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Every single fear we’ve had is exposed as reality based in this article of Thoms.

We’ve tried to console ourselves by questioning

even the possibility of this sheer hypocrisy and corruption of the Republicans party.

Yes, it’s real and moreover much worse than we thought.

So , now that we know , what can we do ?

This cynical, hateful plan of the “ GOP” has been laid down for years.

We asked could they possibly not care anymore about our Democracy all of a sudden.

But its not all of a sudden. This has been going on for decades.

Reagan, was a precedent setter, in cutting taxes for wealthy people while telling the rest of us to ‘tighten our belts’’.

The intricacy of the plan , backed by Republican money , is an investment in ongoing evil , in ‘ our’ country.

The fact that what they say and what they do are far , far apart.

What they are doing in libraries and schools and to LGBTQ adults and innocent children is abhorrent.

They have truly sold their souls for the money that buys power for evil.

They are fascists who are willing to kill to eliminate anyone who still has a soul .

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And who took up the mantle of Reagan in 1988, cutting welfare programs and aligning with corporate interests over ours? Who deregulated banks and incarcerated millions of black males for low level crimes? Who championed the Iraq War, the Afghanistan occupation, the bombing of Libya and Syria, assisting MBS in a genocide in Yemen, and droning thousands of civilians in Somolia and Pakistan? Who ignores apartheid against Palestinians in Israel, aiding a brutal theocratic regime? Who failed to codify Roe v Wade into law when they promised Planned Parenthood, even when they had a supermajority in Congress? I could go on. We must remember there are two parties, one has joined the other and made excuses as to why they have failed to protect us. I am able to hold them accountable and promote change.

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That oil money in Kevin's bill is going to kill us all. Did you know that the planet is experiencing increased seismic/volcanic activity because of the Climate Crisis? The shift in land-side weight from ice caps into the oceans is actually causing the tectonic plates to shift and move. For real! We are out of time. As for Ginni's Golden Handcuffs, I bet Clarence would like that! After all, Anita Hill testified about his extensive porn collection that he loved to share with female staffers. By the way, the law clerks write the opinions, especially in Thomas' and Beerbong's case. They are idiots.

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Not just tectonic plates, but the Atlantic conveyor, that under the ocean river, that keeps the east coast warm and Europe as well, is being disrupted by the infusion of fresh water, from melting Greenland glaciers, this in turn is disrupting the jet stream, allowing or forcing it to move further south, thus bringing arctic weather to the south, and prolonged freezing and below freezing weather to the great lakes, and even the south.

And not a word, not a peep from the corporate media, not surprising as they are interlocked with the carbon industry..

Environmental experts predict that we only have some 16 years left, before the anthropogene

I will be 105 if I live that long, my wife wil be a few years short of 90.

I use to worry about the future, but is a waste, humans don't care about the future, all they care about is inconvenience, immediate gratification, maintaining the status quo, and their life style,

And that goes double for the Owners, board and execs of the carbon industry. Was it Chevron or Exxon that produced a study in 1974, that predicted the end.

A study shelved and ignored because all that they care about is their wealth, status and power today. As two senators responded when asked about their legacy. What legacy, I'll be dead, so not concerned. They don't even care about their children, grandchildren or future generations

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Well said, William.

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Google is our friend. It was Exxon that new about climate change 40 years ago and yet they still deny it and pay talking heads, talk show hosts, and corporate media to keep mum and spout the party line.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/exxon-knew-about-climate-change-almost-40-years-ago/

Lenin was so correct when said "if you say you are going to hang all the capitalists, they will line up to sell you the rope". Problem is, it just isn't the capitalists, it is humanity, they are willing to face an anthropogene rather than give up their petroleum driven transportation, utilities and plastics.

We are proverbial ostriches. "It ain't going to happen", especially with Dominionists, they believe their god will never let anything like the end of human life happen , cause their god said so.

Side note. Christians, Muslims and Jews claim to worship the same god, but they don't, The Christian god is as different as there are Christians, as is the Muslims and Jews.

Same reference point (religious text) but altogether a different god with different characteristics, fears and needs, which are mirrors of those of its devotee.

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Loved your phrase about Reagan gutting the middle class! I had just finished college at the time and worked for a small business whose owners drank the Reagan look-aid. I hope they have noticed that opportunities for their children to earn a good living are much less than they were even in the 80’s, and the cost of a college education has soared since then.

