Monday, March 7, 2022

Where's the CIA When You Need an Assassination?

 

Lindsay Graham suggested it, "that Russians should assassinate President Vladimir Putin." Don't think I have ever agreed with Graham, well, maybe when he turned on Trump, but I am behind him all the way on this. Both sides of the aisle have chastised him, many, I suspect, because it wasn't their idea. The U. S. has been doing assassinations from the early 1940s; in 1943 Isoroku Yamamoto was assassinated  because he was mastermind of the Attack on Pearl Harbor.

Here's some history...

"The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), formally created in 1947, is the principal foreign intelligence and counterintelligence agency of the U.S. government. The CIA is headed by a director and deputy director, only one of whom may be a military officer. The director of central intelligence (DCI) serves as the chief intelligence adviser to the president of the United States."

They took a shot at Fidel Castro, which failed, with creative moves from snipers to exploding cigars to a poison-lined scuba diving suit. However, the success since 1945 has been something for the history books with a long list of assassinations since 1945 documented in Wikipedia. The CIA became official through the National Security Act of 1947 under Harry Truman. The first Dir. of Central Intelligence was Rear Admiral Sidney W. Souers, USNR.

But you get the idea; in those days the CIA could be a killing machine. Why not today when a foreign power is threatening to decimate one of our allies? I am talking about Russia and Ukraine, of course, where Putin has killed 2,870 Ukrainian soldiers and "nationalists" and wounded 3,700. Estimates are that more than 2,000 civilians have died. If this isn't enough to put a target on Vladimir Putin's back I don't know what is.

Back to Lindsay Graham, he backtracked later on his call for assassination by stating that Putin should be put in jail. Yeah, that'll do a lot of good, just like the U. S. prosecuting and putting Donald Trump in jail. Boris Johnson wants the Russian leader to be put on trial for war crimes and also in the UK "Tory backbenchers suggested regime change is the only way out of the standoff." More from Graham...

"Is there a Brutus in Russia? Is there a more successful Colonel Stauffenberg in the Russian military?"

‘Is There a Brutus in Russia?’, US Senator Graham Calls for Putin’s Assassination Over Ukraine War


Sounds like he may be suggesting a coup but what would Russia's Politburo think about that? A coup would require strong military support with a leader that is either fed up with Vladimir Putin's antics or is concerned over how the Russian leader's actions will harm his country. U.S. and allies' sanctions have so far brought Russia to the breaking point and the Biden administration is now thinking of closing down oil and natural gas imports that could wreak havoc.

Apparently, as the Guardian reports, "the CIA has not abandoned its old ways." There was an alleged recent assassination attempt on No. Korea's leader, Kim Jong un, using "biochemical substances including radioactive substance and nano poisonous substance." Although the CIA refused to comment on the allegations, sources reported...

"The person directly responsible was allegedly a North Korean working for the foreign intelligence agencies."

The methods sound familiar and as usual from the past, the CIA keeps everything under their hat, sometimes even from Congress. The latter is OK since there are probably Republican lawmakers that sympathize with Kim, just like those who love Putin. Unfortunately, the CIA's actions were all stymied in the 1970s when the agency was forced to cut back on such killings after a US Senate investigation exposed the scale of its operations.

Well, it's time to do a reversal on that if we don't want to get involved in all-out war with Russia and whomever might decide to support them. And, there is help from inside...

"A Russian entrepreneur who offered a $1 million bounty for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin says he posted the reward because he wants to solidify Putin’s public image as a war criminal."

Not sure how he gets away with that but all I can say is GOOD LUCK!

SUPPORT UKRAINE "


 

Friday, March 4, 2022

THE AGONY OF STUPIDITY: Almost Impossible to Keep up with Stupid Arizona Politicians

 

Since Arizona Sen. President Karen Fann is retiring, I have decided to pass the mantle of 'premiere idiot' along to State Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, for a number of things starting with the resurrection of Immigration Bill SB 1070. It was the brainchild of long gone and far right State Sen. Russell Pearce, which was struck down in 2012, because it is preempted by federal status. Legislation from Rogers was approved Thursday by a Senate panel which...
"could result in the federal government once again suing Arizona over its laws dealing with illegal immigration.
"Without comment, the Judiciary Committee voted to make it a felony to transport or harbor someone not in this country legally. Senate Bill 1379 also would impose the same penalty on those who “encourage or induce” someone from another country to come here in violation of law."

It builds on SB 1070 with the blockhead, Rogers, commenting...

"At a hearing Thursday, Rogers said she was simply trying to provide a new tool for border sheriffs like Mark Dannels of Cochise County to use against smugglers."

Translated, that means doing everything possible to keep immigrants out of Arizona, a ludicrous move since, as an example, the state has more than 70,000 immigrant entrepreneurs contributing $1.7 billion in business income. How stupid can you be? And this doesn't include illegals in the state who are gainfully employed and pay taxes. And this dufus didn't even mention the fact the state signed a deal in 2014 with the U.S. Department of Justice agreeing not to enforce SB 1070. Duh.




"after Thursday’s hearing that the state is risking being dragged back into federal court over an issue that was settled years ago."
But this all pales in comparison to her comments at a white nationalists conference recently attacking the president of Ukraine. 

She called for public hangings and...

"encouraging violence against and punishment of American citizens and making threatening statements declaring 'political destruction' of those who disagree with her views."

