Thursday, February 22, 2024

TRUMP IS A PARASITE LIKENED TO A COCKROACH

 

Republicans, you have gifted your country with a parasite who is asking for MORE TIME to pay the judgement for his fraud against the people of his state. 

 He has gone to people with little money and fewer brains on Go Fund Me for help to pay is legal bills.  He has leeched on your Party for money for those fees intended to fund campaigns for your fellow fascists. 

He has grifted his way to recover lost wealth through lousy business management to cheat his vendors and people to pay taxes he doesn't pay.  

He has sexually abused women for his own parasitic sexual gratification and display of non-existent power.

He caused an armed rebellion by really stupid people he convinced others stole an election from them and let them pay the price of legal consequence for killing and maiming police officers, defiling their own Capital building with their own excrement  while he sat watching these fools on TV munching burgers to satisfy his own hunger for crap food.

Now he wants you to make him President again in order to grift his way to a self-pardon from the crimes he parasitically covets to escape accountability for his predatory crimes.  He is a cockroach and so are you for empowering him.


 

Monday, January 15, 2024

AMERICANS HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE HOW THEY LIVE

 

 

Endowed by both nature and the Constitution created by their fellow Americans, Americans have the right to decide what kind of life we wish to live.  This unique social contract is the envy of much of the world without such rights in the societies in which they live.  It is unique also to the history of humans.   Let me enumerate those rights we all enjoy:

The right to govern ourselves:  Our Constitution and nature both grant us the right to decide how we govern ourselves and who governs us.  Not some privileged, grievance ridden despot who decides for us.  That has been tried throughout history and those governments and despots failed because their interests were served but not the interests of those they governed.  We also have the right to freely and peacefully dissent from the policies and leadership of our elected government. This right includes electing our leaders, providing a secure vote to do so and the ability to amend the laws protecting our rights and our Constitution and changing that leadership through our vote.

The right to decide whom we choose to love and what kind of family we wish to create together.  That right has recently been removed from us through  the interference of a despotic Supreme Court  giving government the power to decide if, when  and how we wish to create our family.   We can take that right back with laws we create and amend and our vote.

The right to a fair unabusive economic system through which we support our families.   We decide through our vote what is a fair price for our food, housing and transportation and how fairly we are paid compared to our fellow working citizens.  And the right to fairly share in the tax contributions we make with our fellow citizens in order to receive the public services necessary to have a good life.  This includes services to help elderly, disabled, unemployed and retired older persons with whom we share this country.

The right to justice and equality in a free society.   Our Constitution guarantees a right to seek fair treatment from our peers when we are accused to violating the laws of our country.  This is called due process.  And we are guaranteed the right to be protected from the violation of our rights  and physical security by fellow citizens and their organizations which are required to treat us all as equal human beings.  This includes the right to freely socialize in public through our public and private spaces, including our educational institutions without fear of physical harm from anti-social citizens and to have protection from such harm and remove those persons from society until they reform their behavior.

The right to education and  health.   These are rights all humans should enjoy from a society to which they contribute because education and health are necessities to a just and well-functioning social order.   Uneducated and poorly educated citizens are not able to make adequate contributions to society.  Citizens with health problems that can be mitigated by science and good care are in a better position to fully contribute to that society.

The right to not be a white Christian.  Many of us citizens and many more in the future are non-white.  And many of us are neither Christian nor religious.  We have a right to be that way because that is how we are born into life  without a choice.  Our ethnicity makes us no less equal in our human rights and as history and science has proven, no less capable as citizens that white persons.   Some of us decided we were created by a deity and chose to pay homage to them.  Some of us decided otherwise and choose not to pay homage to a deity.  That makes us no less human or a good, productive citizen.  This social diversity makes all our lives much more interesting.

The right to an unspoiled environment.  We need clean air, water, and a climate that we can exist in.  We have the tools and knowledge about how to provide these to a livable society and how to prevent fellow citizens from fouling them for their own selfish benefit to the detriment of fellow citizens.

The right to peace and the absence of destructive conflict.  This is with both external societies and factions within our own society that threaten our physical safety.   Humans have the mental capacity to resolve conflict through negotiation and forgiveness for wrongs done to us rather than physical harm and destruction.

In America, these rights provide us the freedom to prosper and enjoy a productive and satisfying life.  All of us.  Not just a few of us.   It is called democracy.

