The Agony of Stupidity: Is our Democracy Finally going Up in Flames?

 

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) based in Stockholm thinks so. According to The Daily Beast they have warned about...

a “visible deterioration” in US democracy that it says began in 2019 and rapidly accelerated after Trump refused to concede the 2020 election.

And democracy loses out for the fifth straight year to authoritarianism with "only 98 democracies around the world—the lowest number in years." So what the hell is going on? Well, to start with...Donald Trump. Then you compound that with a slew of wingnut Republicans riding on T-rump's coattails and you have the perfect formula for disaster. On top of all this there is conservative media like Fox News and maniac news hosts like Tucker Carlson spreading misinformation.

With all this you have to wonder if there is any hope for a return to democratic normalcy and, personally, I don't see that happening any time soon. And based on a recent poll from Harvard University's Kennedy School, we may be losing the younger generation. NBC News reports "There was not a lot of youthful optimism in the data...

"Only a quarter of those who were polled believe democracy in the U.S. is working as well as it should, and only one-third believe democracy is 'healthy' or 'somewhat functioning.' Considering that this group of people includes the country's next set of leaders, those are somewhat concerning findings."

There's more...

"Yes, younger people tend to see flaws in the status quo and are often the 

spark behind change, but when more than half of 18- to 29-year-olds believe U.S. democracy is 'failed' or 'in trouble,' it raises questions about how the next generation sees the future."

The obvious question here is 'don't they see what is going on?' And the answer is,

yes, they do, but there are mixed feelings. This could come from the fact that the left has not asserted much clout over the last few years, allowing the GOP to make strides that currently put them in a position of power in state legislatures, which may lead to taking back Congress in 2022, perhaps the White House in 2024. if you are a lefty, it is frightening.

The idiot Kyle Rittenhouse talks to fellow idiot Tucker Carlson...

And nothing illustrates better how fragile out democracy is than the Kyle Rittenhouse incident...

"The acquittal and subsequent adulation of shooter Kyle Rittenhouse—who says he supports the BLM movement and showed it by bringing an AR-15 to a protest and killing two of its supporters—surely isn’t an auspicious sign for the future of our democracy. It is springtime, however, for violent vigilantes and gun enthusiasts who no longer have to wear their hoods in public or abide by laws and election results they don’t like. Republicans in the House are publicly competing to make Rittenhouse their Congressional intern, while Marjorie Taylor Greene has a bill to give him a gold medal."

There is so much more in these posts from The Daily Beast and NBC that you should read. Maybe this kind of coverage will shock us into the reality that the Republican Party is hell-bent on destroying the democratic system this country has taken so many years to build.

The Epitome of The Agony of Stupidity

 

Jim Jordan is the embodiment of where stupidity has come from, where stupidity is today, and where stupidity might go in the future. Google 'Jim Jordan stupid remarks' and you will get over 9 million hits. Just Security calls him "A Systematic Disinformation  Campaign" with the following comment...

"Over the course of the past year, congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH), the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, has engaged in a systematic effort to cast doubt on the integrity of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. He also led efforts to create an image in the minds of Trump supporters of Jan. 6 as the “ultimate date of significance” (his words, repeated several times). He helped spearhead the effort to oppose certification of the election in Congress. He has continued to promote the “Big Lie” even after the events on Jan. 6 and subsequent FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warnings that this conspiracy is propelling domestic violent extremists."

Go to the Just Security site and you will see "15 Highlights" from this moron's...

Timeline of public statements (in Congress, in public, on social media, and in media interviews) and his known activities related to the presidential election and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Jordan also accused of overlooking sexual abuse at Ohio State Univ... 

Folks, it is incomprehensible that the Republican Party would let this wacko get away with it. But, then, that's the new GOP trend with congressional members like Paul Gosar, Matt Gaetz, M.T. Greene, Lauren Boebert and Madison Cawthorne, to name a few. The information on Just Security is endless in documenting the antics of Jim Jordan and is well worth the read. And Jordan is mocked in Salon for being so dumb in his defense of Trump in the Jan. 6 insurrection of the U.S. Capitol...