Obviously, this loose cannon lunatic is crazy, but, believe me, she is one of Arizona's own. They love her. But, thank God there are some sane Republicans in the Arizona legislature who acted...

"Thirteen Democrats and 11 Republicans voted for the censure language read on the Senate floor. It was the first time in three decades senators publicly censured one of their own members, and the move was applauded by Gov. Doug Ducey — who just days ago was criticized for his support of Rogers."

And here's their assessment...


"Rogers engaged in “conduct unbecoming of a senator, including publicly issuing and promoting social media and video messages encouraging violence against and punishment of American citizens and making threatening statements declaring 'political destruction' of those who disagree with her views. The senator from District 6 has damaged the reputation of the Arizona state Senate by her actions," Sen. Rick Gray said, reading the censure motion."

But...she won't apologize. That's Arizona and they are proud of it. 

Thursday, March 3, 2022

Make No Mistake: Republican Putinism is Treason



One commits treason by adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. That is the simplest definition that sums up the GOP's recent tactics in addressing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Robert Reich's sub headline...
"Make no mistake: Putin’s authoritarian neo-fascism has rooted itself in America. The cold war has already come home"

The political pundits are already saying this cold war will be much worse than the first. This is illustrated by the fact that Putin has placed Russia’s nuclear forces on alert. Reich adds the big difference is that fascism is no longer an external threat, we have spawned our own version right here in America. And it is my opinion that its soul origin is none other than Donald Trump. Here's how Reich explains it...

"Trump Republicans continue to refuse to acknowledge the outcome of the 2020 election, claiming without evidence that it was “stolen” from Trump. In many states, on the basis of this big lie, they are making it more difficult for people who don’t share their beliefs to vote."

That's just one example but a solid mandate confirming that the only way the GOP can win elections is by fixing the vote. There is a distinct similarity between Putin's attack on Ukraine and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, we are told. Both are a vicious assault on Democracy, something Republicans seem determined to abolish. It started with Donald Trump's 2016 election and has since been picked up by a GOP that is hell-bent on an authoritarian government.

Max Boot: 'The Republican Party Is Becoming An Increasingly Authoritarian Party'...


Here's Reich's take...
"Donald Trump has long admired Vladimir Putin who, evidence shows, personally authorized a secret spy agency operation to support a “mentally unstable” Trump in the 2016 US presidential election. Believing that a Trump White House would help secure Moscow’s strategic objectives, Russia’s spy agencies were ordered to use “all possible force” to ensure Trump’s victory."

Well, he made it and the world hasn't been the same since. But it didn't end with

Trump's defeat in 2020; the ex-White House maniac and his double-digit cronies are still challenging the election in Republican states throughout the country. It's cost taxpayers millions and all this moron does is push them for more. In 2019 Zelensky blew off Trump in helping rig the 2020 election. Today Ukraine's president is courageously fighting off Putin's assault.

President Biden indicated in his SOTU address that the U.S. is committed to stopping Russia from moving any farther west in Europe than Ukraine. Robert Reich concludes...

"In the months and years ahead, those of us in the west who believe in democracy, the rule of law, human rights and truth, must do everything we can to win back our fellow countrymen to these same overriding values."

Amen! 

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

I'm Glad That I am 89

 

When you get to my age, and the world outlook is as dismal as it is today, you begin to wonder about the future and worry about the younger generation. Don't get me wrong; this isn't a life-ending message, rather, simply, a reckoning of what's going on around us with hope of just how to deal with it. I expect to live several more years but wouldn't want to repeat an earlier life, based on today's challenges. Hey, it was a crazy eighty-nine years but mostly positive enough to look ahead.

Going forward, Russia is mercilessly pounding Ukraine, the coronavirus is unnecessarily pounding populations around the world, and Republicans are ruthlessly pounding democracy. It's coming from all directions, folks, with an agenda I bet no White House has ever had to deal with. Here's how bad it is: "Interpreter breaks down during Zelensky’s speech to European Union..."

BRUSSELS — "The English-language interpreter for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s speech to European lawmakers on Tuesday was so moved by the remarks that he momentarily lost his composure.
"During the virtual address, Zelensky described the recent shelling of Kharkiv, including a missile strike on the city’s Freedom Square. 'Can you imagine, two cruise missiles, dozens killed,' the interpreter said, his voice shaking. 'This is the price of freedom.'”

Vladimir Putin is on a mission to prove his strength and the strength of Russia, using Ukraine as his whipping post. He's bombed Kyiv and he is now focusing on the civilian population to exacerbate as many deaths as possible to bring down President Zelensky and his country. Putin's army met with opposition from Ukraine forces they didn't expect, deciding the private sector would be easier. So far, world powers are interpreting it as a war crime.

In the meantime, President Biden has unleashed a bevy of sanctions that has forced a precipitous fall of the Russian Ruble. Two of his countrymen who are billionaires, plus a wealthy group, are calling for Putin to negotiate, as is most of the rest of the world. What brought up the war crime issue was an accusation by Ukraine that the Soviets used vacuum bombs which are illegal in international warfare. Does that sound like someone is desperate?

Russia's invasion of Ukraine could affect Americans and US economy


The question now being shopped around; is this the beginning of World War III? Fiona Hill, Former Senior Director for Europe and Russia at the United States National Security Council, said Putin is capable of escalation into a potential world war. The big question is whether the U.S. and European sanctions are enough to bring Russia to the negotiating table. So far they haven't. And then there is the use of nuclear acceleration which would obviously be a disaster for the world.

