- [x] The Espionage Act says the following: ANYONE who “willfully retains…any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, or note relating to the national defense, or information relating to the national defense which information the possessor has reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation…
- [x] (and fails to deliver it on demand to the officer or employee of the United States entitled to receive it” can be punished by as many as ten years in prison.)
Yo, Maga Republicans, how can you read this and still defend this treasonous traitor?
Direct analogies to the Wagner Group/Putin relationship. I heard dozens (maybe hundreds) of Defense Base Act and War Hazards Act cases involving our own mercenaries, private contractors performing military operations. Among others, Trump had Erik Prince and other would be Prigozhins who heard his cry to the Proud Boys. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIHhB1ZMV_o
How about those seditious Oathkeepers? Boogaloo Boys? 3%ers?
"Mr. Prince, the former head of Blackwater Worldwide and the brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, has at times served as an informal adviser to Trump administration officials. He worked with the former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn during the presidential transition. In 2017, he met with White House and Pentagon officials to pitch a plan to privatize the Afghan war using contractors in lieu of American troops. Jim Mattis, then the defense secretary, rejected the idea.
Mr. Prince appears to have become interested in using former spies to train Project Veritas operatives in espionage tactics sometime during the 2016 presidential campaign. Reaching out to several intelligence veterans — and occasionally using Mr. Seddon to make the pitch — Mr. Prince said he wanted the Project Veritas employees to learn skills like how to recruit sources and how to conduct clandestine recordings, among other surveillance techniques."
What have Garland and the FBI done to investigate?
Yes, if the SHITler does get back into power, it's own personal Waffen SS will come from Prince and fragments of all of the other MAGAt fascist militias out there.
DeSATAN is already forming his own Gestapo in Florida with his 'election police' and book ban enforcing goon squads.
David, what I don't understand is how these private militias can be legal. I know we have laws against the private militias. I also know that DeSantis is trying things to see what will fly, and he is finding that a lot of what should be illegal, removing rights from Americans, flies. With the "conservative" judges and justices on our courts, it is hard to see how DeSantis, Trump, and the militias (except maybe for a few of their leaders) will be held accountable for anything they have done, or will do, unless the family of one of those judges/justices is the victim. We sure do have a lot of work to do if we are going to stop this attempted take-over of our nation.
Prof. I was grateful today to hear the SC knocked down the ridiculous "independent legislatures" nonsense, but that does not relieve me of concerns that they would permit other human rights violations to stand, and that case was about human rights violations because every citizen in this nation 18 and over is supposed to have the right to vote and have their vote counted. So, how was this case even a thing?.
Daniel, thanks for the connections between Trump and the right-wing insurrectionists, relating that to the Putin Prigozhin team project. The names of the men you named like Flynn and Prince are deeply problematic. They are out for themselves and will do whatever they can to get whatever they can whether it is within the law or not, just like their fearful leader Trump. The hard thing for me to note is how often we put these creeps into office or allow them to get power because We the People of the world think those guys give a damn about anyone but themselves and the money and power they can accumulate. We need to work on that tendency and to keep the power/money-addicted out of power. .
Project Veritas methods seem similar to those of Nixons watergate invasion of Democratic offices. But hey its all cool they are a media organization so its legal right?
Project Veritas is only one aspect of the kind of special ops projects our clandestine agencies have been promoting for as long as I can remember. We used these techniques to undermine and demoralize governments like Iran and Guatemala in the early 50s. Cuba later on. Nixon called them "dirty tricks." Even before Garland, DOJ had been investigating Prince.
Prince comes off as a modern version of the E. Howard Hunt character in the HBO Plumbers. When I last heard, he was living in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Before Jan 6, 2021, IMHO there was probable cause to investigate whether his contractors had infiltrated Antifa, BLM, and other groups and had initiated and aggravated some of the George Floyd riots.
On Jan 6 where were Prince's people and what were they doing?
Ok, putting on my tin foil hat. Setting up the pipe bomb in front of Democratic and Republican head quarters. That was the real deal. The national guard "waiting" for orders. We are talking high level collusion here. Its no deep state. A group of folks making bad stuff happening for sure.
Bill, I am not a conspiracy theorist but I do think there was collusion involved in the January 6th attack. The fact that the Capitol Police just let the insurrectionists go was a good indication of that. I get it that they were overwhelmed, but they did get relief and at least the last insurrectionists could have been hauled in. They had no trouble dragging off peaceful protesters who sat for real issues that Congress needs to work on. It has been reported often enough over the past nearly 30 months that numerous members of the various "right-wing militias are in our law enforcement units, FBI, and all levels of our military. How is it someone as corrupt as Flynn got to the heights he did in our military, for example? This is pretty scary stuff, but alas, we don't seem to be able to do much about it. I guess it's easier to pick up people using drugs than people who are working with lots of money and support to undermine our nation. Yeah, that's what we need to think about as we approach Independence Day this year.
I have often wondered why the Capitol Police only shot one person. If a few had been knocked out in the very beginning, perhaps the mob would have packed it in and faded away. At least they might have been held off until reinforcements arrived. Who didn't allow a strong defense of our elected officials?
The mob was attacking the heart, soul and very core of our national government. They were threatening to kill legislators and hang the VP. If that doesn't warrant an armed resistance, what does?
Standing back, I am trying not to jump to conclusions. But it's tough.
IMHO, a top Scientists'finding of "the momentum of evil"...?
FEELING GOOD TOGETHER page 23...Chapter.3
We all pick hate over love...?
The Magic Button Technique Is an interesting scientist's test for STUBBORNNESS 😁😁😁😁😁... that puts our tribal bias towards hate ( over love) on "shocking display"...
"Try this thought experiment. Think about one person you don't like or get along with. Picture that person in your mind's eye and try to remember all the things about that person that turn you off. Maybe he was mean to you when you needed some support. Perhaps she was critical, stubborn or self-centered. Maybe he talked about you behind your back.
Do you have someone in mind? I do, too. I'm thinking about a colleague I don't care for.
Now, imagine that you have a magic button on your desk. If you press the button, you'll have a wonderful, close, caring relationship with the person you're thinking about. No effort will be required to bring this change about. Just push the button, and the person you're feeling annoyed with will suddenly become your closest friend. Will you press that button?
When I do this exercise in my intimacy workshops, I ask for a show of hands. How many of you are going to press the button? There's a lot of giggling and almost no hands go up."
Sincerely
Jeff
The anger treatment on page 186 is so quick... it's a Magic Button Test for science denial... but denial of exactly the science treatment that our "increasingly thin skinned" culture needs after denying the science of anxiety ( denying the science of anxiety may feed our anger)😁😁😁😁😁
Their boss is living in the Middle East and conducting operations world wide now. The U.S. has it’s own mercenary army the equivalent of the Wagner Group.
Eric Prince and Betsy (Prince) Devos, brother and sister. Eric Prince of Blackwater infamy. Change the name, not Blackwater anymore. Reportedly did some of the filthy work for tRump looking for "dirt" on tRump targets.
Is the Eric Prince erstwhile Blackwater, now some other name, different from "The Wagner Group"?
When Garland was confirmed, he announced that his mandate is to protect the department of justice. Of course, he ought to have said, “ . . .to protect the American people.” To answer your question What has the FBI done to investigate, I’m guessing that the answer is ‘nothing.’
Oh, when I was sitting on side of my bed in Tucson in November 2016, I cried. I cried again on January 6 here in Windsor, Canada. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. If that wasn't treason I don't know what treason is. Flat out, simple. Are we afraid of insurrectionists now? I'm extremely disappointed in Mitt Romney (his Dad was a decent governor of Michigan). Finally, what would the great Abraham Lincoln say about his party? I'm 100% sure it would not be a posiitve response. Trumpster has run party into the ground.. Worse thing: Trump has done so much damage to the country, created all these under-educated followers whom we will never get rid of. After spending last 4-years here in Canada due to an incredible lapse of judgment on my part, I am leaning towards what ex called a "benevolent dictator." I think democracy no longer fashionable and that breaks my heart. When I became a U.S. citizen in February 1991 in San Jose, California, I was full of pride and joy. I need to get out of Canada and back to Tucson before I lose my fucking mind. Just check out CBC coverage re goings on north of the border--it will chill you to the bone (as George Jones would say). My nephew in Hfx. thought it was ok that 8 year old kid suffering from coyote attack in Winnipeg had to wait 3-hrs for treatment for open head wounds and others. Ray thought that was reasonable because his golfing buddy just had a 22 hour stint re help for COPD symptoms.
Mitt Romney was one of the handful of Republicans to bravely vote for his impeachment. He had attended Cranbrook schools where my sister was educated (Kingswood).
I had called Romney and said if he voted for impeachment, he would be remembered favorably in history and considered a hero for doing so. Mitt Romney received threats, hate mail and ostracism as a result. I felt he was a brave man.
Yes, unfortunately he no longer seems to have a backbone. Maybe it’s age or all the harassment. But he did go publicly (on camera) registering his disgust with Santos and telling Santos he should not be there (as a Representative). The DOJ is now going after Santos. We may then find out who financed his campaign and helped him create his lying resume…hmm…who could that be?
He looks quite weary when on camera. Who can blame him? Before tRump, Romney said Russia was the primary enemy of the U.S.
tRump, in contrast, thinks Russia is his compatriot.
I'm reading a non-fiction account of Russian government-cum-organized crime-cum-kleptocracy-cum-fascism state: Red Notice by Bill Browder. Anybody who has any doubt about what Russia is, who Putin and his crowd are, should read it. This is who and what tRump respects. This is the future tRump's re-election portends.
I've neve had any doubts about Putin and his crowd...I watched all the James Bond movies. Seriously, born curious and spent a lot of time alone in the woods in Cumberland County with my dog Pudge, walking, thinking. My Scottish Grandfather was a big influence on me. I had an ordinary life (I did score in 6% percentile of all students in Ontario in Grade 9 tests). University was mentioned but family would never have considered it; I blame myself for not having ambition. But, my point, I was always intellectually proud. Didn't show itself until I was hired by Jeanie Maher at Lasky firm on November 19, 1979. I became an instant snob re attorneys (me who had a high school degree only). Crazy. What's crazy is that everyone sat on their hands and headd when Trumpster and Putin had private meeting with no interpreters and no assistants. WTF, no one said it was akin to treason?
Well, Annie, I beg to differ but I sure admire you slogging through a book on Russian government. Sounds good. Trumpster is not going to get re-elected...you can't run for office from jail. Romney thought that Russia primary enemy of U.S.? That tells me Mitt not astute; China has been our enemy for decades. Russia hasn't been a major player for years. In Putin's mind it might be, but Russia has nowhere near clought of China.
Yeah, I did read that blurb lately. Frankly, I'm at a loss for news coverage. I'm reading about CNN, esp. comments re last town hall. I know there have been huge layoffs for CNN, its probably on last legs. So much is going on, my head is spinning. On top of everything, I'm here without a car (but I haven't driven for years anyway). Thankfully, Windsor has a pretty good bus transportation. I' right downtown and I walk out the door look left and see the Detroit skyline (just separated by Detroit River). Now that Covid over, I've been over to grab tunnel bus for $15 round trip; get over to Detroit, have lunch, be with "my people," and just walk around and breathe that air that tells me I'm among Americans, and freedom...I still feel that way.
I hear all the nonsense from Arizona and California, but realistically, it ain't new. Now, Canada, that's another story. I am totally shocked; granted, I shock easily but I have grave concerns about the lack of judgmnt from Government; currently Justin Trudeau is Prime Minister (Pierre's son). Now, I adored Pierre Trudeau, but Justin seems sort of like most 50 year olds. He's a handsome guy, great personality, but generally not well-liked but I'm beginning to see why.
PLEASE, IF SOMEONE HAS THE MEANS OR IS ANYWHERE NEAR DETROIT AREA, COME AND HAVE COFFEE WITH ME OR A MEAL. YOU HAVE OVER-STIMULATED ME, MR. REICH. MAYBE I CAN'T STAY HERE AFTER ALL. I'M EXPECTING MY "BOYFRIEND" ASH FOR A VISIT NEXT WEEK, AND WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HIS MOVING BACK TO WINDSOR (FROM TORONTO) AND MAKING PLANS TO SOMEWHAT BE TOGETHER. HE IS 35 YEARS YOUNGER AND I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. COMPLICATED.
MAYBE SOMEONE CAN COME AND DASH ME OFF TO ST. PIERRE-MIQUOLON, DETROIT, PARIS, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO, SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN A VERY DISMISAL WINDSOR. WE COULD SPEND THE NIGHT GABBING ABOUT U.S. POLITICS. THAT IS MY RESERVATION ABOUT ASH; HE IS A SWEET MAN BUT KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT U.S. POLITICS--HE IS FROM ITALY BY WAY OF MOROCCO. DAD "black" FROM MOROCCO, MOTHER FROM ITALY (THERE IS A LOT OF INTERACTION BETWEEN COUNTRIES). ASH JUST ASKED ME A FEW WEEKS AGO IF IT WAS TRUE ABOUT GERMAN CONCENTRATION CAMPS!! THAT REALLY JUST STUNNED ME. IT REALLY WAS ALARMING.
CALL ME, COME TO SEE ME. I CAN TALK ABOUT BOTH COUNTRIES INTERCHANGEABLY (I DON'T EXPECT "you" TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CANADA (MOST AMERICANS DON'T). JUST AT LEAST KNOW GORDON LIGHTFOOT'S NAME, LEONARD COHEN, PAUL ANKA, K.D. LANG, ETC. KNOW A LITTLE ABOUT THE NORTHERWEST PASSAGE AND THE WARS GETTING READY TO BREAK OUT RE GLOBAL WARMING AND ALL THE NATURAL RESOURCS UP THERE AROUND ARCTIC CIRCLE--CANADIANS ARE GEARING UP FOR NASTY DISCUSSIONS WITH RUSSIA, DENMARK, YOU NAME IT.
LATER....DIANE (I don't sleep, so call anytime, whomever you are)
WE ARE IN EASTERN TIME ZONE--3 HRS TO WEST COAST; 9 A.M. IN WINDSOR-DETROIT, 6 A.M. IN PALO ALTO
Well said, Ruthie. I had high hopes but he folded like Kenny Rogers playing cards on a train. I know it was mentioned that his wife had been ill. Still, no backbone....who knows what Trumpster has on everyone...a weekend trip on President One to a bordello in Texas (ala you know who). Doesn't matter, i alone have a big moral thermometer and I have no problem tackling injustice, why not someone in the damn Government? "We" do need to set up some committees re moral turpitude, get Jim Jordan to run it maybe or Rand Paul or just hire everyone who has gone to that university in the deep south:
He destroys profitable businesses through hostile takeovers, loads them up with debt, declares bankruptcy, fires the employees, eliminates all of their pensions, health care, etc., then slices up the remaining pie for sale to the highest bidders and pockets the booty like the Pirate he is.
He's a Morman alright! More for the man. Nice ROI, if you can steal it.
I have known several Mormons. Nice young fellow GB at Townsend; unfortunately, the other attorney (senior partner) was a snake in the grass. I witnessed first hand what a vile petty person he was. He neglectfully sent an email meant for his office manager to my friend, his assistant, criticizing her in a vicious manner. My friend was very upset. I said, D, you've got the SOB by the balls; you can get a settlement and maybe an apology. She didn't pursue the issue but retired within weeks. You can't categorize people by affliation; rotten apples in every basket. Boom Boom, you seem rather upset re Mitt. Me too. He had a chance to step up and show some balls and be a leader and blew it.
Let us not forget that he is real brave when he knows that HE (and his own) will be taken care of in their advanced years, or in the case of disability, but is falling allover himself when it comes to the prospect of throwing many millions of seniors and disabled out into the streets to DIE.
NOT 'brave' enough to tell his wealthy oligarch donors to 'eff off' in their demands to end Social Security and Medicare. ;)
Mario, you aren't name dropping are you? I wish I could pick up the phone and call someone like Mitt. Oh, poor baby, he rec'd threats, hate mail, he was ostracized; how about the rest of us receiving a blow to democracy right before our eyes in our own living rooms? Speaking of rampant ostracism, us poor Democrats or Independents wondering if we would have to bear arms ourselves to defend Abraham Lincoln's party.
