements of community trust and public health decision-making weren’t in place to detect and stop it. Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone were blind spots for disease surveillance. The cost was thousands of lives, billions of dollars and years of economic recovery for countries already torn by decades of war.
So in 2016, after the formidable U.S.-led Ebola response, the Obama White House established the global health security office at the National Security Council and asked me to lead the team. We were to prepare for and, if possible, prevent the next outbreak from becoming an epidemic or pandemic.
Our team reported to a senior-level response coordinator on the National Security staff who could rally the government at the highest levels, as well as to the national security adviser and the homeland security adviser. This high-level domestic and global reporting structure wasn’t an accident. It was a recognition that epidemics know no borders and that a serious, fast response is crucial. Our job was to be the smoke alarm — keeping watch to get ahead of emergencies, sounding a warning at the earliest sign of fire — all with the goal of avoiding a six-alarm blaze.
We partnered with federal departments and agencies as they monitored evolving outbreaks, triggering alarms for decision-makers when those outbreaks began to take on unusual or worrisome characteristics. Shortly before Trump took office, we were watching many health security threats, including a rising number of cases in China of H7N9 influenza, a deadly strain with high mortality but low transmissibility between people. Earlier, we had been tracking a large outbreak of yellow fever in Angola that threatened to sap the limited global supply of that vaccine, affecting the local population, international travelers, deployed citizens and troops. We were focused on naturally occurring diseases and potential bioterrorism — any and every biological threat that could cause a major global health and security emergency.
My office was also tasked with preparing — at home and around the world — for the next health emergency, no matter its origin. In 2014, even before the first cases of Ebola came to light in Guinea, the Obama administration launched the Global Health Security Agenda, which now includes more than 60 countries, to accelerate epidemic preparedness. That effort, bolstered by $1 billion from the U.S. government in an emergency spending bill to fight Ebola, led to major gains in global capability to combat the Ebola outbreak and prepare for the next pandemic, which turned out to be covid-19. We began building, measuring and tracking capacities each country had, such as the strength of their national laboratory systems and their abilities to detect and report disease, stand up emergency operation centers, build an epidemiology workforce and maintain safe and secure practices. We spurred the use of transparent, measurable assessments of progress, and we leveraged our diplomacy with other countries to finance and fill gaps. At the same time, we strengthened international biosurveillance networks to help alert us to future potential pandemics.
Another critical task came in early 2017, when we began transitioning pandemic preparedness to the incoming Trump administration. As a civil servant and the head of the directorate, I remained at the White House for several months after the transition. I attended senior-level meetings and directly briefed the homeland security adviser and the national security adviser. After I left the White House that March, pandemic preparedness remained on the agenda; my office remained intact under the leadership of my well-respected successor, Rear Adm. Tim Ziemer; and the national security adviser was tracking H7N9 and other emerging threats.
It’s unclear whether the decision to disband the directorate, which was made in May 2018, after John Bolton became national security adviser, was a tactical move to downgrade the issue or whether it was part of the White House’s interest in simplifying and shrinking the National Security Council staff. Either way, it left an unclear structure and strategy for coordinating pandemic preparedness and response. Experts outside government and on Capitol Hill called for the office’s reinstatement at the time.
Its absence now is all too evident. In his remarks Wednesday night, the president talked about travel bans and the resilience of the U.S. economy but made little specific mention of the public health crisis unfolding across America — exactly the kind of detail a dedicated NSC pandemics infrastructure would have pushed to address. A directorate within the White House would have been responsible for coordinating the efforts of multiple federal agencies to make sure the government was backstopping testing capacity, devising approaches to manufacture and avoid shortages of personal protective equipment, strengthening U.S. lab capacity to process covid-19 tests, and expanding the health-care workforce.
The office would galvanize resources to coordinate a robust and seamless domestic and global response. It would identify needs among state and local officials, and advise and facilitate regular, focused communication from federal health and scientific experts to provide states and the public with fact-based tools to minimize the virus’s spread. The White House is uniquely positioned to take into account broader U.S. and global security considerations associated with health emergencies, including their impact on deployed citizens, troops and regional economies, as well as peace and stability. A White House office would have been able to elevate urgent issues fast, so they didn’t linger or devolve to inaction, as with covid-19 testing in the United States. It would be in charge of sharing information and coordinating our public health and humanitarian response with partners and allies. And it would work now to prepare the United States and the world for the next pandemic, including by developing incentives for global leaders and governments to rapidly finance and fill identified gaps.
Pandemics, like weapons of mass destruction and climate change, are transnational threats with potentially existential consequences. No single department or agency can be responsible for handling them. Pandemic threats may not arise every year, but the White House should constantly prepare for them. We can’t afford for federal decision-makers to waste time relearning old lessons when they should be innovating and acting.
Covid-19 wasn’t preventable, but it was predictable. Hopefully, its impact can still be limited. But it is well past time for the U.S. government to show the leadership required for an effective domestic and global response. We need to start sprinting. Come April and May, no one will wish the United States had done less.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/i-ran-the-white-house-pandemic-office-trump-closed-it/ar-BB1192Xy
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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 and justice--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.
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Republican cult is the new ISIS.
Republican politicians are appeasing fascist, seditious terrorists...because that's their voter base, radicalization and extremism is what they have cultivated, nourished, exploited, and profited from for four decades. Reich-wing politicians, plutocrats, media, Christian nationalism religious leaders, and demagogues thought they could ride the tiger, too arrogant, greedy, and stupid to foresee that master would become slave, and the beast they created would soon come to consume them.
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GOP is the party of lies, the party of crackpot conspiracy theories, the party of gross hypocrisy, the party of fear, the party of hate, the party of greed, the party of cowards, the party of pollution, the party of plutocrats, the party of corruption, the party of anti-democracy, the party of sedition, the party of terrorists, the party of fascism, the party of tyranny, the party of evil, the party of Satan. Republican cult doesn't care about America and ALL Americans, doesn't want to bargain in good faith...because they already made their pact with the Devil.
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That great big dysfunctional Donald Trump family intersection in limbo land, where arrogance, ignorance, privilege, ignominy, vapid, heartless, dumb, insecurity, stupidity, desultory, idiocy, hubris, vanity, pompous, venality, avarice, psychosis, unscrupulous, vituperative, entitlement, banality, brutality, vice and vile all meet together to form a black hole sucking humanity out of the world.
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
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America's enemies don't need to spread disinformation, doubt, discord, and division to weaken America, kill Americans--Republican politicians, Reich-wing demagogues, Faux News, OAN, Newsmax, Breitbart and the rest of the Reich-wing media do that so effectively for them, already. More Americans need to realize that the GOP has abdicated it's duty as loyal opposition, and that its prioritization of party over country and welcoming embrace of violent radical Reich-wing extremists diminishes both our government and our national security, endangering ALL Americans, as well as weakening and endangering America itself.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. And it's extremely dangerous to our security, to our democracy, and to our country. They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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Republican cult is the new ISIS.
Republican politicians are appeasing terrorists...because that's their voter base, radicalization and extremism is what they have cultivated, nourished, exploited, and profited from for four decades. Reich-wing politicians, plutocrats, media, Christian nationalism religious leaders, and demagogues thought they could ride the tiger, too arrogant, greedy, and stupid to foresee that master would become slave, and the beast they created would soon come to consume them.
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The Case Against Donald Trump
The president of the United States poses a threat to our collective existence. The choice voters face is spectacularly obvious.
OCTOBER 22, 2020 — Jeffrey Goldberg, on behalf of the editors of The Atlantic
In 1973, a United States Air Force officer, Major Harold Hering, asked a question that the Air Force did not want asked. Hering, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, was then in training to become a Minuteman-missile crewman. The question he asked one of his instructors was this: “How can I know that an order I receive to launch my missiles came from a sane president?”
The writer Ron Rosenbaum would later call this the “forbidden question.” Missile officers are allowed to ask certain sorts of questions—about the various fail-safe systems built to prevent the accidental launching of nuclear weapons, for instance. But the Air Force would not answer Hering’s question, and it moved to discharge him after determining that officers responsible for launching nuclear weapons did not “need to know” the answer. “I have to say I feel I do have a need to know because I am a human being,” Hering said in response.
Hering’s question was taboo because the national defense strategy of the United States is built on the unstated assumption that the American people will not allow a lunatic to become president. If that assumption is wrong, then no procedural, legal, or technological mechanisms exist that are able to fully protect the human race from such a lunatic. Hering discovered a catastrophic flaw in U.S. nuclear doctrine, and for this he was driven from the Air Force.
In most matters related to the governance and defense of the United States, the president is constrained by competing branches of government and by an intricate web of laws and customs. Only in one crucial area does the president resemble, in the words of the former missile officer and scholar Bruce Blair, an absolute monarch—his control of nuclear weapons. Richard Nixon, who was president when Major Hering asked his question, was reported to have told members of Congress at a White House dinner party, “I could leave this room and in 25 minutes, 70 million people would be dead.” This was an alarming but accurate statement.
When contemplating their ballots, Americans should ask which candidate in a presidential contest is better equipped to guide the United States through a national-security crisis without triggering a nuclear exchange, and which candidate is better equipped to interpret—within five or seven minutes—the ambiguous, complicated, and contradictory signals that could suggest an imminent nuclear attack. These are certainly not questions that large numbers of voters asked themselves in 2016, when a transparently unqualified candidate for president won the support of 63 million Americans.
At the time, Donald Trump had not yet served in public office, so concerns about his ability to protect the United States from harm were hypothetical, though grounded in his long and terrible record as a human being. As The Atlantic stated in its October 2016 endorsement of his opponent, Hillary Clinton, Trump “traffics in conspiracy theories and racist invective; he is appallingly sexist; he is erratic, secretive, and xenophobic; he expresses admiration for authoritarian rulers, and evinces authoritarian tendencies himself … He is an enemy of fact-based discourse; he is ignorant of, and indifferent to, the Constitution; he appears not to read.”
What we have learned since we published that editorial is that we understated our case. Donald Trump is the worst president this country has seen since Andrew Johnson, or perhaps James Buchanan, or perhaps ever. Trump has brought our country low; he has divided our people; he has pitted race against race; he has corrupted our democracy; he has shown contempt for American ideals; he has made cruelty a sacrament; he has provided comfort to propagators of hate; he has abandoned America’s allies; he has aligned himself with dictators; he has encouraged terrorism and mob violence; he has undermined the agencies and departments of government; he has despoiled the environment; he has opposed free speech; he has lied frenetically and evangelized for conspiracism; he has stolen children from their parents; he has made himself an advocate of a hostile foreign power; and he has failed to protect America from a ravaging virus. Trump is not responsible for all of the 220,000 COVID-19-related deaths in America. But through his avarice and ignorance and negligence and titanic incompetence, he has allowed tens of thousands of Americans to suffer and die, many alone, all needlessly. With each passing day, his presidency reaps more death.
But let us lay all of this aside for the moment. Let us even lay aside the extraordinary fact that Donald Trump has been credibly accused of rape. Compelling evidence suggests that his countless sins and defects are rooted in mental instability, pathological narcissism, and profound moral and cognitive impairment. Which returns us to the subject of Major Hering.
Trump’s opponent, Joe Biden, is in many ways a typically imperfect candidate, but if we judge these men on two questions alone—Who is a more trustworthy steward of America’s nuclear arsenal? Which man poses less of a threat to our collective existence?—the answer is spectacularly obvious.
The Atlantic has endorsed only three candidates in its 163-year history: Abraham Lincoln, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Hillary Clinton. The latter two endorsements had more to do with the qualities of Barry Goldwater and Donald Trump than with those of Johnson and Clinton. The same holds true in the case of Joe Biden. Biden is a man of experience, maturity, and obvious humanity, but had the Republican Party put forward a credible candidate for president, we would have felt no compulsion to state a preference. Donald Trump, however, is a clear and continuing danger to the United States, and it does not seem likely that our country would be able to emerge whole from four more years of his misrule. Two men are running for president. One is a terrible man; the other is a decent man. Vote for the decent man.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/10/atlantics-endorsement-against-donald-trump/616815/
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
(NOTE: Gerson is a staunch life-long conservative, who served as former President George W. Bush's chief speech writer.)
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Trump’s Dangerously Effective Coronavirus Propaganda
The president’s effort to play down the pandemic is being amplified by a coalition of partisan media, digital propagandists, and White House officials.
McKay Coppins
March 11, 2020
From the moment the coronavirus reached the United States, President Donald Trump has seemed determined to construct an alternate reality around the outbreak. In the information universe he has formed, COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, is no worse than the seasonal flu; criticism of his response to it is a “hoax”; and media coverage of the virus is part of a political conspiracy to destroy his presidency.
As with so much of the president’s messaging, this narrative began with tossed-off tweets and impromptu public statements. But in recent days, as U.S. health officials have raised growing concerns about the outbreak, Trump’s efforts to play down the pandemic have been amplified by the same multi-platform propaganda apparatus he’s relying on for reelection in November. From the White House communications office to the MAGA meme warriors of Instagram, from the prime-time partisans on Fox News to the Trump campaign’s Facebook feed, the overarching message has been the same: Pay no attention to the fake-news fearmongering about the coronavirus. It’s all political hype. Things are going great.
Fact-checkers and scientists have scrambled to correct the misinformation coming out of the White House. (No, the virus has not been “contained” in America; no, testing is not available to anybody who wants it; no, people shouldn’t go to work if they’re sick.) But Trump’s message seems to have resonated with his base: A Quinnipiac University poll released this week found that just 35 percent of Republicans are concerned about the virus, compared with 68 percent of Democrats.
The administration’s response to the outbreak has drawn some comparisons to that of the autocratic regimes in China and Iran, where information about the virus was tightly controlled to the detriment of the local populations. But what Trump has actually shown is that he doesn’t need to silence the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or censor the press to undermine politically inconvenient information about a public-health crisis—he can simply use his presidential bullhorn to drown it out.
Scholars who study modern disinformation tactics have identified this approach as “censorship through noise.” (Steve Bannon, the former White House strategist, has described the strategy in blunter terms: “Flood the zone with shit.”) As I reported in my recent feature on the Trump campaign, the purpose of this sort of propaganda blizzard is not to inspire conviction in a certain set of facts; it’s to bombard people with so many contradictory claims, conspiracy theories, what-abouts, and distortions that they simply throw up their hands in confusion and exhaustion.
Spend some time wading through the coronavirus content that’s spreading through the MAGA ecosystem, and it’s easy to see the strategy at work.
Trump supporters have been warned incessantly not to trust mainstream journalistic coverage of the issue. When the market tanked earlier this week, the president blamed it on “fake news.” When White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham appeared on Fox & Friends, she condemned the media for using the virus “as a tool to politicize things and to scare people.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s right-wing media allies are working to minimize the perceived dangers of the coronavirus. “Put it in perspective,” Sean Hannity told his Fox News audience this week. “Twenty-six people were shot in Chicago alone over the weekend. I doubt you heard about it. You notice there’s no widespread hysteria about violence in Chicago. And this has now gone on for years and years and years. By the way, Democratic-run cities, we see a lot of that.” The sentiment was echoed by Tomi Lahren, a Fox Nation host, who invoked California’s homelessness problem to deflect attention from the outbreak: “Call me crazy, but I am far more concerned with stepping on a used heroin needle than I am getting the coronavirus, but maybe that’s just me.”
A key strain of the president’s narrative is that concerns about the coronavirus are being weaponized by bad-faith actors—a notion that has spawned a broad range of conspiracy theories. On Fox Business, Trish Regan accused Trump’s enemies of trying to “create mass hysteria to encourage a market sell-off” that would harm his reelection prospects: “This is impeachment all over again,” she declared. Rush Limbaugh has mused that the president is the target of “virus terrorism.” And on Facebook and Twitter, a meme has begun circulating among Trump fans that darkly suggests a new disease is introduced every election year to influence politics.
Pro-Trump social-media stars have ridiculed people who are afraid of the coronavirus, casting them as ridiculous, or perhaps unmasculine. (“Stop being a baby and go to the gym,” one well-known troll recently wrote beneath a selfie emphasizing his biceps. “Obesity is the real pandemic.”) At the same time, many Republicans are seizing on the outbreak to build support for restrictionist immigration policies and a trade war with China. “We need the Wall more than ever!” Trump tweeted this week.
To the president and his allies, it doesn’t really matter that all these narrative threads don’t perfectly cohere. Muddying the waters is the name of the game, and it’s a strategy that’s carried Trump through numerous political battles over the years.
But sowing strategic doubt about the facts of a global pandemic is fundamentally different from doing it with, say, an impeachment hearing. The dangers are more tangible and immediate to voters, regardless of whether they support Trump. The stakes are higher. And in a crass, political sense, the long-term effectiveness of the effort is limited. Hundreds of new coronavirus cases are being confirmed every day in the U.S. Public events are being canceled, schools are shutting down, containment zones are being implemented by governors. As daily life is disrupted for more and more Americans, Trump’s alternate reality is bound to implode.
Some on the right seem to understand this. Prominent conservative writers such as Ross Douthat and Michael Brendan Dougherty have been covering the outbreak with a sense of urgency. This week, National Review published an editorial criticizing the president’s lackluster response to the virus. Perhaps most notably, Tucker Carlson broke with his prime-time Fox News colleagues this week with a withering monologue that seemed to address Trump without ever saying his name.
“In a crisis, it’s more important than ever to be calm,” Carlson said. “But staying calm is not the same as remaining complacent. It does not mean assuring people that everything will be fine. We don’t know that. Instead, it’s better to tell the truth. That is always the surest sign of strength.”
Will Trump, who has taken cues from Carlson’s show in the past, get the message—or will it be drowned out by the din of the noise machine he helped create?
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/03/trump-coronavirus-threat/607825/
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--Instead of striving to bring out the best in people, Toxic Trump reveled in bringing out the very worst.
--Instead of uniting the country, Toxic Trump sought to divide us.
--Instead of abiding by and honoring our Constitution and the rule of law, Toxic Trump held them in disdain, disregarded them, and degraded them, running the most corrupt administration in U.S. history..
--Instead of strengthening democracy and our cherished institutions, Toxic Trump worked to diminish and destroy them, inciting a terrorist insurrection against his own government, attempting a coup to steal an election.
--Instead of insuring a peaceful transfer power after losing the election, Toxic Trump kept insisting against all evidence that he won, continuously repeating the Big Lie that resulted in the terrorist insurrection against the nation's Capitol.
--Instead of confronting a serious threat to Americans with a deadly global pandemic, Toxic Trump lied to the American people about it, ignored it, and refused to take any responsibility for his gross homicidal criminal negligence that resulted in one out of every 800 Americans dying from COVID-19--over 400,000 lives in just ten months, as many casualties as all of WWII.
--Instead of confronting the ever-increasing existential crisis from climate change and its harmful effects, Toxic Trump gutted regulations, exacerbating the problem and poisoning citizens.
--Instead of creating jobs, Toxic Trump was the first President since the Great Depression to preside over a net loss of jobs over his tenure.
--Instead of lowering the national deficit, Toxic Trump increased it from 19.2 trillion to 27 trillion.
