Comments by "" (@DavidJ222) on "The Lincoln Project"
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At the close of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Benjamin Franklin was asked a question as he left Independence Hall on the final day of deliberation. In the notes of Dr. James McHenry, one of Maryland’s delegates to the Convention, a lady asked Dr. Franklin: “Well Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?"
Benjamin Franklin replied: “A republic....if you can keep it.”
Trump is now telling us that we can no longer keep it..
This election will determine whether or not we keep our 244 year old democratic republic, or see it replaced with a tyrant and his despotic monarchy. Make no mistake, America is in a fight for it's very survival, and Trump has made it abundantly clear that this country isn't big enough for him and our democratic republic, so therefore one of them MUST GO!!!
On Nov 3rd, make a decision. Who's side are you on?
Biden/Harris 2020💙
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This MLK quote should be read by every republican in public office every morning whenever they wake up.
"Cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? But conscience asks the question, is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right."
--Martin Luther King, Jr.
"In a word, I was too cowardly to do what I knew to be right, as I had been too cowardly to avoid doing what I knew to be wrong."
--Charles Dickens
This quote aptly describes Mike Johnson, and McConnell.
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At the close of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Benjamin Franklin was asked a question as he left Independence Hall on the final day of deliberation. In the notes of Dr. James McHenry, one of Maryland’s delegates to the Convention, a lady asked Dr. Franklin: “Well Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?"
Benjamin Franklin replied: “A republic....if you can keep it.”
Trump is now telling us that we can no longer keep it.
This election will determine whether or not we keep our 244 year old democratic republic, or see it replaced with a tyrant and his despotic monarchy. Make no mistake, America is in a fight for it's very survival, and Trump has made it abundantly clear that this country isn't big enough for him and our democratic republic, so therefore one of them MUST GO!!!
On Nov 3rd, make a decision. Who's side are you on?
Biden/Harris 2020💙
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Putin, Kim Jong Un, Duterte, Erdogan, Bolsonaro, MBS, Xi Jinping, and Al-Assad all have one thing in common. They are all brutal strongmen and dictators who demand respect, loyalty, and dogmatic obedience to them and them alone. This is exactly why Trump has a sick and demented admiration for these tyrants. He sees himself as one of them.
Time and time again, Trump keeps telling us exactly who and what he is. But unfortunately some people still refuse to believe him, or even listen to what he's saying.
June 15 2018
Trump praises Kim Jung Un's control over his people.
"He's the head of the country," Trump said of Kim during a Fox interview.
"And I mean he's the strong head. Don't let anyone think anything different."
"He speaks and his people sit up at attention," Trump added. "I want my people to do the same."
Deep down, Trump has always despised America and our democratic republic. He has nothing but contempt for our Constitution, and the " idea" of America. Trump has always favored despotic dictatorships. That's why he speaks so highly of tyrants like Putin, Kim Jong Un, Xi, Duterte, and MBS. And anyone who has been paying attention, knows that Trump has never hidden his true feelings about any of this. When someone repeatedly tells you, and shows you who they are, it would behoove you to believe them.
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In 2018, Johnson and a group of Republicans wanted to show their patriotism by spending the 4th of July celebrating America's independence in Moscow.
In 2018, eight republican lawmakers celebrated the 4th of July inMoscow: Senator Richard C. Shelby of Alabama, who led the delegation, along with Senators Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, John Neely Kennedy of Louisiana, Steve Daines of Montana, North Dakota’s John Hoeven, Jerry Moran of Kansas, South Dakota’s John Thune, and Rep. Kay Granger of Texas. The dubious reason they gave for the trip was “engagement."
The group met with a number of RussianAgents, and keyRussian officials, including foreign minister and former RussianAmbassador to the US, the two who 14 months earlier were photographed by the RussianPress yukking it up with Trump in the Oval Office, the day after Trump fired Comey for daring to do his job of investigatingRussian interference in our elections. To this day, we have no way of knowing what was discussed during their visit toMoscow, as the media was barred from the closed-door meetings, much to the delight of the GloatingRussians.
