As the situation stands now. Any discussion about an election, much less an electoral college, is passe. Trump has installed himself as King and wanna be Emperor, and any future elections will be on his terms and at his pleasure.
Meanwhile thanks to King Donald, America is now a pariah nation and headed down the gravity chute to become a shithole country. In many aspects we already are, after Fridays disgusting performance, Now all of Europe has turned against us, Trump is an arrogant ass, he believes that our economic might is enough to have the world groveling at our feet. he is going to learn some lessons about morality.
And he thinks he can wield the armed forces, like he wields a scimitar in the Saudi Sword dance, or a saber as he did recently. He is mistaken, he has embarked on a venture to demoralize and weaken the military.
Now is the hour to rise up, to boycott, to do whatever needs to be done to throw sand in the gears.
Have you heard anything about Fridays nationwide boycott? I haven't. A lot of noise about not buying anything for one day, and what have we heard, the Sound of Silence.
We have an emergency! We may never vote again! 2024 proved “Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything.” ― Joseph Stalin. That's why we lost.
But on Friday, in an ambush, Trump may have put his head in a noose.
From Axios: Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), in a text to Axios, said Friday was "a bad day for America's foreign policy."
"Ukraine wants independence, free markets and rule of law. It wants to be part of the West. Russia hates us and our Western values. We should be clear that we stand for freedom," he said.
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), in a post on X, called the meeting "a disaster — especially for Ukraine," adding, "Sadly, the only winner of today is Vladimir Putin.
Impeach the SOB And Vance, the other Putin agent, too.
To succeed, Impeachment must be bipartisan. This is for both structural and theoretical reasons:
Structural: In oder for the Speaker of the House to be removed, 9 members of his own party must agree to a Motion to Vacate the Chair. A 51% majority vote is required to pass Articles of Impeachment in the House, and a 2/3 majority vote is required to convict in the Senate. Democrats do not hold a majority in either chamber, so Republicans will have to provide a significant number of votes.
Theoretical: Impeachment of the President and Vice President is effectively a rejection of the Will of the People. It invalidates the vote of electors chosen by the People in their most recent election. Therefore, its legitimacy is dependent upon a shared commitment to the greater good of the nation over partisan advantage by members of the major political parties. Anything less than that would be regarded as nothing more than a power grab by one party. Maintaining the legitimacy of the highest ranking officers in our government is essential to preserving the rule of law.
Reading Alt-right news coverage of the Oval Office Extortion characterizes the event as all Zlelenskyy's fault - the ungrateful little twerp. The American Conservative announced the "Dawn of International Nationalism" lauding the Putins, Orbans, and other anti-liberal democracy leaders in the world and celebrating that the US was joining in the new world order of every man for himself (sorry ladies).
Of course, Trump is impeachment-proof as his Congress is full of wimp lackies who fear him and like their cushy jobs in DC where all they do is cut taxes and take bribes, gold bars, and RVs from lobbyists. Trump is the most impeachment-experienced POTUS in history. A sizeable percentage of Republicans would have to grow spines and discover where they mislaid their moral compasses for impeachment to happen. I am not holding my breath.
3. Many of these folks are on record supporting Ukraine and opposing Putin....
22 Senate Republcans voted to support Ukraine...dizens of House members
4. Besides Ukraine, there is the Musk factor. Musk and Puti had a relationship that is documented.
5. I quote Jerry Weiss, who identifies at least 25. "The Republican majority, especially in the House, is exceedingly fragile. And the GOP is riven into bitterly opposed factions. The divisions were vividly exposed during the 118th Congress when Speaker Kevin McCarthy was removed from office and multiple ballots were required to elect his successor. Their differences have been temporarily papered over in an attempt to form a unified governing majority in the 119th Congress.
"But the reality of a rogue criminal MAGA Republican President is reopening wounds within the party. As they see firmly established Congressional prerogatives being systematically eroded, traditional conservative Republicans are likely to question their continued fealty to a President displaying contempt for their long and deeply-held faith in American institutions.
"Moreover, long-serving Congress Members have well-established and powerful supporters whose priorities do not coincide with those of the wrecking crew now rampaging through the government.
"Pharmaceutical companies, for example, will not readily give up their extensive network of government funded research projects.
"Nor will other sectors of the health care industry meekly accept the end of federal assistance for such things as hospital expansion.
International business interests will not sit on the sidelines as tariffs and trade wars disrupt their markets and raise costs.
"At the other end of the spectrum, many Republicans represent districts with populations heavily dependent on federal benefit programs like Medicaid, food stamps and head-start.