--Instead of building bridges, humane immigration reform, and infrastructure, Toxic Trump built walls, cages, and concentration camps, separated children from mothers, allowed American infrastructure to decline and deteriorate, rejected economic opportunity.
--Instead of raising our standing and security in the world, Toxic Trump lowered and weakened it.
--Instead of draining the swamp, Toxic Trump turned it into a noxious overflowing Republican sewer.
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The American workplace isn't ready for an epidemic. Many Americans have no insurance, many others can ill-afford deductibles, still more can't afford to take off work when not feeling well; more than a third of jobs don't offer sick days, and even where available, they may have been already used, or employees try saving them for more serious illness--all making us extremely vulnerable to epidemics such as COVID-19. Many jobs in America involve low-paying work in the service industry, where employees are in constant contact with, and exposed to, a huge swath of the public on a daily basis. These folks typically don't get sick days or insurance benefits, and can ill-afford to miss any work because of loss of money and the threat of losing their job. Many are ill-educated, and may not pay sufficient heed to health warnings, further exacerbating the spread of the epidemic facing us all.
In plausible worst-case-scenarios given the pattern of the outbreak thus far, the country could experience acute shortages not just in ventilators but also health workers to operate them and care for patients; hospital beds; and masks and other protective equipment. Trump administration facing increasing criticism for not using these many weeks after learning of COVID-19 to prepare increased hospital capacity, stockpile medications, obtain adequate amounts of respirators and other equipment that will be vitally needed in the U.S.
“Even during mild flu pandemics, most of our I.C.U.s are filled to the brim with severely ill patients on mechanical ventilation,” said Dr. Eric Toner, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and an expert on health care preparedness. “I hope and pray Covid-19 turns out to be a moderate pandemic, but if not, we’re in serious trouble,” he said.
With his administration under fire for its handling of the outbreak, President Trump shamelessly sought to falsely transfer blame to his predecessor, President Obama, confusing a policy proposal for better oversight over diagnostic tests--which was never adopted. Public Health Laboratories Association, and even Senate Republicans, refute Trump's lie.
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"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
(NOTE: Gerson is a staunch life-long conservative, who served as former President George W. Bush's chief speech writer.)
GOP = fascism + nihilism The few patriots in the Republican party are rejected by the vast majority of Republicans. Hard as it may be for some to believe or accept, it is to our own and our nation's peril to ignore, diminish, or dismiss that the GOP has become a fascist cult. Their fascism, nihilism and cultdom needs to be recognized, acknowledged, called out, condemned, and strongly opposed if we are to keep our democracy.
"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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Sounds like Moscow on the line again, calling impeachment a coup, now! OMG, stop the presses, man the trenches, lock the wives and kids in the closet--Republicans are following Putin's marching orders!!!
1) Putin is playing U.S. population, gaming elections.
2) Republicans are playing U.S. population, gaming elections.
3) Republicans are willfully and knowingly spreading Putin's debunked propaganda in aid of both their own and Russia's aforementioned efforts.
4) Republicans are willfully and knowingly protecting a President that has compromised himself with our chief foreign adversary, Russia, despite clear and overwhelming evidence of criminality of the highest order threatening our elections, democracy, and national security.
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GOP cult: “Democracy is great…only so long as we can subvert it with lies, cheating, a multitude of Jim Crow voter suppression laws, egregious gerrymandering, obstruction, coups, election interference, sedition, and terrorism to gain power and maintain our corrupt, plutocratic, minority fascist rule!”
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Republicans: "I pledge allegiance to the lies of Trump, and to the racism, bigotry, crimes, corruption, crackpot conspiracies, delusions, violence, and ignorance for which he stands, one dysfunctional lunatic fascist cult under Trump, a nation forever divided, with plutocracy, autocracy and injustice for all."
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"We have met the enemy, and he is us!" ~ Walt Kelly
"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
“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence." ~ Unknown source, a derivative of similar quotes by William Butler Yeats, Bertrand Russell, and 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
“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
"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.
~ How Fascism Works, The Politics of Us and Them by Jason Stanley
Once again, nationalism, aka fascism, has risen its ugly head in America, in European nations, and in some other countries around the world. The fight of good people against ignorance, the fears that sprout from it, the hate which then blossoms, culminating in the bitter toxic fruit of evil, senseless brutalities and deaths, is a constant, never-ending battle we fear, but it is a battle from which we must never shrink.
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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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
(Reference also Father Charles E. Coughlin and Henry Ford in regards to the first America First movement.)
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
(NOTE: Gerson is a staunch life-long conservative, who served as former President George W. Bush's chief speech writer.)
Malcolm Nance: We Are In A Neo-Fascist Era In American Politics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_RxUAe2zeM
Political Analyst Tells Joy Reid: Forget Trumpism, IT’s Neo-Fascism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IgNp84JA4A
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"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 is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” ~ James A. Baldwin
"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 receiving such high marks from the public, while Toxic Trump never managed to rise above even a 50% approval rating.
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Greg King ~ 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.
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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.
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Sounds like Moscow on the line again, calling impeachment a coup, now! OMG, stop the presses, man the trenches, lock the wives and kids in the closet--Republicans are following Putin's marching orders!!!
1) Putin is playing U.S. population, gaming elections.
2) Trump is playing U.S. population, gaming elections.
3) Republicans are playing U.S. population, gaming elections.
4) Republicans are willfully and knowingly spreading Putin's debunked propaganda in aid of both their own and Russia's aforementioned efforts.
5) Republicans are willfully and knowingly protecting a President that has compromised himself with our chief foreign adversary, Russia, despite clear and overwhelming evidence of criminality of the highest order threatening our elections, democracy, and national security.
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Why America is so vulnerable to coronavirus
Ryan Cooper
All over the world, governments are scrambling to defend their citizenry from COVID-19, the disease caused by the outbreak of novel coronavirus. So far it seems levels of success have varied; countries like Italy and Iran have struggled so far, while Vietnam and Taiwan have seemingly put forth an efficient and effective response.
The United States, where a major outbreak is clearly developing, however, is in a class by itself. America's atrociously inadequate welfare state makes it by far the most vulnerable rich country to a viral pandemic, and the vicious, right-wing ideology of the Republican Party has wrecked the government's ability to manage crises of any kind.
The national health care system is of course the most important tool for any country trying to fight off an epidemic — all citizens need to be able to get tested, receive treatment, or be quarantined if necessary. If and when a vaccine is developed, the system needs to distribute it to everyone as fast as possible. That means handing it out for free in locations across the country, and perhaps making
The American health care system fails at every one of these tasks. Nearly 30 million Americans are uninsured, and a further 44 million are underinsured — meaning they will likely hesitate to go to the doctor if they start developing COVID-19 symptoms. This problem is seriously exacerbated by the rampant predatory profiteering that infects every corner of the health care system. Indeed, responsible citizens who have gone in for tests have already started getting slammed with multi-thousand dollar bills. A father and daughter who were evacuated from China and then forcibly quarantined for several days (luckily they were not infected) went home to find $3,918 in bills.
If you are working-class person with a $10,000 deductible (not at all uncommon), going to the doctor simply because you have flu-like symptoms (which is how most cases of COVID-19 are experienced) could very easily send you into bankruptcy. If infected, millions of Americans are likely going to take their chances — and keep spreading the virus.
Indeed, U.S. health care is not only by far the worst system among rich countries, it is much worse than that of many middle-income or poorer countries when it comes to confronting a fast-moving epidemic. Distributing a vaccine is not that difficult of a task — World Health Organization workers managed it with smallpox even in desperately poor African countries in the 1970s. You just round up everyone, and give out the shot. But that will be a heavy lift indeed with a health care system geared above all to price-gouge sick people out of as much money as possible. While in theory the government could stand up a one-time free (or cheap) vaccination program, the administration has already ruled that out. "We can’t control that price because we need the private sector to invest," said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. That very likely means an eyewateringly-expensive vaccine that tens of millions can't get — we've seen what rapacious pharma companies do with insulin. (Speaking of vaccines, as Ryan Grim points out at The Intercept, Joe Biden voted against a Bernie Sanders amendment to force drug companies to provide drugs funded by public research at a reasonable price.)
It's worth pointing out again that if we had Medicare-for-all, these concerns would vanish at a stroke. People experiencing symptoms would feel free to seek medical care without worrying about breaking the bank, and a vaccine could be distributed by the government through hospitals and clinics at no cost to patients.
But there are still further problems. The United States is one of only a handful of countries (almost all of them desperately poor) with no national sick leave program, which means many workers who come down with COVID-19 will be forced to choose between starving or spreading the disease. Food service workers are especially unlikely to have sick leave from their employers, and are generally not paid well either. So-called "gig economy" companies naturally provide no sick leave either. In China, food delivery services have been critical for feeding cities under lockdown, but in America they are likely to become just another vector of infection.
Finally, there is conservative ideology. As I have written, the Trump administration — under the influence of conservative fanatics like Mick "The Knife" Mulvaney — has deliberately devastated the government's pandemic response capacity. He's cut key personnel, slashed funding, and made sure thousands more Americans have been thrown off their insurance. And while Trump is certainly the most incompetent president in American history, his style of government is not at all out of keeping with typical Republican rule. As Thomas Frank writes in his book The Wrecking Crew, for decades GOP rule has meant rampant corruption and disastrous incompetence. When a Republican is in the White House, unqualified cronies end up in charge of federal emergency management, and American cities and towns end up ruined. Even today, the Trump regime is doing its level best to kick as many people off their health insurance as possible — the Supreme Court just announced it would hear the latest Republican attempt to destroy the Affordable Care Act through judicial rule-by-decree.
The conservative movement has served like a bath of hydrofluoric acid on the quality, competence, and basic decency of American institutions. Republicans have all but posted up signs everywhere saying "epidemics welcome here." So now they are resorting to the only thing they know how to do really well — lying, concocting conspiracy theories and blaming Democrats and the media for any bad news. It does not bode well.
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Freedoms can exist only up to the point they infringe upon the freedom of others. Religious tolerance can be practiced only up to the point it becomes intolerant of others. Our Constitution is a secular document, not a religious one, and it was certainly never intended to be a suicidal death pact. Getting vaccinated and following CDC guidelines brings freedom from preventable illness or injury, and a senseless premature death, but the mindless fascist Republican cult only believes in freeDUMB. Just as they don't understand or would deny the Constitution is as much about the common good as personal liberties, and that those two things are intrinsically and inextricably intertwined.
"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
“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence." ~ Charles Bukowski
"Want of care does us more damage than want of knowledge." ~ Ben Franklin, from Poor Richard's Almanack
Those who scorn public health guidelines during a deadly global pandemic and confuse a grievous public health issue with "essential" liberty to kill and harm themselves and their fellow citizens--as well as their nation--sorely lack both care and knowledge. They are also sorely lacking in common sense, something else about which Mr. Franklin was quite keen. Mr. Franklin was also one our nation's first scientists--yet these modern-day knuckleheads who ought know better refute science! Were he alive today, he would be rather dismayed, disgruntled, and disgusted with the fascist anti-science Republican cult, that much is crystal clear.
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The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over four decades by the GOP, plutocrats, Reich-wing demagogues, Reich-wing Christian nationalism religious leaders, and Reich-wing print, radio, TV, and social media, programmed 24/7, radicalizing them and creating mass delusion. A straight line can be drawn through to the inevitable catastrophic conclusion witnessed today from Lee Atwater, Roger Aisles, Pat Buchanan, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, Newt Gingrich, Ann Coulter, Karl Rove, Lou Dobbs, Mitch McConnell, Billy Graham, Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Jim Jordan, to Donald J. Trump, Matt Gaetz, and Marjorie Taylor Greene. Sure, some in the Republican cult truly are that ignorant or gullible; but most are willfully ignorant, being fed the lies they want to hear. They bear personal responsibility. Part of it's a cultural problem, as some mostly older white people's mistaken perception is that the America they knew is slipping away. Well, America is still America, but--like most nations--is constantly evolving, as progress invariably rolls on, but they are unwilling to accept that, or change with the times.
Those Americans elected that pitiful, pathetic puerile President, and have continued to support him no matter what travesty he committed! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated. They created the beast, thought they could ride the tiger, exploit it for their own greed, vanity, and power, too stupid or uncaring to realize that it would instead inevitably come to consume them.
American conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it’s what they peddle, it’s what they traffic in, it’s what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear into hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It’s the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone—unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry all were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
"United we stand, divided we fall." A simple concept, really, that too many Americans seem to have forgotten or abandoned. Our nation is like an airplane; it requires both the left and right wings working together in tandem to operate properly and safely. Only problem is the Reich-wing decided to try flying solo, forcing us all into a nose-dive! Care about the issues, disdain political gamesmanship, while still recognizing politics is an inseparable and necessary element. Have always respected and valued loyal opposition, even if in disagreement with the ideology. Fact is, though, the GOP has abdicated the requisite role of loyal opposition to become a mindless, tribalistic, hyper-partisan Reich-wing cult that places greed and political party over truth, reason, decency, and country.
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@richardcogbill6791 ~ There are a couple of other facets to this, too. Strongly opposed to using prosecutions as a partisan cudgel to gain advantage, don't advocate that to be the motivation; but righteous indictments, prosecutions, and judgments against Trump and law-breaking Republicans would result in that being the inevitable consequence, regardless.
--It would dispel forever the Republican treasonous lie that there "was no Russian collusion."
--It would expose the gaslighting and cover-up by Republicans in office and the Trump administration, holding them at least accountable to the public, where not to prosecution.
--It would further weaken, discredit, and further diminish the Republican cult.
As already elucidated, the idea of "healing" with a recalcitrant, unrepentant, obstinate Republican cult still blinded by lust for power at any cost is a delusional hope, anyway. There are simply too few hearts and minds to be won over by a strategy of sweeping everything under the rug and just pretending all the bad stuff over the past four years just never happened. Sure, Democrats should take the high road. However, the high road isn't closing one's eyes to evil--it is fighting it, seeking truth and justice. Because that is what is truly required for all the American people who were victims of that evil and injustice to heal.
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@alisonsmith4547 ~ That's a possibility. But if that was the case, the smarter course would have been to simply refuse to comment on the matter until after the new administration enters office. No need to waffle, intentionally misleading the American people.
However, don't find it helpful to get too cute. Honesty is the best policy, and Democrats should be forthright about their commitment to truth and justice. Trump is going to abuse his pardon authority, anyway, regardless. There is more to be gained and less lost by being a champion for investigations and prosecutions where warranted, by standing on the side of the Constitution and the rule of law, by standing up for truth and justice. Think for most Democrats, that wasn't just the hope; it was the expectation.
Our Democrat officials should not betray all those things, and those who elected them. Nor should they speak of them as some pawn on a chessboard to be sacrificed for the greater good when, in fact, those things constitute the king on the chessboard, the piece that must be protected at all cost, or all is lost.
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
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Republican cult is the new ISIS.
Republican politicians are appeasing terrorists...because that's their voter base, radicalization and extremism is what they have cultivated, nourished, exploited, and profited from for four decades. Reich-wing politicians, plutocrats, media and demagogues thought they could ride the tiger, too arrogant, greedy, and stupid to foresee that master would become slave, and the beast would soon come to consume them.
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GOP cult is NOT the party of law and order, NOT the party of the Constitution and patriots, NOT the party of "values," NOT the party of fiscal responsibility, NOT the party of clean government, NOT the party of freedom. It's the party of terrorism, lawlessness, corruption, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, bigotry, misogyny, big lies, socialized taxpayer payouts for plutocrats, sedition, traitors, and tyranny.
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"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
“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
“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
"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.
Once again, nationalism, aka fascism, has risen its ugly head in America, in European nations, and in some other countries around the world. The fight of good people against ignorance, the fears that sprout from it, the hate which then blossoms, culminating in the bitter toxic fruit of evil, senseless brutalities and deaths, is a constant, never-ending battle we fear, but it is a battle from which we must never shrink.
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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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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"We have met the enemy, and he is us!" ~ Walt Kelly
"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
“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
“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
"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.
~ How Fascism Works, The Politics of Us and Them by Jason Stanley
Once again, nationalism, aka fascism, has risen its ugly head in America, in European nations, and in some other countries around the world. The fight of good people against ignorance, the fears that sprout from it, the hate which then blossoms, culminating in the bitter toxic fruit of evil, senseless brutalities and deaths, is a constant, never-ending battle we fear, but it is a battle from which we must never shrink.
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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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
(Reference also Father Charles E. Coughlin and Henry Ford in regards to the first America First movement.)
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
Malcolm Nance: We Are In A Neo-Fascist Era In American Politics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_RxUAe2zeM
Political Analyst Tells Joy Reid: Forget Trumpism, IT’s Neo-Fascism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IgNp84JA4A
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America's enemies don't need to spread disinformation, doubt, discord, and division to weaken America, kill Americans--Republican politicians, Reich-wing demagogues, Faux News, OAN, Newsmax, Breitbart and the rest of the Reich-wing media do that so effectively for them, already. More Americans need to realize that the GOP has abdicated it's duty as loyal opposition, and that its prioritization of party over country diminishes both our government and our national security, endangering ALL Americans, as well as weakening and endangering America itself.
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Elmer Fudd's always trying to convince me he just wants unity.
What he really means is that he wants to eat me.
Unity and compromise is a two-way street that only works if both parties operate in good faith. Republicans have a long history of failing to do that--or even trying. Recent history since Biden won the election shows no indication of them changing their divisive, destructive words, attitudes, obstruction and other acts. Tyrant Trump incited a terrorist insurrection against the nation's Capitol to overthrow an election, endangering his VP and members of Congress, sat by and gleefully reveled in watching it happen for hours, ignoring desperate pleas for help, and only a very few Republican were willing to speak out, impeach him, convict him, and prevent him from holding public office again? That's not loyal opposition--that's a dangerous terrorist political cult of fascists.
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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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
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Bush v. Gore, Citizens United, Shelby County v. Holder, Rucho v. Common Cause, Chief Jester Roberts smiling and nodding along while presiding over sham Senate impeachment trial, Assassination Goon B.S. Barr butchering the law, slaughtering justice, politicizing and weaponizing the DOJ. So, now, thanks to conservative Justices on SCOTUS, we have partisan Republican judges deciding elections instead of voters; a return to Jim Crow laws promoting voter suppression; unlimited dark money in elections buying off politicians; a lack of accountability enabling the Executive Branch to blackmail and coerce foreign governments into interfering in our elections, severely degrading our national security; and legalization of even the most egregious Republican gerrymandering. In essence, a deck stacked heavily in favor of corrupt, racist, anti-democratic Republican minority rule over the majority. It's why we lost all respect for these conservative Supreme Courts, the law, and the justice system in this country. Congratulations, Republicans, on turning our nation into a banana Republic, making America an object lesson to the world on how to destroy democracy!
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
(NOTE: Gerson is a staunch life-long conservative, who served as former President George W. Bush's chief speech writer.)
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DJT Jan. 24, Twitter:
“China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!”
DJT Feb. 7, Twitter:
“Just had a long and very good conversation by phone with President Xi of China. He is strong, sharp and powerfully focused on leading the counterattack on the Coronavirus. He feels they are doing very well, even building hospitals in a matter of only days … Great discipline is taking place in China, as President Xi strongly leads what will be a very successful operation. We are working closely with China to help!
