Tuesday, November 30, 2021

GOP 'Do Nothings' now "cult of know-nothings"

 

It is a known fact for several years now the Republicans are known as the 'do nothing' party. They would rather block or sabotage Democrats' issues than come up with meaningful legislation of their own. Moscow Mitch, even in his Senate secondary roll today, has still done damage to the Biden agenda. But it the party's allegiance to Donald Trump that has recently defined Republicans, and it doesn't look like this will change any time soon.

In a Hill opinion piece, Bill Schneider led with...

"The Republican Party is becoming a cult. Its leaders are in thrall to Donald Trump, a defeated former president who refuses to acknowledge defeat. Its ideology is MAGA, Trump’s deeply divisive take on what Republicans assume to be unifying American values."

But it has been clear of late that the GOP doesn't really want to unify anything but lies, corruption, deception and violence. Their support of Donald Trump's state after state attempts to invalidate the 2020 election to determine he is a winner is evidence of this. And Trump is the focus, which can be seen here...

"The party is now in the process of carrying out purges of heretics who do not worship Trump or accept all the tenets of MAGA. Conformity is enforced by social media, a relatively new institution with the power to marshal populist energy against critics and opponents."

GOP Green Lights Right-Wing Extremism Within Halls Of Congress...


How does the former White House maniac hold on to this loyalty? The answer is we have to accept the fact that there are more double-digit morons out there than we thought. Trump supporters. Poor souls who have blindly, and still are, completely ignoring what this lunatic did during four years in the White House, and since. Hard to believe...but true. Schneider has more insight...

"What’s happening on the right in American politics is not exactly new. To understand it, you need to read a book published 50 years ago by Seymour Martin Lipset and Earl Raab, "The Politics of Unreason: Right-Wing Extremism in America, 1790-1970." Right-wing extremism, now embodied in Trump’s MAGA movement, dates back to the earliest days of the country."

 In the Lipset and Raab book, the authors conclude, "Right-wing extremism is not about the rational calculation of interests. It’s about irrational impulses, which the authors identify as “status frustrations.” The key words here are "rational" and "irrational," and the Republicans are only guilty of one, obviously the latter. Lipset and Raab also talk about attacking "scapegoats," mostly minority ethnic or religious groups.

Obviously they know nothing about humanity, but there is no better definition of the current thrust of the Republican Party than “the politics of unreason.”

 

Monday, November 29, 2021

What is Wrong with a Federal Firearms Registry? Got Something to Hide?

 

Are gun owners afraid to admit or reveal they own firearms? Maybe it's because they have an arsenal at home and don't want the government to know. The idea the Feds will take your guns way should only concern those who are doing something illegal or unethical in their gun ownership. In a country where there are more guns than people, there are 393 million civilian-owned firearms in a population of 333,728,343. To say the above is absurd is the understatement of the year.

So far in 2021, there have been 40,704 gun violence deaths broken down by 18,792 homicides, 21,912 suicides. There have been 646 mass shooting, in most cases involving an assault weapon, and tragically 1,374 children have died from gun violence and hundreds injured. If you can argue that there should be more guns on the street after seeing those numbers, and deny the fact we need more gun control, then you are a thoughtless, heartless gun nut.

A gun registry could help improve those numbers simply by the fact that a gun used in the killing or wounding of an individual can be quickly traced back to its owner. If you are a law-abiding firearms owner, you have nothing to worry about. However, here is the opposition to the registry,,,

"Republican Rep. Michael Cloud of Texas led 51 of his colleagues in a letter to acting ATF Director Marvin Richardson on Monday, expressing their concern over a proposed rule by the agency that Republicans fear could eventually lead to a backdoor gun registry around Congress’ prohibition."

What the hell is a "backdoor gun registry?" The term implies the fact that it would be wrong to legislate something that could save lives, particularly those of innocent children. Involved is a "20-year burn date that the federal firearms licensees must abide by, requiring them to preserve firearm purchase records older than two decades." Records eventually end up in the hands of the ATF. And what's wrong with the leading gun agency knowing who owns guns?

Gun Violence Today Explained...


This is all ludicrous, but there is even more. This same group of Republicans says...

"The Biden administration is yet again ignoring the real threats against America and instead using political leverage to encroach on the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens."

And finally, these gun nuts in Congress make the case for gun control advocacy. They say the new rules...

"will enable the Biden administration to collect more information on law-abiding gun owners, all with the purpose of eventually having a registry of every gun owner in the United States."

Of course it will. And what is wrong with that? 

Friday, November 26, 2021

The Agony of Stupidity...Another senseless Republican

 

This wingnut, William Hartmann, not only an anti-vaxxer and anti-masker, but also a purveyor "the Big Lie — the false, totally debunked conspiracy theory that Donald Trump really won the 2020 presidential election but was robbed of a victory because of widespread voter fraud." Hartmann is a former vice-chairman of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers in Michigan. He's also a crackpot that thinks 'it's just a virus.' This idiot is now in intensive care, condition unknown.

Hartmann is taking up space in a Michigan hospital ICU that someone with a legitimate health problem might need. Yes, I do believe this moron's case is not legitimate in the eyes of the health community, as has been voiced by a number of doctors and other health care professionals. Here's an example of Hartmann's lunacy, he...
has "criticized the vaccine and compared government COVID-19 efforts to Nazi Germany."