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The true character of an individual will always be revealed when they are faced with a crisis or adversity. And the eternal question will always be: at the moment of truth, when it truly mattered, what did they do? How did they respond?
In the midst of a national health crisis, when America needed a leader the most, Trump has categorically failed. He failed at the moment of truth. It has been a catastrophic failure, with lethal consequences. His lies, indifference, and downplaying of the coronavirus pandemic, will be remembered as the greatest dereliction of duty in presidential history. It is why this virus will be remembered by historians as The TrumpVirus, and rightfully so, because it didn't have to be this way. The needless loss of more than 200 thousand American lives is now Trump's legacy.
We owe it to the more than 220 thousand American souls that are no longer with us, to remove Trump from office.
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History: "Why oh why must I continually repeat myself? Sometimes I feel as if people believe I actually enjoy repeating myself. How many more times must I show the world what happens when people allow despotic and authoritarian dictators like Adolf, Mussolini, Lenin Stalin, Putin, Pol Pot, Kim Jung Un, and now Trump to come to power. It NEVER ends well. It never has, and it never will. But YOU people don't learn, and you clearly don't pay attention. It's like you're suffering from chronic amnesia. I have even gone so far as to keep a trash-heap of old tattered authoritarian regimes of the past as a reminder, and a warning, for the world to see. But alas, I am forced to repeat myself yet again, because you people don't learn.
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“THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.
―Thomas Paine, The Crisis
At the close of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Benjamin Franklin was asked a question as he left Independence Hall on the final day of deliberation. In the notes of Dr. James McHenry, one of Maryland’s delegates to the Convention, a lady asked Dr. Franklin: “Well Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?"
Benjamin Franklin replied: “A republic....if you can keep it.”
Trump and the Republican party are telling us that we can no longer keep it. They are telling us that the "idea" that is America, is over.
This election will determine whether or not we keep our 244 year old democratic republic, or see it replaced with a tyrant and his despotic monarchy. Make no mistake, America is in a fight for it's very survival, because Trump and his henchmen have made it abundantly clear that this country isn't big enough for him and our democratic republic, so therefore one of them MUST GO!!!
So you see, the choices are clear. On Nov 3rd, make a decision. America vs Trump, democracy vs tyranny. Who's side are you on?
“If there is one fact we really can prove, from the history that we really do know, it is that despotism can be a development, often a late development and very often indeed the end of societies that have been highly democratic. A despotism may almost be defined as a tired democracy. As fatigue falls on a community, the citizens are less inclined for that eternal vigilance which has truly been called the price of liberty; and they prefer to arm only one single sentinel to watch the city while they sleep.”
― G.K. Chesterton, The Everlasting Man
“The actions of government, we are told, bear down only on imprudent souls who provoke them. The man who resigns himself and keeps silent is always safe. Reassured by this worthless and specious argument, we do not protest against the oppressors. Instead we find fault with the victims. Nobody knows how to be brave even prudentially. Everyone stays silent, keeping his head low in the self-deceiving hope of disarming the powers that be by his silence. People give despotism free access, flattering themselves they will be treated with consideration. Eyes to the ground, each person walks in silence the narrow path leading him safely to the tomb.”
― Benjamin Constant, Principles of Politics Applicable to All Governments
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“If there is one fact we really can prove, from the history that we really do know, it is that despotism can be a development, often a late development and very often indeed the end of societies that have been highly democratic. A despotism may almost be defined as a tired democracy. As fatigue falls on a community, the citizens are less inclined for that eternal vigilance which has truly been called the price of liberty; and they prefer to arm only one single sentinel to watch the city while they sleep.”
― G.K. Chesterton, The Everlasting Man
“The actions of government, we are told, bear down only on imprudent souls who provoke them. The man who resigns himself and keeps silent is always safe. Reassured by this worthless and specious argument, we do not protest against the oppressors. Instead we find fault with the victims. Nobody knows how to be brave even prudentially. Everyone stays silent, keeping his head low in the self-deceiving hope of disarming the powers that be by his silence. People give despotism free access, flattering themselves they will be treated with consideration. Eyes to the ground, each person walks in silence the narrow path leading him safely to the tomb.”