"Then there are those who’ve spent their careers robustly supporting American military alliances, especially NATO, and combatting Russian expansionism. They are more than a little worried about the isolationist ideology of MAGA extremists now empowered by this President.
"We must be clear-eyed and rational about this.
"These are all identifiable individual Republicans who may be just waiting for some opportunity to escape the madness that’s taken over their party. They tend to be moderate, and join caucuses with names like Problem Solvers and Governance Group. When the stakes are high, they have more than once joined with Democrats to raise the debt ceiling, avoid government shut downs and provide military assistance to Ukraine.
"Moderate not only in their policy positions but also in their personal lives, you won’t often see them on TV. They’re reluctant to jump out ahead or take political risks, but they always know which way the wind is blowing. That’s why it may appear that there’s little movement, until there is. Then things can change extremely fast, particularly if there’s a growing momentum for change."
As an American who lives in Eastern Europe part of each year, I doubt that the East European countries are as onboard with turning thier backs on the US as Western Europe is. Many are not EU, and their governments are corrupt, ex-Soviet, racist and anti-Muslim (except for Kosovo). But, their GDPs are all trivial, so the EU is not likely to worry about their loyalty.
Not until the US economy starts to feel the pain among the F150-driving MAGA world, will MAGAs get woke and begin to realize that their tailgate hate rallies were conjobs. Once the tariffs set in, it will not take long before their exposed assets will start to dissolve as recession evolves and their debts edge toward default.
According to current information, the Eastern European countries that do not belong to the EU are: Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, and to a lesser extent, Armenia and Azerbaijan; all of which are considered part of the "Eastern Partnership" by the EU
Belarus is a Putin Satrapy, Ukraine well we know what is going on there) and Moldova is small (I get the newsletter Moldova Matters) it has a 5,000 man army equipped with old Soviet Weapons and is plaqued with a Soviet breakaway province on it's eastern border with Ukraine (Transnistra)
Moldova is under pressure to slide into the Putin camp (everyone wants to be on the side of a winner)
On 15 December 2022, the European Council officially granted candidacy status to Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is one of nine current EU candidate countries, together with Albania, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.
Georgia now has a pro Putin government,Russia and Azerbaijan are de facto and de jure allies in many different aspects, including military. Bilateral relations exist between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation
If I were to conjecture, and I am, I say that those countries not already aligned with the EU are already inside the Russian sphere of influence. and NATO and the EU have to fifth columnists within their ranks,Hungary and Slovakia, and the soon rid of them the better.
Serbia, in constant war with Muslim Kosovo and will never be let into the EU in my lifetime given their long list of war crimes. The Serbs are pro-RU as is Erdogan's Turkey (also Muslim). Kosovo is very western, surprisingly. Europe and NATO have paid too little attention to the Black Sea (dominated by the RU Navy until Ukraine). The Black Sea is critical for international trade choked at Istanbul on both sides of the Bosporus as Erdogan regularly plays footsy with RU. I won't even drive thru Serbia anymore - too dangerous, and not a very friendly nation anyway. Checking into a hotel in Istanbul, is like boarding a flight to Jerusalem - x-ray baggage and just short of a strip search. Westerners have been shot and stabbed by terrorists when they are heard speaking English.
I know about Serbia. Years ago on the now defunct Liberty Forum there was a Croat, living in Canada, screen name Machiavelli, and a Serb in California. I can't recall his screen name at the moment. The only thing that united them was Muslims.
That Balkan conflict has always confounded me, As Bosniaks are Slavs, Bogmomil christians converted to Islam under the Ottoman's, a choice made to escape the onerous jizzyah, poll tax, levied on Peoples of the Book (Jews and Christians), Croats, Slavs converted to Roman Catholicism under the suzerainity of the Western Roman Empire, and Serbs , Slavs converted to Greek Orthodox under the Byzantine Empire.
Kosovoairans and Albanians, Illyrians conquered and converted by the Turks.
There is a deep seated, religiously based, ethic based distrust, hatred and fear in the that neck of the woods.
As regards current political alliances, I suspect that they are transactional and temporary.
Turkey was modernized and secularized by Kemal Attaturk, and so it stood, even during WWI when it sided with the Kaiser and the Austro Hungarian
Empire.
After which it was forced to give up it's holdings in the Levant to a desert tribe Chieftain, Saud, a desert tribe chieftain who posited himself as a King, the Hasemite. The British Empire which took control of the Levant, Iraq and Iran
Turkey was neutral during World War II, but played a role in helping Jewish refugees and supplying raw materials to the Allies. It also played a role as a recruiting ground for the Waffen SS, Arab Leaque, and Hajj Amin al-Husayni , the Mufti of Jerusalem met Hitler in Istanbul.