 

 

Sunday, December 3, 2023

AMERICA IS ASLEEP TO ITS DEEP FASCIST HISTORY REPEATING

 Wake Up, America," 1917 | State Historical Society of IowaLiz Cheney has warned us.  So has Rachel Maddow in her latest book PREQUEL.  How many Thanksgiving dinner table conversations this year centered on our alarming Fascist movement organizing to end our democracy, even among well read, informed and democracy supporting families?  I think very few.  Our mainstream media seems to be sleepwalking on the adoption of the Republican party of the MAGA movement which is clearly fascist, because it will help them retain power.

Read Rachel's amazing historical account of the pervasive fascist organizing in America, all across the land, in part funded by the Third Reich in the 30's and 40's.  It was supported by power hungry elected officials who even used the  government funded Franking Privilege to disseminate Nazi propaganda. numerous grassroots organizations met and launched support for Fascist Germany and Adolph Hitler, held meetings, staged events, recruited and raised money in tandem with racist and anti-Semitic organizations with longer-standing histories of hate in our country.  Are you and your family members familiar with this history?  Likely not as it is not taught in our elementary and secondary schools.  And as a political science major in college,  I can attest to its absence in much of academia. 

Much like the chaos the MAGA movement has initiated, or disruption as Steve Bannon characterizes, the attempts to legally restrain these actors was largely sabotaged by lawyers both in courts and through legislation, with anti-democratic fascist organizers characterized as just "good Americans."    Much of this movement  then was driven by white nationalist Anglos trying to preserve the whiteness and ethnic purity of our country.  The same motivation drives the MAGA movement today which also includes a desire to establish a "Christian" character to our society. 

America, we are repeating our history which we neither study nor learn from.  If pro-democracy patriots do not mobilize now against this threat to our magnificent experiment, we are about to lose it in 2024.  

Making our neighbors aware of the very real loss of our freedoms to a totalitarian future that will be very hard to reverse and mobilizing a vote in 2024 for democracy is the only solution to stopping a society transformation that limits the rights and participation of women, minority persons and non-"Christians" and dooms us to a dark, limiting future for both us and our children and grandchildren. Wake UP America.

Sunday, July 16, 2023

Comparing Florida Fascism To The Third Reich

 
 

 
 
 
 
Florida is modeling itself after the Nazi Third Reich, under Governor and Presidential hopeful DeSantis.  Historians report that Adolf Hitler studied U.S. Jim Crow and segregaton for his discrimination of German Jews.  

Here is a 2023 comparison of DeSantis's Florida policies compared to the Third Reich starting in the 1930's.

 DEMOCRACY AND VOTING

Florida-Adoption of authoritarian rule by the State Executive embodied in termination of a duly elected  state prosecutor whose policies DeSantis opposed, incarceration of parolees who legally voted, restriction of voting drop boxes and highly restrictive/punitive voter registration rules, limits on third party activists groups, limits on mail voting and restriction on providing water/food for line-waiting voters. Punish legal rivals through dubious legal action. Attacks on free press critical of DeSantis administration.. Takeover of the Republican Party by the MAGA movement.

Third Reich-Exploited democracy vulnerabilities to make imposition of authoritarian/undemocratic policies appear legal, undermined political norms to advantage fascism, use of emergency powers to advantage rule by their minority party.  Elimination of independent Press and instituted a state propaganda press, creation of a police state.  Takeover of the Conservative Party by the Fascists.

EDUCATION

Florida- Ban diversity, equity and Inclusion from curriculum.  Ban  and criminalize "wokeism" among public school teachers.

Third Reich-Taught ethnic superiority of Aryans and Propagandized German Nationalism.

BOOK BANNING

Florida-Selectively banning books written by Black authors and those with anti-racism themes and history of minority U.S.A. persons  and tolerance for LBGTQ persons; proposing using libraries for USA nationalism indoctrination.

Third Reich-held public events burning books written by Jews and objectionable anti-authoritarian themes.

TREATMENT OF NON-HETEROSEXUAL PERSONS

Florida-Condemnation of citizens espousing tolerance and support for those with differing lifestyles and sexual orientation or "wokeism"

Third Reich-Repression of homosexuals, arresting and jailing them and ultimately, murdering them.

ABORTION

Florida- legislation banning abortions after 6 weeks

Third Reich-Support for the Catholic Church's position of banning abortion through agreements with local Catholic bishops and the a fascist neutrality agreement with the Vatican.

