While Zelenskyy was meeting with Biden for help defending his democracy against the brutal aggression of Putin, GOPers were meeting behind closed doors at the Heritage Foundation w/ Orban's people...
I was there some years earlier than you, Thom. It was a sad place under the Communists, but definitely had kept its own unique character. This brave little country tried to throw off Austrian control in 1848, and succeeded in 1918, and then it attempted to get away from the Germans in 1944, and finally rose against the Soviets in 1956. Given such a history of fighting for freedom that it should again fall into fascism is a great loss for its people. That it could export this model to America is a tragedy for us all.
From what I have seen and read, behind the rise of the right in Europe is the flow of immigrants from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran, And it isn't just the color of their skin, but the culture of Islam. I am sure that there will be objections.
Immigrants at the southern border is a different situation, A lot of resistance is economic, threats that the migrants will take jobs that Americans will not do, and xenophobic racism.
Americans believe that the English language is superior to all languages. I prefer Spanish myself, it is an emotive language, not harsh and impersonal. But it has it's problems, it struggles to adapt to changes in science and technology.
On the other hand the Trump humpers the right should be welcoming them, as Hispanics are Catholic, Evanglelical or Pentecostal and as such misogynistic and homophobic and are a natural ally and assimilable in the right wing culture war.
I would not say that Spanish is commanding. The Germanic languages, including English, are commanding
I would hope that AOC will be speaker of the house, but an important function of that job is fund raising, Nancy was good at it, she had connections from years of experience and exposure. AOC not so much, besides the forces of fascism (money power) are arrayed against her. R ember we have the best government money can buy, the best justice system as well.
And the money has no use for the likes of progressives like AOC, in fact progressives are their enemy, and they expend millions to destroy them. We will tax and regulate them.
The only reason AOC is in congress and why she will be re elected is because of the make up of her district, until the Republicans gerrymander it out of existence.
What about Latin women? If anything they are dirt under the shoes of the men. Forcing them to study men closely, and know how to manipulate them and do their bidding, same in the anglo world..
Instead of being affirmative, like men, they "hint" "Are you going to do this or that", Whereas men say "Do this or that".
My wife is very accomplished and assertive, but she will ask me a question "Are you going to town?", If I say no, then she is non plussed, because she wanted me to go to town and pick up something.
If a woman told you to Siéntate!, it is because you were a child, or acting like one.
"Jenny" is hellbent on smearing all Americans as bad people. In this instance, she clearly wants Biden's 7 million majority overlooked. Yes, the Electoral College is OUR problem, but like Luke Bryan sings: "Most People are Good."
Luke22:10 "And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in.
The man carrying the pitcher of water is Aquarius. This "Jesus" myth was in the age of Pisces, hence the two fish found in many stain glass Church windows.
We are now in the age of the helical rising of Aquarius. Aries, the Ram, preceded Aquarius
there are a little over 2,000 years to a Zodiac Year, and 25,000 (precessional years) to a Mazzaroth (long year) where all 12 signs of the Zodiac, thanks to the precession of the equinoxes, rise on the horizon where the sun also rises (helical rising).
Now I have studied the bible and the Quran (that is why I am an atheist)
The bible OT and NT are full of astrological references For instance
Mazzaroth (Hebrew Transliteration: מַזָּרוֹת Mazzārōṯ, LXX Μαζουρωθ, Mazourōth) is a Biblical Hebrew Word found in the Book of Job (38:32) and literally meaning "constellations," or Zodiac.
"Jesus" said, "In my fathers house there are many mansions, translated- in the Zodiac there are many constellations
A constellation year is about 2147 earth years, a long year is 25,772 years, this is the time it takes for the precession of the equinoxes to make a full sweep and start all over again.
These facts enable us to place, within a span of 2,000 years the time of a culture of civilization.
Taurus was between 4300 bce and 2150 bce. Example: Naming of the Taurus mtns, the Minoan civilization, the cult of the Apis bull in Egypt.
Aries was 2150b ce to 1 bce, The Rams head sphinx, the rams horn of the Hebrews
Pisces between 1 ce and 2150 ce
Aquarius between 2150 ce and 4300 ce
Another 127 years and we will be in the age of Aquarius.
And this Jesus told his disciples that they would have to wait another 2100* years for his return.
So much for Armeggedon (Medigo) in our lifetime. If the scientists are right, we passed the tipping point of 350 ppm, we passed that point in 1982, we are now over 400 ppm, and it is too late to shut down or stop the conveyor belt, and COP28 is a guarantee that it won't, and Christians and Muslims are not concerned because "God" and Allah will take care of them, after all they are the self chosen.
Provided there are any mammals still in existence on this planet that man killed by defouling his home.
TO: Mr Farrar (!) I loved this revisit to some of what I learned in "spiritual" quest for "real" (?) Jesus, golly were "New Age" walk-in bookstores that long ago? Are you familiar with the rare geomantic history by "View over Atlantis" author Michell, "City of Revelation?" "How the Shaman Stole the Moon" ring a bell? The connection to current Hartmann post is censorship/selective information by "winners." Holy Mother Church was constructing a history that secured power, literally on the demolition of prior civilization. Today we have (not new) news of disappearance of massive Russian election interference document. I cannot resist joking, look for it wherever Shrub Bush's military records are. :)
Mmerose. No I am not familiar with any new age stuff. What I know is what I have learned on my own. I have very eclectic interests every thing from anthropology to Zoology
Here is what I know about Trump. I was a Military Training Instructor in a Squadron that was dedicated to training reservists, there was a sister Squadron that trained National Guard recruits.
Bush was in the National Guard Squadron. On graduation his father commissioned him a 2nd Lt, I remember the picture of his father pin 2d Lt bars on a shaved head Airman Basic, he never attended Officer Training School, like I did. From Basic Training to Flight school, and the man was an idiot, he went AWOL in wartime, over 30 days is desertion, I believe it was over 30 days, not even disciplined, at least an Article 15, UCMJ, which is non judicial punishment, even AWOL should have meant the end of his career,but he was the son of Governor George H W Bush of Texas.
Years later,someone on his staff had the bright idea of forging on a computer,using an appropriate font, a letter of reprimand, and leaked it to the media. Easy to expose and they were ready. When he was a 2d Lt, there were no such things as personal computers or MS Word. These programs space letters, however a typewriter does not space letters.
They set a trap and fools fell for it. Very Clever but that is what the Republicans are, and Democrats are eager fools.
Like the time that someone passed David Cay Johnson, an IRS 1040 over the transom for Trump, Rachel Maddow so eager with breaking news made a fool of herself on her program.
The 1040 was either a fake or irrelevant.
They did it again with the Mueller Report, they were having an orgasm expecting a disclosure, but Mueller stifled that orgasm, concluding that there was no conspiracy. he did establish but did not say there was collusion, but collusion is not a crime, conspiracy is.
Mueller investigated the case under criminal statutes, which is a narrow and specific window of inquiry. Congress has a different and broader responsibility to determine whether the president committed high crimes and misdemeanors for which impeachment is appropriate. Congress is not bound by the high standard of proof of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt that Mueller used for his criminal inquiry. Our system reserves that burden of proof for cases where someone’s liberty is at stake and they may be incarcerated as a result of proceedings. That is not the case with impeachment.
Point is Mueller knew who buttered his bread, and found Trump committed no crimes, because that is what his investigation was all about, remember Bill Barr appointed Mueller as special counsel.
