Dems Are Already In The Impeachment Process

 
In deed, Democrats have already started the impeachment process.  Just not in word, because for many, it is a threatening word, implying politically driven malice against a rival political leader, rather than a rational act to stem lawless and unethical governance.  Since it has has not been exercised very often in our history, though in deed frequently in countries with authoritarian rule, our dimly informed electorate simply view it as they've seen it exercised elsewhere.  In a democracy, it is a last resort act and one that essentially overturns the will of the people from a prior election. Thus, we see it as a grave measure and dread its use, even as a last resort.

I believe impeachment in this case is the right thing to do morally and ethically. But, hoping hearings with Trumpites testifying we overtly call Impeachment Hearings  are going to move the public opinion needle in a meaningful way as great theater simply defies the reality of where America is now in my opinion.  Don McGahn speaking on camera, IMO will not make much difference. Trumpites are ill informed cultists few of whom will recognize Don McGahn and many other potential witnesses and their role in the Trump administration.  He was not an on camera star like so many of those already convicted for their crimes against our people  They won't believe the truth. It won't matter.  Mueller may be the only notable exception, but even he had a nearly invisible media profile over the last couple of years.  The silent out there have not read his report and will only dimly recognize that he's the guy who wrote the report.  Few will even know he is a Republican appointed by Republicans, not a partisan opponent.

Partisan Democrats who follow political events in some depth are already convinced from solid and visual evidence that Trump and much of his cabal are lawbreakers and liars, supported by fascist cultists.   They don't need theater called Impeachment Hearings to fortify their views. Thus, in my view, theater will not have the impact it did in the Nixon era.  And the more recent  failed Clinton impeachment resulted in a dramatic increase in Clinton's approval rating, even though he was a proven liar about a predatory sexual offense.  

It would appear that a declared impeachment investigation would not produce improved witnesses and evidence when their current Constitutionally supported subpoena power already possessed by Congress.  And back up ignored subpoenas with severe punishment.   So, let's just proceed with investigations already underway as the work of the people and frame them with astute messaging as legitimate evidence gathering to prepare for a possible impeachment, if it proves a last resort necessity to stop a President from further lawlessness.

We know impeachment will die in the Senate. So, lets revamp our messaging on what we stand for and ramp up messaging on the crimes committed before our very eyes. And fight like hell to register suspended voters and build a killer turnout machine to reach rational people who recognize we have their back and reinforce the message that Republicans have abandoned democracy for a fat, dumb, criminal, immoral, fascist wannabe King  who has not delivered on his promises to make them rich like him and don't care about anything but themselves just like him. Yes, just like him. Abandon and shun them as we rebuild a fascist America into a democracy again.

We Democrats have your back.  They only have theirs.  It is as simple as that.  Let's go forward with great policy and messaging to prove what we we stand for.  Making lives better for all, including our political rivals, though they clearly have not earned it. 

4-18-20, The Day America Died.

Today, 4-18-20, America died.  We are now a fascist country. No one really cared.  They're too busy to notice.  Busy with personal stuff.  The pubic stuff for most is out of view.   Today, the Mueller report was released.  And what it revealed about corruption, appeasement, conspiracy and obstruction are important, but not the most important thing.  What it revealed is that the pillars of American republican democracy are mostly gone.  What remains, mostly, is an authoritarian tyrant.

The pillars are torn down, excepting a free press we can be thankful for and a House of Representatives who might keep us breathing with some brain activity.   Gone are an Executive branch that we can count on to do the right thing, a Judiciary with a balance of conservative and liberal justices to try and do the right thing and a Senate than we can count on to take a broad view of what the right thing is to do.  The Senate majority has abrogated its responsibility to provide its work in checks and balances vis a vis the Executive, to whom it has offloaded all power, including appointing massive numbers of right wing hack justices, rather than give us a balance of differing views on the intent of the Constitution.  The rule of law now is disabled.  The Justice Department, through the highly partisan Attorney General Barr, has assumed the role of the President's counselor and defender rather than the role of the people's ultimate lawyer.