I have advocated repeatedly that these medical maniacs should be corralled in a gulag somewhere and let them kill each other. Well, now, I have another idea...the U.S. should buy an island that is for sale off either Florida or Texas (reference the two senseless governors, Greg Abbott, Texas, Ron DeSantis, Florida) where resistance to pandemic protocol is maximum. Put the anti-vaxxers, maskers on the island and quarantine them for life.

The latest Covid-19 figures for the U.S. are 49,022,858 cases, 798,894 deaths. Pretty big numbers, wouldn't you say, for 'just a virus?' Something has to be done about these people who have no consideration for themselves and others. Okay, I've got it, call it Cuckoo Island.

Thursday, November 25, 2021

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

 

Don't we all wish it could be happier, and...more thanks and giving...



Wednesday, November 24, 2021

The Agony of Stupidity...7 Brainless Doctors Who Never Learned

 

One, a Dr Bruce Boros was dumb enough to think Ivermectin would help, he said... “I have never felt healthier in my life.” Then the idiot cardiologist and staunch anti-vaccine advocate caught Covid-19 two days later. Head event organizer, Dr John Littell told the Daily Beast...

six other doctors among 800 to 900 participants at the event also tested positive or developed Covid-19 symptoms “within days of the conference”.

You have to wonder what part Florida Gov., the demented DeSantis, had to do with all this, if not directly, most certainly indirectly. But apparently these docs flew in from other states, so, obviously Littel would say they brought the virus in with them. Littel said...

“Everybody so far has responded to treatment with ivermectin … Bruce is doing well.”

However...

"The Beast said sources close to Boros said he was gravely ill at his Key West home."

This incident just proves, once more, that you cannot believe anti-vaxxers, and here you have a supposedly educated group of physicians. In a Facebook post Boros...

"condemned Dr Anthony Fauci, Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, as “a fraud” and said 'big pharma is playing us for suckers.'” 

 Dr. Peter Hotez On Vaccine Disinformation...


There's more, Boros even "criticized his 97-year-old father" for getting the coronavirus vaccine, saying...

“He had been brainwashed … He got it. He didn’t tell me. I was very upset. I wanted to give him a spanking. He got both jabs.”

This kind of talk coming from a medical professional is unconscionable since it becomes authoritative to those susceptible to the anti-science movement that has killed. It would be nice to know how many have died from irresponsible pariahs like Boros. The doc should know that Ivermectin was discredited earlier this year "after data was found to have been falsified and patients nonexistent." It would seem to me Boros' actions border on mal-practice.

Finally, a warning from the FDA...

people should “never use medications intended for animals on yourself or other people. Animal ivermectin products are very different from those approved for humans. Use of animal ivermectin for the prevention or treatment of Covid-19 in humans is dangerous.”

And this is why you should never believe an anti-science advocate. 


Tuesday, November 23, 2021

MUST READ QUOTES...from...Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis...the killing machine

 

The science is clear from experts that tell us, yes, having the Covid-19 virus can establish a certain level of immunity, but one that needs the follow-up of vaccination to insure more solid protection. Here's the reasoning from the scientific community...
"how much immunity COVID-19 survivors have depends on how long ago they were infected, how sick they were, and if the virus variant they had is different from mutants circulating now. For example, a person who had a minor case one year ago is much different than a person who had a severe case over the summer when the delta variant was raging through the country. It’s also difficult to reliably test whether someone is protected from future infections."

Enter the demented DeSantis, Florida's governor who has to-date killed 61,081 of

his constituents by opposing coronavirus masks, vaccines and any other Covid protocol that the Biden administration calls for. Here's the quote...
“We recognize, unlike what you see going on with the federal proposed mandates and other states, we’re actually doing a science-based approach. For example, we recognize people that have natural immunity,”

His "science-based approach" apparently evolves from the twisted mind of DeSantis along with the moron he appointed State Surgeon General, Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo, who entirely supports the governor's policies. You would think Floridians would have the brains to simply look at the numbers: 3,726,720 coronavirus cases that represent 173,515 per 1000 population. The U.S. average is 146,761. What is even worse is the new Florida law this lunatic passed...

"The new Florida law forces private businesses to let workers opt out of COVID-19 mandates if they can prove immunity through a prior infection, as well as exemptions based on medical reasons, religious beliefs, regular testing or an agreement to wear protective gear."

By the way, it is Ladapo that "will have authority to define exemption standards." So far, Joe Biden has chosen not to interfere in Florida politics, although with the constant flow of DeSantis' deranged criticisms, he has certainly had the openings. The sunshine state twit back in July fundraised off t-shirts, "Don't Fauci my Florida." Now, 2 golf balls with the inscription, "Florida's Governor has a Pair." Now this is the kind of thing one would expect from a high school sophomore.

Just as it was with another maniac, Donald Trump, it is the supporters that are just as much at fault as the clown on parade. If you can look at those numbers, above, and not agree that he should be removed from office, well, you deserve what you get. After a number of protests from individuals and lawmakers over vaccine mandates, no one has come up with credible scientific facts that refute the fact there is anything better than a jab in the arm as the surest Covid-19 prevention.

Monday, November 22, 2021

The Agony of Stupidity...Republican Voter Fraud That Wasn't

 

Rosemarie Hartle was supposed to have voted three years after her death in the last presidential election. In Nevada, flags were waved, accusations were made from Donald Trump on down. CNN says...
The Hartle mystery is now solved. And it turns out that the fraud was committed by a Republican.
The husband did it...READ MORE...