After the war, Turkey allowed the U.S. to base it's intell operations near the Russian Border, and the U2 flights over Russia flew out of Turkey.
But the influence of salafist Islam has gained footing among the population and Turkey has progressively shifted rightward religiously.
After WWII, Germany depleted of vital manpower, recruited Turks to fill its need.
Turkey has kept one foot planted in the west and the other planted in Asia and the mid east.
Until Oct 7th it has been a trading partner with Israel, It had remained neutral between Iran and Israel, but has had increasing trade ties, which I assume circumvented US Sanctions.
Erdogan spends his time looking at the windsock.
That whole region is a complicated mess, a Gordeon knot that can't be unraveled.
And Albania, well that is, as I see it, a ruthless mafia society, brutally communist under Hoxha. The Albanian mafia in America is brutally worse than the Russian, and Colombia cartels.
Which brings up a sore subject. Kind open hearted America opens its arms to the world, and the next thing it is swarming with Irish, Italian, Russian, Albanian, Armenian, Haitian, Salvadoran, Cuban, Colombian, Mexican mafia and ruthless gangs.
Thank you for contacting me regarding the war in Ukraine. I appreciate the opportunity to respond.
Russia is a cancerous, evil regime that threatens our national security by attempting to control as much of Europe and Eurasia as it can. It also supports the regimes in Iran, Communist China, Cuba, and Venezuela. All of them continually seek to harm the United States and force us into a position of dependence upon them for our livelihood. Vladimir Putin’s unjustifiable and unlawful invasion of Ukraine is just one more example of this fact. I believe that the United States must continue to stand strongly with Ukraine and provide the lethal military aid it needs to win this war. Putin’s murderous attacks are a threat to our national security and the security of our democratic allies.
While we must continue to support democracy in Ukraine, I will not allow Russia’s unjust invasion to deprioritize or slow progress on solving urgent domestic issues such as securing the border, fighting inflation and rebuilding our national defense. Congress can continue to act and solve these issues, which we owe to the American people.
As Florida’s U.S. Senator, and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I will continue fighting for allies around the world, while also ensuring we take care of our families here at home. I am proud to represent every citizen in Florida and I appreciate the time you took to provide your position on this matter. Should you have any additional questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.
Thank you for contacting my office. I am so honored to be serving this country and the people of the great state of Florida. We have received your message. If you are requesting assistance with a Federal Government Agency please email casework@Moody.senate.gov.
'A Warrior for Israel': Jewish MAGA Group to Honor Steve Bannon After Apparent Nazi Salute
Israel365, known as 'Israel's voice in the MAGA movement' and a strong supporter of West Bank settlements, will honor Bannon in Dallas. The group caters to evangelicals, with its leader warning Jews opposing MAGA are at their own peril
Sen. Ron Wyden announced that he will be hosting an “open-to-all town hall” on Tuesday, instead of attending Trump’s rant in front of a joint session of Congress. Wyden said: “If you’re looking for something to do … besides watching Trump lie for two hours, all are welcome to tune in.”
I believe it's actually SIXTY ONE votes away from making the EC obsolete (meaning, additional states whose EC votes total 61 signing on to the Compact. The website I always go to check is: https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/ ). IT HAPPENS THROUGH YOUR STATE LEGISLATURE (use the NPV website to look up your own state. Your state legislature has either joined the NPVC, or they've attempted legislation to make it happen. What do the democratic majorities look like in your state legislature? ONE VOTE per precinct can FLIP a district!). I live in Colorado, and testified at the state Capitol for one of the years that the NPVC did not pass. But we kept at, and through the brilliant work of State Senator Mike Foote — he had THE BEST talking points! — Colorado is now not only signed on, but it was later referred to the ballot and Colorado Voters overwhelmingly made it law. One of those talking points?: WHY would we elect our President ANY differently than we elect any of the THOUSANDS of elected positions in the United States?: One person. One vote. Majority wins.
And to those of you that rightly have their hair on fire, talking about elections IS NOT "PASSE". Our democracy on the brink of utter collapse IS NOT THE TIME to rule out ANYTHING that has to do with ACTION. Let's reframe our posting on social media — ESPECIALLY NOW — so that it always suggests WHAT TO DO about whatever sets your hair on fire. YOU are influencing, OR discouraging people with every word you write.