What remains is a fascist regime designed to disrupt the rule of law and the provision of services and protections Americans have mindlessly ignored or have been ignorant of and don't care.  Democracies require alot of work to maintain and correct when they fail to deliver and American's aren't into this kind of work.  Most don't vote regularly, let alone stay informed on policies being put in place by people they haven't voted for.  So, they've let it slip away from their control.  Americans are into instant gratification and quick results.  Authoritarians give more results, faster.  And that is who we allowed to lead us through disengagement.  Let someone else do the work; we're too busy with self gratification or with about 40% of us, just hard scrabble daily coping for survival. 

Rest in peace, America.  Maybe enough of us will be concerned about a Resurrection to bring back the hope and promise America offered, but I for one am not counting on it.  Given that we didn't rise up to release and help innocent children caged in camps on our border, there's little evidence enough of us will rise up to save ourselves.   RIP.

Liberals Have Accommodated Conservatives From Our Beginning

From the first immigration to what became the USA, immigrant liberals accommodated fellow immigrant conservatives in their belief systems.  Non-religious liberals tolerated those wanting to practice a religion.  They tolerated those who wanted to convert the original occupants of the land we began to annex.  They tolerated taking those original residents land and in some instances, killing them for it.  They tolerated herding indigenous Americans into isolated and unresourced territories and violation of agreed upon treaties.

As the colonies matured, liberals participated in debates that argued for the creation of organized governments in the colonies.  Liberals wanted to create a new country and conservatives wanted to continue affiliation with England  The Constitutional Convention was a classical face off between liberals and conservatives; the latter wanting to continue with some form of monarchy governance.  Liberals wanted to create a new system of governance that was actually not so new, dating back to the Greeks and Romans called a democracy.   Liberals argued for governance by ordinary people, conservatives wanted educated elites to rule in a modified version of democracy.   The liberals accommodated the conservatives in forming this democratic republic.

Conservatives wanted to continue slavery as a means of building an economic system.  Liberals acceded to this demand in maintaining slavery while its continuation was being hotly debated in Europe.  Further demands of giving slaves a partial identity for purposes of population count to accommodate conservative concerns about the power of smaller colonies, later becoming states.  Some liberals questioned why women were not given participation in governance in the colonies, later to become states,  observing that even in some indigenous American cultures, women were recognized as government leaders. 

And so it goes through today.  Liberals accommodate conservatives who wish to practice religion, even though many liberals find this magical thinking, including ;positing that men are deigned to rule over women in life, making all the rules for them. This includes limitations on the power of women to make their own choices about parenthood and pregnancy termination.

Liberals accommodate conservative support for basically minimally or unregulated commerce in public policy today.  Liberals accommodate limiting funding government through taxation in order to enable some to become quite wealthy through investment and corporations, leaving the bottom 40% near or in poverty. 

Liberals support a conservative world order of USA military and commercial domination across the planet, though they'd prefer to focus on domestic needs.  Liberals have accommodated unnecessary and immoral war advocated by conservatives over humanitarian resources and diplomacy.

Liberals accommodate those conservatives that prefer to shun association with people of differing racial background and country of origin, as long as those shunned are able to maintain their civil liberties and obtain citizenship. And liberals support conservatives who prefer not associating with those of differing sexual preference, while resisting their efforts to limit their civil liberties.

And so it goes.  One accommodation after another resulting in this  very dysfunctional society and resulting in conservatives enabling the election of a very flawed and ill equipped President Trump who now interprets his political success as an endorsement of leading our governance into a fascist paradigm.

What more do you want, conservatives?  When is it time to recognize that the conservative model for the U.S.A. has mostly not worked for most of us?   For a very long time. Conservatives claim to value taking personal responsibility.  When are you going to take responsibility for the factual reality that while much of this has worked for you. a minority of our population, it is not working for most of us.   Or, under conservatism, is all that counts what works for you ? This is the core principle of conservatism; what works for you.  We're tired of accommodating.

Republican Policy Has Led Us To Civic Destruction

There may have been a time when Republicans were a valued counterbalance to oppressive government.  But I've not seen it in my 82 years.  That is what they claim they offer, but the offer and delivery are not evident.  We had to dig our way out of the Republican caused Gilded Age; then again the economic collapse of the Great Depression, which was happening at the time of my birth.  And, once again, in 2009, we had to pull ourselves out of a Republican caused Economic Ditch, in the latter stages of my lifetime.