Holding on to Democracy

 

It would appear that Donald Trump is slowly losing at least some of his appeal in the higher echelons of Republicans. Rupert Murdoch, whose Fox News misinformation network has regularly supported Trump since he came on the scene several years ago, is tiring of Trump's living in the past. In a recent speech Murdoch said...
the United States faces a number of major political decisions that conservatives will fail to shape unless Trump moves on. "The current American political debate is profound," he said, citing education, welfare and economic opportunity. "It is crucial that conservatives play an active, forceful role in that debate," he added, "but that will not happen if President Trump stays focused on the past."

The media mogul is speaking of the fact that T-rump has dwelled on the fact that he refuses to accept the fact that he lost the 2020 election, and it is a fact that he has used every means possible, many blatantly illegal, to overturn the election. The

former White House maniac has clearly put himself in the forefront of the Republican drive to overthrow out democracy. Here's a comparison between parties by Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post...
"The Republican Party’s tolerance of violence is not matched by Democrats. Nor is the Republican Party’s refusal to recognize the sanctity of elections. Democrats did not call the elections they lost in 2020 and 2021 “rigged,” nor are they seeking to replace nonpartisan election officials with partisan lawmakers. Republicans’ determination to change voting laws based on their insistence that Donald Trump won the 2020 election is without historical precedent."

Another big threat to U. S. democracy is the corruptness in GOP gerrymandering. Here's an illustration of just how bad it has gotten from the New York Times...

"A year before the polls open in the 2022 midterm elections, Republicans are already poised to flip at least five seats in the closely divided House thanks to redrawn district maps that are more distorted, more disjointed and more gerrymandered than any since the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965."

Republicans Are Running Against Democracy Not Democrats | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

But getting rid of Donald Trump may not be the advantage it seems. Some pundits believe that Trump will not run because he is afraid he cannot win. He has crossed swords repeatedly with Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida who has aspirations of a 2024 run. In the above scenario, we'll take Trump to lose. There are more in Ballotpedia's lineup like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Chris Christie and others. If I had to make a choice, the least undesirable would be Christie, but just barely.

However, the major roadblocks with any GOP candidate is simply, they are Republicans. If you look at Jennifer Rubin's assessment that chronicles how the party is anti-democracy: they tolerate violence, actually, in some cases promote it; refusal to recognize the sanctity of elections; determination to change voting laws based on their insistence that Donald Trump won the 2020 election. Republicans are, just, Republicans which has become the party of anti-democracy.

Sunday, November 21, 2021

MUST READ QUOTES: Tucker Carlson

 

"Acosta says this comment has put Tucker Carlson over the top"

CNN's Jim Acosta criticizes Fox News' latest coverage of top headlines including the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict, the Astroworld tragedy in Houston and Vice President Kamala Harris, stating the network is churning out "lie after lie."

Pres. Biden should be applauded, but...


It's all good news, according to Robert Reich, economist, professor and lawyer. So, why are Joe Biden's latest poll numbers so abysmal? Reich shows why the President should be commended...
"America is overflowing with good news. Unemployment is down, wages are up, consumer confidence is rebounding, and consumers are spending more (retail sales jumped 1.7% in October, the third monthly increase). Covid seems to be in retreat, at least among those who have been vaccinated. And two big parts of Biden’s legislative agenda – last spring’s $1.9tn American Rescue Plan, and his recent $1.2tn infrastructure plan – have been enacted."

These are accomplishments, folks, something we have become unused to in the prior administration of Donald Trump. The White House maniac spent his four years spreading hate and promoting white supremacy, lying, ignoring the Covid-19 pandemic, basically undermining anything to threaten America's democracy. This left Biden with a multitude of fires to put out. And it isn't easy to govern when the other party is determined to continue Trump's anti-democracy.

Biden's $1.2 Trillion Plan to Rebuild America...


Reich cites the President's low and recently plunging approval ratings, the latest at 41%, with most registered voters exclaiming, "if the midterm elections were today, they’d support the Republican candidate." On Friday the House passed the President's Build Back Better Bill, with the Senate not guaranteed but highly hoped for. All that said, at least some blame here: "Biden’s and the Democrat’s poor messaging." The economist calls it "awful," and I agree.

We never hear the end of Republican accomplishments on the Fox network, Newsmax and Breitbart, and there may lie one of the biggest problems with the left...they don't have similar media. At least that which is listened to regularly crowing over liberal achievements. CNN and MSNBC do a good job of reporting but not collectively the crowd pleasers the competition have. The famous liar, Tucker Carlson, is a good example of conservative followings.

I recognize, as most on the left do, that Carlson's audience, as are the other hosts on Fox, are populated with double-digit IQs, have to be to believe this drivel. Others think it is the media. Reich surmises...

"Even now most Americans have no idea what the “Build Back Better” package is. It sounds like infrastructure, but that bill has been enacted. “Human infrastructure” makes no sense to most people."


 It is hard to say if the latter is the fault of the Biden administration or the combined media. Regardless, it is a fact and, if Biden doesn't change this soon, his approval rating can only get worse. Finally, because of the higher education level of Democrats, they don't "really want major social change anyway." I call this group the apathetics, somewhat out of touch with reality. But Reich says most of the country was ready for the quiet mind of Biden to repair it all.

And, Pres. Biden has made a great start, but most don't know that...yet.



Saturday, November 20, 2021

Sleepy Joe Just Woke Up...