And as CNN reports, "All bets are off if Putin slashes the West's oil supplies." Here's the scenario...

"Russia faces the specter of a full-blown financial meltdown. Punishing sanctions leveled by the West have sent the ruble crashing to record lows, shuttered Moscow's stock market and made Russian assets toxic on the world stage.

"The White House has even taken aim at Vladimir Putin's financial fortress, removing access to at least a chunk of Russia's $630 billion rainy-day fund that was designed to cushion the economic blow of this very crisis."

It would seem Vladimir Putin has the world by the balls, not necessarily because of

strength but equally the question of whether he is mentally unbalanced. We had a similar confrontation with the then Soviet Union and Khrushchev re. the 1962 missile crisis in Cuba. The U.S. won because President John F. Kennedy held his ground. Will Biden be able to use the same strategy in Ukraine with his perpetual sanctions? I'm betting on the President's calm and confident approach.

 



Tuesday, March 1, 2022

Don't Believe Joe Biden's Low Approval Ratings

 

For some reason the U.S. media has reacted to Joe Biden's presidency with the negativity of a pre-planned disposition that he can't possibly be a good president. Much of it is Trump supporters and some of it could be an incompetence within the Biden administration of getting the word out. Because, if you look at the facts, President Biden is doing a great job and here are prime examples...

  • He passed a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package -
  • Then the administration passed The $1.9 trillion COVID relief deal -
  • He supported transgender service members
  • Reduced unemployment -

There's more and you can read it here. The background...
"In December, the national unemployment rate dropped to 3.9 percent while jobless claims sunk to their lowest levels since 1969. When Biden took office, the unemployment rate stood at 6.3 percent.

"Despite the growing inflation, wages paid by private businesses also saw an increase of 2.4 percent from January through October last year, while disposable income rose by 3 percent."

Biden on first year in office...


These are facts that cannot be disputed. Then, Nobel winner in economics, Paul Krugman, adds his expert opinion...

“'Real wages rose last year,' Krugman explains. “On a two-year basis, they’re probably down, but not by a lot. At the same time, we’ve had stellar job growth — and as I said, the combination of modestly declining real wages with a strong job market has actually been a winner for past presidents."

But not a winner for Joe Biden, and when you consider all the above, you have to wonder where all the negativity is coming from. Krugman asks the same question. Here's how he explains it...

"As many of us have noted, Americans are very down on the national economy, but relatively upbeat about their own personal financial situation…. That is, their personal experience is pretty good, but they’ve heard that things are terrible for other people.”

Bingo! "They’ve heard that things are terrible for other people." And where have they heard it from? A Republican cartel of propagandists like Fox News, Breitbart, and undercover groups like Charles Koch's. But, then, there's inflation, which cannot be denied. It did happen on Biden's watch and as Harry Truman said, 'The Buck Stops Here.' But the corporate world isn't helping with escalating prices in oil plus food and more. 

And then there's the Russian invasion of Ukraine where the president had to juggle

that with the Covid pandemic and his new SCOTUS nomination. The New York Times reports the administration was in a quandary with his State of the Union speech coming up, which is today. Here's the scenario...
"All presidents are confronted by episodes that are out of their control, forced to react to the world around them more often than they are able to shape it. But the dizzying events of the past week have for now pushed to the sidelines the congressional squabbling over Mr. Biden’s domestic agenda, and are already redefining the arc of his presidency."

So how popular is President Joe Biden today? One of the most credible polling organizations, FiveThirtyEight. has Biden's approval at 40.7%, a disapproval of 53.6%. Compared to Trump's first year of just 38.8% approval, a disapproval of 54.3%. Something's not right and it smells like the radical right again.

 

Monday, February 28, 2022

UK's Boris Johnson Placed Animals Over People

 

Great Britain's Prime Minister may have done some dumb things in England for which his position is barely surviving, but he did something thousands of miles away that will endear him to animal lovers all over the world. Here's the scenario...

"Sifting through the rubble of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, they [his enemies] allege that he facilitated the airlift of 150 sheltered animals during the evacuation of Kabul, filling a plane intended to ferry refugees to safety with dogs, cats, and donkeys."

Everyone agrees, of course, that refugees should also be taken to safety, but in today's world animals are important too. The Boston Globe's Alex Beam feels that "There is plenty of evidence that animals are just as worthy of rescue as human beings." I could not agree more and will add that, in my opinion, animals are much more worthy of rescue than some human beings. To carry this a bit further, I know some people who prefer the company of animals over people.

I did a blog post back in 2021, "Animals to Humans: All we want is to live." To date, that post has had 1,676 readers, indicating some modicum of agreement with this premise. Yet, we still see animal cruelty on a regular basis. Only a coward would pick on an animal, many who can't defend themselves and won't fight back. Ezra Klein in the New York Times said, "We Will Look Back on This Age of Cruelty to Animals in Horror." Many will, unfortunately, many won't.

Have you ever read "All Creatures Great and Small," by James Herriot? I haven't and it will be my next read on my Kindle. Herriot wrote...

“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.”
China is doing its part and animal advocates are becoming frustrated with "official failure to ban animal cruelty." Xiaoyang was shocked as were many other dog owners over a series of animal-cruelty incidents and...
"he has been tracking a fierce national debate about whether dogs should be guaranteed better protection in law. (Cats and other companion animals, too, he acknowledges when asked.)"