And now, Republicans and a few malinformed third party voters gave us Trumpism.  And what is happening now, besides the now obvious to all Fascism and politics of Hate?  More destruction of both our economy and rule of Constitutional law.  Let's review the current record just related to the basics of a decent life for Americans....not even an opulent life....just a decent life.  Reasonable and life improving governance.  Life sustaining environment.  Protections against life ruining disease and unhealthy bodies, including food and water.  Affordable shelter.  Life improving education.  Fair wages and employment security  This is just basic stuff we might look to our collective society to help provide.

Governance
Republicans have undermined both our taxation system that can fund needed services as a matter of their core policies and the administration of corruption free and minimally competent government services.  Trumpism is opening undermining the core services overseen by his Cabinet; he appointed people from background antithetical to providing the very services they are appointed to manage; this they call disruption and dismantlement of the state.  Add to that appointees with a record number of resignations and/or investigations for outright corruption.  Republican legislators are unified in abandoning the key to legislative governance-compromise.  Their declared method is obstruction and failure to provide  checks and balances to Executive and Judicial overreach.  And, they are overtly undermining voting rights fought for generations by those denied those rights in the past.

Environment
Trumpism and Republican legislation has overturned basic protections provided for clean air and water for our short term survival and/or health and totally ignored proven science regarding the causes and solutions to Climate Change.  They are now allowing spoiling of our water by industry and utilities and removing protections for our air and water with the diminishment of the Republican created EPA. And they are stonewalling needed reduction in carbon emissions necessary to save our planet from overheating.

Healthcare
 They are unabashedly dismantling the insurance protections for provision of health services Americans have fought to institute for decades for citizens to access needed health services and avoid financial ruin in doing so.  They are dismantling health and safety protections provided by government at all levels to assure citizens are not subjected to harm by commercial interests.  Our healthcare system compares now to outcomes in third world countries.

Shelter
Republican tax policy together with failure to support housing policies locally and nationally deny Americans access affordable housing. Rampant minimally regulated housing development is gentrifying previously affordable urban neighborhoods and marketing to only those with higher incomes.  Thus, people are forced to seek joint housing with friends and family they otherwise might prefer to access on their own.  Lower income citizens are now in crisis mode to find affordable housing near their work and the services they need.  Home ownership, once a realizable American dream, is now a luxury for only the affluent.

Education
Basic k through 12 education is now being defunded both at the federal and state levels.  This is particularly true of public schools serving lower income Americans; this is an unaddressed crisis longstanding, in part due to Republican tax policy but also Republican class an racial discrimination practices.  The crisis is now extended because economic changes require for most more than k through 12 education.  Those in poverty or with low incomes are unable to access post-high school training or education.  Even more concerning is the need for early childhood education, particularly for those from poverty situations, which is not advancing to fulfill the needs of these citizens.  College, as a result of malfeasance from public college/university trustees, has become unaffordable excecpt for the most affluent.

Employment
A changing world economy has diminished the ability of most Americans to secure employment with wages sufficient to provide basic care for their families.  Republican policies favorable to monopolies and minimally regulated multinational corporations define the futures of local communities and their residents and their ability to offer stability in life.  Corporations, defined as persons with power and rights far beyond those of ordinary citizens they employ, dictate lifestyles as well as retirement futures for a majority of Americans.  Republican policy has empowered these non-human entities to shape the character of American life with limited protection of both employees and customers.  Republican shaped tax and regulatory policy has resulted in harm to everyday citizens instead of help to weather changes in they way commerce is practiced and its consequences on our society.

In my opinion, America's survival, let alone its continuation as a beckon of hope for millions around the world for a better life rests in the hands of an informed electorate in 2020.  Many solutions are being voiced by the excellent Democratic candidates already competing for their Party's Presidential nomination.  One might hope that reasonable, thinking Republicans not duped into the Trump Fascist cult, might rise to this challenge to bring new, thoughtful leadership to America.  I see no signs that hope for this is warranted.