 

Joe Biden may have nodded off in the past and been criticized for his lack of attention, but it's pretty clear today that he is wide awake and in full control of his agenda. Jeff Stein in the Washington Post writes that the President "is finally gaining momentum." He may not yet have put the Machins and Sinemas completely behind him, but it is certain he has aroused the bipartisanship needed when 13 Republicans stepped across the aisle voting for his Infrastructure Bill.

Here's what Stein said...

"Long stymied by seemingly intractable divisions, Biden in the same week signed into law a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill while also pushing through the House of Representatives a separate, $2 trillion social and climate policy measure that has become the centerpiece of the president’s vision to change the American economy."

Next up, Biden must decide whether to keep Jerome Powell as the chair of the

Federal Reserve, something that will have a large effect on the economy. Nominated by Trump, questions have arisen of late with rising inflation. Added to this thrust in the President's plan is the success in slowing down the Covid-19 pandemic with more people vaccinated and now booster shots and vaccine for children aged 5 to 11.

Stein cites the fact that people are buying goods and there is a positive outlook for Christmas. Unemployment is looking good and the jobs market is improving, two factors that are sure to move the market forward. Biden is working behind the scenes to control inflation, encouraging corporations to hold the line on consumer price increases. And, the President and China's Xi have gotten together to encourage the release of oil reserves around the world to stabilize gas prices.

The fact of the matter is Sleepy Joe may have nodded off at one time, but it is definitely clear today he is in full control and this country is moving ahead.

The Agony of Stupidity...Kyle Rittenhouse

 

CNN says it best...
Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager who killed two people and shot another during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was acquitted Friday of first-degree intentional homicide and four other felony charges.

Apparently the judge was on his side all the time, and, apparently a jury saw the self defense sold by the defense. But the fact is he killed two people and injured another. Will we ever know if it was fully justified?

Friday, November 19, 2021

QUOTES NOT TO MISS

 


"AOC Ridicules ‘Evil Imbecile’ McCarthy During Record Eight-Hour Speech"
“Live, from the cloakroom of the U.S. House of Representatives, one of the worst, lowest-quality speeches I have ever had the absolute atrocious lack of privilege to witness.” She noted that every Republican flanking McCarthy was a white man, telling viewers: “Look at those different color ties and 

haircuts! I’ve never seen a more diverse Republican Party.” Then, sitting down with Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), AOC noted McCarthy’s poor vocabulary, saying: “If you’re going to be evil, you might as well be an evil genius, not an evil...” Raskin interjected: “Imbecile!” AOC agreed: “Imbecile.

Thanks to Daily Beast 

Waiting for an Assassination

 

Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, a Democrat, says...
"it is a matter of time before a less responsible follower of Donald Trump, or a less responsible Republican is going to pick up a weapon and kill someone."

What Rep. Hines is presuming is that someone, likely a politician, and one on the left, could be assassinated. It is surprising to me it hasn't happened already, and not just a Democrat but Republicans as well. Donald Trump threw open the door to violence repeatedly during his administration, but when he lost, and the Jan. 6, U.S. Capitol insurrection was forming, he had this to say...

“Republicans are constantly fighting like a boxer with his hands tied behind his back. It’s like a boxer. And we want to be so nice. We want to be so respectful of everybody, including bad people. And we’re going to have to fight much harder. …
“We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women, and we’re probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them, because you’ll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong.”

 Top 10 Political Assassinations of the 20th Century...


As far as controlling his crowd of thugs he said...

“I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.”

Himes, in his interview with MSNBC host, Nicolle Wallace, cited the pushback on the Infrastructure Bill as an example of the language, and death threats by Republicans toward their own party members for voting for the bill, calling them traitors. Himes closes with a warning based on his earlier comments...

"And I never imagined that I would be concerned about that. But here we are. I think that's a very real threat. And if the Republicans can't tamper back their, dial back their rhetoric, that's where this is going to end."

And this is the precipice to which Donald Trump has led his followers and this country with no concern for the violence he has caused and what all this might lead to. In this article, Himes gives us an idea where that might be.

 



Wednesday, November 17, 2021

The Agony of Stupidity...GUN VIOLENCE

 

The agony of this issue is the fact that something could be done about gun violence, but the first question is, do we need more guns on the street than there are American residents? NO! But there are 393 million guns, only 326 million people. The first move should be to get as many of these guns off streets as possible, and, again, yes, there are some people out there that don't need a gun. And there are some who don't need an arsenal; in 2020 the average gun owner had 8 guns.

 As of November 16, 2021, according to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 39,275 deaths due to gun violence; 18,155 homicides, murder, etc. and 21,120 suicides. Add to that 35,963 injuries due to guns and you have a situation that is completely out of control. Yet, gun nuts, which include not only some gun owners, but also politicians, who have conceded to the gun lobby for years, taking their money in return for legislation protecting these same gun nuts.

Listen to Arizona absurb gun law, typical throughout U.S...


As an example, in Arizona, the state where I live, all that is necessary to own a gun is a warm body. They can take their firearms pretty much anywhere they want to, and now Congress is considering legislation so owners can carry their guns across state lines all around the country. I am 89 and not once has there been the case where I have needed to carry a gun. Agreed, there are limited cases where this might be required; single females living alone as an example.

A well-known firearms researcher says "America is on a collision course with disaster. We need to listen." Garen Wintemute, 69, is director of the California Firearms Violence Research Center at UC Davis, researching gun violence for around 40 years. Here's why...

"He’s also an emergency room physician whose obsession with firearms violence grew from his constant treatment of gunshot wounds."