We don't have a choice. We have MASSIVE catching up to do! We are tasked with doing MANY THINGS at once: Sand in the gears for daily chaos. Pop protests, Tesla Takedowns, Economic Blackouts. BUT ALSO, flipping seats, building the foundation for the recovery of our Democracy. Things feel hopeless, but we must DO THE WORK ANYWAY.
The National Popular Vote compact only needs states with 61 more electoral votes.
It has been enacted by 17 states and DC (3 electors) together possessing 209 electoral votes, including
5 smallest states (DE - 3 electors, HI - 4, ME – 4, RI - 4, VT - 3),
9 small to medium-sized states (CO - 10, CT - 7, MD -10, MN – 10, MA -11, NJ -14, NM - 5, OR - 8, WA -12), and
3 big states (CA -54, IL -19, NY -28).
It has passed at least one legislative chamber in 7 states with 74 more electoral votes -- Arizona (11), Arkansas (6), Michigan (15), North Carolina (16), Oklahoma (7) and Virginia (13), and both houses in Nevada (6).
Depending on the state, the Compact can be enacted by statute, or as a state constitutional amendment, or by the initiative process
I have always wondered why the Electoral College was not relegated the the historical delete bin? It is encouraging that it was considered in 1969 for deletion. It may have served a purpose when news traveled by horseback taking days to reach the flyover states. But in our current level of technology and 24 hour news it is archaic and out of touch. Time for it to be deleted.
I would like to see the Electoral College null and void. It never worked the way the Founders intended and what they intended would be obsolete in 2025. I am a white old lady. I vote in every election. But I live in a blood red state so my vote for President is a fart in a windstorm. Most of our states would be swing states if they were not totally gerrymandered. And I sincerely hope the Democrats that didn't vote in 2024 are quietly weeping into their beers by now. Shame on you.
Captain my Captain there has to be a solution for all to understand right? Thank you for laying it out in the only way you can. Solutions Thom. Voting should just be easy to do in the first place.Happy everything is in the right order. Thom what happened to Mr. Zelenskyy is just so asinine in front of the who world too. He really deserves democracy. We should not be the enemy. Trump stands with Putin Thom. This is so wrong. Hope we are all able to vote again.
I absolutely agree with this! Now to stop the voter fraud and interference down there. Two pieces of government ID , one with a photo, is all that should be needed to vote. Not sure how to address voting machine rigging….but there must be a way to safeguard these.
I like this in theory; in practice, due to the extreme gerrymandering done by the GOP, Democrats have a nearly impossible path to winning. Add to this the outright voter cancellations that mean a large number of votes cast by Black and brown people are thrown out or not counted and we have what we got this time: the popular vote went to the Russian asset.
I am ambivalent about the Electoral College. On the one hand, its original purpose was to prevent situations like the present one, where the people vote in an adjudicated insurrectionist and convicted felon, resulting in such a person taking up residence in the White House.
The fact remains that it is not currently fulfilling its intended purpose. If the Electoral College stays, it needs to be reformed to make it serve its intended purpose. I am not sure if such a reform is possible. If it isn't, maybe it does need to be scrapped entirely.
As the situation stands now. Any discussion about an election, much less an electoral college, is passe. Trump has installed himself as King and wanna be Emperor, and any future elections will be on his terms and at his pleasure.
Meanwhile thanks to King Donald, America is now a pariah nation and headed down the gravity chute to become a shithole country. In many aspects we already are, after Fridays disgusting performance, Now all of Europe has turned against us, Trump is an arrogant ass, he believes that our economic might is enough to have the world groveling at our feet. he is going to learn some lessons about morality.
And he thinks he can wield the armed forces, like he wields a scimitar in the Saudi Sword dance, or a saber as he did recently. He is mistaken, he has embarked on a venture to demoralize and weaken the military.
I agree with most of that, but now is the hour.....
Now is the hour to rise up, to boycott, to do whatever needs to be done to throw sand in the gears.
Have you heard anything about Fridays nationwide boycott? I haven't. A lot of noise about not buying anything for one day, and what have we heard, the Sound of Silence.
We have an emergency! We may never vote again! 2024 proved “Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything.” ― Joseph Stalin. That's why we lost.
But on Friday, in an ambush, Trump may have put his head in a noose.
From Axios: Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), in a text to Axios, said Friday was "a bad day for America's foreign policy."
"Ukraine wants independence, free markets and rule of law. It wants to be part of the West. Russia hates us and our Western values. We should be clear that we stand for freedom," he said.
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), in a post on X, called the meeting "a disaster — especially for Ukraine," adding, "Sadly, the only winner of today is Vladimir Putin.
Impeach the SOB And Vance, the other Putin agent, too.