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Last time I checked there were two political parties, one has moved to the right over the past 40 years and the other has followed. Prior to implementation of the ACA, 30 to 40% of the population felt the us health care system had failed them. Now it's 70%. Joe Biden and Democrats speak of democracy, yet the Biden administration has sold and transferred a record number of weapons around the world, 57% of them to autocracies. Liberals now push for perpetual war and tear their hair out about Putin, yet it's not Russia who treats our immigrants and refugees like animals denying them their right to asylum (that's the Biden administration). In fact, Russia has no culpability in any of our socioeconomic woes at all, Trump being a symptom of the failure of both parties to enact public policy that works for the people instead of transnational corporations and the donor class. It's Biden who crushed the rail workers strike, who wants to add 100,000 police to a brutal and militarized force, who is opening up drilling in the arctic and greenlighting massive pipeline projects, who is doing nothing about our failing health care system, who refuses to consider peace in Ukraine in order to fulfill the globalist agenda of regime change in Russia and so on. Yes Republicans are a danger to us all, but it's the Democrats who have failed to protect us in their middling centrism and quest for "moderation."

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I have to call B.S. Liberals don't push for perpetual war, and yes we tear our hair out over Putin.

That you don't makes me suspicious. Put and Orban are anti democratic, misogynistic, racist, homophobes and "blood brothers" or our fascist Republicans..

Peace in Ukraine means one thing and one thing only, and that is giving Putin an orgasm, in which we capitulate and let him gobble up all of the previous Soviet Empire., we might as well just throw up our hands and capitulate give Putin the victory over the west he desires.

There are two factions that side with and promote Putin. One are Tankie's https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tankie old line Marxists who treat the proto liberatarian as a god, and the other are Putin trolls, masquerading as Americans.

There is much in your comment I agree with, but it is also a Russian trolls tactic, to espouse policies and voice complaints that progressives will agree with, but then move the conversation to Putinism and Ukraine.

The assumption being that I have I take a bite out of the pie, I will the eat the whole thing, like a stupid moron, with a lack of artificial thinking skills.

Apparently it works for some, but not for everyone. I am an opened minded liberasl, but not so open minded that my brain falls out of it's cage.

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May 17, 2023·edited May 17, 2023

Yes Republicans are a danger to us all, but it's the Democrats who have failed to protect us in their middling centrism and quest for "moderation."

Exactly!!! Read this piece the other day, also not very encouraging.

https://benjaminstudebaker.com/2023/05/15/biden-edges-toward-repeating-obamas-worst-mistake/

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That I agree with Two problems with the Dem's. One is that they are slopping at the same trough as the Republicans. Two they are weak and insecure, aftaid of their own shadow and pissing off the right.

Biden has shown some backbone, lately, but he is still an ameliorater and compromiser,

other wise he would tell the Republicans to GFT, and sign an executive order to raise the debt ceiling. That he isn't mean that someone or something else is pulling his strings.

If he hasn't learned by now that there is no way to compromise with the fascists, then he is totally incompetent and out to lunch. and doesn't deserve to be reelected.

Trouble is there is no one else in the Democratic paddock, that can be trotted out to the starting gate, because of the baked in DNC attitude, developed over decades of subservience to Wall Street, AHIP, PhRMA and the Chamber of Commerce. that candidates have to have paid their dues, stood in line, and earned foreign service credentials. All of which is bull crap, there isn't a Democratic Candidate with cajones, all are septuagenarian or octogenarians ,past their prime, and with tin ears, like Terry McAuliffe, and the last three elections have taught them nothing. The conservadems have lost their seats, and the only gains were progressives (House and Senate). And Biden was not elected because of his charisma and policies, but because he was not Trump. A head of cabbage could have beat Trump in 2020.

I would say so in 2024, were it not for Moore v Harper, which will validate the independent state legislature theory (ISLT), allow state legislatures to disregard the popular vote and nominate their own electors.

The case was heard in N.C. as Harper v Hall and ruled unconstitutional it was refilled after an election that changed the state supreme court as Harper v Hall II, and this time the SC of NC ruled in favor of the ISLT or in favor of Harper in Harper V Hall. Harper is the speaker of the House of Representatives in NC.

After the political decision by SCONC in Harper v Hall II, was ruled in favor of Harper (ISLT)

Rebecca V. Moore a member of Common Cause filed suit with the SCOTUS to overturn Harper v Hall II, but Harper v Hall was still in deliberation, so SCOTUS ruled that it would wait until the Case was ruled on On Apr 28, 2023 SCONC overturned it's earlier decision (Harper I ) and ruled in favor of the ISLT, Now it is time for the SCOTUS to rule,and it has put off a decision (it has heard all arguments) until October.

Any question how six Catholic right wing, fascist inclined judges will rule? This is the fascist wet dream, how to remake America, in it's own image, and forever.