HEALTHCARE

Florida-Reduce/eliminate Medicaid services for low income Floridians, ban/criminalize gender affirmimg medical care, reduce budgets for mental health care.  Opposed Covid vaccines based on anti-science ideology.

Third Reich-Instituted forced sterilization of physically/mentally impaired and extermination of them, reduced health services funding to fund the war effort. 

TREATMENT OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS

Florida-Transport undocumented immigrants to Blue states.

Third Reich-Banning of immigration of those deemed not Aryan. 

 

This situation in Florida is clearly not coincidental.  It is a deliberate undermining of democracy in the interest of attaining power for leaders with authoritarian leadership tendencies.  The research is clear.....those tendencies reside primarily with members of the Republican party.  It is ironic that many Florida residents are members of minority groups such as those north Americans of the Jewish faith and Hispanic persons  whose roots or families  immigrated here to escape  from  south and central American countries with highly abusive authoritarian/fascist leadership. 


Sunday, May 14, 2023

America Has A Gun To Its Head: Bullies Or Frady Cats?

 Gun To The Head GIFs | TenorAmerica's fascist right is terrorizing us.  Is it because they are abusive bullies or afraid, or both?  

Probably it is a combination of both from my youthful experience with schoolyard bullies.  They enable the gun culture that is mass killing our fellow citizens at a rate the world, outside of declared warfare, has never seen.  It is a way of intimidating us to submit to their will which is largely rejected the the majority of Americans.  But they are not satisfied with intimidating us; they are restricting our right to convenient, fair elections with numerous voter suppression tactics, many of the tactics employing our voting laws and procedures.  

Why?  Because they are unsuccessful in selling their many bad ideas on race, personal rights, religion, economics, governing and many other cultural arenas.  So, rather than employing logic and salesmanship, they find intimidation and fear inducement much easier and apparently more fun. 

The bullying tactics emanate from their innate authoritarian personalities.  The fear comes from their attachment to the status quo where they, the fast disappearing white/anglo majority, foresee their power and dominance reducing in the very near future.  Rather than embracing a society of diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds, they somehow believe that life and privilege is a pie; with more of the pie to share with others taking pieces they covet for themselves.  

So, how do we end the bullying and the gun to our heads?  We use the legal system to fight them, the electoral arena to reduce their abuse of power, education to change some hearts and minds and imbue future generations with a love for participatory democracy, fairness and enjoyment of cultural diversity.

It will take time, but we can disarm them.


Saturday, April 8, 2023

Most Americans Don't Understand What They Get From Paying Federal Taxes

 

 Today, 56% of Americans say that the amount they pay in taxes is “more than their fair share,” given what they get from the federal government, up from 49% in 2021. This is research from Pew.

 

Let me share with you what impact federal taxes have on my daily life.  When I got up, I put on a cotton robe, the cotton having been subsidized to a U.S. farmer to grow it.   I also woke up in a country free from a foreign invader because my tax dollars funded my own military training and salary.  They also funded my foreign ally Ukraine fighting to keep their freedom from being annexed by invading Russia.  

My federal tax dollars are also protecting me and other Americans from the physical assault on our democracy from authoritarian, fascist fellow citizens who are unappreciative of their own democracy.

 I went to the kitchen for my coffee, which had been imported under import rules set by the federal government, made by an agency supported by my taxes to enable me to enjoy its fine quality.  Made with tap water made safe to drink because of federally funded agencies protecting me with quality and safety personnel paid with my tax money.

I put bacon in a pan, produced in a federally inspected meat plant to be sure it was clean and safe to eat.

I took my blood pressure medicine which was produced under federal regulations created by a tax supported federal agency which funded the research to create this medicine funded by my tax money.  It was supplied to me by the VA funded with my tax money,  Put on my VA provided glasses and hearing aids provided by VA employees paid with my tax money.

I hopped into a car to run errands that was made safe for me to drive by federal regulations created by Congress to assure my safety in using it, whose  federally paid legislators were elected by me thanks to voting rights granted to me.  My state had no voting rights laws created by their state tax funded legislators.  My car is fueled with gasoline supplied by federal trade partners negotiated with by trade agency and staff paid with my tax dollars.  My car has reduced toxic emissions regulated by federal agencies staffed by employees who keep me and others healthy.

I entered I95, a federally funded freeway build with my tax money.

I drove over a bridge recently repaired as a result of federal tax money given to Delaware to do the repairs.