To succeed, Impeachment must be bipartisan. This is for both structural and theoretical reasons:
Structural: In oder for the Speaker of the House to be removed, 9 members of his own party must agree to a Motion to Vacate the Chair. A 51% majority vote is required to pass Articles of Impeachment in the House, and a 2/3 majority vote is required to convict in the Senate. Democrats do not hold a majority in either chamber, so Republicans will have to provide a significant number of votes.
Theoretical: Impeachment of the President and Vice President is effectively a rejection of the Will of the People. It invalidates the vote of electors chosen by the People in their most recent election. Therefore, its legitimacy is dependent upon a shared commitment to the greater good of the nation over partisan advantage by members of the major political parties. Anything less than that would be regarded as nothing more than a power grab by one party. Maintaining the legitimacy of the highest ranking officers in our government is essential to preserving the rule of law.
Reading Alt-right news coverage of the Oval Office Extortion characterizes the event as all Zlelenskyy's fault - the ungrateful little twerp. The American Conservative announced the "Dawn of International Nationalism" lauding the Putins, Orbans, and other anti-liberal democracy leaders in the world and celebrating that the US was joining in the new world order of every man for himself (sorry ladies).
Of course, Trump is impeachment-proof as his Congress is full of wimp lackies who fear him and like their cushy jobs in DC where all they do is cut taxes and take bribes, gold bars, and RVs from lobbyists. Trump is the most impeachment-experienced POTUS in history. A sizeable percentage of Republicans would have to grow spines and discover where they mislaid their moral compasses for impeachment to happen. I am not holding my breath.
1. Never up, never in. This is the ONLY hope....
2. Trump sold out his own supporters.
3. Many of these folks are on record supporting Ukraine and opposing Putin....
22 Senate Republcans voted to support Ukraine...dizens of House members
4. Besides Ukraine, there is the Musk factor. Musk and Puti had a relationship that is documented.
5. I quote Jerry Weiss, who identifies at least 25. "The Republican majority, especially in the House, is exceedingly fragile. And the GOP is riven into bitterly opposed factions. The divisions were vividly exposed during the 118th Congress when Speaker Kevin McCarthy was removed from office and multiple ballots were required to elect his successor. Their differences have been temporarily papered over in an attempt to form a unified governing majority in the 119th Congress.
"But the reality of a rogue criminal MAGA Republican President is reopening wounds within the party. As they see firmly established Congressional prerogatives being systematically eroded, traditional conservative Republicans are likely to question their continued fealty to a President displaying contempt for their long and deeply-held faith in American institutions.
"Moreover, long-serving Congress Members have well-established and powerful supporters whose priorities do not coincide with those of the wrecking crew now rampaging through the government.
"Pharmaceutical companies, for example, will not readily give up their extensive network of government funded research projects.
"Nor will other sectors of the health care industry meekly accept the end of federal assistance for such things as hospital expansion.
International business interests will not sit on the sidelines as tariffs and trade wars disrupt their markets and raise costs.
"At the other end of the spectrum, many Republicans represent districts with populations heavily dependent on federal benefit programs like Medicaid, food stamps and head-start.
"Then there are those who’ve spent their careers robustly supporting American military alliances, especially NATO, and combatting Russian expansionism. They are more than a little worried about the isolationist ideology of MAGA extremists now empowered by this President.
"We must be clear-eyed and rational about this.
"These are all identifiable individual Republicans who may be just waiting for some opportunity to escape the madness that’s taken over their party. They tend to be moderate, and join caucuses with names like Problem Solvers and Governance Group. When the stakes are high, they have more than once joined with Democrats to raise the debt ceiling, avoid government shut downs and provide military assistance to Ukraine.
"Moderate not only in their policy positions but also in their personal lives, you won’t often see them on TV. They’re reluctant to jump out ahead or take political risks, but they always know which way the wind is blowing. That’s why it may appear that there’s little movement, until there is. Then things can change extremely fast, particularly if there’s a growing momentum for change."
Do you think that the world turning it's back on the U.S. as Heather Cox Richardson has detailed in today's newsletter will do the job Daniel.
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/march-1-2025
As an American who lives in Eastern Europe part of each year, I doubt that the East European countries are as onboard with turning thier backs on the US as Western Europe is. Many are not EU, and their governments are corrupt, ex-Soviet, racist and anti-Muslim (except for Kosovo). But, their GDPs are all trivial, so the EU is not likely to worry about their loyalty.
Not until the US economy starts to feel the pain among the F150-driving MAGA world, will MAGAs get woke and begin to realize that their tailgate hate rallies were conjobs. Once the tariffs set in, it will not take long before their exposed assets will start to dissolve as recession evolves and their debts edge toward default.