Well, with shortages of nurses, paramedics, & doctors, and the threats of imprisonment to anyone assisting or Even Talking about a medically necessary abortion here - 3 hours doesn’t seem like too much of a problem. Try being forced to wait 6 months to delver a dead or deformed, unable to survive baby because an authoritarian state government Forces You Too.
I’ve seen the national healthcare system in action personally and they Do triage patients. You don’t know who else was being treated at that time- or for what. Maybe you should fly to Beijing or Moscow instead of Tucson. Seems like a better idea logical fit.
and so it begins! Every few months, I go through what I call my Groundhog Day 6 weeks. I swear to myself that I won't go on Facebook, that I won't be a part of social media, then in my Cyclothymia high, I get antsy and I need to comment. Well, I'm not going to insult you, I totally understand where you are comng from. I'm going to take a wild guess and say that I think you are under 40, you are Canadian, you don't read much and you don't really care about history.
It doesn't matter; again, I get what you are saying. My nephew mentioned triage too, and maybe I was the victim of an overly zealous reporter--that's possible. My neighbor is an ICU nurse at Windsor Regional Hospital and she tells me in confidence just a few things that go on in the hospital. Now, I am a paralegal and I've worked with plenty of attorneys in California who "did" medical malpractice. I'm kind of educated in that regard and in fact a family member here in Windsor successfully won a malpractice against Hotel Dieu Hospital and the surgeon responsible for grevious injury due to negligence of doctor.
So, dear Beverly, I would love to fly to Beijing or Moscow as I have never been overseas. I know attorneys in each city. I would love to go sightseeing, but it doesn't seem like the time to do that, esp. in Russia, and Moscow. I want to visit Lake Baikal (Siberia); it's one of the world's largest and coldest lakes. Logically, it might be the ticket for me as I will never change my mind re a 3-hr. wait for an 8 year old kid screaming in pain. From a medical malpractise point -of-view, the case would be ripe for malpractice. Any head wound exposed to the air and allergens and germs is very dangerous. I'll look to see if the article has been updated and I misread the facts. Have a great day.
Keith, the challenge is that the MAGAs have jettisoned most of the reasoning ability related to Trump, DeSantis, and the rest of their Republican leadership and can't understand what you just presented. They would read it, but have no clue that it could mean Trump or any of his equally destructive cronies. One thing I am sure of, Trump was not the one who selected which documents he was going to take from the White House (except maybe for a few of them), which he flushed down the toilets, and which may still be hidde3n. His co-conspirators were in this with him and helped him know which might be the most helpful to him in the future, possibly helping him decide who out there would benefit most from having the materials. Those guys need to be investigated too. The Trumpers and Trumpettes really tell themselves that what Trump and Kump did was the same as Biden and Pence who clearly inadvertently had documents they had not intended to take. Hey, they're still stuck on Hillary Clinton's emails that even after they were combed through often, only a couple of confidential pieces were found. I am guessing that is the kind of thinking interruption that happens with deliberate brainwashing. Now, how to we reach through to those folks, the pure MAGAs may not be able to be reached, but maybe we could reach some of those on the edges.
I hope the Justice system in our country can combat these criminal treasonous "leaders". We still have citizens who have drunk the Kool-Aid and connot revise their perceptions because it would undermine their sense of self. They must continue to support the Maga system
My family and I watched a documentary tonight on DVD made by documentarian Anthony Baxter. It is called "You've Been Trumped." Baxter has made several other documentaries that I have not yet seen.
"You've Been Trumped" is not exactly breaking news if you're aware of his behavior in Scotland over the golf course he was installing there in the mid-2000s, but it is supremely newsworthy. I highly recommend that everyone view it because it shows in high relief how deeply cruel, amoral, sociopathic and vicious he is. It is eye-opening even if you think you've heard it all. Viewing the documentary also brought back to memory the case of Vera Cocking and Trump:
I think that terms like "evil" and "monster" while perhaps overused or misused, truly do apply to him. Even his hulking form in his large black coat blowing behind him in the Scottish wind as he makes his oafish way into camera angles (and asks for a mirror to check his hair or as he "comes on" to a young woman in the group, on camera, standing next to Don Jr. while making inappropriate remarks to the young woman), he looks like the very presence of the wind blowing in an evil presence, like "something wicked this way comes...."
And he did, and he is, still.
"You've Been Trumped" - highly recommend it!
What is also shocking about the documentary is learning how horrifically complicit the Scottish government was and how the public police became Trump's private thug-army.
Isn't it amazing how so many government officials so readily kowtow to Trump's wishes? What kind of spell does he have over so many people? I knew he was a jerk & a conman first time I laid eyes on him. I would never have anything to do with him.
Totally agree with your intuitive reaction to him; same here. I do puzzle over what seems to be some kind of "spell" he casts over people that brings them to do his bidding. It is just mind-boggling. I mean, were they already prone to do terrible things or does he somehow lure them into behaviors that they had not shown any inclination for or is he just a threatening, bullying menace and people are afraid of him....? I hope somebody somewhere will study that side of this phenomenon, how so many "fall" for him and do what he wants.
People often ponder, "what happened to Lindsey Graham?" for example and, while I did not have a high opinion of pre-Trump Graham, it was nonetheless shocking when he invited Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner to the funeral of John McCain when Donald Trump had said the most ugly things about John McCain, even about his dying, and when Graham had so often shown his supposed friendship with McCain - it was a very mean thing to do to the memory of John McCain and was an early highlight of his bizarre fealty to Trump. And so it causes one to wonder "what happened to Lindsey Graham..." among others.
While many dismiss the notion of "evil," I have come to reconsider that and to think that Trump might actually be an embodiment of evil. Whatever the developmental or other causes that might lead to the psychologically-based diagnoses for his behavior, seeing that documentary about his behaviors all around the Scotland golf course matter showed pure evil in every manifestation that literature or religion or other sources have described it. His cruelty is astounding.
One answer to what draws so many to ugly people like tfg is often rooted in people's childhoods. People who were raised in an authoritarian and often religious family, are often drawn to authoritarian leaders. They often can't see with any clarity how awful the person is, because he's so much like their parents, usually their father. He also promises simplistic solutions to complex issues, and gives voice to their fears in the form of targeting groups they had already secretly felt afraid of. He draws on the simple process of blaming others for one's dissatisfaction. Religiosity involves absolutist thinking, ie. I'm good - you're bad, which appeals to many people. Then they don't have to or can't think more deeply about these issues. His lies tie directly into peoples' irrational beliefs about "those" people- anyone who is different, and elites who are so easy to blame for all their problems. As to whether the word "evil" applies - it suggests some kind of nonhuman entity which skirts the real issue, that this is a human being, expressing a very human characteristic, the potential lying in all of us, and tapping into the same attitude in so many others. That's what's truly frightening, that tfg revealed how many of us are like him. He would have no power at all if there weren't so many people who actually feel the same way he does. Not evil at all, but terrifyingly human.
J Nol ; Very good observations about why those who are influenced by tRump voted for him. We still need to improve our election process, to keep a minority from winning the presidency. There was some authoritarianism in my family, but we respected things like the Salk vaccine. There was an ability to see fairly, for the most part, and reason, as I remember. Majority rules!
Yes. We are held hostage by the more rural, smaller states, where people are more afraid of difference, change and equality because of the Electoral College and now of course, gerrymandering.
I am wary of generalizations like equating "rural, smaller states, where people are more afraid of difference, change and equality..." as you suggest. There is hardly a smaller, more rural state than, say, Vermont, and it is proud of its history and traditions; yet not otherwise as you describe. There may more "micro-" conditions that influence (not determine) sociopolitical attitudes. For example, Illinois - a large state - might be two or three separate states by sociopolitical categorization; likewise Pennsylvania, New York, California, etc.
I often (probably too often) call for political parties to declare what are their tenets, their principles, and stand by them via policies. Principles and policies transcend and (I hate to say it... It makes me sick how he has co-opted and soiled otherwise good words!) - trumps "small, rural..." etc. But otherwise, take your point about those qualities via the Electoral College.
Ironically, the 'others' and changes which they are soooo absolutely fearful of, and vitriolically loathing of, will NOT be 'coming to get them', as Goebbels Nooz, and the other fascist rightwingnut 'outlets' sternly warn them WILL happen if they do not vote in the NAZI Party.
I do not see their vehemently despised 'coastal elites' (or any urban 'others') flocking to 'fly over country' any time soon. ;)
It's obvious to a great majority of that his supporters are people who were losing in life. Trump is one of the world's biggest losers. But he acts in a bellicose Mafia like fashion that losers like. After all what isn't there to like about the guy who says I'm just like you and I'm going to raise you to the very heights of my government. I have become winner and I'm going to make a winner of you also. If you don't have a job I can make you a paid brown shirt for my new government. If you're really hated bad idea are not acceptable in our current society I will change the current society and make you just as good as anybody else. These are the promises that tRrump is making and the promises that are getting him support. And let's not forget about the fascist legislature that fully supports Trump is a dictator. These are really the people that are making the big difference as far as getting Trump support.
That however is all just talk. Maybe it's even reaching understanding about the creature. But, what do we do about it. Just talking about it is putting this further and further into Christo-fascism in this country.
His most recent, most outrageous declaration is that he has been "indicted for you" and his "marks" hoot and holler. Even just one of the cheering cult stopping and saying "Wait a minute... We're not indicted; YOU are" might be a glimmer of sanity in that crowd.
He's playing on his cult's belief that he is the Messiah and is there any greater insanity, anything more evil?!
Because the US was founded on racism, no one is immune from being racist to some degree. Especially when we haven't had any kind of legitimate national conversation about the impact of some people having owned other people and even fighting a war to defend that "right".
Yes, the 'Big Daddy will take care of everything for you, and protect you from all of those wicked 'others', as long as you have a blood oath, undyingly abject loyalty to me' syndrome. ;) :(
What worries me is just how many become this way as a result of having served in our military.
That unwavering, loyal devotion to an authoritarian PERSON (despite reciting an oath to our Constitution {an IDEAL}), can be a VERY, VERY dangerous thing. Especially given just how overwhelmingly rightwing in ideology the majority of service members seems to be nowadays. :(
Oh yes. Good point. There's a certain type of person who feels at home in the military, with it's rigid structure and adherence to a code. Joining the military demands that a person give up their individuality and turn over their loyalty to a person, an ideal and a country, thus putting people into "uniforms". I would also suggest the same can be said for police forces. So many of us feel safe with someone else in charge and a strict hierarchy so that everyone knows their place. Anyone challenging these ideas is seen as a threat. Absolutist thinking reigns.
Oh, I thought the same thing about Sen. McCain's daughter, she is a disgrace to his memory. Can you see Jim Jordan being a senator? Gag me with a spoon.
Well, I suffer from a form of bipolar disease (cyclothymia); I find myself wanting revenge lately, in a soft cuddly way. I was astounded to hear myself ask a friend in Denver "where's Jack Ruby when you need him." Why all assassinations in 1960's and none lately.
For the same reasons liberals protesting are squashed forcibly while conservative protesters are protected. If Jan 6 protest had been by BLM they would have been shot before they reached the perimeter.
Thank goodness any BLM /Antifa members DID stay home as they were told to...intelligence revealed that they'd be blamed for any violence. MAGA blamed them anyway...its how they roll. its why I'm continually dumbfounded when Dems box themselves in on an issue 'because if Dems do X MAGA WILL scream and yell'. They will do it anyway!
That is MY critique of Garland's worrying and hand wringing about "appearing too partisan political" concerning the indictments/prosecutions of the effing putrid orange fuehrer and it's upper tier henchmen.
The effing Q'aNAZI MAGAtz will accuse him of that ANYWAY, so might as well do it and preserve OUR democracy, too effing bad if they don't like that it prevents them from having the fascist authoritarian control they so desire.
Now he has played right into their hands by giving their rancid SHITler an 'out' by delaying action until it is too late.
I'm very worried about a new rash of assassinations, especially against those who speak out against injustice, like Schiff, AOC & Omar. There have already been a few assassination attempts & many threats of assassinations.
Remember the victims of assassinations in the 1960s were those who dared to speak out.
re Lindsey Graham: I've never had sex with him but the gay community in DC knows him well. I suspect, with no proof whatsoever, that Trump knows he has had sex with underage boys and is threatening him with exposure.
When I think of Trump’s cruel father and his present behavior, I think Alice Miller nails it in For Your Own Good. Is there some intervention we could do now to prevent more monsters in the future? How to deal with cruel parents now? Otherwise, we’re producing more for the future.
There is no standing copyright on perversion and social depravity, those qualities are free for the having to anyone stupid enough to even want them. The short line waiting for the box office to open has Trump and Putin waiting patiently for their turn to purchase a ticked. Great men leave their foot prints in history for others to follow Trump and Putin are standing in quicksand which will yield nothing for prosperity, thank you so very much.
Most may disagree, but here’s my perspective as a Christian: I see the same thing when people go wild with devotion over singers and musicians who make awful noise while acting obscenely on stage and even worse off stage. To me it looks like the influence of an evil spirit, a deal with the Devil: “I will make people (who yield to my spirit) fall in love with you and follow you like zombies, you will be wealthy and famous beyond your wildest ambitions, just pull them away from God and godliness.” Of course he will discard them like toilet paper when they are no longer useful, but they don’t see that far ahead. And they may feel they are just following their heart (they are) and not realize the invisible deal they are making. But it is real.
Can’t say I’m a Christian or even believe in a devil but I do see the Republican, would be minions standing in line to try and impress those who they want to curry favor from like for instance MTG. They’re everywhere and always have been. They are attracted by the seeming power don’t possess.
Something very disturbing has happened/is happening and it is far beyond my ken to understand it, but there does seem to be a shift to depravity and a soul-deep emptiness. Nihilism, anarchy, violence.... I believe Mr. William Butler Yeats wrote about these things, but eloquently.
or, have these things been there all along, but repressed until tfg's own very open rude and otherwise despicable and unchecked behavior - and encouragement by him for all others to behave the same - just brought it out in some people?
Americans on the whole had this very bland exterior which I watched for years while living there. No-one wanted to discuss politics.only what they bought or their kids.
Funny you mention singers & musicians in this context. Lately some have been attacked by members of the audience. The latest victims are Bebe Rexha & Ava Max. The combination of behaving badly in public & stirring up people's emotions has both predictable & unpredictable results.
I suppose he threatens to expose some deep dark secrets about them that either his puppetmaster Putin found through surveillance or Trump discovered in those documents. It's a pretty safe bet that most of the republofascists are compromised.
His worst tendencies have been hiding in plain sight for years, which is why he's no hero in New York. Not sure I could bear to watch that film, but I'll take your review as further proof of his character.
Yes, we in the metro NYC/NJ area knew he was a POS way way back from the Queens housing scandals, the Stern interviews (EEEWWWW!), etc., etc.
The sad thing is, that all of that behavior, if known by the now MAGAts ('out there in the middle', or elsewhere) who willfully and gleefully worship this orange dung pile, even in 2016, would have made them that much MORE blood oath loyally devoted to him. :(
I don't yet know much about what happened in Scotland, but I find it interesting that the police backed the government. Police everywhere are NOT democratic. They are by nature an autocratic system and are willingly used to enforce the will of the powerful. Obama and subsequent presidents have militarized the police, and the highly unpopular Cop City in Atlanta will be openly training police nationwide in urban warfare against our own citizens. This is all part of the slow corporate coup that is taking place here. Not unless and until our police are governed by elected citizen committees with the power to fire officers will we have police forces that are not owned by corporate and billionaire power bases.
I think that national group of sheriffs that have decided THEY will decide which laws they will enforce is an extremely alarming, terrifying and anarchic movement. Sheriffs ARE elected, to your point, and are ostensibly there for LAW enforcement. Apparently that sheriff's organization picks and chooses the laws THEY like. Next stop, Gestapo.
I sent Rev Raphael Warnock's campaign a considerable amount of money during his special election in 2021. Does he have a discernible position for or against the Cop City project?
Trump wants his own special brand of tyranny, using the GOP’s infrastructure of #RepubloFascism meshed with racism along with his flare for denial.
