I’ve written ad nauseum how those who call themselves republicans live in the “world” of projection and it’s never been more clear than some of the recent “stuff” coming from the mouths of members of individual 1’s CULT as they fight against Covid-19 vaccines, school boards, public health officials, and, of course, “liberals.” In the past couple of days I’ve heard several of the supporters of our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president referring to anyone who disagrees with them as “fascists.” I’ve confronted this IGNORANCE on several occasions, so here we go again.

One of the whack jobs actually complained about the “corporate/government” cabal in his accusation and that he and those around him were suffering from a fascist government. OK, to a certain extent, the “Mussolini” form of fascism actually is a corporate/government – I’ll call it a “cabal” – here’s the rub: And, this has been one of my complaints since the days of Bush/Cheney – this corporate/government “cabal” is the result of our republicans in Congress enabling America’s largest corporations because of the MONEY being funneled into their campaign coffers. Of course, when you PROJECT everything – you would accuse what you’re all about to those you oppose.

Here’s the other “rub:” The FASCISM most of us think of when we think of fascism is that which was the work of the Third Reich back in the days of Adolf Hitler. I’ve pointed out many times here – for years – the parallels between the tendencies of individual 1 and the history of how the Third Reich turned Germany into the world’s pariah back in the 1930’s. Our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president even uses derogatory references to Germans in describing those in his own family, apparently as a way to hide his motives. He continues to push one LIE after another to his “base” and they suck it up with the help of outlets like Fox “news” – and Tucker Carlson who, if Keith Olberman was still on TV, would be the “WORST person in the WORLD” on a regular basis – Carlson’s latest endeavor, apparently, is a “documentary” calling “1/6” a “false flag.” These people won’t be happy until our constitutional republic has been torn COMPLETELY apart.

It’s not possible for me to believe the bulk of those “leaders” now in the republican party actually believe the so-called “Big Lie” or that “1/6” was a “false flag.” For heaven’s sake, they were there on January 6th, 2021 when ALL of them were herded out of the House and Senate chambers as the INSURRECTIONISTS who were hell bent on stopping the certification of Joe Biden’s election and “hanging Mike Pense.” They know the truth. But, now virtually ALL of them are either participating in the “Big Lie” or cowering in the corner unwilling to say anything which might cause individual 1 to endorse a “primary opponent.” Of course, this all goes right back to the republican dependence on PROJECTION.

When they claim “The election was stolen,” that means their intention is to STEAL the next election (and the one after that, and………….OK, you get it). When they claim there was election “fraud” that’s because they’re the ones committing the ELECTION FRAUD. When Marko Rubio calls Bidens agenda “Build Back Socialism” because it spends a couple TRILLION (aimed at “we the people”) that’s to take the attention off the $2 TRILLION tax cut he and every other republican voted for in 2017 which was, well, SOCIALISM for the top 1% – if you buy his argument. Of course, no republican will bring any of that up and their constituents are, well, – OK, lots of them – “stupid.” They fall for this stuff without a second thought.

The truth is there are a multitude of “outlets” willing to accommodate individual 1’s “base” by participating the LYING – for MONEY! For me, the most obvious disgusting purveyor of misinformation (LYING) is Fox because I don’t do “Social Media.” (Unless, this is “Social Media”) However, the so-called “Facebook papers” are shining a pretty bright light on Facebook’s – and, by extension Mark Zuckerberg’s – willingness to foment LIES in order to “energize” people who don’t think for themselves, therefore bringing in MASSIVE amounts of advertising dollars. Naturally, there’s a large group of “others” but for the time being the light is going to be shining on Facebook – who’s tried to “sweep” all this “stuff” “under the rug.” Again, for MONEY!

Facebook is getting OUTED more and more these days as the driving force behind America’s turn toward the political cesspool that features individual 1 and his sycophants (and CULT members). Now, we have more political leaders talking about breaking up Facebook and, “sure as shootin,” here come the phony commercials about “American innovation.” I’ve seen an add several times making FALSE claims about all the great things “technology” is doing for America suggesting it’s the driving force behind our economy. Yes, “technology” plays a part, but what drives our economy are WORKERS and when workers don’t have decent jobs the economy suffers.

During the pandemic the top BILLIONAIRES in America got even MORE filthy rich – including the likes of Jeff Bezos and WORSE Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg. The reports coming out show Facebook KNEW their “algorithms” were exacerbating MISINFORMATION – ginning up people via their “dark sides” – sides of people vulnerable to FEAR MONGERING – and they KNOWINGLY letting this garbage go viral on their platform! Worst yet, according to newly released documents, they actually ENCOURAGED it! So, after the third time I heard the “technology is great” propaganda add on TV I checked who paid for it. You guessed it – “The American Edge Project” paid for it and “The American Edge Project” was founded by – you guessed it again, FACEBOOK!