DJT Feb. 10, Fox Business interview:
"I think China is very, you know, professionally run in the sense that they have everything under control," Trump said. "I really believe they are going to have it under control fairly soon. You know in April, supposedly, it dies with the hotter weather. And that's a beautiful date to look forward to. But China I can tell you is working very hard."
DJT Feb. 13, Fox News interview:
“I think they've handled it professionally and I think they're extremely capable and I think President Xi is extremely capable and I hope that it's going to be resolved."
DJT Feb. 18, remarks before Air Force One departure:
“I think President Xi is working very hard. As you know, I spoke with him recently. He’s working really hard. It’s a tough problem. I think he’s going to do — look, I’ve seen them build hospitals in a short period of time. I really believe he wants to get that done, and he wants to get it done fast. Yes, I think he’s doing it very professionally.”
DJT Feb. 23, remarks before Marine One departure:
"I think President Xi is working very, very hard. I spoke to him. He's working very hard. I think he's doing a very good job. It's a big problem. But President Xi loves his country. He's working very hard to solve the problem, and he will solve the problem. OK?"
DJT Feb. 27, Coronavirus Task Force press conference:
“I spoke with President Xi. We had a great talk. He’s working very hard, I have to say. He’s working very, very hard. And if you can count on the reports coming out of China, that spread has gone down quite a bit. The infection seems to have gone down over the last two days. As opposed to getting larger, it’s actually gotten smaller.”
DJT Feb. 29, Coronavirus Task Force press conference:
“China seems to be making tremendous progress. Their numbers are way down. … I think our relationship with China is very good.'
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“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
"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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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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The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over decades by the GOP, plutocrats, Reich-wing demagogues, Reich-wing Christian nationalism religious leaders, and Reich-wing print, radio, TV, and social media, programmed 24/7, radicalizing them and creating mass delusion. A straight line can be drawn through to the inevitable catastrophic conclusion witnessed today from Lee Atwater, Roger Aisles, Pat Buchanan, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, Newt Gingrich, Ann Coulter, Karl Rove, Lou Dobbs, Mitch McConnell, Billy Graham, Sean Hannity, Jim Jordan, to Donald J. Trump. Sure, some in the Republican cult truly are that ignorant or gullible; but most are willfully ignorant, being fed the lies they want to hear. They bear personal responsibility. Part of it's a cultural problem, as some mostly older white people's mistaken perception is that the America they knew is slipping away. Well, America is still America, but--like most nations--is constantly evolving, as progress invariably rolls on, but they are unwilling to accept that, or change with the times.
Those Americans elected that pitiful, pathetic puerile President, and have continued to support him no matter what travesty he committed! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated. They created the beast, thought they could ride the tiger, exploit it for their own greed, vanity, and power, too stupid or uncaring to realize that it would instead inevitably come to consume them.
American conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it’s what they peddle, it’s what they traffic in, it’s what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear into hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It’s the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone—unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry all were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
"United we stand, divided we fall." A simple concept, really, that too many Americans seem to have forgotten or abandoned. Our nation is like an airplane; it requires both the left and right wings working together in tandem to operate properly and safely. Only problem is the Reich-wing decided to try flying solo, forcing us all into a nose-dive! Care about the issues, disdain political gamesmanship, while still recognizing politics is an inseparable and necessary element. Have always respected and valued loyal opposition, even if in disagreement with the ideology. Fact is, though, the GOP has abdicated the requisite role of loyal opposition to become a mindless, tribalistic, hyper-partisan Reich-wing cult that places greed and political party over truth, reason, decency, and country.
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, and our country.
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@FS-eb5ej ~ You're just a bigot trying to spread your ignorance, Doc. Ruhle has been a journalist for a decade, her reporting skills leading her to top positions at two news organizations as not just an anchor, but also managing editor and editor-at-large.
Not that her amazing success in the financial field has anything to do with this story--you're just engaging in Whataboutism--but anyone familiar with Stephanie knows that she is no shill for Wall Street. Just the opposite, in fact, as she is much more an advocate for the average working American than Wall Street or the wealthy. Ruhle's experience in her previous employment field allows her to provide astute analysis of issues in the financial markets, holding Wall St. accountable.
Besides, her excellent journalistic ability and professionalism is on full display here for all to see, anyway. She asked the right questions, presented relevant facts, was tough and persistent, yet still courteous and respectful throughout. She's one sharp cookie, and we need more news anchors of her caliber.
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U.S. hospitals brace for ‘tremendous strain’ from new virus
Mar 13, 2020
U.S. hospitals are setting up circus-like triage tents, calling doctors out of retirement, guarding their supplies of face masks and making plans to cancel elective surgery as they brace for an expected onslaught of coronavirus patients.
Depending on how bad the crisis gets, the sick could find themselves waiting on stretchers in emergency room hallways for hospital beds to open up, or could be required to share rooms with others infected. Some doctors fear hospitals could become so overwhelmed that they could be forced to ration medical care.
“This is going to be a fairly tremendous strain on our health system,” warned Dr. William Jaquis, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians.
The United States is still facing an active flu season, and many hospitals are already running at capacity caring for those patients. The new virus will only add to that burden, said Dr. Bruce Ribner an infectious-disease specialist at Emory University’s medical school.
Government health authorities are taking emergency steps to waive certain laws and regulations to help hospitals deal with the crisis. Hospitals, too, are getting ready.
To keep suspected coronavirus patients from mingling with others in the ER, the Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine, set up a tent in the parking lot where people with respiratory symptoms are diverted for testing. Lexington Medical Center in West Columbia, South Carolina, did the same outside its emergency room.
In Seattle, hit by the nation’s biggest cluster of coronavirus deaths, most of them at a suburban nursing home, UW Medicine set up drive-thru testing in a hospital parking garage and has screened hundreds of staff members, faculty and trainees, with nurses reaching through car windows and using swabs to collect specimens from people’s nostrils . Drive-thru testing is expected to be offered to patients as soon as Monday.
This week, the American Hospital Association, American Medical Association and American Nurses Association asked for a presidential emergency declaration that would allow doctors and nurses to work across state lines and would waive certain rules to free up hospital beds. Similar declarations were issued during Hurricane Katrina and the swine flu outbreak.
On Friday, President Donald Trump responded by issuing an emergency declaration and said he was giving the U.S. health secretary authority to waive federal regulations and laws to give doctors and hospitals “flexibility” in treating patients.
Trump also announced a government partnership with major businesses to set up drive-thru testing centers and a website to help people who think they might have the virus. Those testing locations could include parking lots at Walmart, Target, Walgreens and other major chains.
The American Medical Association praised the action. In a statement, Dr. Patrice Harris, AMA’s president, said the emergency declaration is needed to help ensure that the U.S. health care system “has sufficient resources to properly respond to the ongoing outbreak, prevent further spread of illness and keep our communities safe.”
How bad U.S. hospitals will be hit is unclear, in part because mistakes on the part of the government in ramping up widespread testing for the virus have left public health officials uncertain as to how many people are infected.
Officially, the number of cases in the U.S. was put at around 1,300 Friday, with at least 41 deaths. But by some estimates, at least 14,000 people might be infected.
Experts fear that when the problems with testing are resolved, a flood of patients will hit the nation’s emergency rooms. But large-scale testing will also give health authorities a clearer picture of the outbreak, enabling them to allocate resources where they are needed.
“What’s most important now is that we get the testing done,” said Richard Pollack, president of the American Hospital Association.
In hard-hit Italy, doctors have been forced to make agonizing decisions about which critically ill patients receive care. Doctors fear that could happen in the United States, too.
“Studies predict that a moderate outbreak could result in 200,000 patients needing intensive care,” said Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency medicine specialist at George Washington University. “The U.S. only has 100,000 intensive care beds, and most are already occupied. If tens of thousands become sick at once, people will simply not receive the care that they need.”
That would affect not only coronavirus patients but also trauma victims and people suffering heart attacks or strokes, Wen said.
In Wuhan, China, where the outbreak originated in late December, patients died because they couldn’t access care. “We are at risk of that happening in the U.S., too,” Wen said.
Seattle-area scientists are working to estimate how soon infections will overwhelm hospital beds there. Under the worst-case scenario, the number of active infections will exceed the number of beds by a large margin in the next two weeks, the Institute for Disease Modeling in Bellevue, Washington, said in a report this week.
For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. Most people recover from the virus in a matter of weeks, as has happened in mainland China.
Reacting to reports of dwindling supplies of respirator masks, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted relaxed recommendations this week for protective gear and said looser-fitting surgical masks are OK for doctors and nurses to wear when treating patients who may be sick from the coronavirus.
In another change, the CDC said coronavirus patients can be cared for in single-patient rooms with the door closed and do not need to be placed in specialized airborne-infection isolation rooms.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/u-s-hospitals-brace-for-tremendous-strain-from-new-virus
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GOP is the party of lies, the party of crackpot conspiracy theories, the party of gross hypocrisy, the party of fear, the party of hate, the party of greed, the party of cowards, the party of pollution, the party of plutocrats, the party of corruption, the party of anti-democracy, the party of sedition, the party of terrorists, the party of fascism, the party of tyranny, the party of evil, the party of Satan. Republican cult doesn't care about America and ALL Americans, doesn't want to bargain in good faith...because they already made their pact with the Devil.
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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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and disturbing. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, and our country.
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Trump immigration policies endanger public health with coronavirus spread
Raul Reyes
As the Trump administration struggles to contain the spread of Coronavirus, its immigration policies may well exacerbate this crisis. The "public charge" rule discourages immigrants from accessing health care. The "Remain in Mexico" policy has created conditions ripe for a viral outbreak along the border. Immigration enforcement actions have sown distrust and fear in Latino communities. Taken together, these measures endanger the well-being of countless Americans.
Consider the administration's controversial "public charge" rule, which was implemented in February. It makes it harder for legal immigrants to obtain a green card if they access federal benefits for which they qualify, like Medicaid, food stamps, and housing vouchers.
In the ongoing litigation over this regulation, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conceded that the rule could lead to "increased prevalence of communicable diseases, disenrollment from public programs, and increased use of emergency rooms as a primary care method."
Trump's "Remain in Mexico" policy is also potentially harmful to public health. Under this process, asylum-seekers are forced to wait on the Mexican side of the border while their cases are processed here. Nearly 60,000 migrants are currently waiting in Mexico, with thousands living in unsanitary, squalid conditions. As these vulnerable people await humanitarian relief, an outbreak of the virus in their shelters and camps could be devastating. Again, this would not only affect migrants: Due to its highly contagious nature, a coronavirus outbreak along the border would likely expose Border Patrol agents, U.S. troops, and aid workers to the virus too.
Within our borders, the Trump administration has created a less-than-ideal climate for battling a pandemic. The administration's aggressive immigration enforcement actions mean that millions of undocumented people are wary of any interaction with the government, which includes going to the hospital. Health advocates warn that there is a lack of information about coronavirus available in Spanish. And Trump has already demonstrated indifference to the suffering of Latinos; the administration basically ignored Puerto Rico during Hurricane Maria, and the president's response to the El Paso massacre was to stage an insensitive photo-op with a baby orphaned by the mass shooting. It's no wonder that advocacy groups are bracing for the administration to resort to more fear mongering and xenophobia about immigrants.
While any administration would be challenged by the Coronavirus outbreak, there are steps that the president can take that would mitigate its spread.
Trump could suspend the implementation of the "public charge" rule or temporarily halt immigration enforcement actions in and around hospitals and medical facilities. The administration could fund coronavirus outreach programs for Latinos. This would be especially useful as Latinos have the highest uninsured rate of any racial or ethnic group in the U.S., and are significantly affected by conditions that compromise the immune system, like asthma, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS. What the administration should not do is attempt to further politicize this crisis or use it as an excuse for closing our borders. The coronavirus does not discriminate based on immigration status and will not be stopped by a wall.
The coronavirus crisis demands a swift change in the administration's dangerous immigration policies. At stake is nothing less than the lives of immigrants, Latinos - and all Americans.
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You don't get denialism without nihilism. As life-long conservative Bill Kristol astutely pointed out, the Republican party has embraced nihilism. Republicans still labeling COVID-19 a "hoax;" Republicans still refusing to wear masks or social distance after over half-a-million American fatalities from COVID-19; Congressional Republicans obstructing a COVID-19 stimulus bill certain to pass just to delay vital and urgently needed relief to Americans desperate for help; not one Congressional Republican in either chamber voting for the badly needed stimulus bill; Republican governors dropping mask mandates and all restrictions on businesses, heedless of rising case counts in their states and deadly new variants of the virus; and Republican leaders continuing to push the Big Lie that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen without evidence and in disregard of plentiful evidence and facts to the contrary, even AFTER their Big Lie incited a terrorist attack by a mindless Republican mob against the nation's Capitol in insurrection against the government, attempting to overturn a legitimate election, sieging, storming, sizing, sacking, defiling, defacing and disgracing America's citadel of, and temple to, democracy--these are all prime examples of nihilism.
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
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The Reich-wing has been denigrating, demonizing, and damaging government and reputable media for decades, long before Qanon put their lies and fear-mongering on steroids. Even before Qanon, one might try explaining Civics 101 to Republicans and be met with a blank stare or derision. Just to point out that this is not a new problem, but an infection that has been festering for some time, with the GOP's embrace of Qanon akin to them now applying flesh-eating bacteria to the open already infected wound.
This video reminds me why I get so exasperated and perturbed when people uninformed about our government, issues, and political parties try to equate the two respective sides as both being bad or hopelessly corrupt. That couldn't be more wrong, and that attitude is what leads to dysfunctional Republicans getting elected. While have watched the Democratic party grow, mature, and improve over the past 60 years, have likewise observed the decline of the GOP--particularly over the past four decades--to the point where is has now essentially become a corrupt, mindless fascist cult of radical reactionaries. It is a Republican cult that knowingly places lies before truths, personal and political interests over the best interests of the nation--and can thus no longer be realistically regarded as loyal opposition. The GOP no longer stands for conservatism or any actual ideology, unless "owning the libs" is to be considered a political ideology. If so, it would be a bankrupt ideology, for Republicans have bankrupted their political party, willfully sacrificing character, integrity, principles, ethics, morals, and honor in their blind quest to win at any cost. Like all bankrupt ideologies and soul sacrifices, the GOP's descent into greed, corruption and lunacy only guarantees that Republicans must ultimately lose and fail.
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Wasn't expecting it, but Biden actually gave the best speech of the whole affair--against some really stiff competition! Next best, IMHO, Michelle, Barack, Jill, and Kamala (pre-convention). Also, surprisingly, felt this was the best Democratic Convention to date, despite (or, maybe even partly because of) being virtual. If one didn't feel the buzz and energy--check their pulse!
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GOP cult: “Democracy is great…only so long as we can subvert it with lies, a multitude of Jim Crow voter suppression laws, egregious gerrymandering, obstruction, sedition, and terrorism to gain power and maintain our corrupt, plutocratic, minority fascist rule!”
Meet the new ugly face of white supremacy in America! Funny--it looks just like the old ugly face. Except this time they got their Imperial Wizard installed as Chief Jester of the Supreme Court, where he magically declared racism somehow no longer a problem in America, paving the way for thousands of new Jim Crow laws and egregious gerrymandering suppressing and disenfranchising millions of American voters. Of course, harsh realities will continue to exist irrespective of any blind eye or pretentious, capricious edicts by some Supreme Court. And Roberts' conservative SCOTUS decisions only confirm how the white supremacist problem and its perpetual "fix" on the American judicial branch and justice system has never gone away, as America continues to struggle with overcoming a racist history of colonialism, slavery, and discrimination.
"...we must recognize that one of the two political parties is routinely engaged in sabotaging free elections with voter-suppression efforts aimed at the minority voters it cannot win over at the ballot box. These anti-democratic power grabs became a GOP staple decades before Donald Trump, culminating in the actions of a George W. Bush–anointed chief justice, John Roberts, whose Supreme Court shredded the Voting Rights Act of 1965. As Roberts famously put it in his 2007 opinion for the plurality, “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.” Since then, discrimination on the basis of race has only expanded in states like Georgia and Florida, where Black voting rights have been cavalierly undermined and trashed."
~ Frank Rich, November 9, 2020 (Written even before the rash of new Jim Crow laws being proposed and passed by Republicans in many states.)
Chief Justice Roberts and his fellow conservative SCOTUS justices: the architects of a new era of Jim Crow in America.
Need to expand SCOTUS to 15 justices, do away with the filibuster, pass a new Voting Rights Act, and let Biden appoint six new justices to bring sanity and justice back to the Supreme Court.
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Why hasn't Merrick Garland and his DOJ not yet arrested and charged Trump, Jeffery Clark, Mark Meadows, John Eastman and all other accomplices for their involvement in federal election interference and sedition??? WTF? How much more evidence is needed? If Garland doesn't stand up for the rule of law, justice and democracy, this nation is soon doomed.
18 U.S. Code § 595 - Interference by administrative employees of Federal, State, or Territorial Governments
"Whoever, being a person employed in any administrative position by the United States, or by any department or agency thereof, or by the District of Columbia or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or by any State, Territory, or Possession of the United States, or any political subdivision, municipality, or agency thereof, or agency of such political subdivision or municipality (including any corporation owned or controlled by any State, Territory, or Possession of the United States or by any such political subdivision, municipality, or agency), in connection with any activity which is financed in whole or in part by loans or grants made by the United States, or any department or agency thereof, uses his official authority for the purpose of interfering with, or affecting, the nomination or the election of any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the Senate, Member of the House of Representatives, Delegate from the District of Columbia, or Resident Commissioner, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both."
Disqualification form Holding Office, U.S. Constitution, 14th Amendment, Section 3.1.1
"No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof."
18 U.S.C. §2383 -- Rebellion or insurrection
Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof … shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
18 U.S.C. §2384 -- Seditious conspiracy
If two or more persons … in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, … they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
18 U.S.C. §2385 -- Advocating overthrow of Government
Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States or the government of any State … by force or violence, ... they shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
18 U.S. Code § 2331 -- Domestic Terrorism (Supplemental penalty of up to 17 years imprisonment)
(5) the term “domestic terrorism” means activities that—
(A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State;
(B) appear to be intended—
(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;
(ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or
(iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and
(C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States
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"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
“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
“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
"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.
Once again, nationalism, aka fascism, has risen its ugly head in America, in European nations, and in some other countries around the world. The fight of good people against ignorance, the fears that sprout from it, the hate which then blossoms, culminating in the bitter toxic fruit of evil, senseless brutalities and deaths, is a constant, never-ending battle we fear, but it is a battle from which we must never shrink.
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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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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Who'd have ever equated voting in America with survival? But that's pretty much what it has boiled down to, hasn't it? Survival of ourselves, survival of our democracy, survival of our nation, and survival of our planet. The irony is that Republicans have always tried to paint Democrats as an existential threat...but in doing so it is actually they who have become exactly that.
