65 Comments

The Confederates have always been Confederates. In recent years, the trump years, they have proudly displayed their flags on their homes and automobiles. They want everyone to know exactly who and what they are.

Lying, cheating, and stealing are not only acceptable, they are encouraged by the hierarchy in the Republican Party. If you want to win, go ahead and play dirty and concoct strategies that ensure it.

The will of We The People matters little to those who care primarily about their own personal agendas, as well as the strength of their tribe. Thom just verified that.

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I wasn't going to go there, but your context darn well brings in Texas/Abbot's secession declaration about the Border. (never mind the Supreme Court affirming that it's Federal jurisdiction under the Constitution.) Rachel Maddow has been drawing attention to historical precedent for current events, and, sez me, Biden needs to call Abbot's bluff and come down hard with a new "JUNETEENTH." The Marines sailed into Galveston Harbor June 19, 1865, and General Gordon Granger literally read the Emancipation Proclamation (and what an inspiring read it is!) with guns trained on Texas, whose slaves were the last to hear they were free. https://www.military.com/off-duty/how-us-military-helped-create-juneteenth-holiday.html

Send in the goddamn Marines, Joe! Send the Marines! (in memory of my husband, RIP 2019, who was in country with the Marines in Korea, and would have been totally ready to go to Texas!)

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I’m with you! My dad was in the marines in both WWII and Korea. It’s time to put our foot down to the bullies and hold them accountable for their extreme behaviors in defiance of law (and order).

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Thanks, Thom, for putting the gory details of the opportunistic, greedy, psychopathic, disgusting, treasonous Republican Presidents together in one place so I can share it.

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Republish on social media.

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WE have a seditionist representing us in upstate NY who is a top corrupt Maga person, Stefanik. Writing her does no good on any issue from this or even major animal abuse by our BLM on our few wild horses remaining in the west. Our 2 senators are good on resisting GOP crap but useless on wildlife abuse issues as they want the votes of the energy and livestock big money coalition.

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Imagine the joy of being a Democrat in a district where you only have 100% MAGA Congressperson, Two MAGA Senators and then there is Governor DeSatan. Still I will vote by mail and continue in the hope that somehow we can turn the tide of Fascism in Amerika.

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WOW! There must be a lot of Flawridians following Thom. That is a good thing.

I believe that it is vital that decent Americans (yes, even “non-party affiliated) get a genuine grip on life under the Fascist Republican Party.

If they assume power in 2024, The Heritage Foundation 2025 Plan will guide the Fascists into transforming our already weak Democracy into Orban’s Hungary as a start point.

This is not another one of the so-called “ebb and flow” movements in our society. This will be a catastrophe, and yes, essentially a more sophisticated version of 30’s Fascism.

Just wait until your neighbor denounces you for making jokes about Trump.

That reminds me as an example, do you really think Alec Baldwin is being prosecuted for what was a plot to destroy his career for making light of Trump? He is canary in our collective coal mine

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They have infiltrated everything like rats

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Will look up that Floyd! "Comfortably Numb" was my Covid hideout anthem.

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That’s a good one

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Again this is the fault of the media.

As I have stated many times, Trump is like a broken clock.

When he said the media is the enemy of the people he was correct, because it is the media that made him 45 and the media that will make him 47, The media is normalizing Trump, they are actually making more out of Biden's age and insinuating that he has dementia, instead of ripping Trump to the ground.

The Republicans and Trump are, apparently, employing reverse psychology, best epitomized by Lenin when he said: "Oppose what you propose, propose what you oppose, and your opponent will hand you the keys to the kingdom on a silver platter".

The natural response is to defend what Trump and the Republicans attack, And that is how they use their opponent to achieve their ends.

The only reason Democracy is on the chopping block, is because of the media. They made Trump and are making him President again.

This is ominous. Wall Street is caving to Trump (again) https://plus.thebulwark.com/p/why-wall-street-is-surrendering-to

As Jamie Dimon said, they can work with and profit with whoever wins.