 Wintrmute questions...

“How could we have prevented this from happening? I’ve tried to 

understand some of the social determinants in a gun purchase.”

Wintemute contacted politicians...

“The risk of major political violence is higher now than at any other time in my lifetime,” said Bob Shrum, a former Democratic consultant who is director of the Center for the Political Future at USC.

Schnur cited the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 insurrection, where 5 people died from gun violence, adding...

“As long as we convince each other that people who disagree with us are evil, the likelihood for violence will keep growing. The answer isn’t more gun control or more gun ownership…. The core issue is tolerance.”

And if all this isn't enough, we now have ghost guns, and I don't mean the creepy crawly kind. This new quirk for gun nuts is a make-at-home kit for a real gun that is available through gun dealers and online. There is some work necessary to complete the firearm and, when complete, the piece is not subject to regular gun regulations, thus, no serial number. Just another way for an anonymous homicide with, essentially, a throwaway killing machine. What's next?

Back to my initial statement, 'something could be done about gun violence,' there is a need for some new gun control laws, and revision of some already on the books. A priority is to revise the open/concealed law to include only those absolutely in need. Another, create a national registry, eliminate the gun show loophole, cancel straw purchases and get rid of the NRA, the main source of gun violence with its philosophy of 'more guns on the street.' Unfortunately, there's more.

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

The Agony of Stupidity...INFLUENZA

 

The University of Michigan just diagnosed 528 cases of the flu at the school. A whopping 77% of those students infected did not get the flu vaccine. The outbreak was so sudden the CDC had to be called in...

"A team of investigators from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be on campus this week, trying to learn more about the spread of the virus and the effectiveness of this year's flu vaccine."

The Detroit News Reports...

"The work will be led by the local health department, and will include the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the university and a team from the CDC.
"When a public health authority requests assistance from the CDC for an urgent public health problem, such as disease outbreaks, unexplained illnesses and natural or human-caused disasters, an Epi-Aid team is tapped to provide short-term assistance."

In this video, what you need to know about the 2021 flu season...


 What is baffling is the fact that Juan Luis Marquez, medical director at the Washtenaw County Health Department, where the university is located, only "strongly recommends" the balance of students get the flu shot. It doesn't take a rocket scientist here to see this is grounds for a mandate, since the country has been repeatedly warned by the CDC this could be a high-case flu season. And here lies the AGONY OF STUPIDITY...

Monday, November 15, 2021

NOW!...TODAY!...Stop Animal Cruelty

 

No matter whether you have a pet, or are living where there are farm animals, I hope you don't condone animal cruelty. But like most of us, you love and take care of your furry friends like your own children. You believe they deserve the best and do your darndest to see that they get it. You are what is called an animal lover, and although there are others not quite as devoted, they do believe animals should live the best life they can in forever homes. 

But there are those who think just the opposite, and these people are cruel to animals, the scourge of the earth. Their attitude is, it's just an animal. They would be wrong and that's what this post is all about. The Humane Society says...

"The shocking number of animal cruelty cases reported every day is just the tip of the iceberg—most cases are never reported. Unlike violent crimes against people, cases of animal abuse are not compiled by state or federal agencies, making it difficult to calculate just how common they are. However, we can use the information that is available to try to understand and prevent cases of abuse."

They are innocent beings that just want to live. And here is a story that defies

reasoning since there was an acceptable solution to the problem. This comes from rural northern North Carolina where things aren't so good, and families have a hard time caring for themselves, sometimes neglecting their animals. Here's the scenario...
"No person lives in this house...Let’s call it No-No Land. The house has been abandoned since January, when the owner, an elderly man, died of covid-19. We are here in late July...You hear the three dogs baying before you see them, and then you see them and recoil. Each is tethered to a metal cable, which is tethered to its own primitive wooden doghouse. Each animal has only a few dozen square feet within which to move."

The story goes on to say the three females have been here six months, unable to socialize together, with no neighbors bothering to come by. Today it is 85 in the shade. They're in a prison, says the Washington Post, with the daughter who
inherited the property in another state, a relative supposed to care for the dogs but

doesn't. WP again in exasperation...
"For reasons that defy common sense and decency, the daughter has chosen this heartless system rather than adopt the dogs herself or surrender them to someone who will care for them."

This is the epitome of animal cruelty and I urge you to read this story because it will either reinforce your present work for animal rights or prompt you to donate some time and money to animal causes. In another situation a Valley, Alabama man faces 12 counts of Animal Cruelty after police discovered a dozen malnourished Pitbulls living in deplorable conditions. What little water they had was green and filled with insects.

I hate to tell you, folks, but this kind of treatment of innocent animals is going on throughout the country and as the Humane Society reports, these are only the reported cases with thousands of others unreported. And not to lessen the urgency of animal cruelty, here's more bad news from the Animal Legal Defense Fund...

"People who hurt animals don’t stop with animals. There is an established link between cruelty to animals and violence toward humans — regularly referred to as 'The Link.'”

Watch this video of South Florida man sentenced to 10 years in prison for animal cruelty (Disturbing scenes)...

  


 This is why law enforcement is strongly urged to thoroughly investigate those involved in animal cruelty cases, because of this "link," and because the aftermath, not necessarily in the present sense, but a violent outburst that could occur in the future. Facts from the ALDF...

"A landmark 1997 study by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Northeastern University found that animal abusers are in fact five times as likely to also harm other humans. 
"Another study, published in 2013, found that 43% of those who commit school massacres also committed acts of cruelty to animals — generally against cats and dogs."