Democrat voters need an even greater turnout in '22 and '24, put the final fork in Trumpism! Republicans want to engage in Jim Crow voter suppression laws, voter intimidation, and egregious gerrymandering? Republicans want to engage in corruption, gaslight their corruption, coverup their corruption? Republicans want to turn a blind eye to Russian election interference and knowingly disseminate Russian propaganda for Putin? Republicans want to instigate and sanction Reich-wing domestic terrorist insurrection? Republicans want to live in delusion and denial about the major problems confronting the nation and planet? Let's just prove that's fuel for the fire, and make their fascist antidemocratic corruption backfire on them!
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GOP cult is NOT the party of law and order, NOT the party of the Constitution and patriots, NOT the party of "values," NOT the party of "Christianity,"_* NOT the party of fiscal responsibility, NOT the party of clean government, NOT the party of freedom. It's the party of terrorism, lawlessness, corruption, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, bigotry, misogyny, Big Lies, crackpot conspiracy theories, unmitigated greed, gross hypocrisy, socialized taxpayer payouts for plutocrats, sedition, traitors, and tyranny.
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Republican cult morons rail against the very "elite" they keep voting for, who give tax cuts to the rich and have created the greatest income inequality and wealth disparity in American history.
Why? They are driven by the divisive fear and bigotry programmed into them 24/7 by the Reich-wing media and propaganda owned or funded by the plutocracy. It's absolutely Orwellian, and it began around 1984 in America. What is witnessed now is just the rotten results from the poisoned tree bearing fruition. It's the disease killing America that existed long before COVID-19, and which is likely to persist long after.
Republican cult going to believe what the Republican cult wants to believe, whatever the truth, whatever proof, whatever anybody says. "Healing" the country means deprogramming the 30-40% of Americans deep in cultdom. That needs to be recognized, acknowledged, and acted upon if we truly wish to revive the patient, America, and restore it to glory.
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Traitor-'n-Thief Toxic Trump is a compromised Russian asset who puts his own personal interests--legal, financial, and egotistical--ahead of the national interest in both domestic and foreign policy. A clear and present danger to himself and others. U.S. #1 national security threat sits in the Oval.
Republicans: Like to play dumb, demonstrating just how really, REALLY dumb they are. Complicity renders them likewise a clear and present danger to themselves, others, the nation. Decades of programming from right-wing media, demagogues, plutocrats, religious grifters, and seedy politicians created a mindless, fascist Republican cult, too hyper-partisan to place national interest over ignorant tribalism. GOP chained themselves to the rabid, ravenous beast of willful ignorance consuming them, which they created, nourished, and exploited.
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You don't get denialism without nihilism. As life-long conservative Bill Kristol astutely pointed our just recently in a tweet, the Republican party has embraced nihilism. Republicans still labeling COVID-19 a "hoax;" Republicans still refusing to wear masks or social distance after over half-a-million American fatalities from COVID-19; Congressional Republicans obstructing a COVID-19 stimulus bill certain to pass just to delay vital and urgently needed relief to Americans desperate for help; not one Congressional Republican in either chamber voting for the badly needed stimulus bill; Republican governors dropping mask mandates and all restrictions on businesses, heedless of rising case counts in their states and deadly new variants of the virus; and Republican leaders continuing to push the Big Lie that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen without evidence and in disregard of plentiful evidence and facts to the contrary, even AFTER their Big Lie incited a terrorist attack by a mindless Republican mob against the nation's Capitol in insurrection against the government, attempting to overturn a legitimate election, sieging, storming, sizing, sacking, defiling, defacing and disgracing America's citadel of, and temple to, democracy--these are all prime examples of nihilism.
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The Molotov cocktail recipe:
Mix in equal parts of mental illness, willful ignorance, fear, hate, decades of 24/7 Reich-wing disinformation, misinformation, and crackpot conspiracy programming by Republican politicians, media and demagogues, add supplemental divisive Russian propaganda attacking and weakening America, stir well, garnish with COVID-19, and you have the mindless Republican cult descending into fascism, committing terrorism and sedition. Then, grab a stiff drink--you'll need it.
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GOP cult is NOT the party of law and order, NOT the party of the Constitution and patriots, NOT the party of "values," NOT the party of fiscal responsibility, NOT the party of clean government, NOT the party of freedom. It's the party of terrorism, lawlessness, corruption, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, bigotry, misogyny, big lies, socialized taxpayer payouts for plutocrats, sedition, traitors, and tyranny.
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The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over decades by the GOP, plutocrats, Reich-wing demagogues, Reich-wing Christian nationalism religious leaders, and Reich-wing print, radio, TV, and social media, programmed 24/7, radicalizing them and creating mass delusion. A straight line can be drawn through to the inevitable catastrophic conclusion witnessed today from Lee Atwater, Roger Aisles, Pat Buchanan, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, Newt Gingrich, Ann Coulter, Lou Dobbs, Mitch McConnell, Billy Graham, Sean Hannity, Jim Jordan, to Donald J. Trump. Sure, some in the Republican cult truly are that ignorant or gullible; but most are willfully ignorant, being fed the lies they want to hear. They bear personal responsibility. Part of it's a cultural problem, as some mostly older white people's mistaken perception is that the America they knew is slipping away. Well, America is still America, but--like most nations--is constantly evolving, as progress invariably rolls on, but they are unwilling to accept that, or change with the times.
Those Americans elected that pitiful, pathetic puerile President, and continued to support him no matter what travesty he committed! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated. They created the beast, thought they could ride the tiger, exploit it for their own greed, vanity, and power, too stupid or uncaring to realize that it would instead inevitably come to consume them.
Conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it’s what they peddle, it’s what they traffic in, it’s what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear into hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It’s the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone—unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry all were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
"United we stand, divided we fall." A simple concept, really, that too many Americans seem to have forgotten or abandoned. Our nation is like an airplane; it requires both the left and right wings working together in tandem to operate properly and safely. Only problem is the Reich-wing decided to try flying solo, forcing us all into a nose-dive! Care about the issues, disdain political gamesmanship, while still recognizing politics is an inseparable and necessary element. Have always respected and valued loyal opposition, even if in disagreement with the ideology. Fact is, though, the GOP has abdicated the requisite role of loyal opposition to become a mindless, tribalistic, hyper-partisan Republican cult placing political party over truth, reason, decency, and country.
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Tucker Carlson and Faux News: mainstreaming American fascism purely for profit.
America's enemies don't need to spread disinformation, doubt, discord, and division to weaken America, kill Americans--Republican politicians, Reich-wing demagogues, Faux News, OAN, Newsmax, Breitbart and the rest of the Reich-wing media do that so effectively for them, already. More Americans need to realize that the GOP has abdicated it's duty as loyal opposition, and that its prioritization of party over country and welcoming embrace of violent radical Reich-wing extremists diminishes both our government and our national security, endangering ALL Americans, as well as weakening and endangering America itself.
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Trump Surgeon General: "Four months since this pandemic began, and we've stopped telling people just how very, very few Americans we've tested, we're still not elucidating any real coherent strategy for dealing with COVID-19. Instead of testing the American public to get a handle on this pandemic, confine outbreaks, gain more time, and protect the American people, especially those Americans at high-risk--such as the young, the elderly, those sick or with conditions--we are using the American people as guinea pigs, tracking where they start dying after the epidemic has already taken firm root in their communities! Just remember...DON'T PANIC!!!"
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Woman's reproductive choice is a Constitutional right under Roe v. Wade, which was rendered 50 years ago in a 7-2 decision by a SCOTUS containing a 7-2 conservative majority. For the past five decades, an overwhelmingly majority of Americans have consistently supported that decision. Besides, Republicans don't give a crap about zygotes, embryos, fetuses, children, or women, as repeatedly and amply proven by their policies. And if Republicans really cared about human life, they wouldn't be banning mask and vaccine mandates during a deadly global pandemic that has already taken over 680,000 American lives in just 18 months. Fascist GOP is a Jim Jones-style cult pro-death party full of heinous hypocrites!
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GOP is the party of lies, the party of conspiracy theories, the party of hate, the party of cowards, the party of pollution, the party of corruption, the party of sedition, the party of terrorists, the party of fascism, the party of tyranny, the party of evil, the party of Satan. Republican cult doesn't care about America and ALL Americans, don't want to bargain in good faith...because they already made their deal with the Devil.
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GOP is the party of lies, the party of conspiracy theories, the party of gross hypocrisy, the party of fear, the party of hate, the party of cowards, the party of pollution, the party of plutocrats, the party of corruption, the party of anti-democracy, the party of sedition, the party of terrorists, the party of fascism, the party of tyranny, the party of evil, the party of Satan. Republican cult doesn't care about America and ALL Americans, doesn't want to bargain in good faith...because they already made their pact with the Devil.
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Republican cult is the new ISIS.
Republican politicians are appeasing terrorists...because that's their voter base, radicalization and extremism is what they have cultivated, nourished, exploited, and profited from for four decades. Reich-wing politicians, plutocrats, media and demagogues thought they could ride the tiger, too arrogant, greedy, and stupid to foresee that master would become slave, and the beast would soon come to consume them.
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Meet the new ugly face of white supremacy in America! Funny--it looks just like the old ugly face. Except this time they got their Imperial Wizard installed as Chief Jester of the Supreme Court, where he magically declared racism somehow no longer a problem in America, paving the way for thousands of new Jim Crow laws and egregious gerrymandering suppressing and disenfranchising millions of American voters. Of course, harsh realities will continue to exist irrespective of any blind eye or pretentious, capricious edicts by some Supreme Court. And Roberts' conservative SCOTUS decisions only confirm how the white supremacist problem and its perpetual "fix" on the American judicial branch and justice system has never gone away, as America continues to struggle with overcoming a racist history of colonialism, slavery, and discrimination.
"...we must recognize that one of the two political parties is routinely engaged in sabotaging free elections with voter-suppression efforts aimed at the minority voters it cannot win over at the ballot box. These anti-democratic power grabs became a GOP staple decades before Donald Trump, culminating in the actions of a George W. Bush–anointed chief justice, John Roberts, whose Supreme Court shredded the Voting Rights Act of 1965. As Roberts famously put it in his 2007 opinion for the plurality, “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.” Since then, discrimination on the basis of race has only expanded in states like Georgia and Florida, where Black voting rights have been cavalierly undermined and trashed."
~ Frank Rich, November 9, 2020 (Written well before the rash of new Jim Crow laws now being proposed and passed by Republicans in many states.)
Chief Justice Roberts and his fellow conservative SCOTUS justices: the architects of a new era of Jim Crow in America. Need to expand SCOTUS to 15 justices, do away with the filibuster, pass a new Voting Rights Act, and let Biden appoint six new justices to bring sanity and justice back to the Supreme Court.
Three current Republican SCOTUS justices worked on Bush's legal team in Bush v. Gore, where a Republican SCOTUS made a partisan decision along partisan lines in what is widely regarded as one of the worst SCOTUS decisions ever, handing Bush the election.
Chief Justice John Roberts: Roberts flew to Florida in November 2000 to assist Bush's legal team. He helped prepare the lawyer who presented Bush's case to the Florida state Supreme Court and offered advice throughout. After Bush became president, he nominated Roberts to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit (the Senate confirmed him in 2003); Bush then elevated Roberts to the chief justice position in 2005, to succeed William Rehnquist. During his Senate confirmation hearing, Roberts declined to reveal his view of the justices' 2000 decision.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh: He was also in private practice in 2000 and helped the Bush legal team. After the election, Bush hired Kavanaugh to be a counsel and then staff secretary. In the West Wing, Kavanaugh met his future wife, Ashley, who was Bush's personal secretary. Bush appointed Kavanaugh to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, where Roberts had first served. In 2018, Trump elevated Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
Judge Amy Coney Barrett: Barrett wrote on the questionnaire she submitted to the Senate for her Supreme Court confirmation review, "One significant case on which I provided research and briefing assistance was Bush v. Gore. I did work on Bush v. Gore. I did work on behalf of the Republican side."
Roberts wrote the briefings Sandra Day O'Conner used in Bush v Gore to deny FL their vote. He was then nominated when she retired. She denied FL the vote so she could retire with a pro-lifer in the WH. She gasped in front of witnesses "That can't be" when FL was called for Gore.
On the very last day of its term before Independence Day, 2021, Republican SCROTUM (Supreme Court of Odious Treasonous Unhinged Maggots) dropped a turd on America, legalizing discrimination against people of color, modernizing Jim Crow, and turning the former SCOTUS into the new KKK headquarters, with Chief Jester Roberts appointing himself the Grand Imperial Wizard.
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The Molotov cocktail recipe:
Mix in equal parts of mental illness, willful ignorance, fear, hate, decades of 24/7 Reich-wing disinformation, misinformation, and crackpot conspiracy programming by Republican politicians, plutocrats, media and demagogues, add supplemental divisive Russian propaganda attacking and weakening America, stir well, garnish with COVID-19, and you have the mindless Republican cult descending into fascism, committing terrorism and sedition. Then, grab a stiff drink--you'll need it.
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The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over decades by the GOP, plutocrats, Reich-wing demagogues, Reich-wing Christian nationalism religious leaders, and Reich-wing print, radio, TV, and social media, programmed 24/7, radicalizing them and creating mass delusion. A straight line can be drawn through to the inevitable catastrophic conclusion witnessed today from Lee Atwater, Roger Aisles, Pat Buchanan, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, Newt Gingrich, Ann Coulter, Karl Rove, Lou Dobbs, Mitch McConnell, Billy Graham, Sean Hannity, Jim Jordan, to Donald J. Trump. Sure, some in the Republican cult truly are that ignorant or gullible; but most are willfully ignorant, being fed the lies they want to hear. They bear personal responsibility. Part of it's a cultural problem, as some mostly older white people's mistaken perception is that the America they knew is slipping away. Well, America is still America, but--like most nations--is constantly evolving, as progress invariably rolls on, but they are unwilling to accept that, or change with the times.
Those Americans elected that pitiful, pathetic puerile President, and have continued to support him no matter what travesty he committed! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated. They created the beast, thought they could ride the tiger, exploit it for their own greed, vanity, and power, too stupid or uncaring to realize that it would instead inevitably come to consume them.
American conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it’s what they peddle, it’s what they traffic in, it’s what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear into hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It’s the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone—unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry all were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
"United we stand, divided we fall." A simple concept, really, that too many Americans seem to have forgotten or abandoned. Our nation is like an airplane; it requires both the left and right wings working together in tandem to operate properly and safely. Only problem is the Reich-wing decided to try flying solo, forcing us all into a nose-dive! Care about the issues, disdain political gamesmanship, while still recognizing politics is an inseparable and necessary element. Have always respected and valued loyal opposition, even if in disagreement with the ideology. Fact is, though, the GOP has abdicated the requisite role of loyal opposition to become a mindless, tribalistic, hyper-partisan Reich-wing cult that places greed and political party over truth, reason, decency, and country.
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~ Bad Vibration / Grave Reverberation ~
So much frustration and aggravation
Indignation plus exasperation
Immoderation the new sensation
Death, devastation, soaring inflation
Infestation the explanation
Justification for isolation
Depopulation due incitation
Dispensation of disinformation
Nevermind creation, innovation
Accommodation, consideration
No imagination, variation
Just castigation and condemnation
Infatuation with degradation
Causation of much mortification
Sick fascination, no reservation
Saud assassination operation
Race relation huge conflagration
Brutalization, victimization
Zero toleration immigration
Child separation, stigmatization
Retardation dreamer deportation
Not consolation—only stagnation
Monumentalization curation
Ceaseless rotation, dizzy gyration
Obfuscation, lie regurgitation
Exaggeration, wild speculation
Constant conflation and truth negation
Instigation scam investigation
Evasion of his incarceration
Militarization provocation
Abomination seeks domination
Truncation of secure education
Renunciation, big demonstration
Still no resignation expectation
Thinks due ovation, congratulation
Admiration, always adulation
Mass desperation with situation
Trump’s COVID nation obliteration!
What location revitalization?
What permutation for our salvation
Rejuvenation, and relaxation?
Cancellation any coronation
Repatriation determination
Motivation for illumination
Honest communication fixation
Cessation media manipulation
Magnification of inspiration
Amplification of education
Cooperation, collaboration
Through expiation, edification
Restoration results in elation
Evaporation of consternation
Realization unification
Invitation to glorification!
Consolidation brings excitation
Consummation big celebration
With each generation, jubilation!
In summation, joyful radiation!!!
Termination more elaboration…
Now reaching vacation destination!
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. And it's extremely dangerous to our security, to our democracy, and to our country. They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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The Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM, or “the Wall”) is dedicated not to the war, but to the 2.7 million U.S. military men and women who served in the war zone, living and dead. It contains nearly 58,300 names of those dead or missing, on two ten-foot high granite wings, each spanning nearly 250 feet. A close uncle’s name is etched into the black rock of the Wall.
Propose erecting a similar monument for all those who senselessly lost their lives to COVID-19 due to our Traitor-‘n-Thief, Toxic Trump, and all those Republican so-called “leaders” in Congress, SCOTUS, and the GOP, complicit in enabling, aiding, and abetting his malfeasance.
In just four MONTHS, the U.S. had ALREADY needlessly lost more than TWICE as many to COVID-19 than died in all thirteen YEARS of the Vietnam war. By the time Trump left office, one out of every 800 Americans had died from COVID-19 in just ten months--over 410,000 fatalities, as many American casualties as all of WWII. It would also honor all those front-line ESSENTIAL workers who selflessly put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe and secure; the names of their dead to be given prominence and note upon the structure.
Whether constructed in the form of a wall or something different, its principle intent would be to serve as a constant, enduring reminder to us all and to future generations; as a testament to—and a barrier against—our own American ignorance, arrogance, avarice, cowardice, and malevolence. A sort of visual prophylactic, if you will, built in hope of protecting us against inbred hubris, greed, and stupidity. It’s design should be open, with interchangeable elements that challenge—and help teach—people to reason, and to think critically and objectively, while stressing humanity, humility and humbleness.
The VVM Wall is likewise also a monument to American ignorance, hubris, avarice, and malevolence, although erected solely to honor those military personnel. Few may think, or have thought, of it that way; and doubtless many would refuse to think of it as such, but the truth stands out in stark, prominent display for everyone to see…if they just apply a little critical, objective reasoning.
Another thought to ponder: The VVM Wall marks the first time America fatally failed that generation; the proposed monument would mark our second time they were senselessly sacrificed. Would like to see the proposed COVID-19 monument erected adjacent to the prior monument attesting failure, the VVM Wall, to serve as symbolic bookends, as a further tribute to that ill-served generation of Americans.
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GOP, formerly Greed Over People, has been downgraded to the the QOP: Qanon Operating Platform
Q = Putin
Qanon = Republican cult suckers and Congressional GOP traitors destroying America
GOP is the party of lies, the party of conspiracy theories, the party of gross hypocrisy, the party of fear, the party of hate, the party of cowards, the party of pollution, the party of corruption, the party of sedition, the party of terrorists, the party of fascism, the party of tyranny, the party of evil, the party of Satan. Republican cult doesn't care about America and ALL Americans, doesn't want to bargain in good faith...because they already made their deal with the Devil.