By the way on RR's substack, I have been silenced, I can post but the posts go invisible, so no one can see them. I got into it with a Pat G O'B, she is an adamant apologist for "HAMAS" therefore for Muslims. I must have upset someone or her, and RR's tactic was to render my comments invisible, without a warning or conversation. I have emailed him, twice, respectfully and explaining the dust up, so far crickets. So much for RR
There are sure a lot of left wing anti semites on RR's substack. I mean these people have been sucked into the HAMAS world, like a vortex.
While at it, this piece by Paul Solomon of Salon should interest you.
He limits his conversation to the world of RFK jr and anti vaxxers but it applies to so much more, including the dolts sucked into the HAMAS" orbit
My favorite turn of phrase of Paul is "self indulgent" for that's what these so called lefties are.
I actually have no idea what I am anymore. I am not a right wing fascist, I sure am not a leftist, and no way am I a moderate centrist, equivocating, pragmatic Democrat.
I know I can be abrasive, but I have knowledge, my own opinions and will not be intimidated or bullied.
Please do not leave! If I left every time I have been censored by many different sites, I would be invisible. I was censored once for using the word slavery? I was not even referring to race? Just become more British, you can catch more bees with honey than with vinegar.
This Israeli war is a quagmire and I am not religious and I'm not going to fall in to the abyss of quicksand waiting for me and all others so that Donald Trump can pull off an election win.
The younger generation are by and large influenced by religion quite a bit and they are naturally drawn into the Quagmire. I don't cry any tears for theocratic countries going to war with each other. It is a win-win situation in my opinion. And when I say that, both sides are offended, but at least it gets them to think, a tiny little bit anyway. At least the ones that can read.
I will vote against Trump, I have to, self preservation if nothing else. I will stay with Thom, so long as he allows, but I am disappointed and disgusted with Robert Reich, whom I once admired. I was backing him up, on his side, but some whiny beaches, had their fee fees hurt.
I am thinking of finding a new home at the Bulwark, there are many things I do not agree with, but at least they have no intolerant for self indulgent, narrow mind juveniles on the left, or the fascists on the right.
Everything is pay for view. These days unemployed by literate people, put up substacks and websites to make money. I would not have any money at all If I subscribed to everything.
Every substack is a subscription and it is automatically renewed, same with streamng services, and any source of info. I know that it takes money to live, but so do I' If I paid for every streaming service or every substack or website I couldn't eat.
Non profits are the worst, I mean I endorse their projects, but I also know that most donations go to overhead (Directors and staff salaries) same with Campaign contributions.
The TV is full of ads for this and that cause,only $19.95 a month, recurring. I don't do recurring, except for Malwarebytes, and my ISP, which is local, I can drive 3 miles, enter it's office, which also vends T Mobile.
Imagine if I forked out $20 a month for every non profit that tugged at my heart, if I forked out bucks for every substack, every website, every paper that had my interest.I would have no savings
I have a charitable nature, and I support local charities, like Feral Cat Spay and Neuter, or local Animal Shelter and Food bank.
Did I tell you about the March of Dimes, the Salk Vaccine put the March of Dimes (founded by Eleanor Roosevelt) to help polio victims. They were out of business, fell into a nation wide conference and reopened with a new mission, birth defects and there is no cure for birth defects, so they are not at risk of going out of business anymore.
And the irony is that all of the money they collected over the years, paid executive and staff salaries, none of it to find a cure for polio
Jonas Salk who found a cure, was not employed or received a Dime from the MoD.
I don't join Bulwark, I just signed up for it's newsletters, and mailers, free of charge.So I can't get bogged down in comments. I am bogged down enough with these Reports.
I think the main problem is, the irresponsible reproduce more than the responsible. The insane reproduce more than the sane. The religious right has been better at fornicating and raising future slaves who end up blaming the left for all their problems. In a democracy the majority rules and the majority is getting more and more detached from reality and moving farther to the right.
Since about 1970, both parties have moved so far to the right, one is now a far right Nazi party and the other is farther right than the old Republican party. The left have been almost totally marginalized for about 50 years by the rich now. Joe Biden to me is the right wing Catholic.
I have always been more concerned about the environment, overpopulation, wealth inequality... In other words, trying to keep the Titanic afloat, while the masses on the upper decks are quarreling over trivial cultural wars. This reminds me of a crazy cat lady who chose to go homeless rather than get rid of 30 cats out of her apartment. She was evicted, and so were the cats!
Bob, as Thom has mentioned on his show. Reproduction depends on female empowerment and education, just learning to read and write is not education. Learning to research, study, read books and develop critical thinking skills, that is education.
Muslim countries keep their women bound and dependent on the male and thus have a high birth rate. Undeveloped countries, the same.
Look at the women in Gaza, they are shrouded in black cloth, are wholly dependent on the male, few are educated and as a consequence their birth rate is high. So high that it puts population pressure on Gaza, and HAMAS relieves that pressure by attacking Israel, it needs lebensraum one more thing it has in common with NAZI Germany, but not spoken out loud.
The problem is that humans are biologically evolved to breed, and only countries with educated females who have control over their own bodies can limit reproduction.
During the Roman Empire the population of Earth was in the millions, today it is 8 billion and will double that in less than 10 years, most likely 5.
Unless there are plagues and famine. Gaia is doing her best to thin the herd with plagues like COVID, a continuously mutating virus that stays one step ahead of man's attempt to control it with vaccines. There is more coming down the pike, especially with global warming and the defrosting of the tundra, which is releasing bacteria and virus that have been dormant for tens and thousands, maybe millions of years.
Bacteria are living, yet some live in the most extreme of environments.
Virus's are not living, and they have been noticed by Chinese astronauts on the windows of their Tiangong space station. Google says virus can not survive in space, yet Chinese Astronauts photographed them clouding a window.
You can't kill a virus, because it is not alive. The body gets rid of a virus by defecation in the form of diarrhea and vomitus..
The term "soft fascism" is a necessary rhetorical device at this stage to clarify some of the less draconian moves and strategies. However, in an article in the near future it would be helpful to retire the term and elucidate its true significance as brutality and totalitarianism since there is actually no such thing as soft fascism, as women in Texas, Florida, and other red states who have problematic pregnancies have discovered. Mikey Johnson, et al, will soon demonstrate for us how hard fascism is in any form, no matter how well it is disguised by righteous statements, supposedly legal justifications, and confusing and contradictory language or demagoguery. It is coming to a place near you.
That's a great analogy. I agree. However, I was not being critical of the use of the term in the way Thom used it. It is important to note that fascism moves and grows incrementally and with abuses and deprivations which feel tolerable or which only harm certain people, with formal justifications and legal processes which cannot be opposed effectively. It is soft in that the methods are in many cases not seen as cruel and unusual to the uncritical eye and the harms may not be as extreme or broad-based in the early stages. Either way, failing to stop it early enough ends in the real thing, leading ultimately to immense suffering and death. I think we need to detail the ways it is affecting us now at this stage, so that we are conscious of what we are dealing with and what is coming soon if we don't stop it.
Not to mention the inadequacy of the label "conservative." I saw a recent "genius" interview, sorry I can't place it, identifying "conservative" as designating a desire for change to be SLOWER than "progressives" would welcome. That is hardly applicable to the panicked contingency driving to whiplash America, and particularly American women, back to the horrific 1870's.
True. The term reactionary doesn't even capture what these people are all about anymore. It is fascism and it doesn't feel so soft to those who are victims. However, per my above statement to Gloria, the "soft" designation is valid and useful in an analytical sense and for purposes of showing where we are and where we are headed. We shouldn't quibble too much about terms. The important thing is to identify these lesser things such as banning books as a form of fascism and refusing to let them stand under any circumstances. If we look closely enough, we can find hundreds of examples of precursors to fascism in the Republican playbook. That's what I was asking Thom to write about in the future.