Finally, to end on a high note, there is a new organization, Flight To Freedom, that through donations saves animals from euthanasia by picking them up from one location and transporting them to another location where they can find a forever home. I hope you will check this out and support them. 

Sunday, November 14, 2021

The Agony of Stupidity

 

There is the stupidity of coronavirus disbelievers, and there is the stupidity of politics and politicians. It is hard to say which is the stupidest, but a recent event clearly throws it in the court of the politicians. Democrats, no less, and now you are thinking I am a traitor. Not so, because I am talking about the progressive "Squad," who do come off as traitors for voting against Pres. Biden's $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. The move was unconscionable but predictable.

The progressives wanted more, they always do, and there never seems any room for negotiations. I used to be a progressive and left due entirely to the latter. They also wanted it attached to another similar bill but acted in a way that could have tanked Joe Biden's agenda. It didn't, thanks to 13 Republicans, which, hopefully could signal a softening of the right to this administration. Considering the number of lunatics in the Republican Party, the Dems have to use any strategy available.

The other bill the Squad wanted included in the vote was the Build Back Better

Act, social spending legislation but...
"House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California unfastened the bipartisan bill from the Build Back Better Act, which led to the former bill's successful package, with several key moderates signing on to an agreement paving the way for their backing of the reconciliation bill once its fiscal impact has been released."

I said it in my blog post above on whether progressives are necessary, it would appear at times progressives are going for broke because they sense the upcoming two elections won't be so favorable for Democrats. That's another story we will talk about later. 


Saturday, November 13, 2021

The Agony of Stupidity

 

The New York Times reports, "On Podcasts and Radio, Misleading Covid-19 Talk Goes Unchecked." We have heard promises from Facebook and Twitter for months, yet this Nov. 12 headline from the New York Times. Freedom of speech guaranteed by the 1st Amendment does not include purposely killing people with misinformation and for profit. Here's a recent example...

On a recent episode of his podcast, Rick Wiles, a pastor and self-described “citizen reporter,” endorsed a conspiracy theory: that Covid-19 vaccines were the product of a “global coup d’état by the most evil cabal of people in the history of mankind.”

“It’s an egg that hatches into a synthetic parasite and grows inside your body,” Mr. Wiles said on his Oct. 13 episode. “This is like a sci-fi nightmare, and it’s happening in front of us.”

Does it get any stupider than this? Obviously we aren't talking the typical social media like Facebook and Twitter, but podcasts are a form of socializing, and, it is free of government regulation for the time being. Wiles is dead from Covid-19 but we wonder how many innocent victims he took with him??? Tsk Tsk

RELATED READING 

Friday, November 12, 2021

Ron DeSantis vs. Roger Stone

 

Politico's Gary Fineout describes it "the MAGA civil war liberals dream' about. Roger Stone beating up on Ron DeSantis, with the corruption needle here hitting maximum. Both are Donald Trump minions, but, apparently, at least so far, the former White House maniac isn't commenting on the feud. More from Fineout...
"Stone, the long-time ally of Donald Trump and political provocateur in this state, [Florida] has been ratcheting up pressure against the governor. He's calling on him to audit the 2020 election — he hasn't — and then, this past weekend, saying DeSantis should promise now to not run for president if he wins reelection even if Trump doesn't seek another term."

They have both regularly discredited the severity of the coronavirus pandemic, plus pushing the Donald Trump lie of winning the 2020 election. And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has turned his state into a killing machine with 60,418 Covid-19 deaths to his credit. In Newsweek, Roger Stone claims the COVID Vaccination Has 'Injured or Killed Millions of Americans.' Stone has threatened to run against DeSantis for governor but Fineout says...

"DeSantis as a Libertarian. DeSantis, in response, said that Stone can't run against him because he is a "convicted felon," but Stone is arguing that because Trump pardoned him for the federal crimes he was sentenced to federal prison for, his right to run for governor of Florida remains."

Roger Stone gives his reason for running for Florida governor against DeSantis...


 

 I did a blog post back in August citing how the demented DeSantis was destroying the state of Florida with the implication that despite the completely incompetent handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, the graves of his victims are something to laugh about. We then saw DeSantis demeaning the coronavirus vaccine in favor of a COVID-19 antibody treatment that a hedge fund run by one of his top donors invested big bucks in. That would be...

"Ken Griffin, whose hedge fund Citadel owns $15.9 million worth of shares in Regeneron Pharmaceutical Inc., donated more than $10 million to DeSantis through a political action committee."

However, back in July of 2020, Lawfare exclaimed...

"President Trump’s commutation of the prison sentence of his longtime confidante Roger Stone is wholly unsurprising. Indeed, given Trump’s repeated teasing of the matter over the life of the case against Stone, it would have been something of a surprise had he not intervened so that his felonious friend was spared time behind bars."

The article implies that Trump did what he did to save his butt from the Robert Mueller investigation...

"Trump publicly encouraged Stone not to cooperate with Robert Mueller’s investigation, he publicly dangled clemency as a reward for silence, and he has now delivered. The act is predictable precisely because the corrupt action is so naked."

So, what we have here are two deceiving individuals, Ron DeSantis and Roger Stone, both with connections to the most deceiving individual ever, Donald Trump, the two possibly going head-to-head for the top job in Florida. YES, we wanted to get rid of Ron DeSantis, but...Roger Stone???