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Republican Rep. Gaetz wore a gas mask in Congress just five days ago, mocking COVID-19 as a hoax! This week, Republicans Sen. Cruz, Rep. Gosar, Rep. Doug Collins, AND Rep. Matt Gaetz all exposed to COVID-19 at CPAC and now are self-quarantining for two weeks. Also, Trump newly-appointed acting Chief of Staff, came into contact with the same individual and is now in isolation! Congressional Republicans and the CPAC organizer then interacted closely afterward with the President, including shaking hands! Rep. Gaetz was at a Mar-a-Lago party with Trump, then flew back to D.C. with Trump on Air Force One, finding out in-flight that he had been exposed, then quarantined on a separate part of the plane! And so, the wheel of karma grinds on, crushing GOP ignorance, to be ever born afresh. Trouble is, they may have infected a whole bunch of other people besides just the President along the way--innocent people. Moreover, Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert was also exposed, but CHOSE to return to work in Congress and NOT self-quarantine!! Toxic Typhoid Trump claims not to have been tested! Claims he feels fine, doesn't need testing despite close exposure! WTF is WRONG with these people?!?
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Elmer Fudd's always trying to convince me he just wants unity.
What he really means is that he wants to eat me.
When the truth is divisive, then there can be no unity. Unity and compromise is a two-way street that only works if both parties operate in good faith. Republicans have a long history of failing to do that--or even trying. Recent history since Biden won the election shows no indication of them changing their divisive, destructive words, attitudes, obstruction and other acts. Tyrant Trump incited a terrorist insurrection against the nation's Capitol to overthrow an election, endangering his VP and members of Congress, sat by and gleefully reveled in watching it happen for hours, ignoring desperate pleas for help from Congressional Republicans forced to flee for their lives, and only a very few Republicans were willing to speak out, impeach him, convict him, and prevent him from holding public office again? Republicans wouldn't even agree to a bipartisan January 6 commission formulated upon a plan in which all their demands were met. That's not loyal opposition--that's a dangerous terrorist political cult of fascists.
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Bush v. Gore, Citizens United, Chief Jester Roberts smiling and nodding along while presiding over sham Senate impeachment trial, Assassination Goon B.S. Barr butchering the law, slaughtering justice, politicizing and weaponizing the DOJ. It's why we lost all respect for the Supreme Court, the law, and the justice system in this country. Congratulations, Republicans, on turning our nation into a banana Republic, making America an object lesson to the world on how to destroy democracy!
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, and our country.
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You don't get denialism without nihilism. As life-long conservative Bill Kristol astutely pointed out, the Republican party has embraced nihilism. Republicans denying systemic racism; Republicans still labeling COVID-19 a "hoax;" Republicans still refusing to wear masks or social distance after over half-a-million American fatalities from COVID-19; Congressional Republicans obstructing a COVID-19 stimulus bill certain to pass just to delay vital and urgently needed relief to Americans desperate for help; not one Congressional Republican in either chamber voting for the badly needed stimulus bill; Republican governors dropping mask mandates and all restrictions on businesses, heedless of rising case counts in their states and deadly new variants of the virus; and Republican leaders continuing to push the Big Lie that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen without evidence and in disregard of plentiful evidence and facts to the contrary, even AFTER their Big Lie incited a terrorist attack by a mindless Republican mob against the nation's Capitol in insurrection against the government, attempting to overturn a legitimate election, sieging, storming, sizing, sacking, defiling, defacing and disgracing America's citadel of, and temple to, democracy; and now Republicans attempting history revisionism, trying to sweep the January 6 insurrection under the rug--these are all prime examples of nihilism.
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“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
"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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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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Candace Owens is propagating another bald-faced Republican Big Lie. As of inauguration day, January 20, 2021, over 411,000 Americans had died from Covid-19 in just TEN months under Trump. (Covid-19 infections only began to spread widely in late February and early March 2020 in the U.S. With the subsequent lag time between contraction of the disease and death, significant amounts of fatalities didn't result until mid-March 2020.) As of December 20, 2021, the total was 808,000. Which translates to 397,000 Covid-19 deaths in ELEVEN months under Biden. Considering that most of those deaths under Biden were incurred by Republicans refusing to get vaccinated, and who are also adamantly opposed to vaccine mandates, it appears Republicans are literally DYING to make Biden look bad.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, and our country.
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Republicans constitute the minority, can't win on their merits, have sunk so low that they cheat to win elections. Under the Traitor-'n-Thief, Toxic Trump, they've even taken to pushing Russian propaganda crackpot conspiracies to smear Democrats, using the DOJ and Congress to conduct phony investigations in an effort to unethically, if not illegally, influence elections. Most disturbing and troubling is the Republican cult that not only tolerates such nefarious aberrations, but encourages it, in short-sighted mindless tribalism willing to flush America down the toilet if perceived to benefit their power-obsessed partisan purpose of the moment. This reflects an abject failure not only in GOP so-called "leadership," but among that minority Republican electorate that enables such highly destructive damage to our democratic Republic.
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"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
“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
“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
"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.
Once again, nationalism, aka fascism, has risen its ugly head in America, in European nations, and in some other countries around the world. The fight of good people against ignorance, the fears that sprout from it, the hate which then blossoms, culminating in the bitter toxic fruit of evil, senseless brutalities and deaths, is a constant, never-ending battle we fear, but it is a battle from which we must never shrink.
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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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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You know what REALLY pisses me off most? It's that all these Toxic Trump sycophants and acolytes KNOW he is a grave security threat to the U.S. But, they don't care, play dumb. They would sell out their country and souls for filthy lucre, fleeting fame that quickly turns to infamy, and empty promises. They lie, deny, deceive, divide, denigrate, diminish, and work to destroy our cherished Republic.
GOP has gone rogue, doesn't want to play by the rules in America, anymore. Republicans are all about constant deceit and hypocrisy, rigging elections, and rampant crony corruption.
One would hope that his cabinet or the Republican Senate would have done the right thing and removed him. Or, that the Republican SCOTUS would have defended our Constitution, instead of partisan power grabs. In fact, it's more than hope--those are the minimal basic expectation of our public officials. They failed themselves, and they failed our nation horribly. Because they are weak, and ignorant, and corrupt.
Thus, we are forced to suffer another five months of a failed Presidency, a failed Senate, and a failed SCOTUS. While confident Trump would be defeated before the pandemic and ensuing economic collapse, his loss has since become a virtual certainty. So, that isn't really about hope, either.
What does give hope is that the majority of Americans reject Trump. There is hope that the end of Trump will mark the beginning of the end for the Republican cult. There is hope that out of this darkness will come the realization progress is vital to our future, and that reactionary conservatism stagnates and kills.
In short, the GOP has become proto-fascist, bound by the ignorant Republican cult they created, and the fear, bigotry and hate they cultivated and nourished for decades. Fortunately, the cult is not the majority, so there is hope yet for America!
"The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over decades by plutocrats, the GOP, and right-wing media. Those Americans elected this pitiful, puerile President, and have continued to support him no matter what travesty he commits! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated."
Conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it's what they peddle, it's what they traffic in, it's what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear to hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It's the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone--unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
The only thing been stopping the GOP cult from turning America fascist has been the long-held universal repulsion and rejection of Toxic Trump's hero, Adolf Hitler, by Americans. Fortunately, the majority of Americans still remember that painful historical lesson many Republicans choose to ignore. There is hope that good will once again triumph over evil; love prevail over hate; common sense outweigh blind faith, mindless tribalism, and silly superstitions.
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The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over decades by the GOP, plutocrats, Reich-wing demagogues, Reich-wing Christian nationalism religious leaders, and Reich-wing print, radio, TV, and social media, programmed 24/7, radicalizing them and creating mass delusion. A straight line can be drawn through to the inevitable catastrophic conclusion witnessed today from Lee Atwater, Roger Aisles, Pat Buchanan, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, Newt Gingrich, Ann Coulter, Karl Rove, Lou Dobbs, Mitch McConnell, Billy Graham, Sean Hannity, Jim Jordan, to Donald J. Trump. Sure, some in the Republican cult truly are that ignorant or gullible; but most are willfully ignorant, being fed the lies they want to hear. They bear personal responsibility. Part of it's a cultural problem, as some mostly older white people's mistaken perception is that the America they knew is slipping away. Well, America is still America, but--like most nations--is constantly evolving, as progress invariably rolls on, but they are unwilling to accept that, or change with the times.
Those Americans elected that pitiful, pathetic puerile President, and have continued to support him no matter what travesty he committed! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated. They created the beast, thought they could ride the tiger, exploit it for their own greed, vanity, and power, too stupid or uncaring to realize that it would instead inevitably come to consume them.
American conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it’s what they peddle, it’s what they traffic in, it’s what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear into hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It’s the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone—unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry all were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
"United we stand, divided we fall." A simple concept, really, that too many Americans seem to have forgotten or abandoned. Our nation is like an airplane; it requires both the left and right wings working together in tandem to operate properly and safely. Only problem is the Reich-wing decided to try flying solo, forcing us all into a nose-dive! Care about the issues, disdain political gamesmanship, while still recognizing politics is an inseparable and necessary element. Have always respected and valued loyal opposition, even if in disagreement with the ideology. Fact is, though, the GOP has abdicated the requisite role of loyal opposition to become a mindless, tribalistic, hyper-partisan Reich-wing cult that places greed and political party over truth, reason, decency, and country.
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"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
“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
“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
"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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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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Taking the vaccination and following CDC guidelines brings freedom from preventable illness or injury, and a senseless premature death, but the mindless fascist Republican cult only believes in freeDUMB. Just as they don't understand or would deny the Constitution is as much about the common good as personal liberties, and that those two things are intrinsically and inextricably intertwined.
"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
“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence." ~ Charles Bukowski
"Want of care does us more damage than want of knowledge." ~ Ben Franklin, from Poor Richard's Almanack
Those who scorn public health guidelines during a deadly global pandemic and confuse a grievous public health issue with "essential" liberty to kill and harm themselves and their fellow citizens--as well as their nation--sorely lack both care and knowledge. They are also sorely lacking in common sense, something else about which Mr. Franklin was quite keen. Mr. Franklin was also one our nation's first scientists--yet these modern-day knuckleheads who ought know better refute science! Were he alive today, he would be rather dismayed, disgruntled, and disgusted with the fascist anti-science Republican cult, that much is crystal clear.
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"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
“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
“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
"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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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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Who'd have ever equated voting in America with survival? But that's pretty much what it has boiled down to, hasn't it? Survival of ourselves, survival of our democracy, survival of our nation, and survival of our planet. The irony is that Republicans have always tried to paint Democrats as an existential threat...but in doing so it is actually they who have become exactly that.
Democrat voters need an even greater turnout in '22 and '24, put the final fork in Trumpism! Republicans want to engage in Jim Crow voter suppression laws, voter intimidation, and egregious gerrymandering? Republicans want to engage in corruption, gaslight their corruption, coverup their corruption? Republicans want to turn a blind eye to Russian election interference and knowingly disseminate Russian propaganda for Putin? Republicans want to instigate and sanction Reich-wing domestic terrorist insurrection? Republicans want to live in delusion and denial about the major problems confronting the nation and planet? Let's just prove that's fuel for the fire, and make their fascist antidemocratic corruption backfire on them!
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What we are witnessing from so-called Republican "leaders" is just pure evil.
Republican politicians are only interested in helping themselves, sadly. It's not even really placing party before country, because they don't really care about the GOP, either, which is evidenced by their destruction of it; they only use that as a convenient vehicle to grift their voters and us taxpayers.
You don't get denialism without nihilism, and Sen. Hirono hits the nail on the head when she said that "Republicans don't give a shit."
Republicans have had lots and lots of practice gaslighting and revising history. Pretty soon, they're going to make the GOP disappear! They're already on the wrong side of history, yet keep edging ever closer to extinction.
GOP = Fascism The few patriots in the Republican party are rejected by the vast majority of Republicans. Hard as it may be for some to believe or accept, it is to our own and our nation's peril to ignore, diminish, or dismiss that the GOP has become a fascist cult. Their fascism needs to be called out, condemned, and strongly opposed if we are to keep our democracy.
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America's enemies don't need to spread disinformation, doubt, discord, and division to weaken America, kill Americans--Republican politicians, Reich-wing demagogues, Faux News, OAN, Newsmax, Breitbart and the rest of the Reich-wing media do that so effectively for them, already. More Americans need to realize that the GOP has abdicated it's duty as loyal opposition, and that its prioritization of party over country and welcoming embrace of violent radical Reich-wing extremists diminishes both our government and our national security, endangering ALL Americans, as well as weakening and endangering America itself.
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Suspect what will be most remarkable to future generations is not the Traitor-'n-'Thief, Toxic Trump, so much--although his name will surely be enshrined in infamy for the ages--as it is and will be the Republican so-called leaders and cult that enabled him and supported a racist, misogynist, xenophobic, bigoted, narcissistic, sociopathic, moronic, raving lunatic and his corruption. A decade or two down the road, Trump is likely to be viewed as a tragic Hitleresque figure; a victim of himself and his upbringing who should have never been put in a position to victimize others, and who should have been removed long before being allowed to victimize so many others.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. And it's extremely dangerous to our security, to our democracy, and to our country. They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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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 and justice--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.
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
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You don't get denialism without nihilism. As life-long conservative Bill Kristol astutely pointed our just recently in a tweet, the Republican party has embraced nihilism. Republicans still labeling COVID-19 a "hoax;" Republicans still refusing to wear masks or social distance after over half-a-million American fatalities from COVID-19; Congressional Republicans obstructing a COVID-19 stimulus bill certain to pass just to delay vital and urgently needed relief to Americans desperate for help; not one Congressional Republican in either chamber voting for the badly needed stimulus bill; Republican governors dropping mask mandates and all restrictions on businesses, heedless of rising case counts in their states and deadly new variants of the virus; and Republican leaders continuing to push the Big Lie that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen without evidence and in disregard of plentiful evidence and facts to the contrary, even AFTER their Big Lie incited a terrorist attack by a mindless Republican mob against the nation's Capitol in insurrection against the government, attempting to overturn a legitimate election, sieging, storming, sizing, sacking, defiling, defacing and disgracing America's citadel of, and temple to, democracy--these are all prime examples of nihilism.
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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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
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"We have met the enemy, and he is us!" ~ Walt Kelly
"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
“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
“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
"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.
Once again, nationalism, aka fascism, has risen its ugly head in America, in European nations, and in some other countries around the world. The fight of good people against ignorance, the fears that sprout from it, the hate which then blossoms, culminating in the bitter toxic fruit of evil, senseless brutalities and deaths, is a constant, never-ending battle we fear, but it is a battle from which we must never shrink.
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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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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Trump refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the election!
Traitor-'n-Thief Toxic Trump: "Get rid of the ballots and we'll have a very peaceful — there won't be a transfer, frankly, there'll be a continuation."
WTF?!? Get rid of the ballots means getting rid of ALL the votes--absentee, mail-in, and in-person ballots! It means a Toxic Trump coup, an illegal seizure of power, a dictator, ignoring citizen's votes, no more democracy!!!
"This is how democracy dies. A president so desperate to cling to power that he won't commit to a peaceful transition of power. That he seeks to throw out millions of votes. And a Republican Party too craven to say a word," Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff
"In case anyone is unclear on the concept, in the United States of America, we do not "get rid of" ballots. We count them. Counting the ballots — all the ballots — is the way we determine who leads our country after our elections. The only way," Ellen Weintraub, a commissioner of the Federal Elections Commission, tweeted. Weintraub has previously debunked Trump's claims about mail-in voting fraud.
Trump has a long history of making unsubstantiated claims about electoral fraud, dating back to his allegations that he lost the popular vote in 2016 only because "millions" of people voted illegally. He has also been waging legal battles in multiple states in an attempt to stop the expansion of vote-by-mail and has admitted to using the USPS to sabotage those efforts.
Over the years, multiple extensive studies have found that widespread voter fraud is virtually nonexistent, difficult to successfully pull off, and discouraged through steep criminal penalties.
The US has had successful peaceful transitions of power in every single election since its inception in 1776, including following a contested election between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, during the US Civil War, and on multiple occasions when the electoral college vote has diverged from the popular vote.
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Why hasn't Merrick Garland and his DOJ not yet arrested and charged Trump, Jeffery Clark, Mark Meadows, and any other accomplices for their involvement in federal election interference and sedition??? WTF? How much more evidence is needed?
18 U.S. Code § 595 - Interference by administrative employees of Federal, State, or Territorial Governments
"Whoever, being a person employed in any administrative position by the United States, or by any department or agency thereof, or by the District of Columbia or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or by any State, Territory, or Possession of the United States, or any political subdivision, municipality, or agency thereof, or agency of such political subdivision or municipality (including any corporation owned or controlled by any State, Territory, or Possession of the United States or by any such political subdivision, municipality, or agency), in connection with any activity which is financed in whole or in part by loans or grants made by the United States, or any department or agency thereof, uses his official authority for the purpose of interfering with, or affecting, the nomination or the election of any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the Senate, Member of the House of Representatives, Delegate from the District of Columbia, or Resident Commissioner, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both."
Disqualification form Holding Office, U.S. Constitution, 14th Amendment, Section 3.1.1
"No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof."
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GOP is the party of lies, the party of conspiracy theories, the party of hate, the party of cowards, the party of pollution, the party of corruption, the party of sedition, the party of terrorists, the party of fascism, the party of tyranny, the party of evil, the party of Satan. Republican cult doesn't care about America and ALL Americans, doesn't want to bargain in good faith...because they already made their deal with the Devil.
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Suspect what will be most remarkable to future generations is not the Traitor-'n-'Thief, Toxic Trump, so much--although his name will surely be enshrined in infamy for the ages--as it is and will be the Republican so-called leaders and cult that enabled him and supported a racist, misogynist, xenophobic, bigoted, narcissistic, sociopathic, moronic, raving lunatic and his corruption. A decade or two down the road, Trump is likely to be viewed as a tragic Hitleresque figure; a victim of himself and his upbringing who should have never been put in a position to victimize others, and who should have been removed long before being allowed to victimize so many others.
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"We have met the enemy, and he is us!" ~ Walt Kelly
"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
“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence." ~ Unknown source, a derivative of similar quotes by William Butler Yeats, Bertrand Russell, and 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
“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
"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.
~ How Fascism Works, The Politics of Us and Them by Jason Stanley
Once again, nationalism, aka fascism, has risen its ugly head in America, in European nations, and in some other countries around the world. The fight of good people against ignorance, the fears that sprout from it, the hate which then blossoms, culminating in the bitter toxic fruit of evil, senseless brutalities and deaths, is a constant, never-ending battle we fear, but it is a battle from which we must never shrink.
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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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
(Reference also Father Charles E. Coughlin and Henry Ford in regards to the original America First movement.)
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
(NOTE: Gerson is a staunch life-long conservative, who served as former President George W. Bush's chief speech writer.)