Watch this and you'll never abandon your pet...


This Washington Post article by Christian Shepherd and Alicia Chen reports on the state of pets in China...

"But legislating to prohibit animal cruelty is an oddly controversial topic in China. While there are tens of millions of dog and cat lovers, their calls for change are often drowned out by a relatively small but vocal crowd of conservative thinkers who believe caring for animals is elitist, undermines China’s development and infringes upon the traditions of those few Chinese who still eat dog meat."
Peter Li, a China policy specialist at Humane Society International and an associate professor of East Asian politics at the University of Houston, says the animal welfare problem in China comes off mostly as a "Civil War." Here's a shocker, Chinese conservatives undermine what they consider an elitist issue, plus they feel it "infringes upon the traditions of those few Chinese who still eat dog meat." Here's the scenario...
"These sentiments, combined with concerns from farmers and slaughterhouses about welfare provisions undermining profit and city governments’ fears of areas being overrun by pets, have thwarted progress on an animal protection law that was drafted in 2009 but has never made it onto the legislative agenda."
Back to the U.S. and a subject that explores how states around the country stack up

in their legislation protecting animals. The Animal Legal Defense Fund has a nationwide ranking for "The Best And Worst States For Animal Protection Laws" that should interest animal lovers. Number one is Maine, number 50 is New Mexico. Take a look at your state and see how it fares after which you can decide if you need to work on laws at home. 

And finally, a "California lawmaker proposes 'Dog and Cat Bill of Rights' for family pets. Here's what it involves...
  • The bill would provide the following rights to dogs and cats in California:
  • The right to freedom from exploitation, cruelty, neglect and abuse
  • The right to a life of comfort, free of fear and anxiety
  • The right to daily mental stimulation and appropriate exercise
  • The right to nutritious food, sanitary water and shelter in an appropriate and safe environment
  • The right to preventive and therapeutic health care
  • The right to proper identification through tags, microchips or other humane means
  • The right to spaying and neutering to prevent unwanted litter

This is only in California and isn't even law there yet, but hopes are high and it's a good sign that should be considered nationwide.

Friday, February 25, 2022

The Agony of Stupidity - Ron DeSantis is Killing Florida

 

The Florida House passed a bill designed to allow parents to sue schools if staff speak to students about gender identity or sexuality. What we have here, courtesy of the state's governor, the demented Ron DeSantis, is a case of open white supremacy that is beginning to mirror Donald Trump's reign in the White House. The Parental Rights in Education bill, it's called, "is about defending the most awesome responsibility a person can have: being a parent."

This, from the moron Florida legislator, Rep. Joe Harding, is pretty actionable...

The legislation, which advocates call a "Don't Say Gay" bill, says parents can take legal action against a school district if Florida teachers speak about LGBTQ topics like identity and sexuality that do not fall under "age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate" guidelines for students.

Pathetic but READ MORE... 

Can Florida's data on Covid-19 deaths be trusted? The report for cases seems to


be in the ballpark but not deaths. As an example, for the week of February 14, 2022, the state reported only 10 deaths. As an example, California, although with 17 million more residents registered 501 deaths. That's a telling difference and what it says is Ron DeSantis is a liar. READ MORE...

The Washington Post's Jennifer Rubin says, "Ron DeSantis is following Trump’s white supremacy playbook." Yes, we seem to have a clone, although the two could be head-to-head for the Republican nomination in 2024. The only thing that comes close to being the worst president ever is if the deranged DeSantis went to the White House. Trump repeatedly showed his colors on white supremacy protecting Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke in 2016 and in 2017 the neo-Nazis in Charlottesville. But here's her take on DeSantis...

"Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who apparently longs to inherit the mantle of MAGA leader, has paid attention. In his state, images of a Nazi flag-waving group shouting antisemitic slurs in Orlando flooded news coverage over the weekend. The governor’s press secretary tweeted (and soon deleted) a bizarre suggestion: “Do we even know they’re Nazis?”"
'Bulls**t': Don Lemon fires back at Ron DeSantis' masks comment...

 


READ MORE... 

But DeSantis' lackadaisical attitude toward the Orlando Nazi organizers was not overlooked by the Miami Herald. Here's their proposal to the governor...

“Denounce the Nazi demonstrators in Orlando, Gov. Ron DeSantis," the board wrote. "It’s that simple. Say they are abhorrent. Say they are despicable. Say they have no part in this society or this state. But no.”

The paper also called out his railing against Democrats while the Nazis protested. He called the Dems "jackasses" but completely failed to chastise the radicals. To cap it off, the governor's press secretary, Christina Pushaw, released a tweeted statement on Sunday night suggesting Democrats might have been involved in the planning of the Nazi demonstration in Orlando. DeSantis is beginning to spread lies like Trump. READ MORE...

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Thank Newt Gingrich for the Republicanism of Today

 

Think back to 1995 when Newt Gingrich took over a Republican House as the new Speaker. You might remember that he was the architect and co-author of the "Contract with America," introduced six weeks before the 1994 Congressional election. Republicans gained 54 House and 9 U.S. Senate seats, flipping both chambers. The "contract" represented significant changes to policy...
"They mainly included a balanced budget requirement, tax cuts for small businesses, families and seniors, term limits for legislators, social security reform, tort reform, and welfare reform."