"On Thursday, Jordan argued that Trump could not have been responsible for inciting the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol because it was pre-planned before Trump's "Save America" rally. He went on to highlight details about the disturbing evidence that suggests the riots were premeditated,"

There's more...

"How do you incite a riot that was already going to happen?" Jordan asked. "Pipe bombs were placed near the Capitol before President Trump's speech. -The FBI knew about potential violence before the speech. -Capitol Police requested help from the National Guard days before the speech."

Stupidity reins these days throughout the Republican Party, but it is misfits like Jordan and the others mentioned above who are bringing this country down, And, unfortunately the GOP doesn't give a damn. 

More idiocy from Jim Jordan...

The Agony of Stupidity Ensemble...Donald Trump, Teenage Gun Maker in Georgia, Norway Dumb

 

Unfortunately, things are occurring way too fast to report on only one stupid event. The stupids population around the world is escalating and proliferating to the point that a measurement is needed to track the activity. Here's today's menu...

Donald Trump, in his usual act of defiance, failed to reveal he has contracted Covid three days before his 2020 debate with Joe Biden. Here's the take from The Washington Post's Editorial Board...

"President Donald Trump willfully deceived the American people about the pandemic, the gravest public health catastrophe in a century. He knew the coronavirus was highly transmissible early on, but concealed it. He wrongly claimed that rising case numbers resulted from more diagnostic testing. He made a false assertion that doctors were inflating the death toll from covid-19 to “get more money.” There were so many other deceptions."

And then they go on to say...

"Three days before a presidential debate, Mr. Trump knew but did not say he had tested positive for the coronavirus. Instead, he carried on his campaign and presidential schedule, endangering all those with whom he came in contact."

Read the opinion. 

Then, in the somewhat backward state of Georgia--has to be half crazy to elect M.T. Greene to Congress--a 13-year-old brother is attempting to sell a homemade gun, when the gun was snatched by the buyer who ran. The brother shot at the fleeing thief, hitting and killing his 14-year-old sister. Weird, true and tragic.

Read the whole story.

And now around the world to Norway where you have to question the judgment of 120 people to gather at an event in Oslo, knowing full well of the potential consequences. Only vaccinated people were admitted but, unfortunately, one had recently returned from South Africa and later was found to carry the new Omicron variant. Now this is downright dumb. They're not yet sure of the 60 positive Covid cases, how many are Omicron.

Dr. Tine Ravlo, a local chief physician said...

“We are expecting more of them to likely be Omicron infections,” she said.

 Read the article.

Florida Gov. Ron Desantis...a Totalitarian, Fascist Dictator?

 

That is the implication from David Badash's piece in AlterNet and it is compelling just after the sunshine lunatic's latest move. Ron DeSantis is forming his own army with the justification it is needed to protect his state. What the state of Florida needs is protection from Ron DeSantis. It will cost millions in taxpayer funds, and one must wonder at this point where the hell the state's residents are in allowing this moron free rein over all their rights.

Badash says this move is...

"also being seen as one more potential attack on science during the coronavirus pandemic era. All National Guard members must be vaccinated. DeSantis opposes all vaccine and mask mandates and has invited unvaccinated, fired police officers from others states to move to Florida – and offering them a $5000 payment."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on his private army...

Here's another take from the media...

Perhaps one of the strongest warnings [against DeSantis] comes from SiriusXM Progress host Dean Obeidallah, who calls it "the beginning of a 'Red Army' as the GOP prepares for war."

And another...

MSNBC's Joy Reid likened the move to fascism, asking: "So… y’all know this is fascisty bananas, right…?"

Does anyone else smell a full-fledged Donald Trump in the making? 