A frightening example of the embrace of Orban’s plans is their repeated invitations to speak at CPAC, where he receives REPEATED STANDING OVATIONS. All that’s missing is the stiff armed salute. For now...
Pandering is the name of the game, indeed. Hillary voted for "Shock and Awe" on Iraq, because god forbid anybody would think a female was soft on war. Now all the pandering fools are in the Pit Under the Pendulum, because criticism of Israel has been the "third rail" for so long, but the word "genocide" is coming up, and not baseless. And that's not to mention the flaming cowardice of Texas's two Senators faced with the reality of abortion despotism in their State.
I wonder whether the donors to the foundation can tolerate a diet of goulash, paprikash and for that matter borscht. At least some of them must love their country.
The Heritage Foundation is an associate member of the State Policy Network, a network of conservative and libertarian organizations financed by the Koch brothers, Philip Morris, and other corporate sources. The board is a who's who of a-holes. https://www.heritage.org/board-trustees
Looking at the people on the board and recognizing none of them, I am reminded of Norman Mailer's coverage of the Republican National Convention years back and his surprise at looking at the best seats $ in the two front rows surrounding the platform and recognizing none of them. Mostly,they were corporate insurance executives. In both cases, only corrupt media compliance could have carried that out.
And that is why we have the ACA, instead of Bernies Medicare for all.
Rahm Emanuel and Larry Summers are the enemy . Neo liberals who seek to privatize all agencies, except Defense and Police.
During the "sausage making" of the ACA only health insurance reps were let into or invited into the White House, and Pelosi, dear Nancy, excluded single payor advocates from testifying. So we have the ACA, as designed it was a gift to AHIP (Association of Health Insurance Providers)
The kindest interpretation would be that Obama and Pelosi were desperate to get SOMETHING passed. I think it has amounted to SOMETHING. Where is that line, where you gave up the Perfect to where the Good didn't amount to much?
That is the kindest interpretation, but I don't buy it for a minute. Because money in politics, and AHIP lobbyist represent a hell of a lot of money.
That B.S about "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good" is Rahm Emanuel swill.
The so called good is a poison pill, and left hundreds of millions without health care, and hundreds of milions more at the mercy of scams like United Health Care. Legislation is also needed to get rid of so called Option C in Medicare which is Medicare Disadvantage scheme.
They just finished Open Enrollment, and while it was open, every other commercial on TV was for so called Medicare Advantage, The poor suckers who believed the lies, find themselves actually having services denied, and paying a lot more than they were led to believe, and Medicare does not have coverage for Medicare D prescription drugs, if it does then you will have to pay extra. Meanwhile these insurance companies are ripping off Medicare to the tune of billions. And if you give your Medicare Number to them, they pass it on to subsidaries and they then bill Medicare for services not provided.
I did not enroll in Medicare Advantage and my Medicare number got compromised, I have one CPAP supplier, one Medical ctr, which is honest and non profit, and I saw two Eye specialists to remove cataracts. One of them gave or sold my Medicare number and it was either the supplier or one of the Eye Specialists, and I know who.
A company called Alexandria Durable Medical Supplies, charge Medicare $5,970 for incontinence supply's (catheters) I am not incontinent and never heard of this company
Two other companies, Southern Labs from Ala and another from Ohio charged Medicare to process self administered COVID tests, and have never taken or ordered a COVID test. I Have all COVID tests, live rural and only go to town to pick up mail and packages from a Private Mail service, and to shop are our one and only supermarket, and that is twice a week.
Ed Meese was the highly controversial attorney general under Reagan, Kay Cole James was once head of OPM, the Office of Personnel Management. After the Office of Administrative Law Judges was closed I asked her why? She admitted that she wasn't aware she did it.
Robert George used to teach at Princeton. Does he emulate Orban, Putin?
You are correct that most are donors, but are also people who inherited great wealth.
Interesting that Liz, Betsy and their ilk, are now lionized because of their opposition to Trumps attempt to over throw the Constitution, yet these are the same people who have enabled Trump, just like Bill Barr who enabled Trump from the start, until he realized in Dec 2020 that he was wrong footed.
We need to keep Democracy here, for us and for the world. We can’t let Trump use the border crisis to get elected.
As President Biden said the border is broken. The asylum system was meant to give refuge to people facing deadly situations such as in a war or being unjustly persecuted. The asylum system is being overrun with people who are mainly seeking better economic conditions. At the same time, there are wars going on in which there are people facing truly deadly situations.
We need to stop the flow of unqualified asylum seekers. At the border, we need a rapid response to deport unqualified asylum seekers. We may need the national guard to assist border agents. We may need to detain those who ask for a hearing and may need to hire more asylum judges and other personal. Stopping the flow is critical.
We must make it clear that asylum is only for those who need it to escape deadly situations and that we don’t have an open border policy. Fox News constantly saying our borders are open has been causing massive numbers to come to our border.
Fox has also accused the Democratic party of trying to change the US demographics by the immigration system. We should not have prejudicial polices against minorities nor anti-white policies. Immigration has largely been Latino for decades. This is seen as an anti-white policy by many and this where Trump gets very much of his support.
We shouldn’t try to change the demographics. We need to try to win over all voters regardless of race; that includes people who voted for Trump. We are the party that supports workers, the building up the middle class and not letting the wealthy dictate our laws. We already have a big natural advantage in that most voters are not looking to give more help to the super wealthy. We shouldn’t be divided because of race or have any prejudicial policies.
Now, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there are many people facing truly deadly situations. Accepting Ukrainian refugees, women with children, whom mostly are white would keep them out of harms way, it would show the Fox claim of an anti-white policy to be false which would take away much of the Trump support and we can have another Biden-Harris term in 24!
I didn't realize that substack had hall monitors. I was making comments on Robert Reichs substack, and most have pissed off someone badly. as I was shooting down their b.s. with facts, it was either a commenter or Robert Reich, because I am now censored.
An old trick I ran into a decade ago.
I can post, I can even read my post, but when I refresh the page, my post is invisible.
I don't know how to contact the substack Hall Monitors.
And how do the Hall Monitors know, they can't possibly read every comment on substack.
Seems the Froot Loops (of all races, but primarily majorities) are circling the wagons around their golden calves, to wit: Vicky O. & Donnie D. (Drumpf).
Why critically THINK for yourself in a great republic, when you can facilely offload critical thought to a clown car of the democratically challenged.
You said a mouthful with "golden calves." So much of the compulsion, in my opinion is in the DNA of authoritarian followers. But there's the additional element of panic against population shift. I think climate displacement is overlooked in the cascade of sociological churning. Maybe "Somebody tell me what to do! Or think!" isn't all that "Froot-Loopy."
This is clearly what Trumps instructions are . He is touting Fascism every time he opens his mouth . The rank destruction of Democracy by he and his rabid followers is a putrid attempt by these Republicans to suck up to Putin and Orban and turn these United States into a violent aberration of democracy that is in fact fascist authoritarianism.
We cannot play out the ‘they go low , we go high’ good intentioned but missing reality statement of the past several years when we still didn’t see reality. There is no “reaching across the aisle “ with this group of Magats, who ooze destruction out of every word and thought . Nothing is a ‘bridge too far ‘ for these warped individuals . Yes , warped by Herr Trump and his owners Putin and Orban .
There is no redeeming quality to this group.
They lie in every way possible about Democrats and Biden , they are hounding and attacking family members of the president in their smug stupidity.
In fact , complicity with Stupidity is preferred. No questions likely .