So much for GOP intentions but at least there were some actual goals in Gingrich's lunacy. Well, he's back and is dealing with a wanna-be Speaker, Kevin McCarthy. The big problem is the Republican Party has no agenda, and apparently Gingrich was sought out to create one, or at least something that would pass for a new plan. Dana Milbank of the Washington Post says...

"the choice is perfect, in a way unintended by the upwardly failing McCarthy. Gingrich, leader of the Republican Revolution of 1994, bears a singular responsibility for precipitating the ruin of the American political system. So it’s appropriate that he is returning for what might be American democracy’s final act." 

This is how Milbank sees Newt Gingrich's tenure as Speaker...

"Before and during his four-year reign as speaker of the House, Gingrich pioneered much of the savagery we see today: treating opponents as criminals, un-American and subhuman; using shocking language; perpetrating a grinding attack on the press; and sabotaging government operations and institutions."
In his new role Gingrich started with a warning to the House lawmakers on the Jan. 6 investigative committee accusing them for the "kind of laws they are breaking" and threatening jail time. Paul Waldman, also of WaPo, says the new "contract" will end up a "Myth" just like the old one where Gingrich claimed people voted for Republicans which resulted in a sweep of Congress. And the myth endures...
"when Republicans decide they need an agenda, it means trotting out some new version of the “Contract With America.”
Here with another WaPo vewpoint, Jeff Stein and Laura Meckler, the GOP claims it

does have an agenda, albeit coming from two morons like Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise...
"Republicans are expected to focus their new platform on education policies aimed at tapping into parental discontent; countering the rise of China with new economic measures; and “oversight” of the Biden administration. They are also looking at invoking other traditional GOP goals such as cutting taxes, restricting immigration, criticizing Silicon Valley and repealing environmental rules."
It is no doubt likely the American public can count on “oversight” of the Biden administration, cutting taxes and restricting immigration, mixed with the typical Republican lies and corruption. But absolutely nothing constructive. Hopefully the well-informed voter will see through all this bullshit and save us from the radical right carnage of our country.

 

  

Monday, February 21, 2022

The Epitome of Republican Wrongdoing...Using Children for political gain

 

In the movies or on television, if you want ratings you use animals. In today's political competition you can grab the heartstrings, and the attention of voters, by using children. Remember J.D. Vance, "Hillbilly Elegy?" This dufus is in the 2022 Ohio Senate race using this idiot argument, according to Alex Henderson of AlterNet...

"that 'childless Democrats' and 'the childless left' shouldn’t hold public office because they haven’t had the experience of being a parent."

This provokes a huge round of laughter until you realize this idiot is using children to conduct a political campaign that is certain to be fraught with more absurdity and the usual Republican ration of lies. But Wajahat Ali took him down with his liberal piece in The Daily Beast...

"He argues that it is Republicans, in fact, who pose a major threat to the safety and wellbeing of children.
"Far-right Republicans, Ali stresses, are seriously flawed in their thinking when they believe that 'critical race theory' and books they don’t like pose a greater danger in schools than COVID-19."

The GOP is in a race for votes in 2022, and 2024, and are capitalizing on white supremacy, while using the youth of America to make their point. Donald Trump opened the door with his racist comments and actions during the four-years of his administration. The bigots immediately came out of the woodwork with his blessings as well as others around him. The following illustrates this madness...

“Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who has already banned ‘divisive concepts’ from being taught in schools as part of the right’s disingenuous ‘critical race theory’ panic, is now just one vote away from the Virginia Senate adding an amendment to ban mask mandates in Virginia schools,” Ali observes. “North Carolina Republicans are set to file a bill in the House to ban schools from mask mandates…. Schools, and our children in particular, have become the unfortunate but effective political pawns for a right-wing movement seeking to convert parents’ pandemic frustrations, fears and anxiety into 2022 midterm votes.”

GOP Governors Endanger Children By Playing Politics With COVID-19


Getting to the parents who vote through their children. Republicans have no qualms about who or what they use to reach their goal of power. Ali chastises Republicans who "believe that 'critical race theory' and books they don’t like pose a greater danger in schools than COVID-19." Here's a tweet from his Twitter site...
"During Black History Month, Republican leaders are more comfortable with our kids getting COVID than reading a book written by a Black author talking about white supremacy and diversity."

It goes without saying that the GOP has done everything it possibly can to expose children to the coronavirus by opposing all the CDC protocols for protection. Over 12.3 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic out of a total 80,068,996 cases in the U.S. One can only wonder how many of these kids could have been saved the agony of the virus had Republican states like Florida and Texas observed the rules of science.

And, of course, these millions of childrens' cases had to lead to some deaths as reported by Newsweek...

"According to available data as of December 15, a breakdown of 677,393 coronavirus deaths showed 1,005 persons between the ages of 0 and 17. Among those, 319 children between the ages of 0 and 4 had died from the disease."

So, not only has the Republican Party been instrumental in the deaths of over 1,000

children from a virus where, with the correct precautions, no doubt, a large number could have been saved, they also want to use them now in the upcoming elections to sell an agenda of lies and corruption.

The old saying comes to mind...'Do you have no honor?' I guess not when it comes to Republicans.



Friday, February 18, 2022

MUST READ PRIORITY

 


"The Dark Century," an opinion by David Brooks in the New York Times. Brooks asks, "Why is Liberalism in Decline?" It is a contemporary look at the past, starting with the Founding Fathers and the slow progression into today's oligarchy and loss of democracy. The documentation literally confirms Brooks' statement.