He wants to be #DonaldDuce, but judging by his lack of covering his tracks and delusional, sense of superiority, the jig will soon be up. And that hashtag needs only gain an n to be accurate.
Kudos for using a term I've been using for a few years now, "republofascism". I hope it catches on & spreads. We need to associate Republicans with fascism this way.
I agree it is the correct term for MAGA republicans, though to paint all seems too broad. Look at the Lincoln Project. Republicans fighting to bring sense back. Please don't think this is condoning the present antics, and yes , those that have an R by their names need to stand up to the MAGAs! PS I have been guilty of referring to Gaetz and company as the Repugnantans.
Right. So if you want to include the ones who still believe in democracy, then go ahead & use "Republican". But to distinguish those that don't believe in democracy, use "republofascist". That's what I do.
It's an interesting phenomenon. In "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich," Shirer states plainly that in public, Hitler said plainly what he had in mind to do. Yet somehow, the people who elected him and the Nazis didn't seem to understand that what he actually did was >exactly< what he meant.
oh, this reminds me of a co-worker who said he was voting for trump in 2016 because he didn't believe what Clinton said. I asked him what about all the crazy things trump said he'll do and he replied he didn't believe that trump was serious. I was flabbergasted and said "so you don't believe Clinton will do the good things she says but are voting for trump because you don't believe the bad things he says?" He didn't want to discuss it anymore.
I hate to "think Sarah Palin" but she is certainly a marker for some of what has developed since her arrival to public awareness,forcing all of us to sink to a new low wherein we all become Vulgarians!
It was bad enough that Nicole Wallace worked for George "W" Bush,but that she also worked for Sarah Palin! Learning that she worked for Sarah Palin has affected my already skeptical view of Wallace.
To be honest, I felt the same way. I have always had a visceral dislike of Hillary; But I still voted for her and hoped she would be elected. Compared to the soul-deep loathing I have for tRump - which actually made me physically ill for months after he was elected - my feelings for HRC are warm and fuzzy!
Another "tell" of tRump's is the invariable use of projection and co-opting. Thus the widening acceptance of his being a fascist now has him calling our actual government officials "fascists." He is amoral, cruel, deranged and extremely dangerous. He was enthusiastically cheered in Washington and Michigan over the weekend. These are very dark times, indeed.
Bullseye on ol' Tweety's playbook. What kind of turn-out numbers did he have in WA & MI? Of those, how many were his "flying circus" of road-warriors, I wonder. I just >"know"< he has one. (RE: "know" - from Bill Maher, "I don't know it for a fact. I just >"know"< it's true.)
Plus, is he still paying people to attend and present themselves in the way he dictates? Used to see the ads on craigslist but they might be more discreet now; dunno... (Let's not forget that when he did the "interview" on CNN recently, part of his demands were that the audience would not be allowed to say/do anything negative and they were required to hoot/holler in support of anything he said..)
Not this Canadian. Up here in the Great White North we look south with absolute despair at how this cretin, this ogre is so enabled. Can't wait to see him sitting in a federal court dealing with FACTS.
In addition to being the candidate of the rich, who benefit from his economic policies, Trump is the candidate of those who fear directions the United States is moving in. Christian conservatives are apprehensive about a society that is becoming increasing secular and hedonistic. White blue collar workers fear losing their jobs to non whites at home and abroad, and to computers and industrial robots. Small business owners fear the growing popularity of socialism. (They should fear the large companies that will put them out of business.)
Because Trump orchestrated the overturning of Roe vs Wade Christian conservatives forgive his many sins.
Popular opinion surveys indicate that the popular vote is too close to call. Because of Trump's advantage in the Electoral College, if the election was held today Trump would win.
show Biden with a four point lead. That is not enough to counter Trump's advantage in the Electoral College. We should also consider that Trump supporters like him more than Biden supporters like him. Finally, Republican politicians will do everything they can to keep likely Biden supporters from voting.
The thought of another Trump presidency disturbs me, but I think we should expect it.
The Democrats have until the next Republican National Convention to put Trump in prison. Unfortunately, Trump has a remarkable ability to avoid paying for his crimes.
A four point lead was enough to trounce Trump in the Electoral College. Even the article YOU linked to points that out: “In the 2020 presidential election, Biden defeated Trump 306-232 in the Electoral College, with a 4 percentage-point lead in the popular vote.”
And since then the strong trend continues to be increasingly against Trump and Republicans. Especially among Independents. There may be a deplorable MAGA core that will unwaveringly follow Trump[1] but he needs vastly more than them to win. He needs Independents, and he’s turning those folks off in droves.
Your statement that he’d win today continues to be a lie.
It’s easy to make parallels between Putin and Trump, but Trump could never have gotten this far without the Republican Party (bought and paid for by big money companies and individuals) as well as the Fox Lie network and Russian social media influencers. If Trump dropped dead tomorrow Republicans would be using the same tactics with a different candidate. It’s been going on since Nixon.
We lost the guardrails of the FCC's Fairness doctrine right around Reagan's time when Rupert Murdoch was welcomed into the country, fast tracked citizenship, (a year ; very fast), so he could start his misinformation machine. We see the results today with lies, more lies, and Big lies, harming trust and education of voters. tRump even tried to tamper with weather forecasts, just to see the reaction! What fun! This cost us all, and even killed many! Look at Covid misinfo, look at remarks that were racist about Detroit and other '$hi#ole countries'! The both sides ism about Charlotte Nazi marches! Jan 6 itself!
Virginia Hastings ; It has been subsidized/supported and orchestrated by the very wealthy! from 400 billionaires 10 years ago to almost a thousand today!
If anybody thinks that tRump is going away or has modified his stripes or his cult is backing away, this might give you pause, link to follow below. He is a very dangerous presence, a traitor, a criminal and yet he is out and about fomenting chaos and spreading lies with impunity. What the H is wrong with our "justice" system?!
Annie, I share your worry and frustration. Trump is free to use (and then abuse) our systems of social order; our Judicial system, by definition, cannot use Trump's methods. This gives Trump very dangerous advantages of power. It makes me sick at heart.
If you’ve listened to the latest Politics Girl podcast interview with Thom Hartmann, he explains the treason of Nixon and every other Republican president since. The only difference is that Trump is being prosecuted for his crimes. I’ve watched this my entire adult life, and it’s high time we held someone accountable.
The Republicans can’t govern. They can’t negotiate in good faith,
And the accelerating factor about Nixon was the pardon. The pardon marked the end of legitimate "rule of law" and the beginning of institutionalized propaganda: doing it for the good of the country, doing it to preserve unity, etc. etc. He skated and Ford got unmerited praise for it. Bush-Cheney never even were investigated for their deceptions and war crimes!
We desperately need reform and accountability for BOTH political parties is desperately needed.
One can imagine it’s like a Frederick Forsyth novel. Reasonable minds would likely agree that the actions of the 45th and the meddling by Prigozhin’s so-called research results only helped elect him. Prigozhin is a piece of work; everyone should hope he sees the other side of life as soon as mother natural and external forces can arrange both. One sincerely hopes the SoB is not in Belarus for the run-up to 2024 at his old job title and that it’s not all interconnected to the larger picture of the current government of the Federation. If there was one thing left on our collective American horizon left that the vast majority would agree with, we don’t need any help from any external anything regarding the 2024 elections overall and that mercenaries are human scum and should not exist.
Frederick Forsyth...wow, haven't thought of him for years. How about Herman Wouk or Leon Uris who wrote Mila 18 (name escapes me). I enjoyed Exodus with Paul Newman even though he didn't think much of it (or was that the Silver Chalice). Now look what's happening with Netanyahu. He has turned away from reality and I find myself supporting Palestine--I've met some Palestinians here in Canada. Every once in awhile I order a book from Amazon about the WWII--there are many to choose from. Also I found myself watchng "Flags of our Fathers" the other day. I like Spielberg, don't get me wrong, but I prefer Clint Eastwood's director skills. That was one hell of a movie. I think of the great Johnny cash and the Ballad of Ira Hayes. Adults these days will never see those movies, chances are. We as a civilization are doomed anyway. I give us 2-3 years before a very disastrous calamity: some atom or hydrogen bombs. Huge lightning bolts from somewhere!
Dogs of War by FF. On the possibility of a two-state solution, for something that should have happened long ago and having seen the edge of the refugee camp in Amman along with a neutral talk with a Jordanian guide on the matter, it is truly astounding how we as humans throughout history seem to have a knack for turning one misery into another (as well as in books and movies). I was watching a recent YouTube interview with Noam Chomsky, and it is also amazing how instead of us as a species evolving away from nuking ourselves, we keep the clock ticking towards midnight. One can hope… all the best…
Trump appointed numerous loyalists into key positions of his administration in the last couple of months after losing the election for the purpose of being able to enact an autogolpe to remain in power.
I've heard that DeSantis has formed what many have termed a "private army" that answers to only him. I'm sure he'd do the same in Washington if he became President.
So yes, if either of them got into power, they'd try to turn the administration into a bunch of loyalists apart from the normal authorities, which they'd use to break constitutional law, oppress the public & institutions, & grab absolute power if possible.
Scary part; who is getting the news under 30? No one. Where do us old timers go for news? Not CNN any longer. I go to The Guardian, the NYT, CTV in Canada, Global News in Canada. I have a gripe about the Sunday morning news people. As much as I like Jane Pauley, it's time to go Jane. I recall being in the O'Rielly Clinic in Tucson after suicide attempt, I think it was 2015. It was all fine, quite another story. Young guy off the streets came into breakfast room and said respectfully "who is watching this program?" I was afraid to say anything, and I think he turned on cartoons. About a 25 year old age difference between us.
Putin vs. Prigozhin. Trump vs. DeSantis. Marjorie vs. Lauren.
Not every bitch slap has global implications. But when the bitches are on the side of authoritarianism vs. the flourishing of human life, I’m going to order a cocktail from a ringside seat and enjoy every minute of it … H/T Bill S.
Hmm, don’t know if you noticed you’ve used only last names for the men while referring to the female Congressional Reps by their first names. I’m not a fan of any of these folks but language matters and in our culture using someone’s first name indicates they’re regarded as less consequential. Just sayin’, now enjoy that beverage!
Deborah, I agree; language matters including the abomination of acronyms for many phrases that may not be decipherable by all reading. Likely the result of internet shorthand, texting etc. I have another bone to pick; why is it necessary to assign various nicknames to people to degrade or perhaps just more or less affectionate, ie “Sleepy Joe.” They accomplish nothing except the erosion of language, cause confusion, only slightly masked insults that contribute in each their own way to the divisive rhetoric we need to abandon for proper, respectful debate.
Agreed! I usually just Google acronyms if I want to know what they mean. The nickname thing isn’t at all new, it may have been around as long as we have. Of course “Sleepy Joe” was used by a threatened Trump to cast doubt on Biden’s competence. Still irritates me when I hear someone use it but he won the election and what a relief!
Oh, I have a bunch of nicknames for that guy who likes to use nicknames on others -- Benedict Donald aka Traitor Trump aka the Siberian Candidate aka the Orange Antichrist aka Mango Mussolini...
All those nicknames for ol' Tweety? I simply refuse to use his proper name. To me, he's just an anti-social troll on a popular social media platform - a very influential - among "the undereducated," his shills, & blackmail targets - mole that hustled his way into office on Twitter.
DZK ; He is very popular with 30% or less of the population, which makes him a big fish in a small pond. The
Electoral 'College' (Talk about elitism!), needs to be corrected to reflect the number of voters represented, so that votes are weighted fairly. Just like 'justice' should reflect the increased numbers in our population, with more judges on the supreme court.
In that case, you'll appreciate the utter contempt with which I refer to TFG as "ol' Tweety." Indeed. Language >is< important and I say >exactly< what I mean.
Well, in this case the 2 women mentioned have not reached the levels of power that the 4 men mentioned have, so by definition they are less consequential & I hope they remain that way. It's unfortunate for our nation & the world that any of them became consequential.
I sometimes refer to well-known people by their first names if they are widely recognized by their first names, & also to distinguish from other famous people with the same surname, hence "Bernie" & "Hillary". However, I most often refer to the 2 abovementioned women as MTG & Boebert, respectively (not so respectfully though).
Jaime Ramirez ; Something is very wrong that the minority can give us people like tRump and MTG and Boebert, and so many others ; even George Santos! Imagine illegitimate Democrats staying in power when they clearly don't qualify to hold that power! Imagine if George Santos was a Democrat.
Better chance of recognition I would think, as their first names are very common. But DJT has been referred to as Donnie for some time and the context tells who is being referenced. I was just struck by the casual sexism of what was probably intended as a riposte. Microaggression-lite.
I can be labeled sexist/misogynist all anyone wants, but to me those two are simply "fascist harpies", NOT because of any physical/aesthetic traits, but because of their sadistic, toxic cruelty, and poison souls. ;)
I agree with what your saying but the very fact we can recognize them on a first name basis means they have risen to some level of significance (no matter how repugnant) don’t you think?
I was left wondering if the whole thing was a Putin requested stress test of the upper echelon of the military - exposing those that would turn against Putin and join Prigozhin's (faux) mutiny. Is that thought any crazier than the past couple of days?
Nope. And it could be something like that! It certainly doesn’t hold together as a story right now! And is Yevgeny even still alive? No word from him since he got into that vehicle and drive away. Plus word is many of “ his men” are angry and feel betrayed by him! Clusterf.
Prigoshins move to rebel and then rebellion cancelled seemed like he used a troop movement to make believe he was rebelling to draw out any military sympathizers. Those who lead the efforts to rebel will be quietly assasinated and Prigoshin goes on his merry way while his men go back to the front. He trolled the world. Prigoshin cutting a side deal with the leader of Belarus? Only if Putin approved. Putin just put nukes in Belarus. Lakashenko isnt going to poop without the go ahead from Putin. The first rule about Narcissistic families is when nothing is going on false drama must be created to distract from the real issues.
It’s all in the title: “Putin, Trump, and the Privatization of Tyranny”. OMG. Big money 💰 💰💰 rules the world in the absence of people with any moral compass. We are all toast. They will emulate each other. The billionaires will rule the world. 🥲
Very well could be, I have no reference and GREED is certainly the root of evil in my opinion coupled with POWER, any government is doomed. Trusting people of good will is not a deterrent to Fascism. Seems human nature doesn’t work that way, not now, perhaps never in human history.
"The billionaires will rule the world" . . . and will be able to enjoy its pleasures for a while, until they discover that they, too, are exposed to the results of their despoliation of nature.
George Patton was right. The greatest generation could have solved the entire Russia problem(including the Cold War and Vietnam) in 1945. Could have, should have, did not.
I keep wondering who the devil came up with the monicker "the greatest generation," when "the WWII generation" would actually be accurate? Who the devil comes up with any of 'em ‽
Indeed, it brings up a rather discomforting logical progression. For example,
The "boomers" would be "The Vietnam generation,"
Their kids would be "the Gulf War generation,"
Gulf War's kids would be "the Afghan/Iraq generation,"
and their kids would be "the 1/6 generation,"
Stay tuned. I suspect another generation name is bubbling below the surface that will reveal itself, presently.
That'd probably be too "woke" to catch on - or at least too unflattering!
DZK ; Ideally, War itself would be illegal, as would the making of deadly weapons! It IS a crime! We speak of War Crimes ; The whole war thing is wrong. Even the evangelists should see it ; and the Catholics ; "Thou shalt not kill".
DZK ; I suppose when so many young men went to fight against Hitler and many did not return whole and many more died, when women went to work in the factories and other jobs that men could not do when fighting 'over there' , many of them may have thought they were actually the greatest generation, because they defeated Hitler! Wouldn't the youth of today want credit if they successfully fought (with some dying) tRumpism ?! Give 'em credit! Most are dead now! Is that really too much to ask?
Don't you think falling victim to our own national vanity is how we got to this moment in the first place? Just wonderin'. Would CRT even be suggested seriously as a topic for discussion if there were a Jim Crow or Indian Removal generation. When it does nothing more than flatter our national vanity - in a way, I might add - that other countries think slightly offensive - for example, in "The Great War," parts I and II, Europe was a lake of European blood covered by European flesh & bone as flotsam & jetsam by the time the US moved in - but otherwise tells us absolutely nothing, for better or worse, about the contexts of the generations. X, Y, Millenial, etc.