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Thanks for the link. From the article: "... it is so completely counterproductive to support Democrats like Biden in the first instance. They negotiate bad deals with Republicans that strengthen the GOP’s position in the long-run. But the voters who fear Donald Trump feel compelled to vote for these Democrats anyway, to prevent the GOP from winning in the near-term. Even Bernie Sanders has endorsed Biden’s re-election bid. If you don’t vote for the Democrats, the Republicans win now, and if you do vote for the Democrats, the Republicans win later. Why do you even bother?"

Both parties are not equivalent; that said, both parties are in the same pockets, so their economic and foreign policies are not all the different.

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You raise some interesting points.

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Except that Putinesque comment about liberals pushing for perpetual war, and that spewing of Moscow propaganda about Ukraine and how the US should promote peace, which means capitulation to Putin and his designs to finish what Stalin started and conquer Europe,, but not under "communism" but under oligarchism.

Only a a few of us are alive that can recall a Neville Chamberlain waving a peace of paper, ceding the Sudetenland to Hitler and proclaiming "peace in our time"

Yes there is peace in empires. Germany was at peace until it invaded Poland, Russia and Asia were in peace under Jenghis Khan. There was peace within the Otttoman empire, until it tried to absorb Austria.

There was peace in the USSR, until Operation Barbarossa. An unwelcome peace for the poor souls murdered and sent to forced labor by the Bolsheviks.

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We just ended a 20-year perpetual war in the Middle East that cost us an estimated 8 trillion dollars. The dem party signed on to the far right anti-muslim war. There are a handful of progressives in the Democrat party that I love, but they never get listened to.

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BobBob. The invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan had nothing to do with antiIslam. It was Dubya’s and

Cheneys war of choice to enrich them selves and get reelected, and it worked. Bush jr had castiaged his father for Operation Desert Storm because it was over in 100 days, and didn’t get him relected.

Desert Storm was a fraud, and marched against in San Francisco. We owe the Saudis and Kuwaiti’s nothing, In fact April Catherine Glaspie, Ambassador to Iraq that gave Saddam the nod to invade Kuwait, saying we had no interest.

Dubya had no war with Islam, in fact he owed the Saudis and bin Laden plenty as they financed is acquisition of the Rangers as well as many failed oil ventures. He even opened airways to allow the Saudi’s to fly out of the country, after 9/11 when all other air traffic was grounded.

This war against Islam is bullshit, straight from CAIR who learned the American lesson of cry victim, which the right has ,apparently, successfully coopted after seeing the success it wrought in other communities.

‘As regards Islam, I have no use for it, nor do I Christianity or Judaism.

In Islamic countries, like Saudi Arabia, Lbya, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Malaysia.

Apostates and non believers are beheaded, stoned, hung or burned alive.

Gays are flung off roofs, hung and Iran forced to undergo sexual reassignment surgery.

Raped women, who cry rape, are stoned or hung,or burned alive if they can’t produce four males as witnesses (Islamic law) and of course the four men would be accomplices. A woman’s voice is not heard in an Islamic court.

I am a progressive with actual knowledge of the Islamic world, so much so that a Muslim called me an apostate, although I never said the shahada, by default anyone who studied the Qur’ an and haddiths as I have is, in their eyes,a Muslim, Just reading the Qur’an makes you a Muslim and I have three editions, including the copy of Jefferson’s Qur’an.

And I still possess critical thinking skills and am not swayed by group think or propaganda, from any

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As a Canadian, I see your predicament from an outsider's perspective, but for obvious reasons what happens there greatly affects us. America has had problems with cult leaders before, but never on the scale of this fraud, Trump. Just the other day, Thom reminded us that Barr and another dude went to Italy to find crimes done against Trump, but discovered the opposite, and this has remained secret to this day. The fraud this man has committed is unbelievable, yet somehow just over 70 million voted for him?

Your article is right on Thom - you've expressed what so many are feeling. As you've said, we've been warned. But perhaps it's "in the cards" for America to implode, taking down much of the West with her. This is definitely what Putin and his like want to see, and are working towards.

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What I am afraid of, and what I predict is that Biden will cave into the Republicans and carve out some restrictions that will kill Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

The other night Joy Reid had someone on her shoe, and the subject was the debt limit, she never mentioned the 2nd Article and the 14th Amendment. I can only assume that she was given instructions not to. I also suspect that all of the other hosts on MSNCBC have been given the same instructions and they have ear buds from the producer telling them or reminding them what and what not to say.

And that is because it is corporate media, And has a board of directors who sit on other boards, which have a vested interested in privatizing social security and Medicare, Medicaid. There is never enough profit to satisfy the vampires.

Unadulterated and uncontrollable capitalism is destroying our democracy, unity and way of life.