The Justice Department also has a faction of Magat recruits who do everything they can to dishonor the Law and give the Magats what they
demand .
Very much in the vein of Trumps questionable ‘ legal’ team.
It’s appalling to see how people who have sworn to be protective of the law work to destroy it.
But that is their gift to their grifter.
Despicable is a good word for this twisted group .
Who needs the heaven or hell that preachers sell when you can just go to Hungary. It is heaven for white "Christian" guys and hell for everyone else who doesn't believe what they do. Don't get me wrong, I could appreciate anyone that follows the instructions from the Sermon on the Mount, but men like Orban only got as far as "Blessed are...".
Viktor wants the blessing and not the responsibility. That is very much like how the Republicans want the freedom of speech part of the First Amendment but do not want this part: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." That is the whole thing.
Guess Orban decided to get rich off the Hungarian people and make sure his blessings are secure. Perfect. Mirror-Image. Trump.
The Republicans have become a cult. If the electoral college system puts the cult back in charge, there's going to be some hell to pay here. We know how to be scary too.
There are benevolent dictators and then there are tyrannical dictators. When Hungary gets called soft fascism, that is because Orban and Xi provide a little more than the tyrannical dictators to their poor people. Like, Orban has universal healthcare and Xi has brought up his standard of living.Viktor Orban has a min. wage, a pretty low one at that. A single person would have to work 70 to 80 hrs a week to survive and I don't think that includes transportation and clothes, or if you are big, more food.
Trump is a tyrannical dictator bent on vengeance. The gop voters can't discern the difference between tyrannical dictators and benevolent dictators. Castro was a pretty good dictator. The gop are fascists because it is easier to be destructive than constructive and they can't think rationally, it is too hard for them, because they were taught to believe whatever makes them feel good, by their irrational parents and priests and teachers, mostly private school teachers. Once insane, always insane. Few can fight back to sanity. Atheists broke free, but they hate agnostic usually. They go a little too overboard.. And there are few atheists compared to theists.
So, Putin and Orban are pushing a tyrannical form of fascism on America! NOT soft fascism. They aim to destroy America! A virtuous, wise, honest dictator, is the best dictator. Someone like FDR. Unfortunately, he was not allowed to be a dictator and throw the crooks in prison.
What they are afraid of like (Poland) is Ukraine wheat flooding the market.. it is always about the money Jenny, always about the money.
Europe is going crap itself, if Putin is not stopped in Ukraine, next comes the Baltic states then Poland. The Suwałki Gap, also known as the Suwałki corridor ([suˈvawkʲi]), is a sparsely populated area immediately southwest of the border between Lithuania and Poland, between Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast.
It is the only part of Russia that is not adjoined to the country, it is a warm sea port on the Baltic, this they want (the Suwalki gap) badly, from there they can push on to Germany and the rest of Europe.
Those that don't want Ukraine in the EU or NATO, will regret their resistance/decision.
If Trump wins, and it looks like that, so many stupid, hateful, selfish theocratic Americans, then Putin has a free ride, Ukraine is toast, Baltic states next, then Poland, Romania, Czech Republic and Slovakia, the Balkans.
Putin isn't going to gobble the whole pie down at once, that was Hitlers mistake, he will eat one piece, rest, digest, consolidate, rebuild his military and logistics, then go again, each time he will wave his nuclear phallus around and intimidate everyone. He will accomplish what Stalin never could. He has unlimited resources in the way of fuel and humans to throw in front of artillery, tanks and bullets. That is how Stalin recaptured Stalingrad, with bullet absorbers (conscripts)
I agree everything is about money but in Europe (mostly) we have a different mindset about Russia. We could be wrong. What is worse.............Americans continual wars or Russia? Am reading a lot of different History and talking to friends here in France. IF anyone starts a nuclear war it will be the US because they keep losing instead of the 'great game' of winning!
America HAS to use it's weapons and keep making them, a lot of jobs will go in the US IF they stop manufacturing. This may be simplistic to you but when the US keeps supplying any country in the world with weapons to me they are more dangerous.
Right now more and more weapons are coming into Europe from Ukraine. This war could have been stopped right from the beginning but no..........................!
Europe will pay for its "different mindset", how would you or a European like to live in Russia?
Not on the radar yet?
It isn't a great game Jenny. It is life and death struggle.
Unfortunately you have been attuned to see America as the great Satan. It seems that you have bitten off a big chunk of Marxist, hence Putin, propaganda
The only difference between Putin and Stalin, is that Yeltsin sold off state industries to KGB affiliated men, now called oligarchs, that and a different monetary system.
Actually it is Russia that has been supplying everyone in the world with weapons.
The AK-47 and updated variants like AK-74 are the most prolific guns in the world, as is their missiles and rocket propelled grenades, and when not selling weapons and munitions, they sell armed combatants (the paramilitary Wagner Group)
America will never launch a thermonuclear war. The Pentagon and i's leaders are not idiots
They know that launching a first strike is suicide. The US has, and Russia had, until Putin, a program called MAD, or mutually assured destruction, and it depends on a second strike capability.
Do you know who pulled out of the Nuclear treaty? Putin, not the United States
Either you have drunk the kool aid, or you are a Putin troll hiding behind a screen name.
You know I am not a 'troll' William and I reject that hollow name.
I at least KNOW propaganda when I see it which it seems you do not.
We tend to agree on quite a few things BUT you do not live outside the USA.I do and I KNOW what is going on here in Europe.
All most people in this world want/need is empathy, kindness, no wars started on our behalf by any country. Decent healthcare/good education/food to eat and a place to live. You know damned well that the war in Ukraine could have been stopped. Unfortunately we are serfs of the USA and have NO backbone.
What a critically important warning you have written today. “If you want to see the GOP’s vision of America’s future, just visit that nation.
Forewarned is forearmed.” I have followed the Orban-repub alliance since American elected officials have visited, interviewed and modeled his openly fascist policies. How many warnings do Americans need? Is standing back and watching these threats play out in an American political party a support of fascism? That might be denied by the repubs, but look critically at how governments change. That old adage, “If you’re not worried, you’re not paying attention “ is a warning.
Your pieces are incredible and alarming. I would like to hope that it is just fear mongering, but I know better. I suppose if gas prices are low in Hungary, then a lot of people here would be all for it. I hate to make light of it, but that is the way people seem to think.
I was there some years earlier than you, Thom. It was a sad place under the Communists, but definitely had kept its own unique character. This brave little country tried to throw off Austrian control in 1848, and succeeded in 1918, and then it attempted to get away from the Germans in 1944, and finally rose against the Soviets in 1956. Given such a history of fighting for freedom that it should again fall into fascism is a great loss for its people. That it could export this model to America is a tragedy for us all.
From what I have seen and read, behind the rise of the right in Europe is the flow of immigrants from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran, And it isn't just the color of their skin, but the culture of Islam. I am sure that there will be objections.
Immigrants at the southern border is a different situation, A lot of resistance is economic, threats that the migrants will take jobs that Americans will not do, and xenophobic racism.
Americans believe that the English language is superior to all languages. I prefer Spanish myself, it is an emotive language, not harsh and impersonal. But it has it's problems, it struggles to adapt to changes in science and technology.
On the other hand the Trump humpers the right should be welcoming them, as Hispanics are Catholic, Evanglelical or Pentecostal and as such misogynistic and homophobic and are a natural ally and assimilable in the right wing culture war.
I would not say that Spanish is commanding. The Germanic languages, including English, are commanding
I would hope that AOC will be speaker of the house, but an important function of that job is fund raising, Nancy was good at it, she had connections from years of experience and exposure. AOC not so much, besides the forces of fascism (money power) are arrayed against her. R ember we have the best government money can buy, the best justice system as well.