Malcolm Nance: We Are In A Neo-Fascist Era In American Politics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_RxUAe2zeM
Political Analyst Tells Joy Reid: Forget Trumpism, IT’s Neo-Fascism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IgNp84JA4A
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Toxic Trump and Republicans are traitors to America. They've been gaslighting Trump's Russian collusion and election fraud for years, and continue doing so. Trump should have been impeached and convicted after the Mueller Report, which didn't happen only because of A.G. Barr and Republicans, who were ultimately responsible for that failure. Then Congressional Republicans refused to impeach despite overwhelming evidence of Trump's Ukraine shakedown. The worst was the third time Republicans refused to impeach Trump after he incited a terrorist insurrection against his own government on the nation's Capitol. Now, Republicans refuse to even have a BIPARTISAN commission to investigate January 6. Moreover, throughout Trump's term and even after, Republicans have been KNOWINGLY spreading Russian propaganda designed to weaken America, kill Americans. So, when is Merrick Garland and the DOJ going to step up and hold Trump and his Republican accomplices accountable for their many FEDERAL crimes, or is Garland going to set the terrible, horrific precedent that a former President is a King and above the law?
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'Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America' by Kathleen Belew (Harvard University Press, 2018)
The movement “brought together members of the Klan, militias, radical tax resisters, white separatists, neo-Nazis, and proponents of white theologies such as Christian Identity, Odinism, and Dualism” (ix). What was it about the movement that brought these ideologies together?
The promise of violence — rather, the promise that members would get to inflict violence on other people. Belew writes that as the white power movement matured, it became more violent, and “[as] violence came to the fore of the movement, distinctions among white power factions melted away” (60). Belew calls this process “violent community formation” (34). Yet as a social movement, Belew makes a distinction between the white power movement’s “revolutionary violence” and the Ku Klux Klan’s “vigilante violence.”
Vigilante violence “served to constitute, shore up, and enforce systemic power” (106). Given that the U.S. government has a long history of “defending vigilante violence by refusing to enforce the law” (99), law enforcement inaction and vigilante violence may be understood together as a case of one hand washing the other. Revolutionary violence, however, sought to overthrow the state. It is the white power movement’s goal of overthrowing the federal government that sets it apart in the history of white supremacy in the U.S.
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GOP is the party of lies, the party of crackpot conspiracy theories, the party of gross hypocrisy, the party of fear, the party of hate, the party of greed, the party of cowards, the party of pollution, the party of plutocrats, the party of corruption, the party of anti-democracy, the party of sedition, the party of terrorists, the party of fascism, the party of tyranny, the party of evil, the party of Satan. Republican cult doesn't care about America and ALL Americans, doesn't want to bargain in good faith...because they already made their pact with the Devil.
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Meet the new ugly face of white supremacy in America! Funny--it looks just like the old ugly face. Except this time they got their Imperial Wizard installed as Chief Jester of the Supreme Court, where he magically declared racism somehow no longer a problem in America, paving the way for thousands of new Jim Crow laws and egregious gerrymandering suppressing and disenfranchising millions of American voters. Of course, harsh realities will continue to exist irrespective of any blind eye or pretentious, capricious edicts by some Supreme Court. And Roberts' conservative SCOTUS decisions only confirm how the white supremacist problem and its perpetual "fix" on the American judicial branch and justice system has never gone away, as America continues to struggle with overcoming a racist history of colonialism, slavery, and discrimination.
"...we must recognize that one of the two political parties is routinely engaged in sabotaging free elections with voter-suppression efforts aimed at the minority voters it cannot win over at the ballot box. These anti-democratic power grabs became a GOP staple decades before Donald Trump, culminating in the actions of a George W. Bush–anointed chief justice, John Roberts, whose Supreme Court shredded the Voting Rights Act of 1965. As Roberts famously put it in his 2007 opinion for the plurality, “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.” Since then, discrimination on the basis of race has only expanded in states like Georgia and Florida, where Black voting rights have been cavalierly undermined and trashed."
~ Frank Rich, November 9, 2020 (Written well before the rash of new Jim Crow laws now being proposed and passed by Republicans in many states.)
Chief Justice Roberts and his fellow conservative SCOTUS justices: the architects of a new era of Jim Crow in America. Need to expand SCOTUS to 15 justices, do away with the filibuster, pass a new Voting Rights Act, and let Biden appoint six new justices to bring sanity and justice back to the Supreme Court.
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GOP cult: “Democracy is great…only so long as we can subvert it with lies, cheating, a multitude of Jim Crow voter suppression laws, egregious gerrymandering, obstruction, coups, election interference, sedition, and terrorism to gain power and maintain our corrupt, plutocratic, minority fascist rule!”
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White House told federal health agency to classify coronavirus deliberations
WASHINGTON, March 11 (Reuters) - The White House has ordered federal health officials to treat top-level coronavirus meetings as classified, an unusual step that has restricted information and hampered the U.S. government’s response to the contagion, according to four Trump administration officials.
The officials said that dozens of classified discussions about such topics as the scope of infections, quarantines and travel restrictions have been held since mid-January in a high-security meeting room at the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), a key player in the fight against the coronavirus.
“We had some very critical people who did not have security clearances who could not go,” one official said. “These should not be classified meetings. It was unnecessary.”
The sources said the National Security Council (NSC), which advises the president on security issues, ordered the classification.“This came directly from the White House,” one official said.
The White House insistence on secrecy at the nation’s premier public health organization, which has not been previously disclosed, has put a lid on certain information - and potentially delayed the response to the crisis. COVID19, the disease caused by the virus, has killed about 30 people in the United States and infected more than 1,000 people.
HHS oversees a broad range of health agencies, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which among other things is responsible for tracking cases and providing guidance nationally on the outbreaks.
A high-level former official who helped address public health outbreaks in the George W. Bush administration said “it’s not normal to classify discussions about a response to a public health crisis.”
Attendees at the meetings included HHS Secretary Alex Azar and his chief of staff Brian Harrison, the officials said. Azar and Harrison resisted the classification of the meetings, the sources said.
China's ignorant, regressive reaction to the Wuhan coronavirus demonstrates exactly the kind of danger posed by authoritarian, corrupt governments--which is precisely what Traitor-'n-Thief Trump and Republicans are doing to American government. A very recent article published after this was written echoes the exact same warning: 'Tyranny is fueling the coronavirus pandemic'
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/tyranny-is-fueling-the-coronavirus-pandemic
Even after Beijing officially acknowledged the epidemic and sought to contain it by locking down millions of people, heavy censorship has persisted. In particular, on the popular messaging app WeChat, there have been widespread efforts to stifle discussion of the outbreak.
Lotus Ruan, a researcher with Citizen Lab, said such information controls can be particularly dangerous during a public health emergency, because they can prevent people from getting accurate information.
“The broad censorship of the coronavirus we found is significant because blocking general information during a health crisis can limit the public’s ability to be informed and protect themselves,” she said.
Trump’s coronavirus response puts his authoritarian instincts on full view
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/opinions-trumps-coronavirus-response-puts-his-authoritarian-instincts-on-full-view/ar-BB10KoIW
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You know what REALLY pisses me off most? It’s that all these Toxic Trump sycophants and acolytes have to KNOW at some level he is a grave security threat to the U.S. But, they don’t care, play dumb. They would sell out their country and souls for filthy lucre, fleeting fame that quickly turns to infamy, and empty promises. They lie, deny, deceive, divide, denigrate, diminish, and work to destroy our cherished Republic.
GOP has gone rogue, doesn’t want to play by the rules in America, anymore. Republicans are all about constant deceit and hypocrisy, rigging elections, and rampant crony corruption.
One would hope that his cabinet or the Republican Senate would have done the right thing and removed him. Or, that the Republican SCOTUS would have defended our Constitution, instead of partisan power grabs. In fact, it’s more than hope—those are the minimal basic expectation of our public officials. They failed themselves, and they failed our nation horribly. Because they are weak, and ignorant, and corrupt.
Thus, we are forced to suffer another two months of a failed Presidency, a failed Senate, and a failed SCOTUS. While confident Trump would be defeated before the pandemic and ensuing economic collapse, his loss has since become a virtual certainty. So, that isn’t really about hope, either.
What does give hope is that the majority of Americans reject Trump. There is hope that the end of Trump will mark the beginning of the end for the Republican cult. There is hope that out of this darkness will come the realization progress is vital to our future, and that reactionary conservatism stagnates and kills.
In short, the GOP has become proto-fascist, bound by the ignorant Republican cult they created, and the fear, bigotry and hate they cultivated and nourished for decades. Fortunately, the cult is not the majority, so there is hope yet for America!
“The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over decades by plutocrats, the GOP, and right-wing media. Those Americans elected this pitiful, puerile President, and have continued to support him no matter what travesty he commits! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated.”
Conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it’s what they peddle, it’s what they traffic in, it’s what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear to hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It’s the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone—unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
The only thing been stopping the GOP cult from turning America fascist has been the long-held universal repulsion and rejection of Toxic Trump’s hero, Adolf Hitler, by Americans. Fortunately, the majority of Americans still remember that painful historical lesson many Republicans choose to ignore. There is hope that good will once again triumph over evil; love prevail over hate; common sense outweigh blind faith, mindless tribalism, and silly superstitions.
"United we stand, divided we fall." A simple concept, really, that too many Americans seem to have forgotten or abandoned. Our nation is like an airplane; it requires both the left and right wings working together in tandem to operate properly and safely. Only problem is the Reich-wing decided to try flying solo, forcing us all into a nose-dive! Care about the issues, disdain political gamesmanship, while still recognizing politics is an inseparable and necessary element. Have always respected and valued loyal opposition, even if in disagreement with the ideology. Fact is, though, the GOP has abdicated the requisite role of loyal opposition to become a mindless, tribalistic hyper-partisan Republican cult placing political party over truth, reason, decency, and country.
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"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
“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
“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
"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.
Once again, nationalism, aka fascism, has risen its ugly head in America, in European nations, and in some other countries around the world. The fight of good people against ignorance, the fears that sprout from it, the hate which then blossoms, culminating in the bitter toxic fruit of evil, senseless brutalities and deaths, is a constant, never-ending battle we fear, but it is a battle from which we must never shrink.
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 understand, accept, and appreciate that the enduring strength of America is that we are a nation of immigrants and multiculturalism, a "melting pot" where the best ideas rise to the top, and superficial differences are meaningless in the face of our common humanity and purpose. 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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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and disturbing. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, and our country.
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Republicans are willing to gain and hold power at any cost...even if the price is our democracy!
Farmer wakes up one morning, goes outside to milk his cows, and discovers his entire herd is missing! So, he then walks over nest door to where the Republican cult lives, notices them grinding a whole bunch of beef into hamburger, and asks them, "Did you see what happened to all my cows?"
Republican cult: "Yeah, they jumped over the moon."
Farmer: "Do you have any actual evidence of that?"
Republican cult: "No, because they landed on the dark side, and you can't see them over there. But we're conducting a bunch of investigations and fraudits, and we're confident evidence will soon emerge to prove it!"
Farmer: "You know, that sounds like a load of manure!"
Republican cult: "Well, that's what we all choose to believe!"
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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.
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The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over decades by the GOP, plutocrats, Reich-wing demagogues, Reich-wing Christian nationalism religious leaders, and Reich-wing print, radio, TV, and social media, programmed 24/7, radicalizing them and creating mass delusion. A straight line can be drawn through to the inevitable catastrophic conclusion witnessed today from Lee Atwater, Roger Aisles, Pat Buchanan, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, Newt Gingrich, Ann Coulter, Karl Rove, Lou Dobbs, Mitch McConnell, Billy Graham, Sean Hannity, Jim Jordan, to Donald J. Trump. Sure, some in the Republican cult truly are that ignorant or gullible; but most are willfully ignorant, being fed the lies they want to hear. They bear personal responsibility. Part of it's a cultural problem, as some mostly older white people's mistaken perception is that the America they knew is slipping away. Well, America is still America, but--like most nations--is constantly evolving, as progress invariably rolls on, but they are unwilling to accept that, or change with the times.
Those Americans elected that pitiful, pathetic puerile President, and have continued to support him no matter what travesty he committed! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated. They created the beast, thought they could ride the tiger, exploit it for their own greed, vanity, and power, too stupid or uncaring to realize that it would instead inevitably come to consume them.
Conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it’s what they peddle, it’s what they traffic in, it’s what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear into hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It’s the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone—unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry all were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
"United we stand, divided we fall." A simple concept, really, that too many Americans seem to have forgotten or abandoned. Our nation is like an airplane; it requires both the left and right wings working together in tandem to operate properly and safely. Only problem is the Reich-wing decided to try flying solo, forcing us all into a nose-dive! Care about the issues, disdain political gamesmanship, while still recognizing politics is an inseparable and necessary element. Have always respected and valued loyal opposition, even if in disagreement with the ideology. Fact is, though, the GOP has abdicated the requisite role of loyal opposition to become a mindless, tribalistic, hyper-partisan Reich-wing cult that places greed and political party over truth, reason, decency, and country.
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Republican cult are corrupt LYING hypocrites. Dirty, disgusting, deplorable, despicable, deranged, disgraceful, demented, dishonorable, depraved, disingenuous, devious, diabolical, duplicitous...and that's just a partial tabulation of the 'D' words describing the GOP; the complete listing of their nasty traits is far too many to enumerate.
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GOP is the party of lies, the party of crackpot conspiracy theories, the party of gross hypocrisy, the party of fear, the party of hate, the party of greed, the party of cowards, the party of pollution, the party of plutocrats, the party of corruption, the party of anti-democracy, the party of sedition, the party of terrorists, the party of fascism, the party of tyranny, the party of evil, the party of Satan. Republican cult doesn't care about America and ALL Americans, doesn't want to bargain in good faith...because they already made their pact with the Devil.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, and our country.
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You know what REALLY pisses me off most? It's that all these Toxic Trump sycophants and acolytes KNOW he is a grave security threat to the U.S. But, they don't care, play dumb. They would sell out their country and souls for filthy lucre, fleeting fame that quickly turns to infamy, and empty promises. They lie, deny, deceive, divide, denigrate, diminish, and work to destroy our cherished Republic.
GOP has gone rogue, doesn't want to play by the rules in America, anymore. Republicans are all about constant deceit and hypocrisy, rigging elections, and rampant crony corruption.
One would hope that his cabinet or the Republican Senate would have done the right thing and removed him. Or, that the Republican SCOTUS would have defended our Constitution, instead of partisan power grabs. In fact, it's more than hope--those are the minimal basic expectation of our public officials. They failed themselves, and they failed our nation horribly. Because they are weak, and ignorant, and corrupt.
Thus, we are forced to suffer another five months of a failed Presidency, a failed Senate, and a failed SCOTUS. While confident Trump would be defeated before the pandemic and ensuing economic collapse, his loss has since become a virtual certainty. So, that isn't really about hope, either.
What does give hope is that the majority of Americans reject Trump. There is hope that the end of Trump will mark the beginning of the end for the Republican cult. There is hope that out of this darkness will come the realization progress is vital to our future, and that reactionary conservatism stagnates and kills.
In short, the GOP has become proto-fascist, bound by the ignorant Republican cult they created, and the fear, bigotry and hate they cultivated and nourished for decades. Fortunately, the cult is not the majority, so there is hope yet for America!
"The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over decades by plutocrats, the GOP, and right-wing media. Those Americans elected this pitiful, puerile President, and have continued to support him no matter what travesty he commits! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated."
Conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it's what they peddle, it's what they traffic in, it's what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear to hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It's the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone--unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
The only thing been stopping the GOP cult from turning America fascist has been the long-held universal repulsion and rejection of Toxic Trump's hero, Adolf Hitler, by Americans. Fortunately, the majority of Americans still remember that painful historical lesson many Republicans choose to ignore. There is hope that good will once again triumph over evil; love prevail over hate; common sense outweigh blind faith, mindless tribalism, and silly superstitions.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
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GOP cult: “Democracy is great…only so long as we can subvert it with lies, cheating, a multitude of Jim Crow voter suppression laws, egregious gerrymandering, obstruction, coups, election interference, sedition, and terrorism to gain power and maintain our corrupt, plutocratic, minority fascist rule!”
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GOP is NOT the party of law and order, NOT the party of the Constitution and patriots, NOT the party of "values." It's the party of terrorism, lawlessness, corruption, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, bigotry, misogyny, sedition, and traitors.
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The Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM, or “the Wall”) is dedicated not to the war, but to the 2.7 million U.S. military men and women who served in the war zone, living and dead. It contains nearly 58,300 names of those dead or missing, on two ten-foot high granite wings, each spanning nearly 250 feet. A close uncle’s name is etched into the black rock of the Wall.
Propose erecting a similar monument for all those who senselessly lost their lives to COVID-19 due to our Traitor-‘n-Thief, Toxic Trump, and all those Republican so-called “leaders” in Congress, SCOTUS, and the GOP, along with Reich-wing demagogues and media, who were complicit in enabling, aiding, and abetting his malfeasance, and in spreading disinformation and misinformation. In just four MONTHS, the U.S. had ALREADY needlessly lost more than TWICE as many to COVID-19 than died in all thirteen YEARS of the Vietnam war. By the time Trump left office, one out of every 800 Americans had died from COVID-19 in just ten months--over 410,000 fatalities, as many American casualties as all of WWII. To put it into further perspective, throughout Trump's catastrophic mishandling of a deadly global pandemic, the U.S. led the world in cases and deaths, suffering nearly 25% of each, despite having only 4.25% of global population, despite having the advantage of being the richest and most advanced nation in the world.
The memorial would also honor all those front-line ESSENTIAL workers who selflessly put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe and secure; the names of their dead to be given prominence and note upon the structure. Whether constructed in the form of a wall or something different, its principle intent would be to serve as a constant, enduring reminder to us all and to future generations; as a testament to—and a barrier against—our own American ignorance, arrogance, avarice, cowardice, and malevolence. A sort of visual prophylactic, if you will, built in hope of protecting us against inbred hubris, greed, and stupidity. It’s design should be open, with interchangeable elements that challenge—and help teach—people to reason, and to think critically and objectively, while stressing humanity, humility and humbleness.
The VVM Wall is likewise also a monument to American ignorance, hubris, avarice, and malevolence, although erected solely to honor those military personnel. Few may think, or have thought, of it that way; and doubtless many would refuse to think of it as such, but the truth stands out in stark, prominent display for everyone to see…if they just apply a little critical, objective reasoning.
Another thought to ponder: The VVM Wall marks the first time America fatally failed that generation; the proposed monument would mark our second time they were senselessly sacrificed. Would like to see the proposed COVID-19 monument erected adjacent to the prior monument attesting failure, the VVM Wall, to serve as symbolic bookends, as a further tribute to that ill-served generation of Americans.
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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.
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Trump excluded the Afghan government from his surrender negotiations with the Taliban, legitimizing the Taliban by making a separate peace deal with them and delegitimizing the government we worked so long and hard at so much cost to build and support, while releasing 5,000 Taliban prisoners which included the worst of the worst and allowed them to return to fight against Afghan and U.S. forces, while agreeing to withdraw all U.S. forces by May 1, 2021, guaranteeing failure. Previously, in 2018, Trump had Pakistan release the current leader of the Taliban, who had been their top military leader. Moreover, Trump eviscerated the refugee program for Afghan and Iraqi allies visa programs, creating a huge backlog over four years. A federal judge even ruled Trump's delaying of those visas illegal. Furthermore, Trump abandoned are Kurdish allies in Syria and Iraq. Trump and Pompeo could hardly have screwed up our foreign policy any worse, and the damage they did will take decades to repair. But the Republican cult morons are too stupid to know and too stupid to care; they'll just deny and try to shift blame, as usual.