Your comment made me do some google:
According to current information, the Eastern European countries that do not belong to the EU are: Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, and to a lesser extent, Armenia and Azerbaijan; all of which are considered part of the "Eastern Partnership" by the EU
Belarus is a Putin Satrapy, Ukraine well we know what is going on there) and Moldova is small (I get the newsletter Moldova Matters) it has a 5,000 man army equipped with old Soviet Weapons and is plaqued with a Soviet breakaway province on it's eastern border with Ukraine (Transnistra)
Moldova is under pressure to slide into the Putin camp (everyone wants to be on the side of a winner)
On 15 December 2022, the European Council officially granted candidacy status to Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is one of nine current EU candidate countries, together with Albania, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.
Georgia now has a pro Putin government,Russia and Azerbaijan are de facto and de jure allies in many different aspects, including military. Bilateral relations exist between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation
If I were to conjecture, and I am, I say that those countries not already aligned with the EU are already inside the Russian sphere of influence. and NATO and the EU have to fifth columnists within their ranks,Hungary and Slovakia, and the soon rid of them the better.
Serbia, in constant war with Muslim Kosovo and will never be let into the EU in my lifetime given their long list of war crimes. The Serbs are pro-RU as is Erdogan's Turkey (also Muslim). Kosovo is very western, surprisingly. Europe and NATO have paid too little attention to the Black Sea (dominated by the RU Navy until Ukraine). The Black Sea is critical for international trade choked at Istanbul on both sides of the Bosporus as Erdogan regularly plays footsy with RU. I won't even drive thru Serbia anymore - too dangerous, and not a very friendly nation anyway. Checking into a hotel in Istanbul, is like boarding a flight to Jerusalem - x-ray baggage and just short of a strip search. Westerners have been shot and stabbed by terrorists when they are heard speaking English.
Wow Tom.
I know about Serbia. Years ago on the now defunct Liberty Forum there was a Croat, living in Canada, screen name Machiavelli, and a Serb in California. I can't recall his screen name at the moment. The only thing that united them was Muslims.
That Balkan conflict has always confounded me, As Bosniaks are Slavs, Bogmomil christians converted to Islam under the Ottoman's, a choice made to escape the onerous jizzyah, poll tax, levied on Peoples of the Book (Jews and Christians), Croats, Slavs converted to Roman Catholicism under the suzerainity of the Western Roman Empire, and Serbs , Slavs converted to Greek Orthodox under the Byzantine Empire.
Kosovoairans and Albanians, Illyrians conquered and converted by the Turks.
There is a deep seated, religiously based, ethic based distrust, hatred and fear in the that neck of the woods.
As regards current political alliances, I suspect that they are transactional and temporary.
Turkey was modernized and secularized by Kemal Attaturk, and so it stood, even during WWI when it sided with the Kaiser and the Austro Hungarian
Empire.
After which it was forced to give up it's holdings in the Levant to a desert tribe Chieftain, Saud, a desert tribe chieftain who posited himself as a King, the Hasemite. The British Empire which took control of the Levant, Iraq and Iran
Turkey was neutral during World War II, but played a role in helping Jewish refugees and supplying raw materials to the Allies. It also played a role as a recruiting ground for the Waffen SS, Arab Leaque, and Hajj Amin al-Husayni , the Mufti of Jerusalem met Hitler in Istanbul.
After the war, Turkey allowed the U.S. to base it's intell operations near the Russian Border, and the U2 flights over Russia flew out of Turkey.
But the influence of salafist Islam has gained footing among the population and Turkey has progressively shifted rightward religiously.
After WWII, Germany depleted of vital manpower, recruited Turks to fill its need.
Turkey has kept one foot planted in the west and the other planted in Asia and the mid east.
Until Oct 7th it has been a trading partner with Israel, It had remained neutral between Iran and Israel, but has had increasing trade ties, which I assume circumvented US Sanctions.
Erdogan spends his time looking at the windsock.
That whole region is a complicated mess, a Gordeon knot that can't be unraveled.
And Albania, well that is, as I see it, a ruthless mafia society, brutally communist under Hoxha. The Albanian mafia in America is brutally worse than the Russian, and Colombia cartels.
Which brings up a sore subject. Kind open hearted America opens its arms to the world, and the next thing it is swarming with Irish, Italian, Russian, Albanian, Armenian, Haitian, Salvadoran, Cuban, Colombian, Mexican mafia and ruthless gangs.
NATO is meeting today. They have Turks, Hungarians, Slovaks --all Putin allies -- plus us -- in their membership.