I am noticing a trend, even among "liberal" comedians like the Jimmy's Fallon and Kimmel, they use Biden as a punching bag, because of his age, but are actually normalizing Trump and his "gafs" (that's what the media is calling his signs of dementia).

If Biden had said any of the things that Trump has said, or done even one of the things that Trump has done, he would have been long gone.

That Trump is still the number 1 topic and if he becomes #47, which appears likely gratis the media and Wall Street., Trump will owe big thanks to the media and comedians.

Personally I sniff cowardice as critics are hedging their bets, even hosts like Ari Melber on MSNBC are toning down their discussion of Trump.

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You’re right about all of it, William. But there’s a reason the mainstream (lame stream) media has become what it is. It is almost fully owned by the oligarchy. Their agenda is fully transparent .

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Our last good newspaper in NE Pennsylvania was just sold (against the owners wishes) to the same Wall Street hedge fund that has bought our other newspapers. Both times I Immediately saw a difference in headlines, which became critical of Biden (even when the News article itself reported otherwise). The idea of a liberal press is a joke.

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It isn't a liberal press or a conservative press it is an honest press that is the joke. When truth has to be censored, we are ran by liars criminals and thugs.

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Best comment, ever. I’d never heard that Lenin quote! Sums it all

Up

Perfectly

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Thanks for the article.

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William, 1930’s American Capitalists including a Bush and Henry Ford Senior used to say they too could work with Hitler. And they did, until they were finally made to stop.

Yes “ As Jamie Dimon said, they can work with and profit with whoever wins.” is a real clear red flag for Oligarchs to gear up in support of Trump.

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I agree. However Wall Street is backing Haley with big money! The big money doesn’t want the chaos of trump. It hurts their bottom line

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Not really, Some are hedging your bets. Take Jamie Dimon, who said at Davos, that he can work with either Trump or Biden.

Here is what the Bulwark has to say; https://plus.thebulwark.com/p/why-wall-street-is-surrendering-to Trump

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Trust me Linda, most large scale American corporations are just fine with Trump.

Their bigger fear is the global power of the Neo-Feudal Lords like Bezos, Musk et al.

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Vapid

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Jan 26·edited Jan 26

I sent a message weeks ago to my representative. I don't have what I wrote , but it was something about funding Ukraine, border compromise, and no political games.

And I received this:

"The open border policies of the Biden Administration have put our southern border in crisis. The United States has recorded over 3.5 million illegal border crossings since President Biden took office, opening the flood gates for the cartels to smuggle fentanyl into our communities.

It’s time we reject the open border policies of the Biden Administration and Democrats in Congress and focus on strengthening our border security by building a wall and giving border agents the resources necessary to secure our southern border.

With that being said, I am a proponent of a transparent and legal immigration process, especially for seasonal workers, that makes sense for the American people. As a farmer, I see firsthand the important role seasonal agricultural workers have in the agriculture community. Please rest assured, I will keep your thoughts in mind as this issue comes up on the House floor."

I was obviously not surprised. I then sent him a response basically telling him that I did not appreciate the canned response which shows him playing political games and insulting my intelligence.

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Get your facts straight and stop spouting right wing propaganda. Biden does not have an Open Border policy, in fact he has been hit hard from the left because he has carried over Trumps' policies

Open Borders is the libertarian policy, and in fact it was in the 1980 plank of the Libertarian Party, when David Koch ran for president. Open Borders means cheap labor. and there is nothing more than cheap labor which makes the oligarchs happy, and because there is a shortage of cheap, immigrant labor, red states have now modified the child labor laws, that teenagers can now risk their lives and health, working in slaughter houses.

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Get your reference straight. Bret is quoting from his Representative.

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Then maybe he should have written: I received the following from my Representative, and then put it in quotes.

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I had it, but it wasn't obvious. I moved it to a more visible location.