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Top Covid Killing Machine: Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey

 

It's official, Arizona has risen to the top as the states where COVID-19 has been the leading cause of death during the pandemic. One of the local Phoenix top newspaper columnists, E.J. Montini, sums it up...

"All during awful days, the worse days and the catastrophic days of the pandemic, Will Humble has been a voice of reason in Arizona’s political wilderness, most often unheard and unheeded by Gov. Doug Ducey and those in charge of the state’s COVID-19 response."

Will Humble is the Executive Director for the Arizona Public Health Association, and former Arizona Health Director, who has been a driving force in fighting the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic in Arizona. That is, in spite of Doug Ducey. It was Humble who chose the "evidence-based policy"approach, where the short-sighted Ducey went with...

"misinformation, lies and political pressure put on by everyone from former President Donald Trump to the anti-vaccine elements of the Republican party."

It is the kind of reasoning that prevails in the Arizona Republican Party, adhering to ideologies and power grabs on the right that has made it, for example, one of the easiest states in the U.S. to own a firearm. And just look at the leading contender

for the replacement of Ducey, Kari Lake, a former TV anchor who has a misplaced brain, like the majority of Republicans here. And then we have mentally sick House Representative Paul Gosar who threatened AOC with anime video killing her.

Here's more from Will Humble's report...

"Using data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the report says that nationally COVID-19 is the third leading cause of death, behind cancer and heart disease. It notes as well that there are five states where COVID-19 is the second leading cause of death.

"But Arizona stands alone at the top."

Another Phoenix columnist says, "Gov. Doug Ducey's pandemic emergency powers must end",,,


Humble did warn Ducey of what was coming, but the lame-brained governor was so enamored with Donald Trump and his methods that he allowed the state he is fully responsible for to sink into the depths of the Covid calamity, throwing precautions completely to the wind. As Montini tells us, "More than 21,000 Arizonans have been killed by the virus. Further, he says...
He [Ducey] issued orders against “vaccine passports” and mask mandates in schools, and said things like, “While we strongly recommend all Arizonans get the COVID-19 vaccine, it’s not mandated in our state — and it never will be. Vaccination is up to each individual, not the government.”

He said, "We will not be listening to the lockdown lobby. Businesses will stay open. Students will be able to attend school. There will be no mask mandates. We have a proven solution with the vaccine."

We get rid of this moron next year, but if Kari Lake is what we have to look forward to, one has to ask, 'is there any hope for Arizona?' I have lived here almost 25 years and I think so. However, it means getting rid of the Republicans who currently run this state. 

The Agony of Stupidity

 

A Twin Cities doctor spread misinformation about COVID-19. Then he died from it

Dr. Christopher Foley, a physician who trained in internal medicine at the University of Minnesota, spread falsehoods about the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines. Here is some of his misinformation on the virus...
"In blog posts over the past year, Foley wrote on his practice’s website that it was dangerous to wear masks and that the drug ivermectin was a proven treatment against COVID-19 — a drug he prescribed for patients even though the Food and Drug Administration warns against it. He reposted false claims about the vaccine made by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a well-known opponent of vaccines who has been banned from social media platforms."

Foley was unvaccinated, died from Covid at 71. Tsk Tsk 

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Do We Really Need Progressives?


Six House Democrats known as The "Squad" almost doomed Pres. Joe Biden's $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure bill. They are progressives and, although there is a lot of merit in what progressives stand for, their desires in this case do not justify going against the Democratic Party to condemn its agenda. If it hadn't been for thirteen Republicans voting for the bill, it might not have passed. Here's the current Squad...
  • Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York
  • Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri
  • Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York
  • Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota
  • Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts
  • Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan
The Squad demanded the Build Back Better Act, sister legislation to the

Infrastructure Bill, be passed simultaneously. It wasn't up for passage so the gang of defectors balked at giving Joe Biden the big win he needed, but got anyway, no thanks to the faithless six. I was a progressive, supported and voted for Bernie Sanders, and I am very disappointed at his opposition to this bill. There are three years left in Biden's administration, with the hope of some miracles in 2022.

But maybe the Squad, and Bernie Sanders, consider 2022 a lost cause, possibly even 2024, and they are going for broke with the hopes of getting as much done as possible. That makes little sense as well since Biden could have gotten nothing had it not been for the Republican crossovers and everyone, including progressives, lose. We mustn't totally discourage this faction, however, since their fight is for the forgotten group that Democrats used to stand for.

The 13 Republicans who supported Biden's Infrastructure Bill, of course, had to take flak from especially the Terrible Trifecta, consisting of Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz and Margorie Taylor Greene. These are the original three Republican airheads that have proven just how far off course the right has gone. And this kind of stupidity in the American Congress is why the left must solidify its support and move forward in order to save our country from anti-democracy.

So, do we really need progressives? Perhaps the word "progressive" has overpowered this group and others like them, resulting in action almost like another political party. What the Dems need is for this bloc to merge with moderates and conservative Democrats, but, at the same time, when they push their agenda, there is a need for solidarity. Those conservative Dem could take this advice as well.




Monday, November 8, 2021

HATE...HATE...HATE...The Trump Gang Motto

 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida's Ron DeSantis have held the title of "Killing Machines" for over a year now. This is due to the number of residents who have died from Covid-19 as these two dimwits fight masks, vaccines and any other virus protection protocols. The results: Texas 4,259,818 cases, 72,343 deaths; Florida 3,706,356 cases, 60,197 deaths. This qualified the two as the leading killing machines, based on numbers alone. However, there is another similar "killing" faction in motion.