― Benjamin Constant, Principles of Politics Applicable to All Governments
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History: "Why oh why must I continually repeat myself? Sometimes I feel as if people believe I actually enjoy repeating myself. How many more times must I show the world what happens when people allow despotic and authoritarian dictators like Adolf, Mussolini, Lenin Stalin, Putin, Pol Pot, Kim Jung Un, and now Trump to come to power. It NEVER ends well. It never has, and it never will. But YOU people don't learn, and you clearly don't pay attention. It's like you're suffering from chronic amnesia. I have even gone so far as to keep a trash-heap of old tattered authoritarian regimes of the past as a reminder, and a warning, for the world to see. But alas, I am forced to repeat myself yet again, because you people don't learn.
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"Last night, a man stole my Prada purse at gunpoint. After it happened, I told him, "I'm calling the police mister." He responded "Mrs. Bowers, please don't. That won't promote unity and healing. And we need to come together after that horrific robbery we both just experienced."
I'm kidding.That wasn't someone who robbed me. It was the Republicans who aided and abetted Donald Trump’s domestic terrorists who swarmed the Capitol in hopes of overturning our democracy. Instead, they just posed for selfies in silly costumes while criming. Yeah, they're that stupid. Oh, and they also ki//ed some people. Yes, the same folks who are all about "Blue Lives Matter" and "Respect the Flag" disrespected the flag to end a blue life. It's almost as if they don't REALLY believe any of the things they say. Which is why I side-eye any calls for bipartisanship from them now. "Oops, our attempt at a bloody, treasonous insurrection failed. So let's just forget the whole thing. Bygones and hold hands." While they regroup on their latest app for white supremacists.
Remember after 9/11, when everyone was all, "Let's not go after Bin Laden for that lapse into terrorism. If you do, he'll just do more terrorism. Instead, let's just send him a Gwyneth Paltrow vageen candle, and work with him towards unity and healing?" Yeah, I don't either. But the insurrection at the Capitol never would have happened without 2 things: 1 Donald - and the rest of the Republicans'- lies about the election. 2, something not getting nearly as much attention: Christian nationalists. The riot was full of them. But then again, so is any gathering of white supremacists. There were Dominionist prayers before, during, and after the Capitol's windows were smashed. The mob was invoking their "Thou Shall Not Ki//" mascot, while they were ki//ing.
So what is it now? "Render unto Caesar - a Molotov cocktail!!" Or " Onward Christian domestic terrorists?" Frankly, I blame in part the gimmick called "Religious Freedom." It has taught us that the laws that apply to so-called "everyone" don't apply to conservative Christians. That makes us....oh, what is the word? LAWLESS. Because when I hear the "Well, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley didn't actually storm the Capitol" defense, I'm reminded of how popular the "Well, Bin Laden didn't actually fly the planes" defense was after 9/11. You know, cause Charles Manson never actually ki//ed anyone either.
Criming is so much more tidy when you get others to do it for you. Because pretending to care about pretend election fraud, to overturn a REAL election, is inciting REAL sedition. And when the Christian Nationalists you inspire namedrop you while they're committing domestic terrorism -- congratulations!!
You know your reckless encouragement worked."
--Mrs. Betty Bowers, America's Best Christian
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Steve Bannon once said proudly: “I am a Leninist.” Bannon said that Lenin wanted to destroy the Russian state (which was true) and that he had the same goals for Amerca. “I want to bring everything crashing down and destroy all of today’s establishment" Bannon said.
From the look of Trump’s time in White House, Bannon installed a bevy of Leninist political tactics that could have come straight from the Bolshevik leader’s playbook..
Two days after Lenin seized power in Russia a century ago, he began an assault on the free press – and his successors in the USSR did not let up for the next 70 years. Putin is literally following in Lenin's footsteps, and Trump would love to follow in Putin's footsteps.
Three days after Trump’s inauguration Bannon told the NYT: “The media should be embarrassed and humiliated and keep its mouth shut and just listen … I want you to quote this. "The media here is the opposition party." This was the beginning of Trump's war on the free press, which is a must for any demagogue.