I am  retired from  jobs which were working on government contracts or government reimbursement  funded by my taxes and regulated by federal agencies dedicated to protecting employees from unfair treatment and abuse.

I had lunch at a restaurant whose business was saved by a subsidy from the federal agency during the recent Covid crisis.  Others of other races and abilities are there with me as a result of federal funding of programs to assure consumer protection and civil rights.

When I got home from work, I got on the internet, created by the federal government agency funded by my tax money, run  on a broadband system funded by my tax money,. 

My computer was in my home I was able to purchase through a federal VA and FHA backed loan funded through my tax money.  

I paid a bill electronically through my bank, which maintains my account insured by the federal government and regulated to protect my finances with  my tax dollars.  I buy products  and services in interstate commerce via the internet which are regulated with federal agencies to keep be safe, healthy and from being ripped off.

This litany can go on and on but I think the point is over made.  We are almost hourly impacted positively with federal services designed to make our lives better and protect us.  Wake the fuck up,America.



Sunday, February 26, 2023

President Jimmy Carter: A History of Unrecognized Accomplishments

 

America is soon to say a forever goodby to one of our finest Presidents.  I had the privilege of serving his Texas campaign in several capacities giving me a chance to consider his many fine qualities as one of our great leaders.

Jimmy first served us as a cadet in the U.S. Naval Academy and subsequently as an officer in the various naval assignments, including on a nuclear submarine.  He was extensively educated in nuclear physics.

First, as a Governor of Georgia he instituted many reforms in state government, and as a so called southern moderate, he began the process of awakening Georgia to necessary racial reforms for its black citizens to give them full citizenship, long denied.

As a Presidential candidate, Jimmy ran a brilliant campaign based on restoring honesty and integrity to our Presidency, post Richard Nixon.  His campaign communications, considered one of the best ever undertaken was directed by University of Texas Communications graduate Gerald Rafshoon who managed his own Atlanta based ad agency.  It struck a tone of a populist restoration of our democracy by a peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia.  

His Presidency was marked by speeches acknowledging America's loss of confidence in its federal government resulting from Nixon's criminality and the damage to America by the Vietnam war.  His speeches were critically appraised by Republicans as not sufficiently uplifting with the myth of America's greatness.  He chose rhetorical honesty over mythical nonsense.

He acknowledged forthrightly early in his Presidency the need to relieve his OMB director of his duties resulting from revelations of  alleged financial improprieties while a Georgia banker.  Bert Lance was later acquitted of these charges.  And he tamped down the behavior of his erratic brother and distanced himself from his actions undermining Jimmy's credibility.   Sound familiar?

But these reputational setbacks did not dissuade him from pursuing the acclaimed and successful Israel-Egypt peace treaty and for his administration to negotiate a guarantee of the neutrality of the Panama Canal with Panama.  He also negotiated full diplomatic relations with China.  One of his signature accomplishments was a new bilateral strategic arms treaty with the Soviet Union limiting nuclear weapons delivery systems. This agreement was later withdrawn from Senate consideration when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan and boycotted our participation in the Moscow summer olympics.

He kept us out of war with Iran, advocated by many hawks in Congress during the Iran hostage crisis.  Many hawks saw this as a U.S.and Carter leadership weakness, while rational people advocated continued negotiations for their release which was undermined through back channel communications with the hostage takers by candidate Ronald Reagan to damage Carter's re-election prospects.  Reagan went on to commit the Iran-Contra scandal.

His early environmental policy, including addressing our dependence on foreign oil and advocacy for alternative, cleaner energy sources was largely responsible for huge oil price increases causing massive inflation, which further damaged his domestic policy agenda.  He basically went to war with our oil industry and they retaliated with lying about the impact of carbon on the environment  and manipulating their pricing to damage Carter.  Carter lost that war and his Presidency.

Undeterred by domestic opposition to undermine his Presidency,  he created the Superfund to clean up toxic waste dumps.

His post presidency Carter Center initiated legendary foreign election oversight, intervened in Nicaragua promoting the return of Miskito Indians to their homeland and worked on solving conflicts in Ethiopia, Haiti and Bosnia.  The Carter Center negotiated to end nuclear weapons in North Korea.

Jimmy Carter's work for Habitat For Humanity is legendary and his break with the Southern Baptist Convention, as a born again Christian for their opposition of equality of women is less legendary but enormously significant.

Jimmy, you are an honorable, brilliant and thoroughly decent person and Americans thank you for your amazing service to humankind and our Nation.