Biden most certainly knows he has the executive power to stop this Republican treason, but has failed to do so, and avoids the subject of the 14th Amendment. I can't recall him even being asked the question. I want to know why, and all considered I cannot assume good faith. There is only the three C's, Complicity, Cowardice or Corruption.

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I've been wondering what "golden handcuffs" are adorning Tricia Cotham! (No. Carolina St. Rep. who went over to the Repubs to give them veto override.) Her district elected her, with a standard set of Dem. values on her campaign site, and Joe Biden by 20%. So it's another example of a pol. giving a finger to own constituency. (I'm thinking Sinema) Cotham voted against women with her new club yesterday. Especially in the cases of people with this history, one wonders how they live with themselves. Cotham made a bitter speech about Dems being oppressively dogmatic on liberal values which I gather might be problematic for esteemed fellow-poster "Both sides equally guilty" Kaufman. Some detailed discussion on MSNBC about how the 12-week ban includes a web of requirements that make it essentially prohibitive in most cases. We know which side who was on, crystal clear.

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"Please, sir, may I have some more please?"-Oliver

The Republicans are trying to starve our democracy along with some Americans who cannot afford to eat. It's pretty rich that they claim it is all for the children. They left out the part that it is for all the little white, cisgender, male children. You know, the next rulers of the world, those kinda kids.

They really don't know when to quit. Let's see if their party dies first. If it does, America will still have to deal with the corpse.

Oliver Twist got a family and the bad people got what they deserved. We are trying, we ARE trying. Good Report, Thom.

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Thank you, Thom, for a great essay.

"All while essentially telling the rest of us Americans to go screw ourselves. They really don’t appear to care how many of our kids die from guns, how many of our queer children die from suicide, or how many women die from pregnancy."

This isn't just a leadership problem. The base keeps voting for them - in very large numbers. They, too, tell the rest of us to go screw ourselves.

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Holy Moses, you have been deceived. Programmed by MSNBC, ignoring the big picture which includes Democrats enacting policies that directly counter the gospel of their "heroes" like Martin Luther King Jr. The fact that you say liberals don't push for perpetual war and Barack Obama drops 26,000 bombs on theMiddle East while Biden sells more weapons around the world and inches us towards nuclear confrontation shows a dearth of critical thinking and the current Biden liberal shunning of humanity in favor of political expediency. Consider the fact that Putin has invaded one sovereign nation which the west has propped up with NATO forces and a coup in 2014, while we have invaded, bombed and occupied over 30 countries over the past 40 years alone killing millions of innocent civilians. So check your McCarthyism and nationalism at the door and wake up to the motivations of your own fearless leaders: https://theintercept.com/2023/05/11/united-states-foreign-weapons-sales/

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And the solution is what? Roll over as the white christian, homophic, racist nationalist Putin as his bitch.

Have we not learned anything from Neville Chamberlains concord with Hitler and his peace in our time.

Sometime there is a just war, and defending Ukraine is just one.

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Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, is a "centrist" (conservative) she beat Joe Kemp, a very right wing retard, in the General election of 2022.

The general election's rating varied from "Lean R", according to The Cook Political Report, to "Solid R" in FiveThirtyEight's House of Representatives forecast.[12][13] FiveThirtyEight estimated that Gluesenkamp Perez had a 2% chance of winning the general election over Kent,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Gluesenkamp_Perez hers was the most stunning political upset in the country, probably because of the abortion issue.

I figure she is a pro choice Republican dressed up as a Democrat. I suspect the other "problem solving" Dems are the same.

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Here is a list of the Quislings in Corporate problem solver Democrats

Salud Carbajal of California

Ed Case of Hawaii

Jim Costa of California

Angie Craig of Minnesota

Henry Cuellar of Texas

Don Davis of North Carolina

Debbie Dingell of Michigan

Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington

Jared Golden of Maine

Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey

Josh Harder of California

Steven Horsford of Nevada

Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania

Dan Kildee of Michigan

Greg Landsman of Ohio

Susie Lee of Nevada

Wiley Nickel of North Carolina

Donald Norcross of New Jersey

Jimmy Panetta of California

Chris Pappas of New Hampshire

Scott Peters of California

Brittany Pettersen of Colorado

Dean Phillips of Minnesota

Mary Peltola of Alaska

Brad Schneider of Illinois

Hillary Scholten of Michigan

Elissa Slotkin of Michigan

Darren Soto of Florida

Abigail Spanberger of Virginia

Haley Stevens of Michigan

Emilia Strong Sykes of Ohio

David Trone of Maryland

Remember those names when you vote in a primary

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When is it no longer possible to kindle a fire from the hot ashes of a fire that has been "put out"?

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