It is Donald Trump and his demented followers, who threaten the opposition with intimidation like this directed against Arizona's Sec. of State, Katie Hobbs...

"I am a hunter — and I think you should be hunted.”

This is only one of several reported by CNN through Wash. Post coverage "in part

because Donald Trump and his movement continue feeding his lies about the 2020 election." Here's what Trump said to urge supporters to come to Washington for a “Save America March” on Wednesday, when Congress would ceremonially count President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s win...

be there, will be wild!” At a rally just before the violence, he repeated many of his falsehoods about how the election was stolen, then dispatched the marchers to the Capitol as those proceedings were about to start.
These double-digits eventually stormed the U.S. Capitol committing insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. Here is an example of one of T-rump's remarks...

"Trump urged his supporters to ‘fight much harder’ against ‘bad people’ and ‘show strength’ at the Capitol."


It is no longer appropriate to ask, 'Oh, is Donald Trump still around?' Of course he is still around, and it is due entirely to these lunatic supporters who continue to goad him on. He barely urged non-violence in this comment...
“I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.”

Considering, as WaPo put it "The president’s speech was riddled with violent imagery and calls to fight harder than before," the above was definitely not sufficient to sooth a crown he was moving to attack. Here's another threat from the CNN piece...

"Bullet," read one tweet reply to Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, in September. "That is a six letter word for you."

Again...

"I'm really jonzing to see your purple face after you've been hanged."

Arizona Sec. State, Katie Hobbs, receives police protection due to threats...


 And the threats aren't from just Arizona and Colorado, they come from all over the country, clearly indicating it is a national movement, orchestrated by none other than...Donald Trump. So, what is the solution, and please don't suggest the obvious since this is not how a civilized nation works. There is a way. All you recluses on the left come out of your hiding places and be heard. That goes for 2022 and 2024. Reject conservative anti-democracy and put Democrats back in power.

Friday, November 5, 2021

JOE BIDEN Will Not Let REPUBLICANS Destroy Our Democracy

 

Since Donald Trump's 2016 election, the left has been wading through a cesspool of GOP anti-democracy, designed to tear this country apart and inaugurate an autocratic government. When you mix that with the radical right's willingness to use racism to fight it battles, like in the recent Virginia gubernatorial election where Salon said voters were "drunk on racist hysterics..."

Democrats are in the fight for their life and the life of this country to protect the democracy of America. They are doing it sophmorically and need a dose of the book, It's Time to Fight Dirty: How Democrats Can Build a Lasting Majority in American Politics by David Faris and Mike Chamberlain, et al. Here's some of its description...
"The American electoral system is clearly falling apart - as evidenced by the 2016 presidential election. In It's Time to Fight Dirty, David Faris offers accessible, actionable strategies for American institutional reform which don't require a constitutional amendment, and would have a lasting impact on our future."

Well, okay, maybe we don't actually have to get down and dirty, but we can no longer allow the radical right to run rampant over all the left stands for. Jennifer Rubin, in the first paragraph of a Washington Post opinion piece says...

"President Biden is on the verge of accomplishing more in his first year than any president in recent memory despite unremitting obstruction from an unhinged opposition."

Yet his poll numbers are plunging and now the Dems suffered a big loss in the

recent Virginia gubernatorial election, both added to the fact that Biden has to fight with his own people, fellow Democrats West Va. Sen. Joe Manchin and Arizona Sen. Krysten Sinema. Both have fought him, repeatedly challenging his agenda. In most cases, neither makes sense with their objections, considering they are both supposed to be Democrats.

President Joe Biden's accomplishments in less than a year, as documented by Rubin:

  • Biden’s watch has created nearly 5 million new jobs, reducing unemployment to 4.8 percent.
  • Despite the right wing’s effort to spread deadly disinformation about vaccinations, 80 percent of American adults — including 98 percent of those older than 65 — have had a least one coronavirus vaccination. Among those age 12 and older, 78 percent have had at least one shot.
  • Biden passed $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (including a major increase in the child tax credit that reduced child poverty in half).
  • Set to pass both a $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan and a $1.75 trillion package including investments in green energy, universal prekindergarten, a generous child-care subsidy, improved senior care, expansion of Affordable Care Act subsidies, an extension of refundable child tax credits, a significant housing investment, hearing benefits for Medicare and possibly even a prescription drug cost reduction for patients on Medicare.

So why are Biden’s poll numbers down? The cesspool of Republican anti-democracy I cited earlier continues at a frightening pace that would tend to overshadow almost any opposing efforts. Especially when most of the big mouths leading the radical right are in the lunatic fringe. People like Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert, to name only a few. But this lunatic fringe must have its followers and there are many.

Dan Rather, in the Huff Post, "blasted the anti-Joe Biden chant “Let’s go Brandon” as a sign of the Republican Party’s contempt for democracy." In case you haven't heard...
The phrase has become popular in right-wing circles since a sportscaster, interviewing NASCAR Xfinity driver Brandon Brown at a race, mistook a chant of “Fuck Joe Biden” for “Let’s go Brandon.”

It is this kind of mentality that is driving the GOP in its quest to replace democracy with their imperious style of government that allows their primal instincts to have everything their way. We mustn't let this happen and Joe Biden is the man who can stop these would be despots. 




















Donald Trump Says He Will Be Indicted On Tuesday

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