Al the hyperbole aside, let's let the blessed dead rest in peace. Pointing fingers at those who were essentially powerless and paid a high price is not productive, in my view. One can honor the dead with out "falling victim to our own national vanity".
There's nothing hyperbolic about it. It was a fair assessment based on what we know from history and how we've behaved on the world stage. I'm calling for a fair assessment of ourselves as a nation - which will >never< likely happen and that's light-years removed from hyperbolae. (Except for the bit about "light-years!" LOL!)
DZK ; but to trash a whole generation!? Maybe two if you're talking about WWI and II ; That would mean blaming my grandparents AND my parents.generations. I just can't buy it.
My father served in WWII too. I served during Vietnam. I also don't see how calling them the WWII generation trashes them. Fact is, >it doesn't.< It simply recognizes their role and contribution to history, without the vainglorious BS flattery - which is by no means universal. (Tuskegee vets would likely agree! Then there's the internment camps. Jim Crow was alive and well. How about Nixon & Reagan? How about Kent State? How about the whole SE Asia involvement? I'm less flattering about the Vietnamers, some of which were shot at the hands of WWII'ers. By and large, Vietnamers mindlessly bought into the commercial BS that fed it all. How is any of that great - let alone warmed over as "great again?") Simply stated: without flattering ≠ unflattering ≠ trashing.
The problem does not seem to be the greatest generation. They kept the ship right as long as they could. Their kids though sheesh! Point being is that what they figured out during WW2 did not continue past the years of their influence. What huh? What am I missing here? Are we all doomed to have good intentions and our children wont learn a dam thing from us? It seems like constant vigilance of government by all generations is the only answer.
Bill Reitz ; Ah! Glittering Generalities again! Boomer bashing again! the Vietnam war and all the propaganda that went with it. Pollution of water and air, and our foods. Jack Welch's Superfund disaster in the Berkshire City of Pittsfield MA. which made a large section of the town uninhabitable for decades ; may still be! Oppression of peaceful protesters, of which I was one! the rape culture that prohibited even birth control pills! While young women were encouraged to wear mini skirts! The civil rights era along with the integration of schools (with much violence and death!). It sounds to me like you were influenced by 'the "right'!
I am definitely not for making America "Great" again. Nor for excusing all the discrimination that went on during that time, I mean is still going on who am I kidding. You have made good points. I apologize for the generalities. All the things you say are true. Ive lost family members to cancer from defense chemical dumping hitting the ground water. You are right (I mean correct) it was an f'ed up time. Not sure why I forgot that.
I agree that stuff came about on the WWII'ers' watch; yet the Vietnamers largely bought into it - starting with neoliberalism. They nearly >invented< celebrity culture. What generation does ol' Tweety come from and represent? (bone spurs notwithstanding!) What generation is largely in charge of the Яepuблikan$ now? NO. I'll not give the Vietnamers a pass - by "boomers" or any other vanity-tag name. A turd by any other name smells just as bad. We can only begin to move forward once we begin to recognize the stench - admit the faults to our descendants and advise them to behave otherwise. It will soon be out of our hands, anyway.
The WWII generation had other problems besides giving their lives in the European and Pacific theaters that - to me - tarnishes their halo's quite badly. The other participants have their views of it, as well, that don't quite align with our national legends. There's a fine line between concentration camp ovens and the excesses of Jim Crow - for example. Otherwise, I agree that the Vietnamers - screw that "boomers" language - drove the neoliberalism that brought us to this point, and many of them want to return to "when we were great." Oh vanity of vanities, all this is $#!7-eatin' vanity. Don't get me wrong. I'm not attempting to slander the US. I'm saying that in order to move forward, we need to realistically reevaluate who we are as a nation with respect to who we would have ourselves be. The first step down that long, long road is to discard the vainglorious self-flattery BS and accept ourselves for who we are, keeping a clear eye on who we've actually been.
Well, it sounds like what many seem to think about CRT. I've not read anything about CRT for myself, much less the original document. However, if this young man is on the level, it seems to have a dark underside that sounds very like a throw-back to segregation - which I don't think the MAGAs would object to if they were literate - unless I've misunderstood what is being said about it here. I'll give you the link to this kid's take. Let me know what you make of it:
What I recall most -- from the film, and I'm sure Patton could have said it -- "I'll have us at war with these Russians in a week AND I'LL MAKE IT LOOK LIKE THEY STARTED IT."
I viewed that as Patton, the quintessential American. Cut to journalist I.F. Stone's "Hidden History of the Korean War." Tonkin Gulf, anyone?
"The greatest generation" were not actually in power. although they did serve, and the ones at home supported the war effort ; victory gardens and keeping the factories going etc. turning off the lights at night when enemy planes could target infrastructure, for example ; in Vietnam, we were fighting the 'cruel Vietcong' or 'communism' ; (the "Boomers" were not in power) and any other conflict one can name. Fake 'Weapons of mass destruction' in Iraq, confusion about the attack on the twin towers (19 Saudis on those planes), but oil rich Iraq and Saddam Hussein were the targets, Saudi Arabia are still our 'friends', ('Doubya' was "Bandar Bush") even though they dismember journalists who get the truth out, and the Royal Saudi family has been held against their wills on occasion, by the Prince. Julian Assange remains in prison and will be extradited to the US, maybe soon, after 10 years in Belmarsh prison in U. K. He better hope that tRump is not 'president' if he comes back then. He will turn 52 years old in early July. Jailed because he is a whistle blower. the case will determine freedom of the press here, in the land of the free and home of the brave. Stay tuned, if you can find the story.
The WWII'ers served the WWI'ers and the Vietnamers served the WWII'ers as the Gulf Warriors served the WWII'ers and the Vietnamers, and the Afghan/Iraquers served the Vietnamers. To my view, that's a much more realistic portrayal of generational complicity - without the angelic halos. The key to understanding it is in not taking it personally. I have no doubt you had no hand in any of that crap, and probably strenuously opposed it. Yet . . .
He wanted to attack Russia post WW2 to theorhetically stop Russian expansion. It would have dragged a defeated Europe and a tired US into another long drawn out war. It has more in common with what autocracies do than what Democracies do. As for Vietnam we went in there to rescue France in their losing war of oppresion against the Vietnamese and the communists. In Haiti we occupied it and overthrew its government to help business interests after France had hobbled it with slavery and once it was independent heavy debt. Both those invasions were caused by "ally" driven inequality where an Ally or ourselves caused such hardship on a people that they rebelled. Blaming the Russians for Vietnam, nah. That match was lit by good old European imperialism.
Its sad how if an "enemy" country does something bad we bad mouth them and point fingers. If the US or a friendly country does something bad, oh dont worry about that...the ends justify the means. Such BS.
Oh the Iraq WMD thing. I lived through that. That burns my britches. Rah rah war. protect protect! Protect the shares of haliburton and defense firms who stood to beneift from all the military hardware used in the war. Or later in the rebuilding of Iraq which I am sure went half to corrupt new leadership and half to US businessmen (rich white ones). Who cares if some brown folks happen to die while we make billions? Ditto for Afghanistan. Reminds me of stock buy backs. Investment in shareholders without any reasonable benefit to the company (or in this case the government), our government, and its people whos tax dollars enriched these crap heads.
Beau of the Fifth Column explains it best. Morality doesn't apply to nations. Nations don't have morality. Nations have "interests." Like it or not, that's the best description I've come across for the way it really is. Everything else is ideology.
Yeah, what I've seen about how we treat our Central and South American neighbors. Destabilizing and overthrowing governments for Banana plantations, mining etc (ie money and power). Really shows how the Oligarchs in this country would treat us with the guard rails off.
I'm interested. In your view, how does Beau's message differ from that of Noam Chomsky? Chomsky often rubs me the wrong way, but I find it very hard to gainsay his consistent observation that governments -- and our U S government in particular -- effectively accomplish what they set out to accomplish, in spite of their declared values and aims.
We also didn't (circa 1960-1970) hear much in history class about the violent wresting of much of the American Southwest from Mexico in the nineteenth century. Nor about the violent oppression and removal of the native Americans from their lands and the subsequent trail of broken promises. Nor about the significance of the Reconstruction and its abandonment (1865-1878).
Are those episodes of American history being taught in high-school history classes now?
I hope that was a facetious and rhetorical question, given the rightwingnutter fascist makeup of many (most??) of the revisionist/book banning school boards nowadays. ;)
He wanted to drive straight into Moscow. He was pretty vocal about it and was subsequently relieved of command. Some still consider the jeep accident that did him in suspicious.
I had to listen to WW2 history as a kid ad neuseum as my dad was born in '36 and was fastenated by it. The whole Patton was assisinated thing was a rumor back then. It was BS Patton waa still alive after the accident. Unfortunately Patton has a few things in common with 45. Born to rich parents, bombastic, vulgar. It makes sense that he slapped those soldiers as he probably didnt believe in equality himself. Look at his racist rants on Russians, Chinese and Japanese and well the similarities are too close to ignore. Yet leaving actual Nazis in power to run things in Germany post conquest. That was OK. All the hallmarks of an authoritarian/fascist. I used to look up to him. I dont anymore.
Bill, Sorry to hear about your dislike of George C. Scott (oh, I mean Gen. Patton). I liked your comments; I was born in 1945 and managed to get enough schooling, unlike my other friends; I knew about the Berlin Airlift, Marshall Plan, the problems after the war, spilling into the mid-1950's re rationing, hunting down Nazis, etc. I have a good friend who is an atty. in Munich, and I just won't set foot in that country to visit him. Same goes for VietNam. Some memories are sacred from the 1970's esp.
The movie on Patton gets seen differently as a Conservative or a Liberal. One is a prowar mesage the other is antiwar. I guess it is the brilliance of the film maker that lets people see what they want to see while actually sending a message. My neighbor and friend was a Vietnam vet and not related to Vietnam he told me how he was deliverying arms to the Egyptians while they were fighting the Isrealis (He was an air force Crew Chief on a C-133). This was the same time we were supporting the Isrealis. It seems like the United States only knows how to speak if its doing so out of both sides of its face at the same time.
Another thing that Patton had in common with the ex-president who also attacked soldiers and prisoners of war. Trumps Walt Nauta reminds me of Pattons William George Meeks. Both minorities pressed into service for "greats" that werent great.
I agree re accident. Maybe "the accident" was result of revenge for the soldier he slapped. But in those days of naiveity, no one but the in people knew about what went on after dark in the military. I don't think I could forget such a thing, what a fucking insult from "the" authority figure in the U.S. military. Truman should have ditched him then. Truman had the guts to get rid of MacArthur after all. Another raging egomaniac.
This was the logical insight into the events of the last 72 hours that I have been looking for. Something was fishy about this whole internecine drama, and you put your finger right on it. Putin wrote the whole screenplay. His problem now is that everyone sees he needed this theater because he’s not as much in control as he would like the world to believe.
If Trump is elected in 2024 we deserve what we get. Shame on us. But the main-stream media will be responsible by continuing to treat Trump and the entire Republican Party as legitimate. Shame on them.
Espionage Act
- [x] The Espionage Act says the following: ANYONE who “willfully retains…any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, or note relating to the national defense, or information relating to the national defense which information the possessor has reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation…
- [x] (and fails to deliver it on demand to the officer or employee of the United States entitled to receive it” can be punished by as many as ten years in prison.)
Yo, Maga Republicans, how can you read this and still defend this treasonous traitor?
LOCK HIM UP!
Direct analogies to the Wagner Group/Putin relationship. I heard dozens (maybe hundreds) of Defense Base Act and War Hazards Act cases involving our own mercenaries, private contractors performing military operations. Among others, Trump had Erik Prince and other would be Prigozhins who heard his cry to the Proud Boys. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIHhB1ZMV_o
How about those seditious Oathkeepers? Boogaloo Boys? 3%ers?
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/07/us/politics/erik-prince-project-veritas.html
"Mr. Prince, the former head of Blackwater Worldwide and the brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, has at times served as an informal adviser to Trump administration officials. He worked with the former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn during the presidential transition. In 2017, he met with White House and Pentagon officials to pitch a plan to privatize the Afghan war using contractors in lieu of American troops. Jim Mattis, then the defense secretary, rejected the idea.
Mr. Prince appears to have become interested in using former spies to train Project Veritas operatives in espionage tactics sometime during the 2016 presidential campaign. Reaching out to several intelligence veterans — and occasionally using Mr. Seddon to make the pitch — Mr. Prince said he wanted the Project Veritas employees to learn skills like how to recruit sources and how to conduct clandestine recordings, among other surveillance techniques."
What have Garland and the FBI done to investigate?
Yes, if the SHITler does get back into power, it's own personal Waffen SS will come from Prince and fragments of all of the other MAGAt fascist militias out there.
DeSATAN is already forming his own Gestapo in Florida with his 'election police' and book ban enforcing goon squads.
David, what I don't understand is how these private militias can be legal. I know we have laws against the private militias. I also know that DeSantis is trying things to see what will fly, and he is finding that a lot of what should be illegal, removing rights from Americans, flies. With the "conservative" judges and justices on our courts, it is hard to see how DeSantis, Trump, and the militias (except maybe for a few of their leaders) will be held accountable for anything they have done, or will do, unless the family of one of those judges/justices is the victim. We sure do have a lot of work to do if we are going to stop this attempted take-over of our nation.
Ruth, you wrote: "I know we have laws against the private militias." Can you cite a few for me please.
Cheers.
Prof. I was grateful today to hear the SC knocked down the ridiculous "independent legislatures" nonsense, but that does not relieve me of concerns that they would permit other human rights violations to stand, and that case was about human rights violations because every citizen in this nation 18 and over is supposed to have the right to vote and have their vote counted. So, how was this case even a thing?.
Yes...that is the same playbook and DeSantis is working it to the hilt.
Daniel, thanks for the connections between Trump and the right-wing insurrectionists, relating that to the Putin Prigozhin team project. The names of the men you named like Flynn and Prince are deeply problematic. They are out for themselves and will do whatever they can to get whatever they can whether it is within the law or not, just like their fearful leader Trump. The hard thing for me to note is how often we put these creeps into office or allow them to get power because We the People of the world think those guys give a damn about anyone but themselves and the money and power they can accumulate. We need to work on that tendency and to keep the power/money-addicted out of power. .
Improve education.
Project Veritas methods seem similar to those of Nixons watergate invasion of Democratic offices. But hey its all cool they are a media organization so its legal right?
Project Veritas is only one aspect of the kind of special ops projects our clandestine agencies have been promoting for as long as I can remember. We used these techniques to undermine and demoralize governments like Iran and Guatemala in the early 50s. Cuba later on. Nixon called them "dirty tricks." Even before Garland, DOJ had been investigating Prince.
Prince comes off as a modern version of the E. Howard Hunt character in the HBO Plumbers. When I last heard, he was living in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Before Jan 6, 2021, IMHO there was probable cause to investigate whether his contractors had infiltrated Antifa, BLM, and other groups and had initiated and aggravated some of the George Floyd riots.
On Jan 6 where were Prince's people and what were they doing?
Ok, putting on my tin foil hat. Setting up the pipe bomb in front of Democratic and Republican head quarters. That was the real deal. The national guard "waiting" for orders. We are talking high level collusion here. Its no deep state. A group of folks making bad stuff happening for sure.
Bill, I am not a conspiracy theorist but I do think there was collusion involved in the January 6th attack. The fact that the Capitol Police just let the insurrectionists go was a good indication of that. I get it that they were overwhelmed, but they did get relief and at least the last insurrectionists could have been hauled in. They had no trouble dragging off peaceful protesters who sat for real issues that Congress needs to work on. It has been reported often enough over the past nearly 30 months that numerous members of the various "right-wing militias are in our law enforcement units, FBI, and all levels of our military. How is it someone as corrupt as Flynn got to the heights he did in our military, for example? This is pretty scary stuff, but alas, we don't seem to be able to do much about it. I guess it's easier to pick up people using drugs than people who are working with lots of money and support to undermine our nation. Yeah, that's what we need to think about as we approach Independence Day this year.