Liz Cheney's right----it didn't have to happen this way: her father, Dick Cheney, and George Bush were responsible for the deterioration of affairs in Afghanistan by diverting troops and resources to conduct an illegal invasion of Iraq on the false premise of WMD and Iraq harboring terrorists. The situation in Afghanistan never recovered from that fatal mistake by Cheney and Bush; it allowed the Taliban to regroup and come back bigger and stronger than ever. Cheney and Bush's illegal war in Iraq also resulted in the emergence of ISIS.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, dog-whistles, crackpot conspiracy theories, projectionism, Whataboutism, bogus victimhood, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and alarming. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a dystopian fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, our country, and the world.
Republicans have been programmed into a mindless fascist partisan cult that is unhinged, delusional and evil. And it's extremely dangerous to our security, to our democracy, and to our country. They're essentially a domestic terrorist group, and we should be targeting the leaders of that group with the same vigor and determination we would a foreign terrorist group attacking our country. Don't know of a time since the Civil War when our nation has been at greater peril, and we need to recognize that, acknowledge it, and act upon it accordingly.
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The Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM, or “the Wall”) is dedicated not to the war, but to the 2.7 million U.S. military men and women who served in the war zone, living and dead. It contains nearly 58,300 names of those dead or missing, on two ten-foot high granite wings, each spanning nearly 250 feet. A close uncle’s name is etched into the black rock of the Wall.
Propose erecting a similar monument for all those who senselessly lost their lives to COVID-19 due to our Traitor-‘n-Thief, Toxic Trump, and all those Republican so-called “leaders” in Congress, SCOTUS, and the GOP, complicit in enabling, aiding, and abetting his malfeasance.
In just four MONTHS, the U.S. had ALREADY needlessly lost more than TWICE as many to COVID-19 than died in all thirteen YEARS of the Vietnam war. By the time Trump left office, one out of every 800 Americans had died from COVID-19 in just ten months--over 410,000 fatalities, as many American casualties as all of WWII. It would also honor all those front-line ESSENTIAL workers who selflessly put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe and secure; the names of their dead to be given prominence and note upon the structure.
Whether constructed in the form of a wall or something different, its principle intent would be to serve as a constant, enduring reminder to us all and to future generations; as a testament to—and a barrier against—our own American ignorance, arrogance, avarice, cowardice, and malevolence. A sort of visual prophylactic, if you will, built in hope of protecting us against inbred hubris, greed, and stupidity. It’s design should be open, with interchangeable elements that challenge—and help teach—people to reason, and to think critically and objectively, while stressing humanity, humility and humbleness.
The VVM Wall is likewise also a monument to American ignorance, hubris, avarice, and malevolence, although erected solely to honor those military personnel. Few may think, or have thought, of it that way; and doubtless many would refuse to think of it as such, but the truth stands out in stark, prominent display for everyone to see…if they just apply a little critical, objective reasoning.
Another thought to ponder: The VVM Wall marks the first time America fatally failed that generation; the proposed monument would mark our second time they were senselessly sacrificed. Would like to see the proposed COVID-19 monument erected adjacent to the prior monument attesting failure, the VVM Wall, to serve as symbolic bookends, as a further tribute to that ill-served generation of Americans.
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Watched the hearing, saw this happen in real time. Was very gratifying to see Rep. Connelly striking back in righteous indignation! BTC breakdown here succinct, astute, and accurate, as expected. Republicans are simply projecting, and obfuscating, and deceiving, in typical fashion; it is Trump and the GOP whom are politicizing a national emergency health crisis. They care more about their political prospects than they do the lives of their fellow Americans--Republican, Democrat, or other. Will that change as Republicans--pols and voters--watch their loved ones die from this pandemic, when they are finally forced to confront their monumental ignorance and evil head-on? When they can't escape facing the destruction caused by such a pandemic? You really have to wonder.
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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.
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
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Sorry, Cheney, Sasse, Romney...while it is good you and a few other Republican leaders are FINALLY standing up for truth, justice, and the Constitution, it comes too little, too late. Because for too long you were complicit with Toxic Trump's lies, crimes, and malfeasance, thereby enabling, aiding and abetting grievous harm to our institutions and country. You chose to ride the tiger, heedless what harm the tiger caused and that the tiger would soon come to consume you.
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
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Despite knowing of the emergence of COVID-19 in December, and it threat to world health shortly thereafter, Trump did virtually nothing to prepare for the inevitable coming health crisis of a pandemic. Trump administration has had MONTHS to get its act together, yet public health system and hospital networks are NOT prepared for the kind of outbreaks seen in China, South Korea and Italy. We do NOT have the respirators and ventilators needed for the expected numbers. We do NOT have enough oxygen equipment and medications stockpiled. We do NOT have enough medical personnel to handle the expected numbers. We do NOT have enough medical facilities for those kinds of numbers. We do NOT yet even have the training programs in place to handle this epidemic for either health professionals or the public. There should have been a massive national mobilization by our Federal government started months ago to begin preparation of needed medical equipment, supplies, and drugs. Instead, Trump has peddled delusions and denials of the realities, wasting weeks, which will result in the senseless, unforgivable loss of more American lives due directly to his gross ignorance and incompetence.
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Toxic Trump and Republicans are traitors to America. They've been gaslighting Trump's Russian collusion,. obstruction of justice, and election fraud for years, and continue doing so. Trump should have been impeached and convicted after the Mueller Report, which didn't happen only because of A.G. Barr and Republicans, who were ultimately responsible for that failure. Then Congressional Republicans refused to impeach despite overwhelming evidence of Trump's Ukraine shakedown. The worst was the third time Republicans refused to impeach Trump after he incited a terrorist insurrection against his own government on the nation's Capitol. Republicans refused to even have a BIPARTISAN commission to investigate January 6. Moreover, throughout Trump's term and even after, Republicans have been KNOWINGLY spreading Russian propaganda designed to weaken America, kill Americans. So, when is Merrick Garland and the DOJ going to step up and hold Trump and his Republican accomplices accountable for their many FEDERAL crimes, or is Garland going to set the terrible, horrific precedent that a former President is a King and above the law? Just when America most needed a strong and courageous AG at the DOJ, we instead got a cowardly enabler in Merrick Garland.
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Who'd have ever equated voting in America with survival? But that's pretty much what it has boiled down to, hasn't it? Survival of ourselves, survival of our democracy, survival of our nation, and survival of our planet. The irony is that Republicans have always tried to paint Democrats as an existential threat...but in doing so it is actually they who have become exactly that.
Democrat voters need an even greater turnout in '22 and '24, put the final fork in Trumpism! Republicans want to engage in Jim Crow voter suppression laws, voter intimidation, and egregious gerrymandering? Republicans want to engage in corruption, gaslight their corruption, coverup their corruption? Republicans want to turn a blind eye to Russian election interference and knowingly disseminate Russian propaganda for Putin? Republicans want to instigate and sanction Reich-wing domestic terrorist insurrection? Republicans want to live in delusion and denial about the major problems confronting the nation and planet? Let's just prove that's fuel for the fire, and make their fascist antidemocratic corruption backfire on them!
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Tucker Carlson and Faux News: mainstreaming American fascism purely for profit.
FAUX News is happy to push Russian propaganda for Putin and disinformation for plutocrats and fascists, but the truth is verboten on Reich-wing media! Sad, pathetic, disgusting and dangerous.
America's enemies don't need to spread disinformation, doubt, discord, and division to weaken America, kill Americans--Republican politicians, Reich-wing demagogues, Faux News, OAN, Newsmax, Breitbart and the rest of the Reich-wing media do that so effectively for them, already. More Americans need to realize that the GOP has abdicated it's duty as loyal opposition, and that its prioritization of party over country and welcoming embrace of violent radical Reich-wing extremists diminishes both our government and our national security, endangering ALL Americans, as well as weakening and endangering America itself.
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GOP is the party of lies, the party of crackpot conspiracy theories, the party of gross hypocrisy, the party of fear, the party of hate, the party of greed, the party of cowards, the party of pollution, the party of plutocrats, the party of corruption, the party of anti-democracy, the party of sedition, the party of terrorists, the party of fascism, the party of tyranny, the party of evil, the party of Satan. Republican cult doesn't care about America and ALL Americans, doesn't want to bargain in good faith...because they already made their pact with the Devil.
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'Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America' by Kathleen Belew (Harvard University Press, 2018)
The movement “brought together members of the Klan, militias, radical tax resisters, white separatists, neo-Nazis, and proponents of white theologies such as Christian Identity, Odinism, and Dualism” (ix). What was it about the movement that brought these ideologies together?
The promise of violence — rather, the promise that members would get to inflict violence on other people. Belew writes that as the white power movement matured, it became more violent, and “[as] violence came to the fore of the movement, distinctions among white power factions melted away” (60). Belew calls this process “violent community formation” (34). Yet as a social movement, Belew makes a distinction between the white power movement’s “revolutionary violence” and the Ku Klux Klan’s “vigilante violence.”
Vigilante violence “served to constitute, shore up, and enforce systemic power” (106). Given that the U.S. government has a long history of “defending vigilante violence by refusing to enforce the law” (99), law enforcement inaction and vigilante violence may be understood together as a case of one hand washing the other. Revolutionary violence, however, sought to overthrow the state. It is the white power movement’s goal of overthrowing the federal government that sets it apart in the history of white supremacy in the U.S.
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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 and justice--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.
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Let's just call January 6 what it actually was -- a Republican smash and grab, an act of violent larceny against democracy and sedition employing domestic terrorism right out in open sight.
"Without accountability, an attempted autogolpe and insurrection is just practice."
"What happened on January 6 is the very definition of sedition." ― Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson
So, why has Traitor Trump not been charged yet by the DOJ? That's what a lot of people are wondering! Not just prosecution of Trump, but all his accomplices, too! Obstruction charges outlined in the Mueller Report, the Ukraine extortion racket, inciting an insurrection, sedition, and federal election interference. The evidence is all in plain sight, where are the indictments, the arrests? Our democracy hangs in the balance; this is no time to play nice, there is no time to waste! The DOJ shouldn't be worried about appearances, either, because it's a matter of impartially enforcing the law and not setting bad precedent that encourages future lawlessness and authoritarianism by the Executive Branch. Because our democracy, our institutions, and our very security is seriously endangered. And because rule of law and justice for all really does matter.
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~ It's actually much, much worse. Republicans have been active participants in racist policies for decades, while willingly or silently complicit with dog whistles and courting of white supremacist voters. The whole GOP political machine has long been based upon exploiting fear and hate-mongering--and continues to rely upon racism, homophobia, misogyny, xenophobia, bigotry and other assorted ignorance.
It's not a rational or acceptable excuse, but it's one thing when a person in the majority has minority friends and genuinely didn't understand or realize how their attitude or words they've expressed can be taken as racist. It can be difficult and uncomfortable for someone opposed to racism who doesn't think of themselves as racist to discover and confront that they themselves have been infected with racism simply by growing up and living in a racist society. For such people, it's not the initial reflex denial that is of concern so much as if they then afterward use the opportunity to improve themselves--not just refraining from again using the same racist tropes, but acknowledging, accepting, and examining the basis within society and themselves, the thought process which provoked it, tackling the root of the problem.
It's a whole different thing when someone who is knowingly involved in perpetuating and promoting systemic racism denies the problem even exists. And the Senator from South Carolina, Lying Seed Graham Cracker, is certainly aware of the persistence of systemic racism in our society to which he has helped contribute and exacerbated. Graham Cracker is providing cover for racists and racism the same way Toxic Trump did, for the same reasons. Besides which, it was the Republican's own dirty playbook that Trump appropriated, anyway.
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@stephenfgdl ~ Had already seen how you conceded that there was systemic racism in America, Paul. Which was appreciated! However, systemic racism goes beyond any laws promoting or discouraging racism. In fact, racist or discriminatory laws and policies are a product or result of the systemic racism that had already existed, a manifestation or symptom of the disease. So, to insist on some kind of legal requirement to qualify as systemic racism is like putting the cart before the horse.
Not sure where you sourced your definition, which appear to be cherry-picked, because as commonly used, the term 'systemic' is a general word having a wide variety of applications, and is hardly constrained to only use involving the law or legal matters, with the term 'systemic racism' having its own specific derivative meaning:
systemic -- adjective -- relating to or involving a whole system ~ Oxford-Cambridge Dictionary
systemic racism -- noun -- policies and practices that exist throughout a whole society or organization, and that result in and support a continued unfair advantage to some people and unfair or harmful treatment of others based on race. ~ Oxford-Cambridge Dictionary
Unsure how you misread and misunderstood our comment, which was intended to provide you with additional perspective in the hope of enabling greater understanding. The point with Hitler was that systemic racism can exist legally in a society, NOT to suggest in ANY way that "anti-discrimination laws are wrong." Laws promoting civil equality are indeed helpful, but they aren't a cure, making systemic racism somehow magically disappear, because the problem is rooted much deeper than in just our laws; it's also entrenched in our society. You stated that "if you have laws that promote civil equality" then "there is no systemic racism," while conceding that the "U.S. is racist and has a long way to go...to catch up to its laws." Which is self-contradictory and unwittingly underscores the point about how systemic racism can exist even in the presence of civil rights laws.
The Jim Crow-era voter suppression laws being considered and/or passed by Republican legislatures in a whole slew of states--not just Georgia--are just one symptom of the disease that has existed since America began, not to be confused as a deciding factor or basis upon determining whether or not systemic racism still exists. Your analogy using crime is flawed because, for example, while bribery and graft can be illegal in a country, systemic corruption can still exist. Merely because the U.S. has laws against shooting people unless in self-defense doesn't negate the systemic problem with gun violence here. The presence of laws combatting a systemic problem is actually as much or more evidence that the systemic problem exists--rather than an indicator to be arbitrarily taken that the systemic problem is solved.
Am encouraged and heartened by your open mind and curiosity, and hope that you go beyond the initial defensiveness to which we are all prone to give thoughtful time, consideration, and an open mind to our responses here. And, just to reemphasize--nothing said was to diminish or downplay the impact and importance of laws on systemic racism--whether promoting or preventing it. Strongly support HR-1, the new voting rights act Democrats are hoping to pass; strongly oppose the numerous Jim Crow voter-suppression legislative efforts by Republicans.
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@stephenfgdl ~ True that you gave a response, but were then shown what was wrong with that response, such as your definition of the word 'systemic,' for example. You have no answers to that response. But, it's all good! Wasn't really expecting immediate recognition or acknowledgement of the truth, trusting that your open-mindedness, good will, intellect, and curiosity would land you in the right place sooner than later.
Our lives are a journey of discovery and understanding of that surrounding us--a journey that has never been completed by any human, because precious life is so short, and the discoveries and understandings keep coming, changing; too immense, complex, and infinite for our feeble human capabilities to perhaps ever fully grasp. Not to be condescending here, but we all progress along that path of discovery and understanding at different rates, with people advancing to various points along the path, some not so far along because of age or experience, some not so far along because they lack the desire to progress. Even though older, don't consider myself particularly enlightened, for instance, realizing that despite all that humans have learned collectively or as individuals, it is still just a trivial fraction of the whole, with the recognition that my own journey of discovery and understanding has still not traversed all that far in the grand scheme of things.
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@stephenfgdl ~ Think you got it pretty much right in this last response of yours. Personally, as a rabbit, don't see colors, just see people. Although we jest a bit there, when that philosophy is more universally adopted is when we start to see an end to systemic racism. Because we can't always know the character of the people we meet, yet we should treat them with the same respect, dignity, and humanity that we would wish to receive, regardless.
Unfortunately, WWII did not put an end to, or save the world from, bigotry, racism, hate crimes, ethnic cleansing, or genocide. It only stopped those manifestations present at that time in certain places. It did result in somewhat greater awareness about the evil of those things around the world, an awakening of sorts, if you will, albeit in some nations more so than others. Western nations abandoned their racist colonization of other lands with two notable exceptions: French colonization of Vietnam, and Jewish colonization of Palestine--and we have witnessed the long, bloody conflicts that have ensued because of those exceptions. What Russia did in Eastern Europe and China did in Tibet following WWII were no better.
If referring to the current federal administration and majorities in both chambers of Congress, one might argue that our government is not racist. However, our government doesn't just consist of the federal branches where, at any rate, one could point to the racist decision by a Republican SCOTUS still in effect that gutted portions of the Civil Rights Act, claiming that systemic racism was no longer a problem, allowing states to once again discriminate with little legal recourse for those harmed or legal repercussion for those states enacting discriminatory laws. Moreover, there is no guarantee that Biden wins reelection or that Democrats maintain control in Congress, which could mean one step forward followed by two steps back, as seen with Obama followed by Trump. Nor did electing Biden/Harris and a Democratic majority automatically cause decades of discriminatory policies and laws already in place to suddenly disappear, though they will surely work towards ending as many of them as possible.
A fair determination of racism in our government should look at the whole of government, which includes the present Republican minority in Congress, the Republican majority at the Supreme Court and some other federal courts, as well as government at the state and local levels. Law enforcement is part of government, and it should be clear that systemic racism resides within it to some extent. Taken as a whole, it can't truthfully be said that our government is not racist. Racism in parts of America or its government reflect upon, and affect, the whole of government and all Americans.
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@debnelson5522 ~ Your opinion is racist ignorance. First thing, Kamala Harris does not have any "white parentage." Her father was black, her mother was from India, making her an Asian person of color, not "white." Kamala was raised mostly by her mother, whom she greatly respected and admired. She talks about her all the time. Obama was likewise raised by his white mother, and holds her in high regard. Neither is disrespecting or ignoring in any way the race of the non-Black parent. So, your racist opinion is founded upon racist lies and racist presumptions.
Secondly, many mixed race people (about 40%) identify simply as "mixed race." It is not uncommon for mixed race people to suffer an identity crisis at some point in their lives. How mixed race people identify can have as much to do with how other people identify them as with how they view themselves. It is their prerogative to choose how to identify themselves, and that choice should be accepted and respected, not questioned or criticized.
Now, before you get all angry and defensive, in my book just having a racist opinion or voicing a racist thought doesn't necessarily make a person overtly racist. It would have been better had you asked questions about what you don't know rather than stating an ignorant racist opinion--just something you may want to keep in mind for the future. Many of my fellow whites in America are largely ignorant on racial issues. While that is lamentable, what is far worse is refusing to learn or educate oneself about those issues. To that end, provided for you are two excellent resources for you to learn more about multiracial people and how they identify, one an article, and the other a YouTube video:
Multiracial in America
JUNE 11, 2015 -- Pew Research Center
https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2015/06/11/multiracial-in-america/
Being mixed-race in America: Experts explain the meaning of identity
September 18, 2020 -- ABC7 News Bay Area
Why is it that we have this fascination with labeling those of mixed-race as one way or another? Tiger Woods was often referred to only as a "Black golfer" not an Asian one? This prompted ABC7 News Anchor Dion Lim to dive deeper into the meaning of identity. Not only how we perceive it but how it should be accepted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-woJuS8TK4
Last, but not least, you might ask yourself why you should care or judge how multiracial people identify? What difference does it really make? As we like to jest, us rabbits don't see colors--we just see people! Isn't that really all that's important, that they are fellow human beings?