The Agony of Stupidity and the Outrageous...Anti-Vaxxers on the Move

 

A Washington State Patrol officer refused to take the coronavirus vaccine mandated by the state. Trooper Robert LaMay, 51, in his refusal, told Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee to “kiss my a–.” Unfortunately, Inslee didn't have a chance to take LeMay up on his offer. The anti-vaxxing officer died from Covid-19. READ MORE...

A 31-year-old father of two was denied a heart transplant by a Boston hospital, "because he hasn't been vaccinated against the coronavirus." Since, "the COVID-19 vaccine is one of several immunizations required by most U.S. transplant programs, you have to either be an anti-vaxxer or just use your commonsense and...live. READ MORE...

This is a story of Ivermectin and a right-wing journalist named Ben Bergquam

who became seriously ill with COVID-19. With a 105-degree fever, Bergquam found a quack willing to prescribe the drug deemed useless for coronavirus, Ivermectin. The long and the short is this crackpot not only used Ivermectin but promoted it through a video. I urge you to read this article...

This Iowa-licensed physician is staging “'jailbreaks' that involve pulling patients out of hospitals against the medical advice of other doctors." She's appeared on Lindell TV contradicting the federal government’s advice on mitigation and treatment, a fact she readily acknowledges. On the show she recommended having ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine in your medicine cabinet before you get sick. READ MORE...

"Anti-vaxx 'expert' claims vaccines will turn people into ‘transhumanist cyborgs'
controlled by 5G" Perhaps the lowest mentality of anti-vaxxers, this moron's misinformation sounds more valid since she is a doctor. This proves that the medical profession is not policing its physicians. READ MORE...

Tennessee Right-Wing Pastor Greg Locke Organizes 'Massive' Book Burning of, get this, Harry Potter and Twilight books. This nutcase had a congregation fully supporting "burning service" where he also called Ouija boards a "portal to hell," because they were associated with "witchcraft." His Facebook post declared...
"the burning would be part of a "continued series on deliverance from demons."
"We have stuff coming in from all over that we will be burning. We're not playing games. Witchcraft and accursed things must go."

READ MORE... 

Noted physician Abdul El-Sayed, an epidemiologist and former health director for the city of Detroit says, "Canadian trucker protests are the latest example of Covid-19 absurdity." Another quote from the CNN piece, "We've officially hit peak Covid absurdism." Just as Covid-19 does seem to be coming to a head with relief in sight, we have these idiots and their trucks making a spectacle of a larger-than-life gang of morons. El-Sayed exclaims the pandemic carried with it more than a virus, it also spawned a foolishness starting with Donald Trump's original proclamation that it was just a hoax. READ MORE... 


Thursday, February 17, 2022

Republicans are and Have Been the Party of Violence

Most won't be surprised that these boneheaded Republicans are opposing a move that could help end violence on airlines. The culprits are...

"Eight Senate Republicans — Cynthia M. Lummis (Wyo.), Mike Lee (Utah), James Lankford (Okla.), Marco Rubio (Fla.), Kevin Cramer (N.D.), Ted Cruz (Tex.), John Hoeven (N.D.) and Rick Scott (Fla.)."

Their objection took the form of a letter to AG Merrick Garland this past Monday to protest a no-fly list based on the recent unruliness of some passengers in the air. This is what they said...

They claim the list “would seemingly equate them to terrorists who seek to actively take the lives of Americans and perpetrate attacks on the homeland.”

Doesn't their behavior qualify these idiots as borderline--at least--domestic terrorists?

Violence, Unruly Acts Of Behavior Break Out On Planes...


The Washington Post's Jennifer Rubin in her opinion piece is clear about the problem...
"In reality, the problem of violence against airline personnel and disruptive conduct requiring pilots to turn flights around has become pervasive. That’s why Delta Air Lines chief executive Ed Bastian asked Garland earlier this month to address the problem by creating the no-fly list."

I was following Jennifer Rubin in another of her opinion pieces recently, "Republicans are trying to turn red America into a dystopia," with my take on the issue, "Are Red States Pursuing Apocalypse?" Rubin agrees that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is running a dictatorial government in his state with no hope in sight of reigning him in. Republicans deny their intent is violence, but their actions and the recent events are proof enough. 

Each time I hear these denials I think of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection of the U.S. Capitol, led by Trump supporters and given credence by leading Republicans, including state and federal lawmakers. Enough said!

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

"TV Wasteland" is Fox News and Tucker Carlson?

 

The tvtech site reports, "On May 9, 1961, then newly appointed FCC Chairman Newton Minow called television a 'vast wasteland,' criticizing the medium for its violence, inanity and impact on children." I was working in television in those days and considered it an extremely creative and glamorous business. I still do, except for at least two exceptions, Fox News and Tucker Carlson. Is it possible that Minow could see in the future with the latter in mind when making that statement?

Why do I bring this up? Because of the absurdities Carlson claims on his show; plus the fact, this moron actually admits he lies when cornered. In late January...

Tucker Carlson claimed that the political violence the United States has been suffering is coming from the left, not the right — insisting that the right, unlike the left, has remained “peaceful.”