I have often wondered why the Capitol Police only shot one person. If a few had been knocked out in the very beginning, perhaps the mob would have packed it in and faded away. At least they might have been held off until reinforcements arrived. Who didn't allow a strong defense of our elected officials?
The mob was attacking the heart, soul and very core of our national government. They were threatening to kill legislators and hang the VP. If that doesn't warrant an armed resistance, what does?
Standing back, I am trying not to jump to conclusions. But it's tough.
IMHO, a top Scientists'finding of "the momentum of evil"...?
FEELING GOOD TOGETHER page 23...Chapter.3
We all pick hate over love...?
The Magic Button Technique Is an interesting scientist's test for STUBBORNNESS 😁😁😁😁😁... that puts our tribal bias towards hate ( over love) on "shocking display"...
https://books.google.com/books?id=0qStqXoIVdQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=burns+together&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjZscKqnPT2AhVhEEQIHVplAfIQ6wF6BAgCEAE#v=onepage&q=do%20a%20little%20thought%20experiment&f=false
...or....
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/wellbeing/6099135/10-minute-relationship-therapy.html
"Try this thought experiment. Think about one person you don't like or get along with. Picture that person in your mind's eye and try to remember all the things about that person that turn you off. Maybe he was mean to you when you needed some support. Perhaps she was critical, stubborn or self-centered. Maybe he talked about you behind your back.
Do you have someone in mind? I do, too. I'm thinking about a colleague I don't care for.
Now, imagine that you have a magic button on your desk. If you press the button, you'll have a wonderful, close, caring relationship with the person you're thinking about. No effort will be required to bring this change about. Just push the button, and the person you're feeling annoyed with will suddenly become your closest friend. Will you press that button?
When I do this exercise in my intimacy workshops, I ask for a show of hands. How many of you are going to press the button? There's a lot of giggling and almost no hands go up."
Sincerely
Jeff
The anger treatment on page 186 is so quick... it's a Magic Button Test for science denial... but denial of exactly the science treatment that our "increasingly thin skinned" culture needs after denying the science of anxiety ( denying the science of anxiety may feed our anger)😁😁😁😁😁
--
It is definitely much easier to complain about ones life, someone or something than actually taking action.
Black Water organization members are the crazys who opened fire with automatic weapons in Baghdad while taking diplomats to the airport.
They slaughtered families in adjacent vehicles. We’re they ever brought to justice?
Mr Prince should be in jail is my thought.
They were convicted.
Thank you Daniel.
Their boss is living in the Middle East and conducting operations world wide now. The U.S. has it’s own mercenary army the equivalent of the Wagner Group.
Where are we heading?
Eric Prince and Betsy (Prince) Devos, brother and sister. Eric Prince of Blackwater infamy. Change the name, not Blackwater anymore. Reportedly did some of the filthy work for tRump looking for "dirt" on tRump targets.
Is the Eric Prince erstwhile Blackwater, now some other name, different from "The Wagner Group"?
Good point! Progressives need to be aware of the dangers of infiltration and manipulation.
Millions yet need to face up to reality and truth :(
In vino veritas. Better results! lol.
When Garland was confirmed, he announced that his mandate is to protect the department of justice. Of course, he ought to have said, “ . . .to protect the American people.” To answer your question What has the FBI done to investigate, I’m guessing that the answer is ‘nothing.’
The Jan 6 House Committee referred Prince for alleged perjury.
There’s a lot of difference between an advisor and the leader of 50,000+ convict troops some of which will be in Belarus, very closetoKiev.
Were we only to ACHIEVE MAGA Republicans reading Dr Robert Reich!
It's just too bad Dr. Suess isn't alive to make it more easy to digest for those window-licke-OH WAIT! He makes them sad! I forgot.
Oh, when I was sitting on side of my bed in Tucson in November 2016, I cried. I cried again on January 6 here in Windsor, Canada. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. If that wasn't treason I don't know what treason is. Flat out, simple. Are we afraid of insurrectionists now? I'm extremely disappointed in Mitt Romney (his Dad was a decent governor of Michigan). Finally, what would the great Abraham Lincoln say about his party? I'm 100% sure it would not be a posiitve response. Trumpster has run party into the ground.. Worse thing: Trump has done so much damage to the country, created all these under-educated followers whom we will never get rid of. After spending last 4-years here in Canada due to an incredible lapse of judgment on my part, I am leaning towards what ex called a "benevolent dictator." I think democracy no longer fashionable and that breaks my heart. When I became a U.S. citizen in February 1991 in San Jose, California, I was full of pride and joy. I need to get out of Canada and back to Tucson before I lose my fucking mind. Just check out CBC coverage re goings on north of the border--it will chill you to the bone (as George Jones would say). My nephew in Hfx. thought it was ok that 8 year old kid suffering from coyote attack in Winnipeg had to wait 3-hrs for treatment for open head wounds and others. Ray thought that was reasonable because his golfing buddy just had a 22 hour stint re help for COPD symptoms.
Mitt Romney was one of the handful of Republicans to bravely vote for his impeachment. He had attended Cranbrook schools where my sister was educated (Kingswood).
I had called Romney and said if he voted for impeachment, he would be remembered favorably in history and considered a hero for doing so. Mitt Romney received threats, hate mail and ostracism as a result. I felt he was a brave man.
I am grateful to Romney for being brave enough to vote for impeachment. But why is he so inconsistent in his bravery?
We hardly hear anything from him about other Republican severe misdeeds.
He has an opportunity to stand out.
Yes, unfortunately he no longer seems to have a backbone. Maybe it’s age or all the harassment. But he did go publicly (on camera) registering his disgust with Santos and telling Santos he should not be there (as a Representative). The DOJ is now going after Santos. We may then find out who financed his campaign and helped him create his lying resume…hmm…who could that be?
He looks quite weary when on camera. Who can blame him? Before tRump, Romney said Russia was the primary enemy of the U.S.
tRump, in contrast, thinks Russia is his compatriot.
I'm reading a non-fiction account of Russian government-cum-organized crime-cum-kleptocracy-cum-fascism state: Red Notice by Bill Browder. Anybody who has any doubt about what Russia is, who Putin and his crowd are, should read it. This is who and what tRump respects. This is the future tRump's re-election portends.
I've neve had any doubts about Putin and his crowd...I watched all the James Bond movies. Seriously, born curious and spent a lot of time alone in the woods in Cumberland County with my dog Pudge, walking, thinking. My Scottish Grandfather was a big influence on me. I had an ordinary life (I did score in 6% percentile of all students in Ontario in Grade 9 tests). University was mentioned but family would never have considered it; I blame myself for not having ambition. But, my point, I was always intellectually proud. Didn't show itself until I was hired by Jeanie Maher at Lasky firm on November 19, 1979. I became an instant snob re attorneys (me who had a high school degree only). Crazy. What's crazy is that everyone sat on their hands and headd when Trumpster and Putin had private meeting with no interpreters and no assistants. WTF, no one said it was akin to treason?
I notice you disguise his name. Why do you do that?
Well, Annie, I beg to differ but I sure admire you slogging through a book on Russian government. Sounds good. Trumpster is not going to get re-elected...you can't run for office from jail. Romney thought that Russia primary enemy of U.S.? That tells me Mitt not astute; China has been our enemy for decades. Russia hasn't been a major player for years. In Putin's mind it might be, but Russia has nowhere near clought of China.
Yeah, I did read that blurb lately. Frankly, I'm at a loss for news coverage. I'm reading about CNN, esp. comments re last town hall. I know there have been huge layoffs for CNN, its probably on last legs. So much is going on, my head is spinning. On top of everything, I'm here without a car (but I haven't driven for years anyway). Thankfully, Windsor has a pretty good bus transportation. I' right downtown and I walk out the door look left and see the Detroit skyline (just separated by Detroit River). Now that Covid over, I've been over to grab tunnel bus for $15 round trip; get over to Detroit, have lunch, be with "my people," and just walk around and breathe that air that tells me I'm among Americans, and freedom...I still feel that way.
I hear all the nonsense from Arizona and California, but realistically, it ain't new. Now, Canada, that's another story. I am totally shocked; granted, I shock easily but I have grave concerns about the lack of judgmnt from Government; currently Justin Trudeau is Prime Minister (Pierre's son). Now, I adored Pierre Trudeau, but Justin seems sort of like most 50 year olds. He's a handsome guy, great personality, but generally not well-liked but I'm beginning to see why.
https://www.pm.gc.ca/en
**********
PLEASE, IF SOMEONE HAS THE MEANS OR IS ANYWHERE NEAR DETROIT AREA, COME AND HAVE COFFEE WITH ME OR A MEAL. YOU HAVE OVER-STIMULATED ME, MR. REICH. MAYBE I CAN'T STAY HERE AFTER ALL. I'M EXPECTING MY "BOYFRIEND" ASH FOR A VISIT NEXT WEEK, AND WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HIS MOVING BACK TO WINDSOR (FROM TORONTO) AND MAKING PLANS TO SOMEWHAT BE TOGETHER. HE IS 35 YEARS YOUNGER AND I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. COMPLICATED.
MAYBE SOMEONE CAN COME AND DASH ME OFF TO ST. PIERRE-MIQUOLON, DETROIT, PARIS, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO, SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN A VERY DISMISAL WINDSOR. WE COULD SPEND THE NIGHT GABBING ABOUT U.S. POLITICS. THAT IS MY RESERVATION ABOUT ASH; HE IS A SWEET MAN BUT KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT U.S. POLITICS--HE IS FROM ITALY BY WAY OF MOROCCO. DAD "black" FROM MOROCCO, MOTHER FROM ITALY (THERE IS A LOT OF INTERACTION BETWEEN COUNTRIES). ASH JUST ASKED ME A FEW WEEKS AGO IF IT WAS TRUE ABOUT GERMAN CONCENTRATION CAMPS!! THAT REALLY JUST STUNNED ME. IT REALLY WAS ALARMING.
CALL ME, COME TO SEE ME. I CAN TALK ABOUT BOTH COUNTRIES INTERCHANGEABLY (I DON'T EXPECT "you" TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CANADA (MOST AMERICANS DON'T). JUST AT LEAST KNOW GORDON LIGHTFOOT'S NAME, LEONARD COHEN, PAUL ANKA, K.D. LANG, ETC. KNOW A LITTLE ABOUT THE NORTHERWEST PASSAGE AND THE WARS GETTING READY TO BREAK OUT RE GLOBAL WARMING AND ALL THE NATURAL RESOURCS UP THERE AROUND ARCTIC CIRCLE--CANADIANS ARE GEARING UP FOR NASTY DISCUSSIONS WITH RUSSIA, DENMARK, YOU NAME IT.
LATER....DIANE (I don't sleep, so call anytime, whomever you are)
WE ARE IN EASTERN TIME ZONE--3 HRS TO WEST COAST; 9 A.M. IN WINDSOR-DETROIT, 6 A.M. IN PALO ALTO
Romney "had" opportunity. His time has come and gone.
Well said, Ruthie. I had high hopes but he folded like Kenny Rogers playing cards on a train. I know it was mentioned that his wife had been ill. Still, no backbone....who knows what Trumpster has on everyone...a weekend trip on President One to a bordello in Texas (ala you know who). Doesn't matter, i alone have a big moral thermometer and I have no problem tackling injustice, why not someone in the damn Government? "We" do need to set up some committees re moral turpitude, get Jim Jordan to run it maybe or Rand Paul or just hire everyone who has gone to that university in the deep south:
Romney is a Vulture Capitalist [Bain Capital].
He destroys profitable businesses through hostile takeovers, loads them up with debt, declares bankruptcy, fires the employees, eliminates all of their pensions, health care, etc., then slices up the remaining pie for sale to the highest bidders and pockets the booty like the Pirate he is.
He's a Morman alright! More for the man. Nice ROI, if you can steal it.
I have known several Mormons. Nice young fellow GB at Townsend; unfortunately, the other attorney (senior partner) was a snake in the grass. I witnessed first hand what a vile petty person he was. He neglectfully sent an email meant for his office manager to my friend, his assistant, criticizing her in a vicious manner. My friend was very upset. I said, D, you've got the SOB by the balls; you can get a settlement and maybe an apology. She didn't pursue the issue but retired within weeks. You can't categorize people by affliation; rotten apples in every basket. Boom Boom, you seem rather upset re Mitt. Me too. He had a chance to step up and show some balls and be a leader and blew it.
Brave, to a point.
Let us not forget that he is real brave when he knows that HE (and his own) will be taken care of in their advanced years, or in the case of disability, but is falling allover himself when it comes to the prospect of throwing many millions of seniors and disabled out into the streets to DIE.
NOT 'brave' enough to tell his wealthy oligarch donors to 'eff off' in their demands to end Social Security and Medicare. ;)
True.
Mario, you aren't name dropping are you? I wish I could pick up the phone and call someone like Mitt. Oh, poor baby, he rec'd threats, hate mail, he was ostracized; how about the rest of us receiving a blow to democracy right before our eyes in our own living rooms? Speaking of rampant ostracism, us poor Democrats or Independents wondering if we would have to bear arms ourselves to defend Abraham Lincoln's party.
Well, with shortages of nurses, paramedics, & doctors, and the threats of imprisonment to anyone assisting or Even Talking about a medically necessary abortion here - 3 hours doesn’t seem like too much of a problem. Try being forced to wait 6 months to delver a dead or deformed, unable to survive baby because an authoritarian state government Forces You Too.
I’ve seen the national healthcare system in action personally and they Do triage patients. You don’t know who else was being treated at that time- or for what. Maybe you should fly to Beijing or Moscow instead of Tucson. Seems like a better idea logical fit.
and so it begins! Every few months, I go through what I call my Groundhog Day 6 weeks. I swear to myself that I won't go on Facebook, that I won't be a part of social media, then in my Cyclothymia high, I get antsy and I need to comment. Well, I'm not going to insult you, I totally understand where you are comng from. I'm going to take a wild guess and say that I think you are under 40, you are Canadian, you don't read much and you don't really care about history.
It doesn't matter; again, I get what you are saying. My nephew mentioned triage too, and maybe I was the victim of an overly zealous reporter--that's possible. My neighbor is an ICU nurse at Windsor Regional Hospital and she tells me in confidence just a few things that go on in the hospital. Now, I am a paralegal and I've worked with plenty of attorneys in California who "did" medical malpractice. I'm kind of educated in that regard and in fact a family member here in Windsor successfully won a malpractice against Hotel Dieu Hospital and the surgeon responsible for grevious injury due to negligence of doctor.
So, dear Beverly, I would love to fly to Beijing or Moscow as I have never been overseas. I know attorneys in each city. I would love to go sightseeing, but it doesn't seem like the time to do that, esp. in Russia, and Moscow. I want to visit Lake Baikal (Siberia); it's one of the world's largest and coldest lakes. Logically, it might be the ticket for me as I will never change my mind re a 3-hr. wait for an 8 year old kid screaming in pain. From a medical malpractise point -of-view, the case would be ripe for malpractice. Any head wound exposed to the air and allergens and germs is very dangerous. I'll look to see if the article has been updated and I misread the facts. Have a great day.
The greater the smoke screens the more hidden an addenda.
Excellent article today Robert. It makes sense of plots within plots within plots.
Thank you.
OFF TOPIC, but relevant, worthwhile info I just came across, from my favorite Federal agency, that I'm >certain< will surprise you:
- USING CENSUS DATA AND QUARTERLY WAGE FILES TO ANALYZE THE COVID RECESSION AND RECOVERY:
https://youtu.be/6faYySpYHMU
Answer: the Reptilians don’t read the constitution.
I am not sure they CAN read, but if they do read the Constitution, it is obvious they misunderstand it or purposely MISread it.
Kinda like their Bible…
Keith, the challenge is that the MAGAs have jettisoned most of the reasoning ability related to Trump, DeSantis, and the rest of their Republican leadership and can't understand what you just presented. They would read it, but have no clue that it could mean Trump or any of his equally destructive cronies. One thing I am sure of, Trump was not the one who selected which documents he was going to take from the White House (except maybe for a few of them), which he flushed down the toilets, and which may still be hidde3n. His co-conspirators were in this with him and helped him know which might be the most helpful to him in the future, possibly helping him decide who out there would benefit most from having the materials. Those guys need to be investigated too. The Trumpers and Trumpettes really tell themselves that what Trump and Kump did was the same as Biden and Pence who clearly inadvertently had documents they had not intended to take. Hey, they're still stuck on Hillary Clinton's emails that even after they were combed through often, only a couple of confidential pieces were found. I am guessing that is the kind of thinking interruption that happens with deliberate brainwashing. Now, how to we reach through to those folks, the pure MAGAs may not be able to be reached, but maybe we could reach some of those on the edges.