And the money has no use for the likes of progressives like AOC, in fact progressives are their enemy, and they expend millions to destroy them. We will tax and regulate them.
The only reason AOC is in congress and why she will be re elected is because of the make up of her district, until the Republicans gerrymander it out of existence.
So? Sit down is also commanding. Context Robert, context is all.
What about Latin women? If anything they are dirt under the shoes of the men. Forcing them to study men closely, and know how to manipulate them and do their bidding, same in the anglo world..
Instead of being affirmative, like men, they "hint" "Are you going to do this or that", Whereas men say "Do this or that".
My wife is very accomplished and assertive, but she will ask me a question "Are you going to town?", If I say no, then she is non plussed, because she wanted me to go to town and pick up something.
If a woman told you to Siéntate!, it is because you were a child, or acting like one.
IF America votes for this Authoritarian regime..........that's YOUR problem.
Is it 'exported' or do the Americans welcome it?
Apparently 50% of America welcomes it, and that is the gist of Thom's report.
The other 50% is scared "shirtless" drop the "r".
"Jenny" is hellbent on smearing all Americans as bad people. In this instance, she clearly wants Biden's 7 million majority overlooked. Yes, the Electoral College is OUR problem, but like Luke Bryan sings: "Most People are Good."
I was in Paris on Bastille Day Summer of '89. The French were very agitated in solidarity with the Hungarians; their neighbors!
The great tragedy is that the people most in need of receiving this message aren't here, and if they were they would either ignore it or deny it.
Luke22:10 "And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in.
The man carrying the pitcher of water is Aquarius. This "Jesus" myth was in the age of Pisces, hence the two fish found in many stain glass Church windows.
We are now in the age of the helical rising of Aquarius. Aries, the Ram, preceded Aquarius
there are a little over 2,000 years to a Zodiac Year, and 25,000 (precessional years) to a Mazzaroth (long year) where all 12 signs of the Zodiac, thanks to the precession of the equinoxes, rise on the horizon where the sun also rises (helical rising).
Now I have studied the bible and the Quran (that is why I am an atheist)
The bible OT and NT are full of astrological references For instance
Mazzaroth (Hebrew Transliteration: מַזָּרוֹת Mazzārōṯ, LXX Μαζουρωθ, Mazourōth) is a Biblical Hebrew Word found in the Book of Job (38:32) and literally meaning "constellations," or Zodiac.
"Jesus" said, "In my fathers house there are many mansions, translated- in the Zodiac there are many constellations
A constellation year is about 2147 earth years, a long year is 25,772 years, this is the time it takes for the precession of the equinoxes to make a full sweep and start all over again.
These facts enable us to place, within a span of 2,000 years the time of a culture of civilization.
Taurus was between 4300 bce and 2150 bce. Example: Naming of the Taurus mtns, the Minoan civilization, the cult of the Apis bull in Egypt.
Aries was 2150b ce to 1 bce, The Rams head sphinx, the rams horn of the Hebrews
Pisces between 1 ce and 2150 ce
Aquarius between 2150 ce and 4300 ce
Another 127 years and we will be in the age of Aquarius.
And this Jesus told his disciples that they would have to wait another 2100* years for his return.
So much for Armeggedon (Medigo) in our lifetime. If the scientists are right, we passed the tipping point of 350 ppm, we passed that point in 1982, we are now over 400 ppm, and it is too late to shut down or stop the conveyor belt, and COP28 is a guarantee that it won't, and Christians and Muslims are not concerned because "God" and Allah will take care of them, after all they are the self chosen.
Provided there are any mammals still in existence on this planet that man killed by defouling his home.
TO: Mr Farrar (!) I loved this revisit to some of what I learned in "spiritual" quest for "real" (?) Jesus, golly were "New Age" walk-in bookstores that long ago? Are you familiar with the rare geomantic history by "View over Atlantis" author Michell, "City of Revelation?" "How the Shaman Stole the Moon" ring a bell? The connection to current Hartmann post is censorship/selective information by "winners." Holy Mother Church was constructing a history that secured power, literally on the demolition of prior civilization. Today we have (not new) news of disappearance of massive Russian election interference document. I cannot resist joking, look for it wherever Shrub Bush's military records are. :)
Mmerose. No I am not familiar with any new age stuff. What I know is what I have learned on my own. I have very eclectic interests every thing from anthropology to Zoology
Here is what I know about Trump. I was a Military Training Instructor in a Squadron that was dedicated to training reservists, there was a sister Squadron that trained National Guard recruits.
Bush was in the National Guard Squadron. On graduation his father commissioned him a 2nd Lt, I remember the picture of his father pin 2d Lt bars on a shaved head Airman Basic, he never attended Officer Training School, like I did. From Basic Training to Flight school, and the man was an idiot, he went AWOL in wartime, over 30 days is desertion, I believe it was over 30 days, not even disciplined, at least an Article 15, UCMJ, which is non judicial punishment, even AWOL should have meant the end of his career,but he was the son of Governor George H W Bush of Texas.
Years later,someone on his staff had the bright idea of forging on a computer,using an appropriate font, a letter of reprimand, and leaked it to the media. Easy to expose and they were ready. When he was a 2d Lt, there were no such things as personal computers or MS Word. These programs space letters, however a typewriter does not space letters.
They set a trap and fools fell for it. Very Clever but that is what the Republicans are, and Democrats are eager fools.
Like the time that someone passed David Cay Johnson, an IRS 1040 over the transom for Trump, Rachel Maddow so eager with breaking news made a fool of herself on her program.
The 1040 was either a fake or irrelevant.
They did it again with the Mueller Report, they were having an orgasm expecting a disclosure, but Mueller stifled that orgasm, concluding that there was no conspiracy. he did establish but did not say there was collusion, but collusion is not a crime, conspiracy is.
Mueller investigated the case under criminal statutes, which is a narrow and specific window of inquiry. Congress has a different and broader responsibility to determine whether the president committed high crimes and misdemeanors for which impeachment is appropriate. Congress is not bound by the high standard of proof of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt that Mueller used for his criminal inquiry. Our system reserves that burden of proof for cases where someone’s liberty is at stake and they may be incarcerated as a result of proceedings. That is not the case with impeachment.
Point is Mueller knew who buttered his bread, and found Trump committed no crimes, because that is what his investigation was all about, remember Bill Barr appointed Mueller as special counsel.
Still looking for the door to the wormhole in space.
You talking to me? :)
By the way on RR's substack, I have been silenced, I can post but the posts go invisible, so no one can see them. I got into it with a Pat G O'B, she is an adamant apologist for "HAMAS" therefore for Muslims. I must have upset someone or her, and RR's tactic was to render my comments invisible, without a warning or conversation. I have emailed him, twice, respectfully and explaining the dust up, so far crickets. So much for RR
There are sure a lot of left wing anti semites on RR's substack. I mean these people have been sucked into the HAMAS world, like a vortex.
While at it, this piece by Paul Solomon of Salon should interest you.
He limits his conversation to the world of RFK jr and anti vaxxers but it applies to so much more, including the dolts sucked into the HAMAS" orbit
My favorite turn of phrase of Paul is "self indulgent" for that's what these so called lefties are.
I actually have no idea what I am anymore. I am not a right wing fascist, I sure am not a leftist, and no way am I a moderate centrist, equivocating, pragmatic Democrat.
I know I can be abrasive, but I have knowledge, my own opinions and will not be intimidated or bullied.