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You had it in quotes. It was quite obvious what your point was/is. Some people can’t admit a mistake.

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down, fella. He did. Clear to me.

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Did you also notice that he edited it 19 hrs ago, and made it clear, you didn't see the original post. He did listen to my critique and did edit it to make it clear.

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I wasn't sure how to display it and have it not take up too much space. When you replied, I assumed that you might have been directing your comment to my representative. I do appreciate your vast knowledge and calling out of things. We shall mover on to other issues.

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Almost always 19 hours late, anyhow. ps, you can edit this stuff?

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Wow! I thought I knew some of this, but I never heard of the Jonson Nixon Vietnam story. Reading all of these in one article is flabbergasting.

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As somebody who heard it all down thru the times, it doesn't get less upsetting. God bless you for paying attention.

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Nixon was trying to create a war Oct surprise for the 1960 election that failed to happen in his term as VP. Today the Fed has been trying for years to create a recession. Biden's economic policies overwhelmed the effort by a 4.9% increase in GDP and most recent 3.3% quarter the highest since the 60's. To win we simply need a base voter strategy of 3 or 4 economic issues campaign and make everyone on the planet know what they are by repeating first thing out of their mouth at the microphone. More of the same economic policies and other important cultural issues in favor to our base voters.

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Johnson was a such a defeated and sad man at the end. He wanted out. Could not run again after being betrayed by his advisors and cabinet and realizing there was no winning the war unless by bombing VN to the Stone Age. Johnson grew his hair long and essentially exiled himself to his Texas ranch.

I wonder if Nixon was sober when he had that call to him. Anyway tricky dick got his. Reagan’s legacy is an “amiable dunce”. Gore had decent people and obviously Bill Clinton did not do all he could to make the election fair ( and really who knew W would invade based on prevarication). Trump is just in it for monetary gain, to pay back Putin for helping him out of his bankruptcies, and of course the limos, the sec serv agents—he has no idea how to wield the power of the office, that’s for Miller, Bannon, Manafort, Flynn, and Eastman. It would be nice if Garland could be replaced or just grow a pair. I don’t expect an Oct surprise. I expect trump to self destruct like he did in 2020 w his scary debates. It would be nice if he got convicted before the election —in one of the trials.

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Mitch, here is a thing I am pondering as a Vietnam Vet.

The Chinese Communist and Russian ally were sending tens of thousands of tons of military supplies through Haiphong Harbor throughout the conflict. Americans apparently dropped 20,000 tons of bombs on the harbor.

That is nothing to sneeze at, but the harbor was never shut down and remained active non-stop. Comparatively an estimated 45,517 tons of bombs were dropped on Berlin during World War II.

I don’t have any love of war then or now, but one has to wonder why we allowed the North to have the means to wage war for over 10 years w/ supplies from Communist China and Russia?

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Honestly Thom, we have a president in the White House now who is manipulating world affairs with disastrous results. Not that Trump would be better mind you, but the attempt to supplant Biden's utter amorality (which did not start with his disdain for the Palestinian people) with Red Scare paranoia is wearing thin. It also shows the white supremacy inherent in Biden liberalism, as you have directed his base to be far more concerned with the situation in Ukraine than the situation in Gaza and the West Bank. Yet Netanyahu is far worse than Putin and has been imposing torture upon the Palestinian people for nearly two decades. But of course Biden and Democrats have been complicit and we don't care nearly as much about those poor black and brown people Democrats keep bombing and droning but those Ukrainians deserve our unwavering support and bottomless financial and military support so we can play a game of chicken with Putin.

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Boris. Did you celebrate Iran's birthday gift to Putin on Oct 7th?

You could care less about Gaza, just another tool to whip the west with in service to your lord and master.

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Outgodamnedstanding, Mr. Kaufman.