I hope the Justice system in our country can combat these criminal treasonous "leaders". We still have citizens who have drunk the Kool-Aid and connot revise their perceptions because it would undermine their sense of self. They must continue to support the Maga system
Yup. As a once holder of a top clearance- YEAH.
Lock him up. Now.
My family and I watched a documentary tonight on DVD made by documentarian Anthony Baxter. It is called "You've Been Trumped." Baxter has made several other documentaries that I have not yet seen.
"You've Been Trumped" is not exactly breaking news if you're aware of his behavior in Scotland over the golf course he was installing there in the mid-2000s, but it is supremely newsworthy. I highly recommend that everyone view it because it shows in high relief how deeply cruel, amoral, sociopathic and vicious he is. It is eye-opening even if you think you've heard it all. Viewing the documentary also brought back to memory the case of Vera Cocking and Trump:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_Coking_house
I think that terms like "evil" and "monster" while perhaps overused or misused, truly do apply to him. Even his hulking form in his large black coat blowing behind him in the Scottish wind as he makes his oafish way into camera angles (and asks for a mirror to check his hair or as he "comes on" to a young woman in the group, on camera, standing next to Don Jr. while making inappropriate remarks to the young woman), he looks like the very presence of the wind blowing in an evil presence, like "something wicked this way comes...."
And he did, and he is, still.
"You've Been Trumped" - highly recommend it!
What is also shocking about the documentary is learning how horrifically complicit the Scottish government was and how the public police became Trump's private thug-army.
Isn't it amazing how so many government officials so readily kowtow to Trump's wishes? What kind of spell does he have over so many people? I knew he was a jerk & a conman first time I laid eyes on him. I would never have anything to do with him.
Totally agree with your intuitive reaction to him; same here. I do puzzle over what seems to be some kind of "spell" he casts over people that brings them to do his bidding. It is just mind-boggling. I mean, were they already prone to do terrible things or does he somehow lure them into behaviors that they had not shown any inclination for or is he just a threatening, bullying menace and people are afraid of him....? I hope somebody somewhere will study that side of this phenomenon, how so many "fall" for him and do what he wants.
People often ponder, "what happened to Lindsey Graham?" for example and, while I did not have a high opinion of pre-Trump Graham, it was nonetheless shocking when he invited Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner to the funeral of John McCain when Donald Trump had said the most ugly things about John McCain, even about his dying, and when Graham had so often shown his supposed friendship with McCain - it was a very mean thing to do to the memory of John McCain and was an early highlight of his bizarre fealty to Trump. And so it causes one to wonder "what happened to Lindsey Graham..." among others.
While many dismiss the notion of "evil," I have come to reconsider that and to think that Trump might actually be an embodiment of evil. Whatever the developmental or other causes that might lead to the psychologically-based diagnoses for his behavior, seeing that documentary about his behaviors all around the Scotland golf course matter showed pure evil in every manifestation that literature or religion or other sources have described it. His cruelty is astounding.
Some more who turned around sharply like Graham: Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Kevin McCarthy plus a bunch of lesser known people.
Trump is evil alright, but certainly not the only one in the GOP & right wing.
He is mafia like. Witness the mother and daughter election volunteers that he personally threatened. So many others who actually left their jobs.
Laurie - The first time I saw a photograph of Trump, flanked by his family, my first thought was, "Oh, dear God, here comes the Mafia!"
Very perceptive, Lark! He is so obvious, even before he opens his mouth!
One answer to what draws so many to ugly people like tfg is often rooted in people's childhoods. People who were raised in an authoritarian and often religious family, are often drawn to authoritarian leaders. They often can't see with any clarity how awful the person is, because he's so much like their parents, usually their father. He also promises simplistic solutions to complex issues, and gives voice to their fears in the form of targeting groups they had already secretly felt afraid of. He draws on the simple process of blaming others for one's dissatisfaction. Religiosity involves absolutist thinking, ie. I'm good - you're bad, which appeals to many people. Then they don't have to or can't think more deeply about these issues. His lies tie directly into peoples' irrational beliefs about "those" people- anyone who is different, and elites who are so easy to blame for all their problems. As to whether the word "evil" applies - it suggests some kind of nonhuman entity which skirts the real issue, that this is a human being, expressing a very human characteristic, the potential lying in all of us, and tapping into the same attitude in so many others. That's what's truly frightening, that tfg revealed how many of us are like him. He would have no power at all if there weren't so many people who actually feel the same way he does. Not evil at all, but terrifyingly human.
J Nol ; Very good observations about why those who are influenced by tRump voted for him. We still need to improve our election process, to keep a minority from winning the presidency. There was some authoritarianism in my family, but we respected things like the Salk vaccine. There was an ability to see fairly, for the most part, and reason, as I remember. Majority rules!
Yes. We are held hostage by the more rural, smaller states, where people are more afraid of difference, change and equality because of the Electoral College and now of course, gerrymandering.
I am wary of generalizations like equating "rural, smaller states, where people are more afraid of difference, change and equality..." as you suggest. There is hardly a smaller, more rural state than, say, Vermont, and it is proud of its history and traditions; yet not otherwise as you describe. There may more "micro-" conditions that influence (not determine) sociopolitical attitudes. For example, Illinois - a large state - might be two or three separate states by sociopolitical categorization; likewise Pennsylvania, New York, California, etc.
I often (probably too often) call for political parties to declare what are their tenets, their principles, and stand by them via policies. Principles and policies transcend and (I hate to say it... It makes me sick how he has co-opted and soiled otherwise good words!) - trumps "small, rural..." etc. But otherwise, take your point about those qualities via the Electoral College.
Ironically, the 'others' and changes which they are soooo absolutely fearful of, and vitriolically loathing of, will NOT be 'coming to get them', as Goebbels Nooz, and the other fascist rightwingnut 'outlets' sternly warn them WILL happen if they do not vote in the NAZI Party.
I do not see their vehemently despised 'coastal elites' (or any urban 'others') flocking to 'fly over country' any time soon. ;)
It's obvious to a great majority of that his supporters are people who were losing in life. Trump is one of the world's biggest losers. But he acts in a bellicose Mafia like fashion that losers like. After all what isn't there to like about the guy who says I'm just like you and I'm going to raise you to the very heights of my government. I have become winner and I'm going to make a winner of you also. If you don't have a job I can make you a paid brown shirt for my new government. If you're really hated bad idea are not acceptable in our current society I will change the current society and make you just as good as anybody else. These are the promises that tRrump is making and the promises that are getting him support. And let's not forget about the fascist legislature that fully supports Trump is a dictator. These are really the people that are making the big difference as far as getting Trump support.
That however is all just talk. Maybe it's even reaching understanding about the creature. But, what do we do about it. Just talking about it is putting this further and further into Christo-fascism in this country.
His most recent, most outrageous declaration is that he has been "indicted for you" and his "marks" hoot and holler. Even just one of the cheering cult stopping and saying "Wait a minute... We're not indicted; YOU are" might be a glimmer of sanity in that crowd.
He's playing on his cult's belief that he is the Messiah and is there any greater insanity, anything more evil?!
Collective racist subconscious?
Distemper?
Because the US was founded on racism, no one is immune from being racist to some degree. Especially when we haven't had any kind of legitimate national conversation about the impact of some people having owned other people and even fighting a war to defend that "right".
In our literature, and from of our common culture: Man, born of woman. came into this world in sin and from the moment of conception begins to die.
IMHO that "conversation" took place from 1861-1865 culminating in three amendments to the Constitution..
Some matters, like fight or flight impulses are embedded in our amygdalas. Some of us have a duty, by oath or custom, to defend our country.
Yes, the 'Big Daddy will take care of everything for you, and protect you from all of those wicked 'others', as long as you have a blood oath, undyingly abject loyalty to me' syndrome. ;) :(
What worries me is just how many become this way as a result of having served in our military.
That unwavering, loyal devotion to an authoritarian PERSON (despite reciting an oath to our Constitution {an IDEAL}), can be a VERY, VERY dangerous thing. Especially given just how overwhelmingly rightwing in ideology the majority of service members seems to be nowadays. :(
Oh yes. Good point. There's a certain type of person who feels at home in the military, with it's rigid structure and adherence to a code. Joining the military demands that a person give up their individuality and turn over their loyalty to a person, an ideal and a country, thus putting people into "uniforms". I would also suggest the same can be said for police forces. So many of us feel safe with someone else in charge and a strict hierarchy so that everyone knows their place. Anyone challenging these ideas is seen as a threat. Absolutist thinking reigns.
I only disagree with your last sentence. trump IS evil as are I guess many but nowhere near the majority of people.
Oh, I thought the same thing about Sen. McCain's daughter, she is a disgrace to his memory. Can you see Jim Jordan being a senator? Gag me with a spoon.
Well, I suffer from a form of bipolar disease (cyclothymia); I find myself wanting revenge lately, in a soft cuddly way. I was astounded to hear myself ask a friend in Denver "where's Jack Ruby when you need him." Why all assassinations in 1960's and none lately.
For the same reasons liberals protesting are squashed forcibly while conservative protesters are protected. If Jan 6 protest had been by BLM they would have been shot before they reached the perimeter.
Thank goodness any BLM /Antifa members DID stay home as they were told to...intelligence revealed that they'd be blamed for any violence. MAGA blamed them anyway...its how they roll. its why I'm continually dumbfounded when Dems box themselves in on an issue 'because if Dems do X MAGA WILL scream and yell'. They will do it anyway!
YES, THIS!!
That is MY critique of Garland's worrying and hand wringing about "appearing too partisan political" concerning the indictments/prosecutions of the effing putrid orange fuehrer and it's upper tier henchmen.
The effing Q'aNAZI MAGAtz will accuse him of that ANYWAY, so might as well do it and preserve OUR democracy, too effing bad if they don't like that it prevents them from having the fascist authoritarian control they so desire.
Now he has played right into their hands by giving their rancid SHITler an 'out' by delaying action until it is too late.
I'm very worried about a new rash of assassinations, especially against those who speak out against injustice, like Schiff, AOC & Omar. There have already been a few assassination attempts & many threats of assassinations.
Remember the victims of assassinations in the 1960s were those who dared to speak out.
My dad is not very politically correct (old school), and he has said to me "Where's Lee Harvey Oswald when you need him?" referring to SCUMp.
Yes, it is a bit cringeworthy when one considers just how much he loved, and supported JFK back in the late '50s to early '60s.
re Lindsey Graham: I've never had sex with him but the gay community in DC knows him well. I suspect, with no proof whatsoever, that Trump knows he has had sex with underage boys and is threatening him with exposure.
That would explain it…🤔
When I think of Trump’s cruel father and his present behavior, I think Alice Miller nails it in For Your Own Good. Is there some intervention we could do now to prevent more monsters in the future? How to deal with cruel parents now? Otherwise, we’re producing more for the future.
If one is raised by a NAZI, there's a really good chance the offspring will be a NAZI. :(
There is no standing copyright on perversion and social depravity, those qualities are free for the having to anyone stupid enough to even want them. The short line waiting for the box office to open has Trump and Putin waiting patiently for their turn to purchase a ticked. Great men leave their foot prints in history for others to follow Trump and Putin are standing in quicksand which will yield nothing for prosperity, thank you so very much.
If this is Mr. Reich I don't own a cell phone. If you would like to exchange an idea or two you have my e-mail address drop me a line.
Most may disagree, but here’s my perspective as a Christian: I see the same thing when people go wild with devotion over singers and musicians who make awful noise while acting obscenely on stage and even worse off stage. To me it looks like the influence of an evil spirit, a deal with the Devil: “I will make people (who yield to my spirit) fall in love with you and follow you like zombies, you will be wealthy and famous beyond your wildest ambitions, just pull them away from God and godliness.” Of course he will discard them like toilet paper when they are no longer useful, but they don’t see that far ahead. And they may feel they are just following their heart (they are) and not realize the invisible deal they are making. But it is real.
This is why Democrats need an evangelist to bring the good news of the beatitudes.
Well, we already have the meek and I'm not sure that's good news.
Can’t say I’m a Christian or even believe in a devil but I do see the Republican, would be minions standing in line to try and impress those who they want to curry favor from like for instance MTG. They’re everywhere and always have been. They are attracted by the seeming power don’t possess.
Something very disturbing has happened/is happening and it is far beyond my ken to understand it, but there does seem to be a shift to depravity and a soul-deep emptiness. Nihilism, anarchy, violence.... I believe Mr. William Butler Yeats wrote about these things, but eloquently.
or, have these things been there all along, but repressed until tfg's own very open rude and otherwise despicable and unchecked behavior - and encouragement by him for all others to behave the same - just brought it out in some people?
I think you are correct.
Americans on the whole had this very bland exterior which I watched for years while living there. No-one wanted to discuss politics.only what they bought or their kids.
Annie -- you are right!
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity. . . ."
Is it still true that U S high-schools give students the opportunity to read and hear and cherish and respond to the anguish of W B Yeats? Anyone?
Funny you mention singers & musicians in this context. Lately some have been attacked by members of the audience. The latest victims are Bebe Rexha & Ava Max. The combination of behaving badly in public & stirring up people's emotions has both predictable & unpredictable results.
Jaime Ramirez ; He threatens people.
Some of us pay attention to our instincts and ‘huge red flags’ waving ominously.
It makes one wonder, does he use the threat of siccing boyfriend Vlad's FSB hit squads on them as leverage for total acquiescence??
I suppose he threatens to expose some deep dark secrets about them that either his puppetmaster Putin found through surveillance or Trump discovered in those documents. It's a pretty safe bet that most of the republofascists are compromised.
His worst tendencies have been hiding in plain sight for years, which is why he's no hero in New York. Not sure I could bear to watch that film, but I'll take your review as further proof of his character.
Yes, we in the metro NYC/NJ area knew he was a POS way way back from the Queens housing scandals, the Stern interviews (EEEWWWW!), etc., etc.
The sad thing is, that all of that behavior, if known by the now MAGAts ('out there in the middle', or elsewhere) who willfully and gleefully worship this orange dung pile, even in 2016, would have made them that much MORE blood oath loyally devoted to him. :(
I don't yet know much about what happened in Scotland, but I find it interesting that the police backed the government. Police everywhere are NOT democratic. They are by nature an autocratic system and are willingly used to enforce the will of the powerful. Obama and subsequent presidents have militarized the police, and the highly unpopular Cop City in Atlanta will be openly training police nationwide in urban warfare against our own citizens. This is all part of the slow corporate coup that is taking place here. Not unless and until our police are governed by elected citizen committees with the power to fire officers will we have police forces that are not owned by corporate and billionaire power bases.
I think that national group of sheriffs that have decided THEY will decide which laws they will enforce is an extremely alarming, terrifying and anarchic movement. Sheriffs ARE elected, to your point, and are ostensibly there for LAW enforcement. Apparently that sheriff's organization picks and chooses the laws THEY like. Next stop, Gestapo.
I sent Rev Raphael Warnock's campaign a considerable amount of money during his special election in 2021. Does he have a discernible position for or against the Cop City project?
Professor:
Question --
What does "✝️➊➐➐⓿➎➑➑➑➎➏➑ ❤️ 🅣🅔🅧🅣🅜🅔❤." mean?
I'll look at it this p.m. for sure....I'm in a Trump bashing mood for sure.
Money
Trump wants his own special brand of tyranny, using the GOP’s infrastructure of #RepubloFascism meshed with racism along with his flare for denial.
He wants to be #DonaldDuce, but judging by his lack of covering his tracks and delusional, sense of superiority, the jig will soon be up. And that hashtag needs only gain an n to be accurate.
Kudos for using a term I've been using for a few years now, "republofascism". I hope it catches on & spreads. We need to associate Republicans with fascism this way.