Please do not leave! If I left every time I have been censored by many different sites, I would be invisible. I was censored once for using the word slavery? I was not even referring to race? Just become more British, you can catch more bees with honey than with vinegar.
This Israeli war is a quagmire and I am not religious and I'm not going to fall in to the abyss of quicksand waiting for me and all others so that Donald Trump can pull off an election win.
The younger generation are by and large influenced by religion quite a bit and they are naturally drawn into the Quagmire. I don't cry any tears for theocratic countries going to war with each other. It is a win-win situation in my opinion. And when I say that, both sides are offended, but at least it gets them to think, a tiny little bit anyway. At least the ones that can read.
I will vote against Trump, I have to, self preservation if nothing else. I will stay with Thom, so long as he allows, but I am disappointed and disgusted with Robert Reich, whom I once admired. I was backing him up, on his side, but some whiny beaches, had their fee fees hurt.
Here is another link of interest
From the Bulwark: https://plus.thebulwark.com/p/lets-not-boost-the-campus-speech-police?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
I am thinking of finding a new home at the Bulwark, there are many things I do not agree with, but at least they have no intolerant for self indulgent, narrow mind juveniles on the left, or the fascists on the right.
Everything is pay for view. These days unemployed by literate people, put up substacks and websites to make money. I would not have any money at all If I subscribed to everything.
Every substack is a subscription and it is automatically renewed, same with streamng services, and any source of info. I know that it takes money to live, but so do I' If I paid for every streaming service or every substack or website I couldn't eat.
Non profits are the worst, I mean I endorse their projects, but I also know that most donations go to overhead (Directors and staff salaries) same with Campaign contributions.
The TV is full of ads for this and that cause,only $19.95 a month, recurring. I don't do recurring, except for Malwarebytes, and my ISP, which is local, I can drive 3 miles, enter it's office, which also vends T Mobile.
Imagine if I forked out $20 a month for every non profit that tugged at my heart, if I forked out bucks for every substack, every website, every paper that had my interest.I would have no savings
I have a charitable nature, and I support local charities, like Feral Cat Spay and Neuter, or local Animal Shelter and Food bank.
Did I tell you about the March of Dimes, the Salk Vaccine put the March of Dimes (founded by Eleanor Roosevelt) to help polio victims. They were out of business, fell into a nation wide conference and reopened with a new mission, birth defects and there is no cure for birth defects, so they are not at risk of going out of business anymore.
And the irony is that all of the money they collected over the years, paid executive and staff salaries, none of it to find a cure for polio
Jonas Salk who found a cure, was not employed or received a Dime from the MoD.
I don't join Bulwark, I just signed up for it's newsletters, and mailers, free of charge.So I can't get bogged down in comments. I am bogged down enough with these Reports.
As usual I forgot the link to Paul Solomon's Salon article
https://www.salon.com/2023/09/30/leftists-save-yourselves-its-a-moment-for-nihilistic-self-indulgence/
I think the main problem is, the irresponsible reproduce more than the responsible. The insane reproduce more than the sane. The religious right has been better at fornicating and raising future slaves who end up blaming the left for all their problems. In a democracy the majority rules and the majority is getting more and more detached from reality and moving farther to the right.
Since about 1970, both parties have moved so far to the right, one is now a far right Nazi party and the other is farther right than the old Republican party. The left have been almost totally marginalized for about 50 years by the rich now. Joe Biden to me is the right wing Catholic.
I have always been more concerned about the environment, overpopulation, wealth inequality... In other words, trying to keep the Titanic afloat, while the masses on the upper decks are quarreling over trivial cultural wars. This reminds me of a crazy cat lady who chose to go homeless rather than get rid of 30 cats out of her apartment. She was evicted, and so were the cats!
Bob, as Thom has mentioned on his show. Reproduction depends on female empowerment and education, just learning to read and write is not education. Learning to research, study, read books and develop critical thinking skills, that is education.
Muslim countries keep their women bound and dependent on the male and thus have a high birth rate. Undeveloped countries, the same.
Look at the women in Gaza, they are shrouded in black cloth, are wholly dependent on the male, few are educated and as a consequence their birth rate is high. So high that it puts population pressure on Gaza, and HAMAS relieves that pressure by attacking Israel, it needs lebensraum one more thing it has in common with NAZI Germany, but not spoken out loud.
The problem is that humans are biologically evolved to breed, and only countries with educated females who have control over their own bodies can limit reproduction.
During the Roman Empire the population of Earth was in the millions, today it is 8 billion and will double that in less than 10 years, most likely 5.
Unless there are plagues and famine. Gaia is doing her best to thin the herd with plagues like COVID, a continuously mutating virus that stays one step ahead of man's attempt to control it with vaccines. There is more coming down the pike, especially with global warming and the defrosting of the tundra, which is releasing bacteria and virus that have been dormant for tens and thousands, maybe millions of years.
Bacteria are living, yet some live in the most extreme of environments.
Virus's are not living, and they have been noticed by Chinese astronauts on the windows of their Tiangong space station. Google says virus can not survive in space, yet Chinese Astronauts photographed them clouding a window.
You can't kill a virus, because it is not alive. The body gets rid of a virus by defecation in the form of diarrhea and vomitus..
Who is 'we.?' The great American Empire. The 'rock-solid' democracy of the US?
Jenny you really hate America. You claim to live in France, what about France's ongoing attempt to hold onto it's colonialism in Africa.?
The term "soft fascism" is a necessary rhetorical device at this stage to clarify some of the less draconian moves and strategies. However, in an article in the near future it would be helpful to retire the term and elucidate its true significance as brutality and totalitarianism since there is actually no such thing as soft fascism, as women in Texas, Florida, and other red states who have problematic pregnancies have discovered. Mikey Johnson, et al, will soon demonstrate for us how hard fascism is in any form, no matter how well it is disguised by righteous statements, supposedly legal justifications, and confusing and contradictory language or demagoguery. It is coming to a place near you.
Using the term "soft fascism" is like asking a woman how pregnant she is. You're either pregnant or you're not pregnant.
That's a great analogy. I agree. However, I was not being critical of the use of the term in the way Thom used it. It is important to note that fascism moves and grows incrementally and with abuses and deprivations which feel tolerable or which only harm certain people, with formal justifications and legal processes which cannot be opposed effectively. It is soft in that the methods are in many cases not seen as cruel and unusual to the uncritical eye and the harms may not be as extreme or broad-based in the early stages. Either way, failing to stop it early enough ends in the real thing, leading ultimately to immense suffering and death. I think we need to detail the ways it is affecting us now at this stage, so that we are conscious of what we are dealing with and what is coming soon if we don't stop it.
What is meant is "how far along are you", how many months down, how many to go.
Not to mention the inadequacy of the label "conservative." I saw a recent "genius" interview, sorry I can't place it, identifying "conservative" as designating a desire for change to be SLOWER than "progressives" would welcome. That is hardly applicable to the panicked contingency driving to whiplash America, and particularly American women, back to the horrific 1870's.
True. The term reactionary doesn't even capture what these people are all about anymore. It is fascism and it doesn't feel so soft to those who are victims. However, per my above statement to Gloria, the "soft" designation is valid and useful in an analytical sense and for purposes of showing where we are and where we are headed. We shouldn't quibble too much about terms. The important thing is to identify these lesser things such as banning books as a form of fascism and refusing to let them stand under any circumstances. If we look closely enough, we can find hundreds of examples of precursors to fascism in the Republican playbook. That's what I was asking Thom to write about in the future.
A frightening example of the embrace of Orban’s plans is their repeated invitations to speak at CPAC, where he receives REPEATED STANDING OVATIONS. All that’s missing is the stiff armed salute. For now...