At a rally held by Steve Bannon in March of last year, an angry and hostile woman took the mic and said, “Never in my life did I think I would like to see a dictator, but if there’s gonna be one, I want it to be Trump!” which was met with loud cheers and applause from Bannon and the crowd of cultists. It goes without saying that any American who would cheer for that, doesn't believe in liberty, freedom, or the Constitution.
Since information from the press can undermine a dictator's spell over his cultists, they will often attack and demonized the free press. They will usually claim that the media can't be trusted. They have even called out for violence against news outlets that oppose them, claiming that the press is part of a deep state conspiracy against them, or claiming that leading newspapers were simply personally out to get him. No dictator can survive in a country that has a free press. This fact was not lost on Lenin, and neither is that fact lost on Trump. The truth has been, and will always be, Trump's nemesis
Bannon helped to creat the hate-filled language of alt-right politics, which is decidedly Leninist in tone. Above all, Lenin needed to invent enemies he had to be seen to defeat. In post- revolutionary Russia it was the “elite” a word Lenin used frequently. And he despised so-called “experts” who claimed a monopoly of knowledge. He often said that a worker with five days’ training could run a government department. He scapegoated opponents and labelled them “enemies of the people”.
Lenin abolished the existing legal system and started afresh. Within a few weeks his regime closed down the first freely elected parliament in Russia’s history – and the Soviets never allowed another one. It would be wrong to assume that the next step for Trump is the abolition of Congress, or the construction of labour camps. But the unprecedented war by tweet between Trump and the judiciary over his executive orders has real echoes of Lenin.
Lenin would very likely have identified 2016 as a revolutionary moment. He matters today not because of his flawed and bloody answers, but because he was asking questions similar to those we are asking today. In his quest for power, Lenin promised people anything and everything. He offered simple solutions to complex issues. He lied unashamedly. He justified himself on the basis that winning meant everything; the ends justified the means. Lenin was the godfather of post-truth politics. Powerful people have learned depressing lessons from him. In order for our democratic republic to survive, Trump must be defeated.
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There is more than enough evidence to charge Trump with criminal negligent homicide of at least 200 thousand Americans.
In proving negligent homicide, the prosecution only needs to establish that the defendants knew the risks associated with their actions.
1. The defendant was aware of the risks associated with the actions that led to the other person’s death. ✔
2. The defendant acted, or failed to act appropriately in a dangerous situation, and that action or inaction caused the victim’s death. ✔
3. There is a direct link between the defendant’s conduct and the victim’s death. ✔
Trump has admitted to downplaying the virus from the very beginning. He has been telling lies to the American since January, and with lethal consequences.
Trump told Woodward he's been minimizing the threat posed by the outbreak.
Trump: "I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down," Trump said.
Trump during February 7 phone call with Bob Woodward:
"It goes through air, Bob. That's always tougher than the touch. You know, the touch, you don't have to touch things. Right? But the air, you just breathe the air and that's how it's passed. And so that's a very tricky one. That's a very delicate one. It's also more deadly than your, you know, your even your strenuous flus. This is 5% vs 1%. You know so, this is deadly stuff."
Three weeks after that call, Trump told this lie to the public during a February 26 White House press conference:
Trump: "It's a little like the regular flu that we have flu shots for. And we'll essentially have a flu shot for this in a fairly quick manner.?
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Trump has more in common with Fidel Castro and past and current communist dictators, than he does with former US Presidents.
In May of 2018, when China's President Xi Jinping, leader of the COMMUNIST PARTY of China, changed the country’s constitution to allow him to stay in power indefinitely, Trump, who admires dictators, said it was a good idea, and he had dreams of doing the same thing.
During remarks at Mar-a-Lago, delivered inside the ballroom during a lunch and fundraiser, Trump praised the Chinese president’s power grab, and said he wouldn’t mind trying it himself.
Trump: “He’s now president for life. President for life. No, he’s great,” Trump said. “And look, he was able to do that. I think it’s great. Maybe we’ll have to give that a shot someday.”
Trump is currently working on giving it a shot as we speak.
● Replacing the rule of law with the law of rule—courtesy of Bill Barr—as accused allies receive pardons and praise while enemies are threatened with arbitrary prosecution.