I agree it is the correct term for MAGA republicans, though to paint all seems too broad. Look at the Lincoln Project. Republicans fighting to bring sense back. Please don't think this is condoning the present antics, and yes , those that have an R by their names need to stand up to the MAGAs! PS I have been guilty of referring to Gaetz and company as the Repugnantans.
Right. So if you want to include the ones who still believe in democracy, then go ahead & use "Republican". But to distinguish those that don't believe in democracy, use "republofascist". That's what I do.
I'll use it from now on.
Vote Яepuблikan$ for lawless law & order!
Яepuблikan$ - the coup-coup party.
🤞
From you lips..
I'd say a POLICY/PLATFORM of gleefully sadistic cruelty. :(
“Trump has already indicated he’ll replace much of the executive branch with loyalists.”
No he hasn’t.
He’s stated it flat out. There’s no need to give him cover by suggesting he’s only hinted at it.
It's an interesting phenomenon. In "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich," Shirer states plainly that in public, Hitler said plainly what he had in mind to do. Yet somehow, the people who elected him and the Nazis didn't seem to understand that what he actually did was >exactly< what he meant.
oh, this reminds me of a co-worker who said he was voting for trump in 2016 because he didn't believe what Clinton said. I asked him what about all the crazy things trump said he'll do and he replied he didn't believe that trump was serious. I was flabbergasted and said "so you don't believe Clinton will do the good things she says but are voting for trump because you don't believe the bad things he says?" He didn't want to discuss it anymore.
Critical thinking or a coherent explanation is a big ask from a Tweety-freak. It doesn't appear to be a part of the job description!
She drank the kool aid.
Sound is very important. Think Sarah Palin.
I hate to "think Sarah Palin" but she is certainly a marker for some of what has developed since her arrival to public awareness,forcing all of us to sink to a new low wherein we all become Vulgarians!
It was bad enough that Nicole Wallace worked for George "W" Bush,but that she also worked for Sarah Palin! Learning that she worked for Sarah Palin has affected my already skeptical view of Wallace.
My coworker said she didn’t like Clinton’s “voice” and couldn’t stand to listen to it for 4 years. Really!
To be honest, I felt the same way. I have always had a visceral dislike of Hillary; But I still voted for her and hoped she would be elected. Compared to the soul-deep loathing I have for tRump - which actually made me physically ill for months after he was elected - my feelings for HRC are warm and fuzzy!
Yeah, because their SCUMp's grating, harsh, arrogant voice is just sooo melodious, and soothing. LOFL
Another "tell" of tRump's is the invariable use of projection and co-opting. Thus the widening acceptance of his being a fascist now has him calling our actual government officials "fascists." He is amoral, cruel, deranged and extremely dangerous. He was enthusiastically cheered in Washington and Michigan over the weekend. These are very dark times, indeed.
Bullseye on ol' Tweety's playbook. What kind of turn-out numbers did he have in WA & MI? Of those, how many were his "flying circus" of road-warriors, I wonder. I just >"know"< he has one. (RE: "know" - from Bill Maher, "I don't know it for a fact. I just >"know"< it's true.)
Plus, is he still paying people to attend and present themselves in the way he dictates? Used to see the ads on craigslist but they might be more discreet now; dunno... (Let's not forget that when he did the "interview" on CNN recently, part of his demands were that the audience would not be allowed to say/do anything negative and they were required to hoot/holler in support of anything he said..)
My thinking exactly!
The unfortunate thing: The Trumpster has loyalists galore. Still. A lot of Canadians support him (but Canadians? that's another hopeless story).
Not this Canadian. Up here in the Great White North we look south with absolute despair at how this cretin, this ogre is so enabled. Can't wait to see him sitting in a federal court dealing with FACTS.
In addition to being the candidate of the rich, who benefit from his economic policies, Trump is the candidate of those who fear directions the United States is moving in. Christian conservatives are apprehensive about a society that is becoming increasing secular and hedonistic. White blue collar workers fear losing their jobs to non whites at home and abroad, and to computers and industrial robots. Small business owners fear the growing popularity of socialism. (They should fear the large companies that will put them out of business.)
Because Trump orchestrated the overturning of Roe vs Wade Christian conservatives forgive his many sins.
Popular opinion surveys indicate that the popular vote is too close to call. Because of Trump's advantage in the Electoral College, if the election was held today Trump would win.
Don't trust the polls ; at least most of them. I don't want to hear about polls this early anyway. A LOT can happen between now and the next election.
Yes, remember the 'polls' which said that SCUMp had NO CHANCE in '16 as well. ;)
You remember all the ones that said a “red wave” was coming in 2022?
Unless Trump is put in prison we are in trouble.
Your statement that Trump would win if the election were held today is just flat out false.
Polls have also shown that 25% of voters have grown more anti-Republican and Trump due to the reversal of Roe v Wade.
The polls shown here
https://news.yahoo.com/biden-leads-trump-2024-election-183426676.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
show Biden with a four point lead. That is not enough to counter Trump's advantage in the Electoral College. We should also consider that Trump supporters like him more than Biden supporters like him. Finally, Republican politicians will do everything they can to keep likely Biden supporters from voting.
The thought of another Trump presidency disturbs me, but I think we should expect it.
The Democrats have until the next Republican National Convention to put Trump in prison. Unfortunately, Trump has a remarkable ability to avoid paying for his crimes.
A four point lead was enough to trounce Trump in the Electoral College. Even the article YOU linked to points that out: “In the 2020 presidential election, Biden defeated Trump 306-232 in the Electoral College, with a 4 percentage-point lead in the popular vote.”
And since then the strong trend continues to be increasingly against Trump and Republicans. Especially among Independents. There may be a deplorable MAGA core that will unwaveringly follow Trump[1] but he needs vastly more than them to win. He needs Independents, and he’s turning those folks off in droves.
Your statement that he’d win today continues to be a lie.
[1] To (yet another) electoral defeat.
I don't know about his winning the 2024 election (the REAL election) but the rest of your assessment seems very astute to me.
As to the 2024 Presidential election, I am very - make that VERY - worried with Biden and Harris as the ticket.
It’s easy to make parallels between Putin and Trump, but Trump could never have gotten this far without the Republican Party (bought and paid for by big money companies and individuals) as well as the Fox Lie network and Russian social media influencers. If Trump dropped dead tomorrow Republicans would be using the same tactics with a different candidate. It’s been going on since Nixon.
We lost the guardrails of the FCC's Fairness doctrine right around Reagan's time when Rupert Murdoch was welcomed into the country, fast tracked citizenship, (a year ; very fast), so he could start his misinformation machine. We see the results today with lies, more lies, and Big lies, harming trust and education of voters. tRump even tried to tamper with weather forecasts, just to see the reaction! What fun! This cost us all, and even killed many! Look at Covid misinfo, look at remarks that were racist about Detroit and other '$hi#ole countries'! The both sides ism about Charlotte Nazi marches! Jan 6 itself!
Virginia Hastings ; It has been subsidized/supported and orchestrated by the very wealthy! from 400 billionaires 10 years ago to almost a thousand today!
You nailed it!
What tRump DID issue permits and license for is violence, organized crime tactics, fraud as methodology and "gaslighting" as crowd control.
They are sooo effing fascistically corrupt that they would be running their SHITler as a putrid bloated corpse.
If anybody thinks that tRump is going away or has modified his stripes or his cult is backing away, this might give you pause, link to follow below. He is a very dangerous presence, a traitor, a criminal and yet he is out and about fomenting chaos and spreading lies with impunity. What the H is wrong with our "justice" system?!
https://www.mlive.com/politics/2023/06/trump-calls-indictments-badge-of-honor-in-michigan-speech.html
Annie, I share your worry and frustration. Trump is free to use (and then abuse) our systems of social order; our Judicial system, by definition, cannot use Trump's methods. This gives Trump very dangerous advantages of power. It makes me sick at heart.
If you’ve listened to the latest Politics Girl podcast interview with Thom Hartmann, he explains the treason of Nixon and every other Republican president since. The only difference is that Trump is being prosecuted for his crimes. I’ve watched this my entire adult life, and it’s high time we held someone accountable.
The Republicans can’t govern. They can’t negotiate in good faith,
And the accelerating factor about Nixon was the pardon. The pardon marked the end of legitimate "rule of law" and the beginning of institutionalized propaganda: doing it for the good of the country, doing it to preserve unity, etc. etc. He skated and Ford got unmerited praise for it. Bush-Cheney never even were investigated for their deceptions and war crimes!
We desperately need reform and accountability for BOTH political parties is desperately needed.
One can imagine it’s like a Frederick Forsyth novel. Reasonable minds would likely agree that the actions of the 45th and the meddling by Prigozhin’s so-called research results only helped elect him. Prigozhin is a piece of work; everyone should hope he sees the other side of life as soon as mother natural and external forces can arrange both. One sincerely hopes the SoB is not in Belarus for the run-up to 2024 at his old job title and that it’s not all interconnected to the larger picture of the current government of the Federation. If there was one thing left on our collective American horizon left that the vast majority would agree with, we don’t need any help from any external anything regarding the 2024 elections overall and that mercenaries are human scum and should not exist.
Frederick Forsyth...wow, haven't thought of him for years. How about Herman Wouk or Leon Uris who wrote Mila 18 (name escapes me). I enjoyed Exodus with Paul Newman even though he didn't think much of it (or was that the Silver Chalice). Now look what's happening with Netanyahu. He has turned away from reality and I find myself supporting Palestine--I've met some Palestinians here in Canada. Every once in awhile I order a book from Amazon about the WWII--there are many to choose from. Also I found myself watchng "Flags of our Fathers" the other day. I like Spielberg, don't get me wrong, but I prefer Clint Eastwood's director skills. That was one hell of a movie. I think of the great Johnny cash and the Ballad of Ira Hayes. Adults these days will never see those movies, chances are. We as a civilization are doomed anyway. I give us 2-3 years before a very disastrous calamity: some atom or hydrogen bombs. Huge lightning bolts from somewhere!
Dogs of War by FF. On the possibility of a two-state solution, for something that should have happened long ago and having seen the edge of the refugee camp in Amman along with a neutral talk with a Jordanian guide on the matter, it is truly astounding how we as humans throughout history seem to have a knack for turning one misery into another (as well as in books and movies). I was watching a recent YouTube interview with Noam Chomsky, and it is also amazing how instead of us as a species evolving away from nuking ourselves, we keep the clock ticking towards midnight. One can hope… all the best…
Collapse of the biosphere.
Trump appointed numerous loyalists into key positions of his administration in the last couple of months after losing the election for the purpose of being able to enact an autogolpe to remain in power.
I've heard that DeSantis has formed what many have termed a "private army" that answers to only him. I'm sure he'd do the same in Washington if he became President.
So yes, if either of them got into power, they'd try to turn the administration into a bunch of loyalists apart from the normal authorities, which they'd use to break constitutional law, oppress the public & institutions, & grab absolute power if possible.
Scary part; who is getting the news under 30? No one. Where do us old timers go for news? Not CNN any longer. I go to The Guardian, the NYT, CTV in Canada, Global News in Canada. I have a gripe about the Sunday morning news people. As much as I like Jane Pauley, it's time to go Jane. I recall being in the O'Rielly Clinic in Tucson after suicide attempt, I think it was 2015. It was all fine, quite another story. Young guy off the streets came into breakfast room and said respectfully "who is watching this program?" I was afraid to say anything, and I think he turned on cartoons. About a 25 year old age difference between us.
Have to disagree. Under-30s are damn savvy about how to get at info and are the political activists who will save us from ourselves!
What is this about?
Putin vs. Prigozhin. Trump vs. DeSantis. Marjorie vs. Lauren.
Not every bitch slap has global implications. But when the bitches are on the side of authoritarianism vs. the flourishing of human life, I’m going to order a cocktail from a ringside seat and enjoy every minute of it … H/T Bill S.
Hmm, don’t know if you noticed you’ve used only last names for the men while referring to the female Congressional Reps by their first names. I’m not a fan of any of these folks but language matters and in our culture using someone’s first name indicates they’re regarded as less consequential. Just sayin’, now enjoy that beverage!
They’re deplorables and they’re
certifiable…all of them. Cult in the House.
Deborah, I agree; language matters including the abomination of acronyms for many phrases that may not be decipherable by all reading. Likely the result of internet shorthand, texting etc. I have another bone to pick; why is it necessary to assign various nicknames to people to degrade or perhaps just more or less affectionate, ie “Sleepy Joe.” They accomplish nothing except the erosion of language, cause confusion, only slightly masked insults that contribute in each their own way to the divisive rhetoric we need to abandon for proper, respectful debate.
Agreed! I usually just Google acronyms if I want to know what they mean. The nickname thing isn’t at all new, it may have been around as long as we have. Of course “Sleepy Joe” was used by a threatened Trump to cast doubt on Biden’s competence. Still irritates me when I hear someone use it but he won the election and what a relief!
Oh, I have a bunch of nicknames for that guy who likes to use nicknames on others -- Benedict Donald aka Traitor Trump aka the Siberian Candidate aka the Orange Antichrist aka Mango Mussolini...
All those nicknames for ol' Tweety? I simply refuse to use his proper name. To me, he's just an anti-social troll on a popular social media platform - a very influential - among "the undereducated," his shills, & blackmail targets - mole that hustled his way into office on Twitter.
DZK ; He is very popular with 30% or less of the population, which makes him a big fish in a small pond. The
Electoral 'College' (Talk about elitism!), needs to be corrected to reflect the number of voters represented, so that votes are weighted fairly. Just like 'justice' should reflect the increased numbers in our population, with more judges on the supreme court.
How about 'Bolsonaro Buddy'?
Putin's Bromancer
putin's puppet
I like "Count of Mount of Crisco" which I got from Stephen Colbert!
orange maralardo (my current favorite which I think I got from this forum)...
In that case, you'll appreciate the utter contempt with which I refer to TFG as "ol' Tweety." Indeed. Language >is< important and I say >exactly< what I mean.
Fully agree with the above, but just HOW does one have "proper, respectful debate" with actual (or even wannabe) NAZIS?!?
CMMC Institute ; an erosion of civility.
Good luck with this campaign!!
Well, in this case the 2 women mentioned have not reached the levels of power that the 4 men mentioned have, so by definition they are less consequential & I hope they remain that way. It's unfortunate for our nation & the world that any of them became consequential.
I sometimes refer to well-known people by their first names if they are widely recognized by their first names, & also to distinguish from other famous people with the same surname, hence "Bernie" & "Hillary". However, I most often refer to the 2 abovementioned women as MTG & Boebert, respectively (not so respectfully though).
Jaime Ramirez ; Something is very wrong that the minority can give us people like tRump and MTG and Boebert, and so many others ; even George Santos! Imagine illegitimate Democrats staying in power when they clearly don't qualify to hold that power! Imagine if George Santos was a Democrat.
they're only "in power" because of the promise of their votes...or the threat to vote the opposite of what they're told..
Better chance of recognition I would think, as their first names are very common. But DJT has been referred to as Donnie for some time and the context tells who is being referenced. I was just struck by the casual sexism of what was probably intended as a riposte. Microaggression-lite.
Deborah Hyppa ; Actually, the frequent B word usage seems fairly in your face and aggressive sexism.
I can be labeled sexist/misogynist all anyone wants, but to me those two are simply "fascist harpies", NOT because of any physical/aesthetic traits, but because of their sadistic, toxic cruelty, and poison souls. ;)
I agree with what your saying but the very fact we can recognize them on a first name basis means they have risen to some level of significance (no matter how repugnant) don’t you think?
Deborah Hyppa: I'm a man and didn't notice. Thanks for pointing that out.
and enjoy your misogyny with that beverage.;
CMMC Institute! Paul's Substack writer.!
save me a seat!
I was left wondering if the whole thing was a Putin requested stress test of the upper echelon of the military - exposing those that would turn against Putin and join Prigozhin's (faux) mutiny. Is that thought any crazier than the past couple of days?
Nope. And it could be something like that! It certainly doesn’t hold together as a story right now! And is Yevgeny even still alive? No word from him since he got into that vehicle and drive away. Plus word is many of “ his men” are angry and feel betrayed by him! Clusterf.