Sow The Seeds For Victory 2020

The seeds to which I refer are the issues that voters care about to make their lives better.  Our Democratic field of Presidential candidates so far bring to America a rich field of major life improving issues and solutions.  Lets start with leadership characteristics abounding with the already announced field.   Personal morality and ethics for starters.  Honesty and truthfulness.  Intelligence. Tolerance and empathy.  All of our Democratic hopefuls can be models our children and grandchildren could look up to compared to the sexual predator, bigot, ignorant liar and con man currently failing in his attempt to lead us.

Gillibrand, O'Rourke, Hickenlooper, Inslee, Sanders, Klobuchar, Warren, Booker, Harris, Castro, Gabbard, Biden, Buttigieg.  Differing strains of thought from within the Party, but all thinking people of character.  

And each is bringing a key value and issue positions for our public discussion.  Life sustaining climate action, economic fairness and income security, healthcare for all, affordable education and career training, support for the needs of children, elderly and disabled.  Retirement dignity and security, peace, positive relationships with international allies, security checks on hostile foreign entities, gender and racial equality, equal rights for all to love whom they choose.  Freedom of and from religion, communities that are safe from violence, bullying and hate and commerce that is first and foremost committed to providing value without harm to communities and the environment.  Welcoming of immigrants of diverse backgrounds  and humane treatment of migrants is at the core of the Democratic value system.  As is restoring a functioning democracy and ending creeping fascism.

These candidates and these values they advocate are the solution to victory for Democrats in 2020.  The goodness of who they are and what Democrats stand for will prevail over an opposition that will defeat itself with their amorality, greed and absence of  values.  They will defeat themselves with their stark contrast to Democrats.  We will win showing how good we are for America.  They will lose showing their hate, corruption, greed and ineptitude.

Pitchforks&Populists: Reflections On My Civil Rights Awakening

Pitchforks&Populists: Reflections On My Civil Rights Awakening: The events in Washington D.C. this week inspire me to share my story about racial justice awareness in my life of just past three quarters o...

American Capitalism Has Long Been A Hybrid With Socialism

Much gnashing of teeth lately about "Socialist" ideas being proposed by Democrats, but the usual suspects, by ill-informed Republicans and Libertarians.   Let me clue these people in.  At least for the past 80 years, damned near a century,  we've interwoven so-called socialist institutions with our capitalistic economy.  In fact, when you count government seed money, loans and bailouts, the two are inexorably intertwined in America.   And this, for the most part, has been a great idea very helpful to our version of a functioning democracy.

I was attracted to sharing this with you as a result of a re-run Daily Kos posting by the NewDeal100 in recent weeks.  So, borrowing from this great piece of research, here are some socialist services I find most popular among almost any people in their right mind. 