80% of Americans do not like Trump Ukraine policy.
Heather lives in Maine. I've asked her to contact Collins.
Putin is part of BRIC. Not only undermines our economy but the EU.
NATO is going to have to reconfigure itself. Otherwise it is doomed.
Unfortunately, we impeach via the Senate; not the House.
22 Republican seantors voted for Ukraine funding.
My MAGAT seantor sent:
Dear Mr. Solomon,
Thank you for contacting me regarding the war in Ukraine. I appreciate the opportunity to respond.
Russia is a cancerous, evil regime that threatens our national security by attempting to control as much of Europe and Eurasia as it can. It also supports the regimes in Iran, Communist China, Cuba, and Venezuela. All of them continually seek to harm the United States and force us into a position of dependence upon them for our livelihood. Vladimir Putin’s unjustifiable and unlawful invasion of Ukraine is just one more example of this fact. I believe that the United States must continue to stand strongly with Ukraine and provide the lethal military aid it needs to win this war. Putin’s murderous attacks are a threat to our national security and the security of our democratic allies.
While we must continue to support democracy in Ukraine, I will not allow Russia’s unjust invasion to deprioritize or slow progress on solving urgent domestic issues such as securing the border, fighting inflation and rebuilding our national defense. Congress can continue to act and solve these issues, which we owe to the American people.
As Florida’s U.S. Senator, and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I will continue fighting for allies around the world, while also ensuring we take care of our families here at home. I am proud to represent every citizen in Florida and I appreciate the time you took to provide your position on this matter. Should you have any additional questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Rick Scott
United States Senator
I think Scott and Rubio share the same spine with Graham.
They both report to Norman Braman. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Braman
From my other senator:
Re: Ukraine
Inbox
Office of U.S. Senator Ashley Moody <donotreply@moody.senate.gov>
4:30 PM (5 minutes ago)
to me
Thank you for contacting my office. I am so honored to be serving this country and the people of the great state of Florida. We have received your message. If you are requesting assistance with a Federal Government Agency please email casework@Moody.senate.gov.
Hope you are right!
Are there any real patriotic Republicans, or are they all self serving cowards or theocratic fascist ideologues?
BTW MAGA is a lot larger than just white Christian Nationalists
https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2025-03-01/ty-article/.premium/a-warrior-for-israel-jewish-maga-group-to-honor-steve-bannon-after-apparent-nazi-salute/00000195-5347-d965-a395-536766720000?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=Content&utm_campaign=daily-brief&utm_content=20a3e4134f
'A Warrior for Israel': Jewish MAGA Group to Honor Steve Bannon After Apparent Nazi Salute
Israel365, known as 'Israel's voice in the MAGA movement' and a strong supporter of West Bank settlements, will honor Bannon in Dallas. The group caters to evangelicals, with its leader warning Jews opposing MAGA are at their own peril
1. "Are there any patriotic Republicans?" Some say so...
2. You keep referring to groups that have literally no following.... 77% of Jews are Democrats...and even the Republicans can't tolerate Musk et al.
3. Check out Feathers of Hope and get back to us.
I refer to Quislings who are responsible for Trump ..period. The groups add up, in electoral votes and campaign contributions.
Thanks for this review, Thom. These are truly desperate times. I dream of the day when we can move beyond this nightmare.
In the meantime, for Hartmann followers who want to support Ukraine, here are some actions to take now:
1. People Power United has set up a quick, easy mechanism so you can send a letter of suport to President Zelensky and Ukrainians.
Here's the link:
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/send-a-letter-of-support-to-president-volodymyr-zelenskyy-ukrainian-leaders-and-soldiers-and-the-resilient-people-of-ukraine
2. You can send an email expressing your support to the Ukraine Ambassador to the US, Oksana Markarova.
Her email address: emb_us@mfa.gov.ua
3. You can donate directly to Ukraine here:
https://u24.gov.ua
I have been skeptical of its elimination .. until now and your explanation .. I like this approach !
Now it just needs 61 electoral votes to be enacted!
https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/state-status
Sen. Ron Wyden announced that he will be hosting an “open-to-all town hall” on Tuesday, instead of attending Trump’s rant in front of a joint session of Congress. Wyden said: “If you’re looking for something to do … besides watching Trump lie for two hours, all are welcome to tune in.”