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This border surge is a DIRECT result of the constant republican refrain that “Biden has opened the border”. They know that the world is listening

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How do you turn that malicious manipulation back in their faces? There's a small opening now, since a "compromise," (surrender!) was bipartisan negotiated, and Trump (and McConnell!) decided to reject victory, and probably only MSNBC watchers know. Hartmann posters know the futility of trying to "spread the word."

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Once again the sleazy treachery of Republicans has caused us to pay a price, and continues on a daily basis with the Right wing Supreme Court Justices to keep turning out their rulings that are actually injustice.

They routinely desecrate justice. They’ve never been held accountable for their lies and chaos and Trump continues to this day to wreak havoc on our country.

The Republicans who give blind allegiance to Trump are happy to join in whatever illicit conspiracy power they can attain.

And Blind they are , their allegiance to Trump has set up their allegiance to Putin, another diabolical deal with serious perhaps fatal consequences.

Is there no Republican who cares more for righteous truth than the drivel Trump churns out .

The regrettable alliance with Putin/ Trump will deliver disaster .

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Are there any Republicans that want to emulate Jesus? It looks to me like all the Republicans who call themselves Christians just use Jesus as a credit card to send with?

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Thom, Unknown to me at the time, I published a much shorter and less complete version of this column an hour after you did. I did have one more piece of evidence regarding the 2000 election, the potential for creating targeted hanging chad as documented in the eBook "Stolen Future".

I should also point out that the people who would use violence to hold on to power--900,000 Afghanis and Iraqis dead, not to mention 7,000 Americans--seem unlikely to have hesitated in the killing of 3,000 more Americans in New York when a false flag to justify the War on Terror was staged to enrage the American public in their favor.

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Excellent point. It’s not PC to talk about that though. Check out AE911Truth. The truth is worth searching for.

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On September 11th three steel-superstructure high-rise buildings were completely destroyed (the first ever in the 100-year history of building skyscrapers). They fell symmetrically at--or for the Twin Towers, very nearly--freefall speed into thousands of tons of undamaged steel and concrete below the plane crash sites. Somehow the smaller/lighter tops of the Twin Towers (above the crash site) crushed the heavier/larger bottoms in violation of Newton's 3rd law of motion (...every action has an equal and opposite reaction...). Building Seven wasn't hit by a plane and still managed to destroy itself symmetrically and at full freefall. None of these observations are consistent with the characteristics of natural gravitational collapses. They are all characteristic of controlled demolitions.

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Amen, Carolyn! It took me a couple of years to acknowledge what I knew intuitively on viewing the videos of the collapses on Sept. 11th. Ken Burns...this is not a set of observations I'd expect from him. That's as nicely as I know how to put it.

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Ben Franklin might have answered the apocryphal question, "A republic . . . If you can forge it." "IF"

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"Trump is trying to exacerbate a crisis on our southern border and screw Ukraine in a way that will lead to mass causalities and disrupt the international order."

Mr. Hartmann, my admiration for your intellect you are well aware of. Resultantly, I humbly submit to you that "the international order" needs to, and must, be 'disrupted.' It is that "order" that has plunged the world into chaos. Frankly, I don't really give a rat's ass who or what the catalyst for that disruption is at this point.

With all due respect and, please, pardon my forward language.

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And Rohn, who will be the loser if the world is plunged into chaos. Ever heard of unintended consequences? The dog who caught the car? How about, be careful of what you wish for.

The Nihilist becomes the ultimate victim of Nihilism. Take Robespiere or Trotksy for example.

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Yes and incite civil war

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"The US" used to have moral authority.

Uh...when? Please tell me; and before you do so, be mindful that we ain't part of the "US." Other than you telling me so.

With utmost respect as, clearly, you are an intelligent and actively thinking person.

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All this talk about Poland being Putin's next target! Poland is a member of NATO. I would consider Moldova to be his follow-on target, since Moldova is NOT in NATO, has a large ethnic Russian population, AND there are already Russian troops in the country.

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Rotten to the core! Disgusting

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