20th-century Democrats were as afraid of being called "soft on Communism as 21st-century Republicans are as proud of being "soft on Fascism."
Pandering is the name of the game, indeed. Hillary voted for "Shock and Awe" on Iraq, because god forbid anybody would think a female was soft on war. Now all the pandering fools are in the Pit Under the Pendulum, because criticism of Israel has been the "third rail" for so long, but the word "genocide" is coming up, and not baseless. And that's not to mention the flaming cowardice of Texas's two Senators faced with the reality of abortion despotism in their State.
The master plan has been public. https://thf_media.s3.amazonaws.com/project2025/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf
I wonder whether the donors to the foundation can tolerate a diet of goulash, paprikash and for that matter borscht. At least some of them must love their country.
The Heritage Foundation is an associate member of the State Policy Network, a network of conservative and libertarian organizations financed by the Koch brothers, Philip Morris, and other corporate sources. The board is a who's who of a-holes. https://www.heritage.org/board-trustees
https://www.heritage.org/press/heritage-foundation-receives-25-million-gift
All concerned should be publicly asked whether Biden is the authentic president.
Looking at the people on the board and recognizing none of them, I am reminded of Norman Mailer's coverage of the Republican National Convention years back and his surprise at looking at the best seats $ in the two front rows surrounding the platform and recognizing none of them. Mostly,they were corporate insurance executives. In both cases, only corrupt media compliance could have carried that out.
And that is why we have the ACA, instead of Bernies Medicare for all.
Rahm Emanuel and Larry Summers are the enemy . Neo liberals who seek to privatize all agencies, except Defense and Police.
During the "sausage making" of the ACA only health insurance reps were let into or invited into the White House, and Pelosi, dear Nancy, excluded single payor advocates from testifying. So we have the ACA, as designed it was a gift to AHIP (Association of Health Insurance Providers)
The kindest interpretation would be that Obama and Pelosi were desperate to get SOMETHING passed. I think it has amounted to SOMETHING. Where is that line, where you gave up the Perfect to where the Good didn't amount to much?
That is the kindest interpretation, but I don't buy it for a minute. Because money in politics, and AHIP lobbyist represent a hell of a lot of money.
That B.S about "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good" is Rahm Emanuel swill.
The so called good is a poison pill, and left hundreds of millions without health care, and hundreds of milions more at the mercy of scams like United Health Care. Legislation is also needed to get rid of so called Option C in Medicare which is Medicare Disadvantage scheme.
They just finished Open Enrollment, and while it was open, every other commercial on TV was for so called Medicare Advantage, The poor suckers who believed the lies, find themselves actually having services denied, and paying a lot more than they were led to believe, and Medicare does not have coverage for Medicare D prescription drugs, if it does then you will have to pay extra. Meanwhile these insurance companies are ripping off Medicare to the tune of billions. And if you give your Medicare Number to them, they pass it on to subsidaries and they then bill Medicare for services not provided.
I did not enroll in Medicare Advantage and my Medicare number got compromised, I have one CPAP supplier, one Medical ctr, which is honest and non profit, and I saw two Eye specialists to remove cataracts. One of them gave or sold my Medicare number and it was either the supplier or one of the Eye Specialists, and I know who.
A company called Alexandria Durable Medical Supplies, charge Medicare $5,970 for incontinence supply's (catheters) I am not incontinent and never heard of this company
Two other companies, Southern Labs from Ala and another from Ohio charged Medicare to process self administered COVID tests, and have never taken or ordered a COVID test. I Have all COVID tests, live rural and only go to town to pick up mail and packages from a Private Mail service, and to shop are our one and only supermarket, and that is twice a week.
Ed Meese was the highly controversial attorney general under Reagan, Kay Cole James was once head of OPM, the Office of Personnel Management. After the Office of Administrative Law Judges was closed I asked her why? She admitted that she wasn't aware she did it.
Robert George used to teach at Princeton. Does he emulate Orban, Putin?
You are correct that most are donors, but are also people who inherited great wealth.
Barb Van Andel-Gaby, chair, is related to Erik Prince, now expatriated to Abu Dhabi. His sister, Former Sec. of Education, Betsy DeVos, says she resigned after learning Pence wouldn't support invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump in the wake of the Capitol riot. DeVos said she resigned after learning Trump wouldn't be removed from office via the 25th Amendment. https://www.businessinsider.com/betsy-devos-says-she-resigned-after-pence-refused-25th-amendment-2022-6#:~:text=Betsy%20DeVos%20says%20she%20resigned%20after%20learning%20Pence%20wouldn't,wake%20of%20the%20Capitol%20riot&text=DeVos%20said%20she%20resigned%20after,office%20via%20the%2025th%20Amendment.
I hope she will be a witness in the Trump DC case.
Interesting that Liz, Betsy and their ilk, are now lionized because of their opposition to Trumps attempt to over throw the Constitution, yet these are the same people who have enabled Trump, just like Bill Barr who enabled Trump from the start, until he realized in Dec 2020 that he was wrong footed.
I don't understand the last sentence.
The basis was that the election was a fraud. How many are in denial? Who?
We need to keep Democracy here, for us and for the world. We can’t let Trump use the border crisis to get elected.
As President Biden said the border is broken. The asylum system was meant to give refuge to people facing deadly situations such as in a war or being unjustly persecuted. The asylum system is being overrun with people who are mainly seeking better economic conditions. At the same time, there are wars going on in which there are people facing truly deadly situations.
We need to stop the flow of unqualified asylum seekers. At the border, we need a rapid response to deport unqualified asylum seekers. We may need the national guard to assist border agents. We may need to detain those who ask for a hearing and may need to hire more asylum judges and other personal. Stopping the flow is critical.
We must make it clear that asylum is only for those who need it to escape deadly situations and that we don’t have an open border policy. Fox News constantly saying our borders are open has been causing massive numbers to come to our border.
Fox has also accused the Democratic party of trying to change the US demographics by the immigration system. We should not have prejudicial polices against minorities nor anti-white policies. Immigration has largely been Latino for decades. This is seen as an anti-white policy by many and this where Trump gets very much of his support.
We shouldn’t try to change the demographics. We need to try to win over all voters regardless of race; that includes people who voted for Trump. We are the party that supports workers, the building up the middle class and not letting the wealthy dictate our laws. We already have a big natural advantage in that most voters are not looking to give more help to the super wealthy. We shouldn’t be divided because of race or have any prejudicial policies.
Now, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there are many people facing truly deadly situations. Accepting Ukrainian refugees, women with children, whom mostly are white would keep them out of harms way, it would show the Fox claim of an anti-white policy to be false which would take away much of the Trump support and we can have another Biden-Harris term in 24!
Robert I have no idea of what you are talking. The only thing that shows up in my inbox is a response and likes.
I didn't realize that substack had hall monitors. I was making comments on Robert Reichs substack, and most have pissed off someone badly. as I was shooting down their b.s. with facts, it was either a commenter or Robert Reich, because I am now censored.
An old trick I ran into a decade ago.
I can post, I can even read my post, but when I refresh the page, my post is invisible.
I don't know how to contact the substack Hall Monitors.
And how do the Hall Monitors know, they can't possibly read every comment on substack.
Seems the Froot Loops (of all races, but primarily majorities) are circling the wagons around their golden calves, to wit: Vicky O. & Donnie D. (Drumpf).
Why critically THINK for yourself in a great republic, when you can facilely offload critical thought to a clown car of the democratically challenged.