Thousands of us will be joining!
https://blogspot.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0890ebdb3902bd4cdf592750a&id=e90dce7948&e=9bd07a9a98
I believe it's actually SIXTY ONE votes away from making the EC obsolete (meaning, additional states whose EC votes total 61 signing on to the Compact. The website I always go to check is: https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/ ). IT HAPPENS THROUGH YOUR STATE LEGISLATURE (use the NPV website to look up your own state. Your state legislature has either joined the NPVC, or they've attempted legislation to make it happen. What do the democratic majorities look like in your state legislature? ONE VOTE per precinct can FLIP a district!). I live in Colorado, and testified at the state Capitol for one of the years that the NPVC did not pass. But we kept at, and through the brilliant work of State Senator Mike Foote — he had THE BEST talking points! — Colorado is now not only signed on, but it was later referred to the ballot and Colorado Voters overwhelmingly made it law. One of those talking points?: WHY would we elect our President ANY differently than we elect any of the THOUSANDS of elected positions in the United States?: One person. One vote. Majority wins.
And to those of you that rightly have their hair on fire, talking about elections IS NOT "PASSE". Our democracy on the brink of utter collapse IS NOT THE TIME to rule out ANYTHING that has to do with ACTION. Let's reframe our posting on social media — ESPECIALLY NOW — so that it always suggests WHAT TO DO about whatever sets your hair on fire. YOU are influencing, OR discouraging people with every word you write.
We don't have a choice. We have MASSIVE catching up to do! We are tasked with doing MANY THINGS at once: Sand in the gears for daily chaos. Pop protests, Tesla Takedowns, Economic Blackouts. BUT ALSO, flipping seats, building the foundation for the recovery of our Democracy. Things feel hopeless, but we must DO THE WORK ANYWAY.
The National Popular Vote compact only needs states with 61 more electoral votes.
It has been enacted by 17 states and DC (3 electors) together possessing 209 electoral votes, including
5 smallest states (DE - 3 electors, HI - 4, ME – 4, RI - 4, VT - 3),
9 small to medium-sized states (CO - 10, CT - 7, MD -10, MN – 10, MA -11, NJ -14, NM - 5, OR - 8, WA -12), and
3 big states (CA -54, IL -19, NY -28).
It has passed at least one legislative chamber in 7 states with 74 more electoral votes -- Arizona (11), Arkansas (6), Michigan (15), North Carolina (16), Oklahoma (7) and Virginia (13), and both houses in Nevada (6).
Depending on the state, the Compact can be enacted by statute, or as a state constitutional amendment, or by the initiative process
NationalPopularVote
I have always wondered why the Electoral College was not relegated the the historical delete bin? It is encouraging that it was considered in 1969 for deletion. It may have served a purpose when news traveled by horseback taking days to reach the flyover states. But in our current level of technology and 24 hour news it is archaic and out of touch. Time for it to be deleted.
As long as Republicans win the EC and lose the popular vote, they will NEVER vote to get rid of it.
Totally agree that the National Popular Vote Compact is the only same solution. I wrote about it a while ago: https://ellensilvers.com/f/national-popular-vote-compact
I would like to see the Electoral College null and void. It never worked the way the Founders intended and what they intended would be obsolete in 2025. I am a white old lady. I vote in every election. But I live in a blood red state so my vote for President is a fart in a windstorm. Most of our states would be swing states if they were not totally gerrymandered. And I sincerely hope the Democrats that didn't vote in 2024 are quietly weeping into their beers by now. Shame on you.
Well said, Margaret!
Captain my Captain there has to be a solution for all to understand right? Thank you for laying it out in the only way you can. Solutions Thom. Voting should just be easy to do in the first place.Happy everything is in the right order. Thom what happened to Mr. Zelenskyy is just so asinine in front of the who world too. He really deserves democracy. We should not be the enemy. Trump stands with Putin Thom. This is so wrong. Hope we are all able to vote again.
I absolutely agree with this! Now to stop the voter fraud and interference down there. Two pieces of government ID , one with a photo, is all that should be needed to vote. Not sure how to address voting machine rigging….but there must be a way to safeguard these.
I like this in theory; in practice, due to the extreme gerrymandering done by the GOP, Democrats have a nearly impossible path to winning. Add to this the outright voter cancellations that mean a large number of votes cast by Black and brown people are thrown out or not counted and we have what we got this time: the popular vote went to the Russian asset.
I am ambivalent about the Electoral College. On the one hand, its original purpose was to prevent situations like the present one, where the people vote in an adjudicated insurrectionist and convicted felon, resulting in such a person taking up residence in the White House.
The fact remains that it is not currently fulfilling its intended purpose. If the Electoral College stays, it needs to be reformed to make it serve its intended purpose. I am not sure if such a reform is possible. If it isn't, maybe it does need to be scrapped entirely.