This is beyond unbelievable since we recently went through four years of the ex-White House maniac, Donald Trump, in his quest to stir up violence almost on a    daily basis. The Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection on the U.S, Capitol is an excellent example of GOP led violence. Carlson, of course, is a lunatic, but it is his statements and and a trove if misinformation that is so indicative of Minow's "wasteland." 

It has been 60 years since Newton Minow's "Vast Wasteland" remark, and I do think television has made some very positive strides. As an example, in my day, TV news and weather was something offered by local stations as sort of a public service, much of it unsponsored. Today, news departments have huge budgets and most strive to provide comprehensive, in-depth news. Admittedly, there are some that slant the news, and, of course, those who completely misrepresent it.

MUST SEE: Still a ‘Vast Wasteland’? Newton Minow on the State of TV...

I have heard the opinion, 'Really...nobody could be that stupid,' referring to Tucker Carlson. Well, he certainly looks the part, but if any of you readers have any insight into this please email me. I have given considerable attention to Fox News in this blog over time because the network stands for everything class journalism isn't, and they are so easy to make fun of and criticize with the largest number of buffoons to ever hit the American airwaves.

The AlterNet's Alex Henderson leads us through a number of radical right wing violence incidents that have happened in recent years completely ignored by Carlson...

"from the January 6, 2021 insurrection to an alleged plot to kidnap and possibly murder Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to White nationalist terrorist massacres in El Paso and Pittsburgh in 2019. Pro-Trump groups like QAnon and the Proud Boys openly advocate violence, and the leader of the far-right Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes, is facing seditious conspiracy charges for his alleged role in the Capitol insurrection."

Back to Newton Minow's observations testifying to Congress...

“When television is good, nothing—not the theater, not the magazines or newspapers—nothing is better,” he told Congress. “But when television is bad, nothing is worse. I invite each of you to sit down in front of your television set when your station goes on the air and stay there, for a day, without a book, without a magazine, without a newspaper, without a profit and loss sheet or a rating book to distract you. Keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off. I can assure you that what you will observe is a vast wasteland.”

But this was 60 years ago when Congress was populated with at least a modicum

of statesmen as compared to today's gang of inept politicians whose only goals are to amass power, line their pockets and get reelected, no matter what it takes. Minow recently updated his views of television while adding social media and “fake news.” Here's what he said...

“I think the issues for the next generation are the government’s role in social media,” Minow said, adding that he was proud of the strides television has made in educational TV but that local stations needed to remain diligent in ensuring unbiased coverage to their viewers. He also supports reinstating the FCC’s “Fairness Doctrine,” which was repealed in the 1980’s.

"Unbiased coverage," two words neither Fox News nor Tucker Carlson are familiar with. 







Monday, February 14, 2022

Are Red States Pursuing Apocalypse?

 

The Washington Post's Jennifer Rubin explores this concept in an opinion column that should rattle the cages of all Democrats, Independents and Republicans. The title of her piece is, "Republicans are trying to turn red America into a dystopia," and is, as all honest journalism is today, frightening in its prediction of the destruction of American democracy. I must say, for a conservative, Rubin takes the GOP to task with unusual insight and objectivity.

She wades right into Florida with one of the state's most dictatorial moves yet in a bill, fully supported by the demented Gov. Ron DeSantis, explained by Robert P. Jones, head of the Public Religion Research Institute ...

The most pernicious part of the bill is its bizarre definition of “individual freedom,” consisting of eight principles plainly written to protect white people. The final one is the most sweeping: “An individual should not be made to feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race.” The bill then proceeds to define “discrimination” under Florida state law as a violation of “individual freedom.”
This provision effectively gives any single white person veto power over the content of history curriculum in schools or trainings in the workplace. White discomfort governs historical truth.
DeSantis has commented he wants to put the people in power, which the above

certainly does, but it is still this maniac who calls all the shots. I wonder about those poor souls in Florida who are Democrats, or lean to the left, and disagree with DeSantis. The breakdown is 5,080,697 registered Democrats, 5,123,799 registered Republicans and 4,083,215 voters without a party affiliation or registered to one of the more than two dozen “minor” parties in Florida.

Rubin cautions...

"Keep in mind that Florida Republicans have no problem making gay children uncomfortable. They have also introduced legislation that would hobble education about gender identity and sexual orientation. The Tampa Bay Times reports, “Critics, who call the measures Florida’s ‘don’t say gay’ bills, argue the measures are an attempt to weaponize the idea of parental rights to marginalize LGBTQ people.”

And here's the rub, "The legislation would encourage parents to sue if they find school curriculum, even at the high school level, is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate." The LGBTQ rights group Equality Florida's Nadine Smith, is in opposition to the bill, reports the Tampa Bay Times. The TBT says further, we're dealing with a "Non-existent problem...

"There is no developmentally inappropriate curriculum about sexual orientation or gender identity being taught to young kids, she contended.”

The Dictator DeSantis in Action...


 The South and Southwest are leading the fight in the removal of famous names and books from school curriculums with Texas eliminating Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Ku Klux Klan from teachings. Tennessee recently banned the book, Maus, because it was "inappropriate for 13-year-olds based in part on its inclusion of swear words and drawings of nude figures." I grew in in Tennessee in the 1940s and in either of these cases most of us wouldn't even blush.

Rubin agrees that, as in other cases of misdirected advocacy, the ones who win are the lawyers...