 

The Agony of Stupidity...How many people did Marcus Lamb Mislead?

 

Marcus Lamb's Christian Daystar Television Network dedicated hours of broadcasts to anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination activists and groups. They persisted in giving their viewers deceptive information...

In July 2020, the Lamb family devoted an hour of their broadcast to "censorship" around the Covid pandemic, featuring the misinformation group America's Frontline Doctors.

This group is...

"quietly backed by dark money political organizations, evangelizing treatments for or opinions about the coronavirus that most doctors, public health officials and epidemiologists have roundly decried as dangerous misinformation.

There's more...

"In May, Daystar broadcast an hourlong program with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose famous family denounced his anti-vaccination views in May 2019. Kennedy was recently banned by Instagram for posting Covid vaccination misinformation."

Here's my question again...How many people did Marcus Lamb Mislead? 

UPDATE: If Austria can do it, why can't America?

 

 

Germany just joined Austria in a lockdown on the unvaccinated, initiating mandatory vaccines.

As CNN puts it, Austria took an extraordinary step by ordering Covid vaccinations for the entire population. No one thought it could be done, throughout the entire world. Various absurd enticements have been used, especially in the United States, to coerce citizens to do what they should do without any urging. Austria first...

"introduced a lockdown for the unvaccinated — a restriction that went farther than other European nations in singling out the people who have been driving a worrying surge in hospitalizations."

The virus is soaring across Europe; "The continent is once again ground zero for the global pandemic, despite the widespread availability of vaccines." So far, the U.S. isn't in dire straits, but we are again experiencing a surge in both cases and deaths from coronavirus, and the new, more powerful variant, Omicron, hasn't even taken hold yet. So far, the U.S, has experienced 49,677,021cases, 806,194 deaths. We are well ahead in the world on most of the vital statistics...

#1 Total Cases; New Cases; Total Deaths; and #2 in New Deaths... 

Austria protests vaccine mandate...

 As the world leader in all the above, doesn't that indicate some kind of preventive strategy is called for? The biggest obstacles are Republican governors like Texas' Greg Abbott, Florida's Ron DeSantis and So. Dakota's Kristi Noem. There are others, all Republicans, but these are the most vocal. Abbott and DeSantis are known as the leading Covid-19 killing machines. With no regard for their residents and constituents, Texas has 74,429 total deaths, Florida, 61,630.

And now Republicans, headed up by the moron Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.)...

seized on a fast-approaching fiscal deadline to mount fresh opposition to President Biden’s coronavirus vaccine and testing mandates.

Even Moscow Mitch is against a government shutdown, and has made this known to other Republicans. But this idiot, Ron Johnson, is doing his best to use an attack against coronavirus vaccine mandates combined with a potential shutdown to put mandates in a negative light. Okay, it may not be the time, yet, for a lockdown for the unvaccinated in the U.S., but the current trend of cases is up with 82,360 daily, unfortunately probably headed for another 100,000 per day again.

We hope we don't have another Austria, but we must be ready. However, it is, sadly, the unvaccinated in this country who are causing the spikes in cases and deaths. It is this bunch of imbeciles that was targeted by Austria, and maybe we should be thinking about it here.

Republican Lauren Boebert prompts death threats for Ilhan Omar

 

But the bogus Boebert isn't alone; she is backed by Matt Gaetz, M.T. Greene, Madison Cawthorne and most lately, Arizona's Paul Gosar. The Daily Beast calls them, "Stupid Sycophants and Sickos." I see them as the Republican Party's latest descent into an extremism that is threatening to bring this country down. Until now it has been extreme rhetoric. With Boebert's latest diatribe of anti-muslim discourse, she brought out the worst...death threats against a colleague in Congress.

DB continues its characterization of these lunatics...

"Even though their latest publicity and fundraising spectacle is another sad reflection of their party’s dangerous descent into extremism, it nonetheless presents the Democrats with a prime political opportunity to expose the Hate Squad as the modern face and beating heart of the GOP."