Prigoshins move to rebel and then rebellion cancelled seemed like he used a troop movement to make believe he was rebelling to draw out any military sympathizers. Those who lead the efforts to rebel will be quietly assasinated and Prigoshin goes on his merry way while his men go back to the front. He trolled the world. Prigoshin cutting a side deal with the leader of Belarus? Only if Putin approved. Putin just put nukes in Belarus. Lakashenko isnt going to poop without the go ahead from Putin. The first rule about Narcissistic families is when nothing is going on false drama must be created to distract from the real issues.
It’s all in the title: “Putin, Trump, and the Privatization of Tyranny”. OMG. Big money 💰 💰💰 rules the world in the absence of people with any moral compass. We are all toast. They will emulate each other. The billionaires will rule the world. 🥲
Stated the old fashioned way: money is the root of all evil.
Judith: Isn’t that one of the most misquoted phrases? I think it’s actually “the love of money is the root of all evil.” I.e., greed.
Too much money in the hands of too few breeds corruption not benevolence.
Very well could be, I have no reference and GREED is certainly the root of evil in my opinion coupled with POWER, any government is doomed. Trusting people of good will is not a deterrent to Fascism. Seems human nature doesn’t work that way, not now, perhaps never in human history.
"The billionaires will rule the world" . . . and will be able to enjoy its pleasures for a while, until they discover that they, too, are exposed to the results of their despoliation of nature.
Exactly! Only Elon Musk has a shot to fly away to Mars? Who would go with him and why?
Just thinking....living on Mars with Elon Musk? No. And to your "why?" Answer: Mars, Elon Musk
You didn't offer any options, so...
Living on Mars with Matt Damon? Maybe
Why?
Is potato.
(Hat off to Stephen Colbert. We miss you and Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Myers.)
What's a "moral compass?" Didn't it expire circa 2016?
No, just many of the followers of tyranny lost (already by 2016 here and elsewhere) their moral compasses. Mine is intact!
George Patton was right. The greatest generation could have solved the entire Russia problem(including the Cold War and Vietnam) in 1945. Could have, should have, did not.
I keep wondering who the devil came up with the monicker "the greatest generation," when "the WWII generation" would actually be accurate? Who the devil comes up with any of 'em ‽
Indeed, it brings up a rather discomforting logical progression. For example,
The "boomers" would be "The Vietnam generation,"
Their kids would be "the Gulf War generation,"
Gulf War's kids would be "the Afghan/Iraq generation,"
and their kids would be "the 1/6 generation,"
Stay tuned. I suspect another generation name is bubbling below the surface that will reveal itself, presently.
That'd probably be too "woke" to catch on - or at least too unflattering!
DZK ; Ideally, War itself would be illegal, as would the making of deadly weapons! It IS a crime! We speak of War Crimes ; The whole war thing is wrong. Even the evangelists should see it ; and the Catholics ; "Thou shalt not kill".
Just about everyone on the planet would agree that war itself should be abolished. Yet . . .
DZK ; I suppose when so many young men went to fight against Hitler and many did not return whole and many more died, when women went to work in the factories and other jobs that men could not do when fighting 'over there' , many of them may have thought they were actually the greatest generation, because they defeated Hitler! Wouldn't the youth of today want credit if they successfully fought (with some dying) tRumpism ?! Give 'em credit! Most are dead now! Is that really too much to ask?
Don't you think falling victim to our own national vanity is how we got to this moment in the first place? Just wonderin'. Would CRT even be suggested seriously as a topic for discussion if there were a Jim Crow or Indian Removal generation. When it does nothing more than flatter our national vanity - in a way, I might add - that other countries think slightly offensive - for example, in "The Great War," parts I and II, Europe was a lake of European blood covered by European flesh & bone as flotsam & jetsam by the time the US moved in - but otherwise tells us absolutely nothing, for better or worse, about the contexts of the generations. X, Y, Millenial, etc.
Al the hyperbole aside, let's let the blessed dead rest in peace. Pointing fingers at those who were essentially powerless and paid a high price is not productive, in my view. One can honor the dead with out "falling victim to our own national vanity".
There's nothing hyperbolic about it. It was a fair assessment based on what we know from history and how we've behaved on the world stage. I'm calling for a fair assessment of ourselves as a nation - which will >never< likely happen and that's light-years removed from hyperbolae. (Except for the bit about "light-years!" LOL!)
DZK ; but to trash a whole generation!? Maybe two if you're talking about WWI and II ; That would mean blaming my grandparents AND my parents.generations. I just can't buy it.
My father served in WWII too. I served during Vietnam. I also don't see how calling them the WWII generation trashes them. Fact is, >it doesn't.< It simply recognizes their role and contribution to history, without the vainglorious BS flattery - which is by no means universal. (Tuskegee vets would likely agree! Then there's the internment camps. Jim Crow was alive and well. How about Nixon & Reagan? How about Kent State? How about the whole SE Asia involvement? I'm less flattering about the Vietnamers, some of which were shot at the hands of WWII'ers. By and large, Vietnamers mindlessly bought into the commercial BS that fed it all. How is any of that great - let alone warmed over as "great again?") Simply stated: without flattering ≠ unflattering ≠ trashing.
DZK ; The 'Greatest Generation" did not see far enough into the future those wars! They had not happened yet!
The problem does not seem to be the greatest generation. They kept the ship right as long as they could. Their kids though sheesh! Point being is that what they figured out during WW2 did not continue past the years of their influence. What huh? What am I missing here? Are we all doomed to have good intentions and our children wont learn a dam thing from us? It seems like constant vigilance of government by all generations is the only answer.
Bill Reitz ; Ah! Glittering Generalities again! Boomer bashing again! the Vietnam war and all the propaganda that went with it. Pollution of water and air, and our foods. Jack Welch's Superfund disaster in the Berkshire City of Pittsfield MA. which made a large section of the town uninhabitable for decades ; may still be! Oppression of peaceful protesters, of which I was one! the rape culture that prohibited even birth control pills! While young women were encouraged to wear mini skirts! The civil rights era along with the integration of schools (with much violence and death!). It sounds to me like you were influenced by 'the "right'!
I am definitely not for making America "Great" again. Nor for excusing all the discrimination that went on during that time, I mean is still going on who am I kidding. You have made good points. I apologize for the generalities. All the things you say are true. Ive lost family members to cancer from defense chemical dumping hitting the ground water. You are right (I mean correct) it was an f'ed up time. Not sure why I forgot that.
I agree that stuff came about on the WWII'ers' watch; yet the Vietnamers largely bought into it - starting with neoliberalism. They nearly >invented< celebrity culture. What generation does ol' Tweety come from and represent? (bone spurs notwithstanding!) What generation is largely in charge of the Яepuблikan$ now? NO. I'll not give the Vietnamers a pass - by "boomers" or any other vanity-tag name. A turd by any other name smells just as bad. We can only begin to move forward once we begin to recognize the stench - admit the faults to our descendants and advise them to behave otherwise. It will soon be out of our hands, anyway.
The WWII generation had other problems besides giving their lives in the European and Pacific theaters that - to me - tarnishes their halo's quite badly. The other participants have their views of it, as well, that don't quite align with our national legends. There's a fine line between concentration camp ovens and the excesses of Jim Crow - for example. Otherwise, I agree that the Vietnamers - screw that "boomers" language - drove the neoliberalism that brought us to this point, and many of them want to return to "when we were great." Oh vanity of vanities, all this is $#!7-eatin' vanity. Don't get me wrong. I'm not attempting to slander the US. I'm saying that in order to move forward, we need to realistically reevaluate who we are as a nation with respect to who we would have ourselves be. The first step down that long, long road is to discard the vainglorious self-flattery BS and accept ourselves for who we are, keeping a clear eye on who we've actually been.
Agreed. Sounds like CRT. If we report what actually happened it is going to be decried as revisionist history even though it is the truth.
Well, it sounds like what many seem to think about CRT. I've not read anything about CRT for myself, much less the original document. However, if this young man is on the level, it seems to have a dark underside that sounds very like a throw-back to segregation - which I don't think the MAGAs would object to if they were literate - unless I've misunderstood what is being said about it here. I'll give you the link to this kid's take. Let me know what you make of it:
RYAN CHAPMAN - A GUIDE TO CRITICAL RACE THEORY:
https://youtu.be/2rDu_VUpoJ8
Of course, prior generations could be logically characterized the same way:
The WWI generation,
The Spanish-American Generation,
The Jim Crow Generation,
The Civil War Generation,
The Mexican-American Generation,
The Indian Removal Generation,
The 1812 Generation,
The American Revolution Generation,
and you can fill in the gaps with anything I've missed in "spit-ballin" off the top of my head!
What I recall most -- from the film, and I'm sure Patton could have said it -- "I'll have us at war with these Russians in a week AND I'LL MAKE IT LOOK LIKE THEY STARTED IT."
I viewed that as Patton, the quintessential American. Cut to journalist I.F. Stone's "Hidden History of the Korean War." Tonkin Gulf, anyone?
That’s Putin’s mode of operation.
A good line to remember - and the very definition of a false-flag operation.
B Weir ; George Patton was a bully! He mistreated his young troops!
"The greatest generation" were not actually in power. although they did serve, and the ones at home supported the war effort ; victory gardens and keeping the factories going etc. turning off the lights at night when enemy planes could target infrastructure, for example ; in Vietnam, we were fighting the 'cruel Vietcong' or 'communism' ; (the "Boomers" were not in power) and any other conflict one can name. Fake 'Weapons of mass destruction' in Iraq, confusion about the attack on the twin towers (19 Saudis on those planes), but oil rich Iraq and Saddam Hussein were the targets, Saudi Arabia are still our 'friends', ('Doubya' was "Bandar Bush") even though they dismember journalists who get the truth out, and the Royal Saudi family has been held against their wills on occasion, by the Prince. Julian Assange remains in prison and will be extradited to the US, maybe soon, after 10 years in Belmarsh prison in U. K. He better hope that tRump is not 'president' if he comes back then. He will turn 52 years old in early July. Jailed because he is a whistle blower. the case will determine freedom of the press here, in the land of the free and home of the brave. Stay tuned, if you can find the story.
The WWII'ers served the WWI'ers and the Vietnamers served the WWII'ers as the Gulf Warriors served the WWII'ers and the Vietnamers, and the Afghan/Iraquers served the Vietnamers. To my view, that's a much more realistic portrayal of generational complicity - without the angelic halos. The key to understanding it is in not taking it personally. I have no doubt you had no hand in any of that crap, and probably strenuously opposed it. Yet . . .
He wanted to attack Russia post WW2 to theorhetically stop Russian expansion. It would have dragged a defeated Europe and a tired US into another long drawn out war. It has more in common with what autocracies do than what Democracies do. As for Vietnam we went in there to rescue France in their losing war of oppresion against the Vietnamese and the communists. In Haiti we occupied it and overthrew its government to help business interests after France had hobbled it with slavery and once it was independent heavy debt. Both those invasions were caused by "ally" driven inequality where an Ally or ourselves caused such hardship on a people that they rebelled. Blaming the Russians for Vietnam, nah. That match was lit by good old European imperialism.
Its sad how if an "enemy" country does something bad we bad mouth them and point fingers. If the US or a friendly country does something bad, oh dont worry about that...the ends justify the means. Such BS.
Or, later, we're sorry. I guess the domino theory was wrong and Vietnam didn't threaten anyone after all. And, Iraq didn't have WMD, etc.
Oh the Iraq WMD thing. I lived through that. That burns my britches. Rah rah war. protect protect! Protect the shares of haliburton and defense firms who stood to beneift from all the military hardware used in the war. Or later in the rebuilding of Iraq which I am sure went half to corrupt new leadership and half to US businessmen (rich white ones). Who cares if some brown folks happen to die while we make billions? Ditto for Afghanistan. Reminds me of stock buy backs. Investment in shareholders without any reasonable benefit to the company (or in this case the government), our government, and its people whos tax dollars enriched these crap heads.
Beau of the Fifth Column explains it best. Morality doesn't apply to nations. Nations don't have morality. Nations have "interests." Like it or not, that's the best description I've come across for the way it really is. Everything else is ideology.
Yeah, what I've seen about how we treat our Central and South American neighbors. Destabilizing and overthrowing governments for Banana plantations, mining etc (ie money and power). Really shows how the Oligarchs in this country would treat us with the guard rails off.
I'm interested. In your view, how does Beau's message differ from that of Noam Chomsky? Chomsky often rubs me the wrong way, but I find it very hard to gainsay his consistent observation that governments -- and our U S government in particular -- effectively accomplish what they set out to accomplish, in spite of their declared values and aims.
I will check out the Beau video.
Marian:
You're right! We don't.
We also didn't (circa 1960-1970) hear much in history class about the violent wresting of much of the American Southwest from Mexico in the nineteenth century. Nor about the violent oppression and removal of the native Americans from their lands and the subsequent trail of broken promises. Nor about the significance of the Reconstruction and its abandonment (1865-1878).
Are those episodes of American history being taught in high-school history classes now?
I hope that was a facetious and rhetorical question, given the rightwingnutter fascist makeup of many (most??) of the revisionist/book banning school boards nowadays. ;)
He wanted to drive straight into Moscow. He was pretty vocal about it and was subsequently relieved of command. Some still consider the jeep accident that did him in suspicious.
I had to listen to WW2 history as a kid ad neuseum as my dad was born in '36 and was fastenated by it. The whole Patton was assisinated thing was a rumor back then. It was BS Patton waa still alive after the accident. Unfortunately Patton has a few things in common with 45. Born to rich parents, bombastic, vulgar. It makes sense that he slapped those soldiers as he probably didnt believe in equality himself. Look at his racist rants on Russians, Chinese and Japanese and well the similarities are too close to ignore. Yet leaving actual Nazis in power to run things in Germany post conquest. That was OK. All the hallmarks of an authoritarian/fascist. I used to look up to him. I dont anymore.
Thanks for filling in a back-story to the thumbnail.
Bill, Sorry to hear about your dislike of George C. Scott (oh, I mean Gen. Patton). I liked your comments; I was born in 1945 and managed to get enough schooling, unlike my other friends; I knew about the Berlin Airlift, Marshall Plan, the problems after the war, spilling into the mid-1950's re rationing, hunting down Nazis, etc. I have a good friend who is an atty. in Munich, and I just won't set foot in that country to visit him. Same goes for VietNam. Some memories are sacred from the 1970's esp.
The movie on Patton gets seen differently as a Conservative or a Liberal. One is a prowar mesage the other is antiwar. I guess it is the brilliance of the film maker that lets people see what they want to see while actually sending a message. My neighbor and friend was a Vietnam vet and not related to Vietnam he told me how he was deliverying arms to the Egyptians while they were fighting the Isrealis (He was an air force Crew Chief on a C-133). This was the same time we were supporting the Isrealis. It seems like the United States only knows how to speak if its doing so out of both sides of its face at the same time.
You have an acute understanding of cinema and propaganda, my friend!
As well as being a TOTAL, and VITRIOLIC denier of PTSD, and therefore any/ALL mental disorders.
Another thing that Patton had in common with the ex-president who also attacked soldiers and prisoners of war. Trumps Walt Nauta reminds me of Pattons William George Meeks. Both minorities pressed into service for "greats" that werent great.
I agree re accident. Maybe "the accident" was result of revenge for the soldier he slapped. But in those days of naiveity, no one but the in people knew about what went on after dark in the military. I don't think I could forget such a thing, what a fucking insult from "the" authority figure in the U.S. military. Truman should have ditched him then. Truman had the guts to get rid of MacArthur after all. Another raging egomaniac.
Opinion seems to vary on that! See Mr Reitz's comments. I was too busy, too preoccupied with not existing when it all happened! LOL!
VERY suspicious.
This was the logical insight into the events of the last 72 hours that I have been looking for. Something was fishy about this whole internecine drama, and you put your finger right on it. Putin wrote the whole screenplay. His problem now is that everyone sees he needed this theater because he’s not as much in control as he would like the world to believe.
If Trump is elected in 2024 we deserve what we get. Shame on us. But the main-stream media will be responsible by continuing to treat Trump and the entire Republican Party as legitimate. Shame on them.
What. A. Mess.