You said a mouthful with "golden calves." So much of the compulsion, in my opinion is in the DNA of authoritarian followers. But there's the additional element of panic against population shift. I think climate displacement is overlooked in the cascade of sociological churning. Maybe "Somebody tell me what to do! Or think!" isn't all that "Froot-Loopy."
?
This is clearly what Trumps instructions are . He is touting Fascism every time he opens his mouth . The rank destruction of Democracy by he and his rabid followers is a putrid attempt by these Republicans to suck up to Putin and Orban and turn these United States into a violent aberration of democracy that is in fact fascist authoritarianism.
We cannot play out the ‘they go low , we go high’ good intentioned but missing reality statement of the past several years when we still didn’t see reality. There is no “reaching across the aisle “ with this group of Magats, who ooze destruction out of every word and thought . Nothing is a ‘bridge too far ‘ for these warped individuals . Yes , warped by Herr Trump and his owners Putin and Orban .
There is no redeeming quality to this group.
They lie in every way possible about Democrats and Biden , they are hounding and attacking family members of the president in their smug stupidity.
In fact , complicity with Stupidity is preferred. No questions likely .
The Justice Department also has a faction of Magat recruits who do everything they can to dishonor the Law and give the Magats what they
demand .
Very much in the vein of Trumps questionable ‘ legal’ team.
It’s appalling to see how people who have sworn to be protective of the law work to destroy it.
But that is their gift to their grifter.
Despicable is a good word for this twisted group .
Who needs the heaven or hell that preachers sell when you can just go to Hungary. It is heaven for white "Christian" guys and hell for everyone else who doesn't believe what they do. Don't get me wrong, I could appreciate anyone that follows the instructions from the Sermon on the Mount, but men like Orban only got as far as "Blessed are...".
Viktor wants the blessing and not the responsibility. That is very much like how the Republicans want the freedom of speech part of the First Amendment but do not want this part: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." That is the whole thing.
Guess Orban decided to get rich off the Hungarian people and make sure his blessings are secure. Perfect. Mirror-Image. Trump.
The Republicans have become a cult. If the electoral college system puts the cult back in charge, there's going to be some hell to pay here. We know how to be scary too.
There are benevolent dictators and then there are tyrannical dictators. When Hungary gets called soft fascism, that is because Orban and Xi provide a little more than the tyrannical dictators to their poor people. Like, Orban has universal healthcare and Xi has brought up his standard of living.Viktor Orban has a min. wage, a pretty low one at that. A single person would have to work 70 to 80 hrs a week to survive and I don't think that includes transportation and clothes, or if you are big, more food.
Trump is a tyrannical dictator bent on vengeance. The gop voters can't discern the difference between tyrannical dictators and benevolent dictators. Castro was a pretty good dictator. The gop are fascists because it is easier to be destructive than constructive and they can't think rationally, it is too hard for them, because they were taught to believe whatever makes them feel good, by their irrational parents and priests and teachers, mostly private school teachers. Once insane, always insane. Few can fight back to sanity. Atheists broke free, but they hate agnostic usually. They go a little too overboard.. And there are few atheists compared to theists.
So, Putin and Orban are pushing a tyrannical form of fascism on America! NOT soft fascism. They aim to destroy America! A virtuous, wise, honest dictator, is the best dictator. Someone like FDR. Unfortunately, he was not allowed to be a dictator and throw the crooks in prison.
Orban will do what the EU wants. It's about money!
?
Not at all, he has squashed the accession of Ukraine to the Eu
I don't know how you know this William.
I am reading the Press here and they are still talking.
At the same time not everyone wants Ukraine in the EU.
What countries besides Hungary and Slovakia?
What they are afraid of like (Poland) is Ukraine wheat flooding the market.. it is always about the money Jenny, always about the money.
Europe is going crap itself, if Putin is not stopped in Ukraine, next comes the Baltic states then Poland. The Suwałki Gap, also known as the Suwałki corridor ([suˈvawkʲi]), is a sparsely populated area immediately southwest of the border between Lithuania and Poland, between Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast.
It is the only part of Russia that is not adjoined to the country, it is a warm sea port on the Baltic, this they want (the Suwalki gap) badly, from there they can push on to Germany and the rest of Europe.
Those that don't want Ukraine in the EU or NATO, will regret their resistance/decision.
If Trump wins, and it looks like that, so many stupid, hateful, selfish theocratic Americans, then Putin has a free ride, Ukraine is toast, Baltic states next, then Poland, Romania, Czech Republic and Slovakia, the Balkans.
Putin isn't going to gobble the whole pie down at once, that was Hitlers mistake, he will eat one piece, rest, digest, consolidate, rebuild his military and logistics, then go again, each time he will wave his nuclear phallus around and intimidate everyone. He will accomplish what Stalin never could. He has unlimited resources in the way of fuel and humans to throw in front of artillery, tanks and bullets. That is how Stalin recaptured Stalingrad, with bullet absorbers (conscripts)
I agree everything is about money but in Europe (mostly) we have a different mindset about Russia. We could be wrong. What is worse.............Americans continual wars or Russia? Am reading a lot of different History and talking to friends here in France. IF anyone starts a nuclear war it will be the US because they keep losing instead of the 'great game' of winning!
America HAS to use it's weapons and keep making them, a lot of jobs will go in the US IF they stop manufacturing. This may be simplistic to you but when the US keeps supplying any country in the world with weapons to me they are more dangerous.
Right now more and more weapons are coming into Europe from Ukraine. This war could have been stopped right from the beginning but no..........................!
Europe will pay for its "different mindset", how would you or a European like to live in Russia?
Not on the radar yet?
It isn't a great game Jenny. It is life and death struggle.
Unfortunately you have been attuned to see America as the great Satan. It seems that you have bitten off a big chunk of Marxist, hence Putin, propaganda
The only difference between Putin and Stalin, is that Yeltsin sold off state industries to KGB affiliated men, now called oligarchs, that and a different monetary system.
Actually it is Russia that has been supplying everyone in the world with weapons.
The AK-47 and updated variants like AK-74 are the most prolific guns in the world, as is their missiles and rocket propelled grenades, and when not selling weapons and munitions, they sell armed combatants (the paramilitary Wagner Group)
America will never launch a thermonuclear war. The Pentagon and i's leaders are not idiots
They know that launching a first strike is suicide. The US has, and Russia had, until Putin, a program called MAD, or mutually assured destruction, and it depends on a second strike capability.
Do you know who pulled out of the Nuclear treaty? Putin, not the United States
Either you have drunk the kool aid, or you are a Putin troll hiding behind a screen name.
You know I am not a 'troll' William and I reject that hollow name.
I at least KNOW propaganda when I see it which it seems you do not.
We tend to agree on quite a few things BUT you do not live outside the USA.I do and I KNOW what is going on here in Europe.
All most people in this world want/need is empathy, kindness, no wars started on our behalf by any country. Decent healthcare/good education/food to eat and a place to live. You know damned well that the war in Ukraine could have been stopped. Unfortunately we are serfs of the USA and have NO backbone.
What a critically important warning you have written today. “If you want to see the GOP’s vision of America’s future, just visit that nation.
Forewarned is forearmed.” I have followed the Orban-repub alliance since American elected officials have visited, interviewed and modeled his openly fascist policies. How many warnings do Americans need? Is standing back and watching these threats play out in an American political party a support of fascism? That might be denied by the repubs, but look critically at how governments change. That old adage, “If you’re not worried, you’re not paying attention “ is a warning.
Your pieces are incredible and alarming. I would like to hope that it is just fear mongering, but I know better. I suppose if gas prices are low in Hungary, then a lot of people here would be all for it. I hate to make light of it, but that is the way people seem to think.