"The bills also encourage frivolous litigation that would make trial lawyers blush. Incentives to harass teachers and tie up schools in endless litigation suggests that Republicans would rather spend time and money fighting these legal battles than on education. It’s a peculiar position for a party that used to look askance at tort litigation."

The Republican Party has no direction, no agenda; their only mission being the destruction of anything proposed by Democrats, and the complete annihilation of democracy. And the tragedy in all this...the American public is supporting it.



 


Thursday, February 10, 2022

Joe Biden is a Victim of Reckless Republican Propaganda...Here's the Real Story

 

OK, let's accept the fact that no matter what President Biden does, the GOP erects an immediate wall to oppose it. Whatever - you name it. Minority Senate leader and power grabbing Moscow Mitch McConnell is the head wall builder, followed by Kevin McCarthy, House minority leader mixed with a plethora of Republican misfits. It is clear that the above has replaced an agenda for the right as they roll on with their plans to eliminate American democracy.

Overshadowed within all this is the agenda of Joe Biden which he describes as the perfect storm, consisting of four crises that must be addressed. They are, "fighting the coronavirus, restoring the economy, combating climate change and making the country more equal." Here's the scenario from The Washington Post...

Those four issues remain central to Biden’s presidency. “I think if you take a look at what we’ve been able to do, you’d have to acknowledge we made enormous progress,” President Biden said Wednesday [Jan. 20] of his first year in office.

From WaPo's Post Pundit Power Rankers in the beginning of the Prez's administration he was given a B+ on his first 100 days in office. Fast-forward through the crises to today and...

"Now, we’re back to assess a full year’s worth of White House decision-making. Like last time, our rankers have assigned Biden a grade A+ to F, taking into account such issues as the pandemic, the economy, foreign policy, voting and human rights, and presidential leadership. Also as last time, our readers — more than 4,400 of you! — got in on the grading. Your scores factor into the final average just like our pundits’."

 Biden highlights wins, struggles and top priorities after 1 year in office...


In the final score Biden had an average pundit grade of C+, average reader grade B, overall grade B-. There is a raft of scores on specific issues in this article like the economy, voting and human rights, foreign policy, etc. I urge you to read them all.

But, Matt Robison from AlterNet exclaims, "The reality is that Biden has done a great job — but the pundits can't admit it." He gives President Biden an A+ commenting, "Anything else is insane."

Robison points us back to a glut of Donald Trump stupidities...

water cannon of lies
a cabinet of grifters and thieves
disastrous and deadly Covid denial
child separation
the Helsinki Putin bootlicking affair

This is only five. There are fifteen more. This is how he visions another four

years under Trump...

"Faster global warming. Endless vendettas. Jailing dissidents. Clawing back LGBT rights. MAGA budgets and widespread hunger. Endless trade wars and rising nuclear standoffs. An impenetrable wall of judges. A chokehold on immigration. The end of democracy."

Then, Jennifer Rubin comes along with her opinion, "Biden is on a roll as commander in chief." A great read! That's good enough for me.

        

Wednesday, February 9, 2022

ARIZONA: Home of Insurrectionists

 

Here we go again. The January 6, 2021, insurrectionist rioting proved that a substantial portion of Americans--and I use the term "Americans" loosely--do not respect the U.S. Constitution. Leading Phoenix columnist E.J. Montini says it all in his headline, "Arizona's Jan. 6 insurrectionists should be barred from holding office." We have a gang of Republican lawmakers in this state that have taken it upon themselves to rewrite the laws of the state and the country.

They are U.S representatives Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar along with former state Rep. Mark Finchem, now running for Arizona secretary of state, and former state Rep. Anthony Kern, now running for the state Senate. Montini reports...

"Finchem and Kern were at the Capitol that day.
"Biggs and Gosar gave more aid and comfort to those attempting to overturn the election and stage a coup than just about anyone in the country."

There is also the case of the moron from North Carolina running for reelection to the U.S. House, Madison Cawthorne, who has been challenged by the state's Board of Electors saying he "fails to comply with an amendment." Here is Section 3 of the 14th Amendment...

No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

Naturally, Republicans are ignoring this, focusing rather on the justification of the insurrectionists reported in this New York Times piece, "G.O.P. Declares Jan. 6 Attack ‘Legitimate Political Discourse.’" There is no explanation for this kind of attitude other than the intention to abolish American democracy. The GOP wants an autocratic government with a despot to be named from its ranks since Donald Trump has fallen from favor.

Montini isn't finished with the Arizona radical right...

"And then there is every member of the fake slate of Republican electors who filed paperwork to try to overturn the will of the people. None of them should be permitted to hold office. Ever."


CNN confronts Karen Fann, the woman behind bogus Arizona election audit...


Don't forget, it was Arizona's premiere Republican idiot, State Sen. President, Karen Fann who led the fight for the infamous audit on 2020 election results that cost the state millions with the results that Joe Biden did, in fact, win the election. Then Montini concludes...
"If we believed in oaths – believed that those who swear to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States” must be held to that promise – then none of the insurrectionists from Jan. 6, and none of those who gave them aid or comfort, would be permitted to hold elected office."

I'm sorry but I believe that Republicans worship only one thing...POWER. Moscow Mitch McConnell has paved the way for the thirst for political influence. Now look at Kevin McCarthy, who would likely take over as Speaker if the GOP wins back the house. It is frightening for those of us who believe in democracy, and the thought of living under another Republican rule in the future is not only disheartening but very, very daunting. 

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