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@stephenfgdl ~ Just "a few bad apples," right? Where have we heard that before? And, you're back to denying systemic racism, again, after conceding it did exist. You're all over the map! You proffer your opinions and arguments, but then are non-responsive to many of the points and counter-arguments in rebuttal.
You say you're not from America, but don't disclose what country you're from and live. And, you presume to know more about systemic racism in America than those of us who have lived their whole lives here, many of us suffering under it. You display your lack of knowledge about American affairs by not knowing about Georgia's voter-suppression laws, and by continually referring to Georgia as if it was the only such example--even after you were informed that there is simultaneously a whole slew of states with Republican-controlled legislatures which are in the process of enacting similar legislation. The number of such states numbers 42 out of the 50 in the U.S., and some of those voter suppression measures being legislated are even more egregious than the Georgia laws.
Taken altogether, your responses demonstrate a lack of good faith, a lack of honesty, and no real sincere desire to seek truth. Don't know what your game is, whether you just like to argue for arguments sake, or what, but it's a game few people will want to play with you.
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@nlawson2004 ~ Largely agree. The Republican argument seems to be that racism exists in America, but it's just "a few bad apples," while denying systemic racism. Which are lies, of course, and certainly people with many years in public office, like Graham Cracker (from South Carolina, no less), well know better.
If America ends systemic racism and elects five Black Presidents in a row, does that mean that America is no longer racist? After all, it would still be 45 White Presidents to just 5 Black and 1 multiracial Presidents. The problem with your comparison is that we can't undo the racism that occurred in the past, we can only try to eradicate it in the present for our future. Using such a statistic presents a distorted picture, and even very few Republicans try denying past racism in America--although many do try to diminish it and its impact.
A good majority of Americans gave the boot to the most racist President in modern American history this past election cycle. However, Trump did obtain over 70 million votes, including a good number of minority votes. It is simplistic to think that all of those votes from Whites and minorities alike for Trump were cast to perpetuate racism. While a proportion of voters are racist, what we have is also a lot of rather uninformed voters, who do not always cast their votes wisely--both Whites and minorities. Conversely, minority and White voters may choose a more moderate White candidate over a more progressive White or minority candidate who would do more for minorities and addressing racism, because strategically the more moderate candidate has a better chance of winning over the racist candidate from the racist party, as was evidenced with Biden.
In America--or any democracy--citizens get the government they deserve. Part of the problem is that not enough Americans fulfill their duty and privilege to vote in elections (and not just Presidential elections). Just 78,000 votes spread among three states would have handed Trump a defeat in 2016. I believe we can eradicate systemic racism in America, but it will require more consistent effort and work. As I advised my son, you can march in 50 BLM protests, but it still isn't as powerful as your one vote. So, for right-minded people--be they Black, White, or other--we need to work together and all do our part: VOTE in every election, get out the VOTE, communicate one's views to their elected officials with persistence, and seek to better educate our fellow citizens so that they, too, vote more wisely.
Yes, Obama is biracial. But he identifies as Black, and has been widely embraced across the racial spectrum as our first Black President. Should we not respect how multiracial people identify themselves?
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@noyopacific ~ So, why did you misrepresent Graham Cracker's answer? That doesn't really add up. Moreover, your posting your objection here to this comment rather than as a general comment to the video smacks of Whataboutism, which is a logical fallacy.
As a practical matter, find an insignificant difference between denying the systemic racism that exists in America and denying the racism that exists in America. Additionally, you fail to respond to the arguments posed as questions to you. Just so you know, am sympathetic to calling out the media, as routinely post ***MEDIA FAIL*** comments where appropriate to news videos, objecting to shoddy journalism on reputable MSM.
If the journalist showed a pattern of knowingly distorting things, then wouldn't give them the benefit of a doubt. Here, it's possible the reporter misspoke. Alternatively, he could have been displaying some bias by being sarcastic. But that doesn't really bother me so much, either. Why? Because for many years we have watched Republicans not operating in good faith like Graham Cracker manipulate the MSM, who stuck to their ethics and principles, allowing it to happen, and it has cost our nation dearly. There is a critical need for our MSM to take the gloves off when dealing with such scum, which we have started to see them do, and it should have happened much sooner. View such journalistic bias not as against Republicans, but as a bias for informing the public about the truth. Somewhat similar is cops telling the little lie to a suspect in order to catch the pedophile committing multiple sexual assaults against children. Few condemn the police for doing that. And we shouldn't necessarily fault journalists for slightly bending the ethics once in a while to gain or impart the greater truth.
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The Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM, or “the Wall”) is dedicated not to the war, but to the 2.7 million U.S. military men and women who served in the war zone, living and dead. It contains nearly 58,300 names of those dead or missing, on two ten-foot high granite wings, each spanning nearly 250 feet. A close uncle’s name is etched into the black rock of the Wall.
Propose erecting a similar monument for all those who senselessly lost their lives to COVID-19 due to our Traitor-‘n-Thief, Toxic Trump, and all those Republican so-called “leaders” in Congress, SCOTUS, and the GOP, complicit in enabling, aiding, and abetting his malfeasance.
In just four MONTHS, the U.S. had ALREADY needlessly lost more than TWICE as many to COVID-19 than died in all thirteen YEARS of the Vietnam war. By the time Trump leaves office, the one out of every 800 Americans will have died from COVID-19 in just ten months--over 400,000 fatalities, about as many American casualties as WWII. It would also honor all those front-line ESSENTIAL workers who selflessly put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe and secure; the names of their dead to be given prominence and note upon the structure.
Whether constructed in the form of a wall or something different, its principle intent would be to serve as a constant, enduring reminder to us all and to future generations; as a testament to—and a barrier against—our own American ignorance, arrogance, avarice, cowardice, and malevolence. A sort of visual prophylactic, if you will, built in hope of protecting us against inbred hubris, greed, and stupidity. It’s design should be open, with interchangeable elements that challenge—and help teach—people to reason, and to think critically and objectively, while stressing humanity, humility and humbleness.
The VVM Wall is likewise also a monument to American ignorance, hubris, avarice, and malevolence, although erected solely to honor those military personnel. Few may think, or have thought, of it that way; and doubtless many would refuse to think of it as such, but the truth stands out in stark, prominent display for everyone to see…if they just apply a little critical, objective reasoning.
Another thought to ponder: The VVM Wall marks the first time America fatally failed that generation; the proposed monument would mark our second time they were senselessly sacrificed. Would like to see the proposed COVID-19 monument erected adjacent to the prior monument attesting failure, the VVM Wall, to serve as symbolic bookends, as a further tribute to that ill-served generation of Americans.
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@alioucisse1548 ~ Suspect what will be most remarkable to future generations is not the Traitor-‘n-‘Thief, Toxic Trump, so much—although his name will surely be enshrined in infamy for the ages—as it is and will be the Republican so-called leaders and cult that enabled him and supported a racist, misogynist, xenophobic, homophobic, bigoted, narcissistic, sociopathic, moronic, divisive, anti-science, anti-democratic raving lunatic and his corruption, a man compromised by foreign nations, including our principle adversary, through his tremendous debt. Between that, his catastrophic, irresponsible handling of COVID-19, and his incitement of anti-democratic violent Reich-wing groups, Trump has made himself America's #1 most serious national security threat. A decade or two down the road, Trump is likely to be viewed as a tragic Hitleresque figure; a victim of himself, mental illness, and his upbringing, who should have never been put in a position to victimize others, and who should have been removed long before being allowed to victimize so many others.
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Toxic Trump and Republicans are traitors to America. They've been gaslighting Trump's Russian collusion and election fraud for years, and continue doing so. Trump should have been impeached and convicted after the Mueller Report, which didn't happen only because of A.G. Barr and Republicans, who were ultimately responsible for that failure. Then Congressional Republicans refused to impeach despite overwhelming evidence of Trump's Ukraine shakedown. The worst was the third time Republicans refused to impeach Trump after he incited a terrorist insurrection against his own government on the nation's Capitol. Now, Republicans refuse to even have a BIPARTISAN commission to investigate January 6. Moreover, throughout Trump's term and even after, Republicans have been KNOWINGLY spreading Russian propaganda designed to weaken America, kill Americans. So, when is Merrick Garland and the DOJ going to step up and hold Trump and his Republican accomplices accountable for their many FEDERAL crimes, or is Garland going to set the terrible, horrific precedent that a former President is a King and above the law? Just when America most needed a strong and courageous AG at the DOJ, we instead got a cowardly enabler in Merrick Garland.
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GOP is the party of lies, the party of crackpot conspiracy theories, the party of gross hypocrisy, the party of fear, the party of hate, the party of cowards, the party of pollution, the party of plutocrats, the party of corruption, the party of anti-democracy, the party of sedition, the party of terrorists, the party of fascism, the party of tyranny, the party of evil, the party of Satan. Republican cult doesn't care about America and ALL Americans, doesn't want to bargain in good faith...because they already made their pact with the Devil.
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Suspect what will be most remarkable to future generations is not the Traitor-‘n-‘Thief, Toxic Trump, so much—although his name will surely be enshrined in infamy for the ages—as it is and will be the Republican so-called leaders and cult that enabled him and supported a racist, misogynist, xenophobic, homophobic, bigoted, narcissistic, sociopathic, moronic, divisive, anti-democratic raving lunatic and his corruption, a man compromised by foreign nations, including our principle adversary, through his tremendous debt. Between that, his catastrophic, irresponsible handling of COVID-19, and his incitement of anti-democratic violent Reich-wing groups, Trump has made himself America's #1 most serious national security threat. A decade or two down the road, Trump is likely to be viewed as a tragic Hitleresque figure; a victim of himself, mental illness, and his upbringing, who should have never been put in a position to victimize others, and who should have been removed long before being allowed to victimize so many others.
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"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from 'Trumpism is American Fascism'
(NOTE: Gerson is a staunch life-long conservative, who served as former President George W. Bush's chief speech writer.)
As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
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@skaybaltimore ~ Fauci has been telling us the truth, but the problem is that he hasn't always told us the whole truth, especially at the beginning of this pandemic. While understandable to some extent, have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, thought that people with integrity like Fauci should have resigned en masse. On the other hand, there's the very real possibility that would have left the nation in even worse shape than where we are--something quite difficult to even contemplate. Hard to fault too much those who are selfless and altruistic, if having little respect for those like Bolton, who put ideology, ego, and greed before their integrity.
Bannon's heads on a pike comment referenced both Fauci and FBI Director Wray. As former head of Reich-wing media outlet Breitbart news, Bannon knew he was within his First Amendment rights. It was no less offensive that that spoken before by other Reich-wing demagogues like Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter. Of course it was irresponsible, reprehensible, vile, an incitement to violence. However, the problem isn't so much the First Amendment as is the missing universal public rejection and condemnation of Bannon and his words. Bannon's lawyer representing him against federal fraud charges did immediately resign, but that is small consolation.
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Beginning to think that President Biden needs to declare martial law to get Covid-19 under control. It's appalling and sad that it's gotten to this point because of corrupt Republican leaders who care only about their political ambitions and nothing about their constituent's health or lives, and a bunch of anti-science morons lacking basic decency and even a modicum of common sense.
In a sane America----one where a third of the population wasn't programmed into a mindless, fascist Republican cult----we would have universal Covid-19 vaccine passports, masks and social distancing required wherever and whenever deemed necessary by public health officials, and mandatory vaccinations for all those able to receive it. Actually, in a sane America, none of that would be necessary, because everyone able would be voluntarily getting vaccinated, and everybody would be faithfully following CDC guidelines like wearing masks and socially distancing. They would be doing so because it is in there own best interest; because it is the moral and ethical thing to do to protect our fellow citizens; because we need to prevent the creation of new, more deadly variants; because it is the best way to recover the economy; because it is the best way to get things back to normal; because it is the civic, patriotic thing to do; and because it is just plain old-fashioned common sense.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and disturbing. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, and our country.
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"Until Republicans return to reality and become responsible, they should not be trusted with power again."
That's been obvious for some time, the same warning others like me have been advocating, but it's good that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is amplifying that message. More Americans need to understand this.
The constant lies, denials, deceits, delusions, gaslighting, and hypocrisy of Republicans is disgusting and disturbing. The Republican cult has poisoned itself with its own propaganda, choosing to live in a fascist Orwellian fantasy world. The Republican cult has been radicalized to such extent that it poses a clear and present danger to our society, our democracy, and our country.
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Reich-wing media, demagogues, and politicians created and nourished the beast for decades, and now it has consumed them. They could have learned a lesson or two from Frankenstein, but they were too arrogant, too greedy, too lustful for power and fame. It's bringing them down, it's bringing the GOP down, and--worst of all--they're bringing America down. Republican cult has been fed a steady diet of lies, fear, and hate, willingly swallowed and spewed back out. It's past time to deprogram the cult, save the nation.
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The problem at the heart of all this is a Republican cult built up over decades by the GOP, plutocrats, Reich-wing demagogues, Reich-wing Christian nationalism religious leaders, and Reich-wing print, radio, TV, and social media, programmed 24/7, radicalizing them and creating mass delusion. A straight line can be drawn through to the inevitable catastrophic conclusion witnessed today from Lee Atwater, Roger Aisles, Pat Buchanan, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, Newt Gingrich, Ann Coulter, Karl Rove, Lou Dobbs, Mitch McConnell, Billy Graham, Sean Hannity, Jim Jordan, to Donald J. Trump. Sure, some in the Republican cult truly are that ignorant or gullible; but most are willfully ignorant, being fed the lies they want to hear. They bear personal responsibility. Part of it's a cultural problem, as some mostly older white people's mistaken perception is that the America they knew is slipping away. Well, America is still America, but--like most nations--is constantly evolving, as progress invariably rolls on, but they are unwilling to accept that, or change with the times.
Those Americans elected that pitiful, pathetic puerile President, and have continued to support him no matter what travesty he committed! The creators of the Republican cult have always been weak men, and now find themselves harnessed by those they sought to enslave, subject to the fickle whims of a moronic madman and the mob whose ignorance they relentlessly nourished and cultivated. They created the beast, thought they could ride the tiger, exploit it for their own greed, vanity, and power, too stupid or uncaring to realize that it would instead inevitably come to consume them.
American conservatism has always been the endless, futile quest to justify greed, but the coin of the realm in GOP land is fear; it’s what they peddle, it’s what they traffic in, it’s what they carry in their pocket at all times. Then, they turn that fear into hate. And that hate is the poison killing them, America, and all of us. It’s the poison to which the Republican cult has become addicted.
Republican cultism is the disease, Toxic Trump is merely the most visible symptom and but one carrier of that disease. It existed before Trump, and it will continue when Trump is gone—unless or until the problem is adequately addressed. COVID-19 is also a disease; but a virus is blameless, unlike those who engage in willful ignorance. America would have confronted and easily conquered COVID-19 disease, had America not already been diseased for so long with Republican tribalistic partisan cultism. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and religious bigotry all were central to the formation of the Republican cult, and remain its lifeblood.
"United we stand, divided we fall." A simple concept, really, that too many Americans seem to have forgotten or abandoned. Our nation is like an airplane; it requires both the left and right wings working together in tandem to operate properly and safely. Only problem is the Reich-wing decided to try flying solo, forcing us all into a nose-dive! Care about the issues, disdain political gamesmanship, while still recognizing politics is an inseparable and necessary element. Have always respected and valued loyal opposition, even if in disagreement with the ideology. Fact is, though, the GOP has abdicated the requisite role of loyal opposition to become a mindless, tribalistic, hyper-partisan Reich-wing cult that places greed and political party over truth, reason, decency, and country.
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Farmer wakes up one morning, goes outside to milk his cows, and discovers his entire herd is missing! So, he then walks over nest door to where the Republican cult lives, notices them grinding a whole bunch of beef into hamburger, and asks them, "Did you see what happened to all my cows?"
Republican cult: "Yeah, they jumped over the moon."
Farmer: "Do you have any actual evidence of that?"
Republican cult: "No, because they landed on the dark side, and you can't see them over there. But we're conducting a bunch of investigations and fraudits, and we're confident evidence will soon emerge to prove it!"
Farmer: "You know, that sounds like a load of manure!"
Republican cult: "Well, that's what we all choose to believe!"
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GOP and Trump administration: Where the hard reality of COVID-19 pierces the Republican cult bubble world of delusional fantasies, denialism, deceit, supreme ignorance, utter incompetence, and Orwellian governance, exposing them all as charlatans and frauds. Much as needed, we're hoping that doesn't happen; that America escapes the ravages of this disease, and we don't suffer thousands of American citizens dying, with many more becoming critically ill. Tragically, that doesn't seem very likely, and the Trump administration hardly inspires confidence, with all indications to date CONTRARY that they can capably handle such a catastrophe occurring here.
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Vote BLUE for science, humanity, sanity, justice, truth, inclusiveness, reason, decency, democracy, and reality! And, don't forget to also GET OUT THE VOTE! With anti-democratic, fascist Trump and GOP, must vote to win too big to rig, too real to steal, create too much heat to cheat; if complete, Dems can't be beat.
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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.
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As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it 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 timid or Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for courageously 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 our children and fellow citizens of this nation.
"Call this civic barbarism. Instead of promoting the values of responsible citizenship, Trump, Republican leadership, and their media enablers have elevated and blessed the very worst among us. They are making many Americans less suited for self-government and more dangerous to their neighbors. And they are doing so for the reason some of the Founders most feared: To lead the mob against true democracy."
~ Michael Gerson, from _'Trumpism is American Fascism'
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Toxic Trump: A clear and present danger to himself and others. U.S. #1 national security threat sits in the Oval.
Republicans: Like to play dumb, demonstrating just how really, REALLY dumb they are. Complicity renders them likewise a clear and present danger to themselves, others, the nation. Decades of programming from right-wing media, demagogues, plutocrats, religious grifters, and seedy politicians created a mindless, fascist Republican cult, too hyper-partisan to place national interest over ignorant tribalism. GOP chained themselves to the rabid, ravenous beast of willful ignorance consuming them, which they created, nourished, and exploited.
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You don't get denialism without nihilism. As life-long conservative Bill Kristol astutely pointed our just recently in a tweet, the Republican party has embraced nihilism. Republicans still labeling COVID-19 a "hoax;" Republicans still refusing to wear masks or social distance after over half-a-million American fatalities from COVID-19; Congressional Republicans obstructing a COVID-19 stimulus bill certain to pass just to delay vital and urgently needed relief to Americans desperate for help; not one Congressional Republican in either chamber voting for the badly needed stimulus bill; Republican governors dropping mask mandates and all restrictions on businesses, heedless of rising case counts in their states and deadly new variants of the virus; and Republican leaders continuing to push the Big Lie that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen without evidence and in disregard of plentiful evidence and facts to the contrary, even AFTER their Big Lie incited a terrorist attack by a mindless Republican mob against the nation's Capitol in insurrection against the government, attempting to overturn a legitimate election, sieging, storming, sizing, sacking, defiling, defacing and disgracing America's citadel of, and temple to, democracy--these are all prime examples of nihilism.
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