There is no doubt this venom emanates from the gang's connection and loyalty to Donald Trump. There is absolutely no inclination in any one of the frightful five to turn their efforts into helping their constituents or doing anything to better the country they represent. As a matter of fact, just the opposite. Paul Gosar "tweeted an anime video showing him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and then attacking President Biden with swords."

Watch the perpetual sneer on Boebert's face as she attacks AOC and Pres. Biden...

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy thought it was OK, resulting in only two Republicans, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, voting to censure Gosar for what he had done. With this display of ignorance of what is right, there is no wonder GOP supporters go off on maniacal tangents that lead them to threaten someone's life. At the same time, Donald Trump continues to spread lies and incite violence like he did in the January 6, Capitol insurrection.

And here's what M.T. Greene has been up to...

"Greene was stripped of her committee assignments last year for her utterly outrageous social media posts suggesting that Jews control space lasers that start wildfires, questioning whether the 9/11 attacks were real, suggesting that school shootings were “false flag” operations, and amplifying Q-Anon conspiracy theories. A day after 61 Republican

lawmakers voted to remove Liz Cheney from the party’s leadership, just eleven Republicans joined the united Democratic majority in voting to punish Greene in February."

Next is Matt Gaetz... 

He is "currently under federal investigation as to whether he paid women, including a minor, for sex. His “wingman” Joel Greenberg, a former Florida official, pleaded guilty earlier this year to sex trafficking and is working with investigators. None of this has inspired fellow Republicans to condemn Gaetz, even as their base increasingly believes the QAnon conspiracy—a domestic terror threat—that liberals are Satan-worshipping child molesters who must be violently removed from office."

Finally, No. Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorne...

"seemingly proposed another “Stop the Steal”-type rally in D.C. this week while sympathizing with the “political hostages” that were arrested and charged for participating in the violent Jan. 6 Capitol riots."

Cawthorne is new to the game of Republican annihilation of our democracy, but, no doubt he will get better at it. 

I give thanks to the Daily Beast for the many quotes I have used in this post, and I urge you to read all of the above links. There is so much additional information that I didn't cover, but which is all pertinent to how the Republican Party is attempting to bring down our democracy.

The Agony of Stupidity...Covid-19...2 Stories...2 Deniers...2 Deaths

 

Stephen A. Lawrence died in Tennessee in October. He was 59, recently relocated to Nashville from Garner, NC. He loved helping others but failed to help himself. To a Covid jab. He refused to believe the virus was real; the man must have been unable to assimilate numbers with a raging pandemic going on plastered over all the media of the world. In the end Lawrence even refused to go to the hospital when he couldn't breathe.

He left behind a family...

"Lawrence leaves behind his 92-year-old mother, his brother, a son and many others who loved him, according to the obituary. After the tragedy, David [his brother] said the family is trying to illustrate how important the battle against COVID is, showing people how Stephen's choice is affecting them today." 

One can only wonder the reasoning of a person like Lawrence.

And then there is the appalling story of a man in Maine who as a county lawmaker repeatedly flaunted the coronavirus protocols. But it was his wife who caught the virus, subsequently dying; no word whether she was vaccinated but considering her husband's ideology, probably not. State Rep. Chris Johansen, R-Monticello, resigned from the legislature for the reason that, with his wife gone, he had to take care of the farm.

In a rather cold statement, Johansen said...

“Her dedication to the farm allowed me to dedicate the time I needed to the people of Aroostook County,” Johansen wrote. “With her passing I am no longer afforded that time.”

What's appalling? Johansen wouldn't even admit his wife died of the virus. And obviously impassive...

"A few weeks after Cindy Johansen died, Chris Johansen attended an Augusta rally against the state’s vaccination mandate for health care workers."

The man must be a Covid zombie. 

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.”

 

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? 

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.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

 

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

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

 

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.

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...

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.