● Engaging in multiple obstructions of justice, such as firing FBI director James Comey and urging White House counsel Don McGahn to lie to Mueller.
● Basing an entire convention on himself—no platform, Trumps proliferating like Borgias—and on the daily violation of the anti-monarchical Hatch Act because “no one cares,” according to his apologist Mark Meadows.
● Worsening economic inequality by shifting trillions through tax breaks to “American Oligarchs,” in Andrea Bernstein’s useful phrase, who then gratefully support his assaults on environmental and consumer laws to make even more money.
● Inciting violence by hyperbolic attacks on opponents, embracing neo-nazi5 while ignoring warnings from the FBI about the number-one domestic threat, right-wing violence.
● Enthusiastically embracing many of the world’s leading dictators—Putin, Xi, Bolsonaro, Kim Jung Un, Sisi, Duterte, Erdogan.
● Repeating Covid-19 falsehoods in order to pressure Republican governors to prematurely reopen the economy and schools, causing the avoidable deaths of over 100,000 Americans so far.
● Attempting to stymie postal delivery to, in effect, steal millions of mail-in ballots… and the election.
● Erupting with a lava of lies—now up to an average of 22 a day, to bury rivals and reality (Goebbels in 1941 said, “There are so many lies that truth and swindle can scarcely be distinguished."
● Attempting to delegitimize the Fourth Estate (the free press) as “enemies of the people,” using Stalin’s odious phrase.
● Bullying neutral sources of information—the CDC, DNI, FDA, regulatory agencies—to bend their expected integrity to his political needs.
● Milking public office for private gain by treating “his” federal government like he treated the Trump Organization.
● Attempting to criminally extort the president of Ukraine in order to smear Joe Biden.
● Fiiring career professionals and “independent” inspectors general for doing their job, increasingly having a government of cronies, cranks, multimillionaires, relatives, and unconfirmable third-raters.
● Ignoring all congressional subpoenas (when Nixon ignored eight of them, it became the third article in his impeachment, “Contempt of Congress”).
● Saying things such as “I alone can fix it” and “with Article II, I can do whatever I want,” as well as praising Xi Jinping and his Chinese Communist party, when it changed the country’s constitution, making Xi Jinping ruler for life.
If you add it all up, What do you see? "It all has one purpose,” said Sally Yates, former acting attorney general, “to remove any check on his abuse of power.” It is brazen and deviant despotism.
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There is more than enough evidence to charge Trump with criminal negligent homicide of at least 200 thousand Americans.
In proving negligent homicide, the prosecution only needs to establish that the defendants knew the risks associated with their actions.
1. The defendant was aware of the risks associated with the actions that led to the other person’s death. ✔
2. The defendant acted, or failed to act appropriately in a dangerous situation, and that action or inaction caused the victim’s death. ✔
3. There is a direct link between the defendant’s conduct and the victim’s death. ✔
Trump has admitted to downplaying the virus from the very beginning. He has been telling lies to the American since January, and with lethal consequences.
Trump told Woodward he's been minimizing the threat posed by the outbreak.
Trump: "I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down," Trump said.
Trump during February 7 phone call with Bob Woodward:
"It goes through air, Bob. That's always tougher than the touch. You know, the touch, you don't have to touch things. Right? But the air, you just breathe the air and that's how it's passed. And so that's a very tricky one. That's a very delicate one. It's also more deadly than your, you know, your even your strenuous flus. This is 5% vs 1%. You know so, this is deadly stuff."
Three weeks after that call, Trump told this lie to the public during a February 26 White House press conference:
Trump: "It's a little like the regular flu that we have flu shots for. And we'll essentially have a flu shot for this in a fairly quick manner."
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Trump will be remembered as the chaos and disorder president. He is the cloven hoofed purveyor of fear & loathing, of pandemics & death. He is a provocateur of mayhem & upheaval. He is a merchant of lies & deception. And he is tried his best to create an America in his own image: vile, dark, hopeless, bleak, backwards, malignant, grotesque, ignorant, selfish, indecent, malicious, debased, indifferent, and malevolent.
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