Military/Homeland Security They used to be private, raised by competing Kingdoms, paid by different Kings.  Interesting people like Eric Prince want to return us to that model. Intended to protect us but tragically misused for Empire building.
Highways and Bridges. In medieval Europe, they too were private, built by Kingdoms.  Our national highways were for the most part built initially by a great Republican President, D. Eisenhower.  County and municipal roads are funded locally by your tax dollars.
Public Libraries.  Institutions of higher learning used to provide these as well as the Catholic Church.  They're now publicly funded.  And they are great not just for reading and research, but they provided space for public meetings and gathering, a fantastic benefit.
Fire Stations.  Municipally funded as well.  And I recently discovered a local Delaware phenomenon.  Meeting/party rooms provided by fire departments.  Fantastic idea.
Police Protection.  Kingdoms had their own, private policing organizations.  Now they are funded by various levels of our government through our taxes.  Tragically misused sometimes to oppress taxpaying citizens. 
Customs and Border Protection.  Seems to be the one major service Republicans think is underfunded and in need of expansion.
Public Schools. Community Colleges. State Universities.  These were largely provided by Churches.  In America, we pioneered this concept through our state governments, augmented by federal tax dollars.
Student Loans.  Some public money going here but badly in need of reform. 
Postal Services.  Innovated by your Federal Government.  They were the inspiration for latter day package delivery services.  
Water and Sewer Services.  In centuries gone by you got your water out of your local stream or lake and hoped it wouldn't kill you, with the sewage dumped in it.  This is mostly provided in America by municipal and county governments.  Dams are often built by the Corps of Engineers.  And the privatization movement for water is hardly a good or new idea, now is it?  Yet, maybe close to half our water now comes from for profit, private sources.  Bad long term trend IMO.
Farm Subsidies. Lots of them covering a myriad of crops and animal agricultural endeavors.   Yes, and these folks vote mostly Republican, who are otherwise not real friendly toward subsidies.
Rural Electrification/Municipal lighting  These same rural residents can read by lamps these days and cook their food thanks to government funding of rural electric services and coops (another socialist concept).  They really hate those city people getting government services who also appreciate not having to drive or walk without light in the dead of the night.
Garbage Collection and Landfills. Often operated by municipalities and county governments, though some are operated by private contractors paid by the government through your tax dollars.  Not much need for dumping your garbage on the roadside as in yesteryear or in a hole in your back pasture. 
Social Security/Disability Insurance.  Intended to supplement your private retirement and savings, to keep you out of the government poor house.  Yes, these actually existed.  And it sure has worked.  It has worked too quite well as a banking source for Congress to use your SS contributions to fund other government programs they ran out of money for. 
Public Housing/HUD  A declining, disappearing resource in an age of unaffordable  housing but there is some left for some desperate among us for a roof over them, both locally and federally funded.
VA.  An amazing array of services for veterans for healthcare, housing, care of disabled vets and education.  Militaries, like Napoleon's sometimes proved care for old and disabled vets he called "old groaners". 
Medicare/Medicaid/Children's Health Insurance Program Health care insurance for our elders, children and very low income/disabled citizens that private insurance can't possibly finance and make money from.  Soon perhaps to be expanded to more our our fellow citizens who cannot get private insurance.
Public Hospitals, Outpatient Centers and Mental Health Services.  Good luck getting private providers to offer these services to those without funds/insurance.  Way underfunded. 
National Institute For Health/Food and Drug Administration/ USDA/ Health And Human Services/Center for Disease Control. All vital services not provided for breakthrough health research, protection from disease and deadly contamination and a wide array of public health/disease prevention services.  Remember polio? 
EPA/OSHA. Protection from toxic contamination and environmental degradation and industry created health and safety threats to employees by their employers.  Republicans hate this. 
FEMA. Federal help to rebuild communities impacted by natural disasters local governments cannot significantly provide.
Obamacare.  Government subsidies to citizens who cannot afford inflated private health insurance, which in effect has been a boon to private insurance companies acquiring new customers who previously could not afford their inflated premiums. 
SNAP Food Stamps.  Literally keeping some people and children alive when income is inadequate for people to feed their families.  
School Lunch Program. Funded and supplied by both federal and state governments, which often provide the only nutrition on school weekdays many of our children depend on to sustain their lives. 
Unemployment Insurance/Welfare/WIC. Funded by federal payroll taxes and some local taxation, to assist people who have lost their source of employment/income temporarily until they find new employment.  It included assistance in finding new employment and income for disabled people and those needing job retraining.
Small Business Administration.  Ever tried, as a struggling entrepreneur to get a business loan from a private bank without pledging your mother in law as collateral?   This is a sleeper of a service to not compete with the private sector but provide security from risk.
Consumer Protection Agency.  A pretty minimal protection from being ripped off but its a start at justice.
Federal, State Parks/Beaches.  An amazing solution to preserving unspoiled environment and a vital part of our recreation. 
Public Transportation/Airports and Air Traffic Safety.  This includes local buses, locally funded but augmented by the federal government,  locally funded airport terminals, greatly augmented by federal funding including air travel/transport security and mitigation of air disasters/accidents from our control towers.  These services are only partially funded by private airlines and bus companies fees and taxes.  Amtrak is a available in 46 states and provides commuter services daily to tens of millions of northeastern US residents. 
National Weather Service.  Provides protection from natural disasters tornadoes, hurricanes and extreme weather incidents. 

You get the idea.  Who among you believe the private sector will provide these services affordably  in the absence of your government ?