I long ago figured out the beginning of Facebook correlates to the divisions among Americans which have grown worse and worse since they started their platform seemingly welcoming MISINFORMATION if it makes them more MONEY. And, Oh by the way, Facebook is busy with other advertising trying to convince “we the people” – or whoever – that they welcome federal “regulation.” I suppose, as I try to process what I’ve seen, they’re pushing for “anything” but “breaking” them up. If you’ve read anything about Teddy Roosevelt and the “Trust Busters” back at the turn of the 20th Century, you can see “we the people” seem to be reliving that era – only, the TRUSTS today are much more sophisticated and have UNLIMITED funds which they can use to BUY off politicians. And, it’s working!

And, I’m not just talking about republicans when I point out corporate interests BUYING off politicians. We’ve seen an obvious example of democrats being BOUGHT by corporate interests as Joe Biden has been attempting to get his “Build Back Better” agenda through Congress. It has gone without saying the republicans would OBSTRUCT Biden’s agenda at every turn (Moscow Mitch promised this from the start), but the recalcitrance of Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema tell you this corruption runs both ways. Manchin might as well be part of the Fossil Fuel industry and the amount of money they’ve funneled to him is, well, staggering.

Ms. Sinema, for example put the Kybosh to the part of the bill where Medicare could “negotiate” prescription drug prices and WORST put the “nea” to the idea of reversing SOME of the individual 1 tax cuts. Manchin, who “hails” from one of the poorest states in the union (which desperately needs this bill) put the Kybosh to seniors getting dental and vision coverage (full disclosure: I became a “senior” many years ago) and, in addition, to those who thought there might be free community college which very well could lead to empowering MILLIONS of Americans who want to improve their “lot” in life. The part that has bothered me the most is seeing BOTH of these democrats fraternizing with republicans who, I believe, very well could be using them to do what McConnell is unable to do with his never ending filibusters.

Personally, I believe both Manchin and Sinema are relishing the spotlight as EVERYONE else in the democratic party is on board with much more than what these two democrats may or may not ultimately agree to. I believe, no matter how this turns out, both Manchin and Sinema will be considered almost turncoats to what got the democrats elected in 2020. It won’t affect Manchin because he’s my age (74) isn’t up for re-election until 2024 (when he’ll be 78 – so what if he loses) and he’s a “democrat” in a ruby “red” state. On the other hand, I believe Ms. Sinema must have a lucrative job lined up which she may or may not wait for 2024 to take. She’s a HUGE disappointment to those who supported her candidacy just a couple years ago.

Sadly, and I say this because it’s the media’s position, that if Manchin and/or Sinema manage to scuttle Biden’s agenda – and, they’re getting down to the “wire” where if they can’t get it done SOON they may not get it done – they could be plunging a “knife” into the democratic party. Now, my position would be that democrats need to be even more committed to making “we the people” understand it’s important to vote in even MORE democrats so one or two can’t put a “monkey wrench” into the entire process. We’ll better understand the motives of both Manchin and Sinema shortly, but they stand to be putting themselves into the wrong section of the American History books if they contribute to a resurrection of individual 1.

To me, the largest obstacle to democrats (and disaffected republicans and independents) would be the so-called “liberal media” and their “unique” way of looking at things. For example, I’ve been following the Governor’s elections in (mostly) Virginia and New Jersey and many are claiming the Virginia election will be a “barometer” on the Biden presidency. While I don’t have a problem with that characterization, here’s where I have the problem. First, I’ve heard several media reports that democrats in Virginia are disaffected by “the failure of democrats to ‘get anything done.'” Talk about your “what have you done for me lately.”

Does the “media” forget that in the first couple of months of Biden’s administration democrats passed the most targeted – toward America’s middle class – legislation in my lifetime. In individual 1’s FOUR years republicans passed two significant pieces of legislation. The most obvious was the tax SCAM of 2017 which funneled about $2 TRILLION taxpayer dollars to America’s “top 1%” and American corporations which were already sitting on a TRILLION of “cash” – therefore using the tax SCAM to buy back shares. The other significant piece of legislation was the “CARES Act” which democrats FORCED republicans to accept some “liberal” positions due to the severity of the Covid crisis.

Now, of course, as I pointed out above, democrats are attempting to pass an incredible combination of an “infrastructure bill” and the “we the people” bill (my characterization – the “Build Back Better” bill) – both at the “mercy” of Senators Manchin and Sinema. I believe the bill passed in March was the best thing I’d seen in my lifetime so why is the “media” allowing the mantra of “democrats can’t get anything done” to be pushed by right wing pundits? Yes, it will be disappointing if Manchin and/or Sinema “torpedo” Biden’s “Build Back Better” bill (and, if they do, I hope “progressives” block the so-called “bipartisan” infrastructure bill) but, if they do, the solution isn’t to BLAME democrats for “not getting anything done” – but it would be to elect MORE democrats! (And, keep in mind, for my lifetime I’ve been an independent – I now vote AGAINST republicans, at least for the foreseeable future – which, at my age, could be “forever”)

Let me just point out one of the hypocrisies (one of MANY) in the republican “positions.” We all know many republicans oppose ABORTION. (Many times I’ve said, at some point in time, I’ll make a post on that subject) OK, so here’s how I look at that. Personally, if the issue had arisen in my lifetime I would say I’m opposed to abortion. The ONLY way I would support it would be to save the life of the mother, or in the case of rape, incest, etc. The first time I was going to be a father my wife was given a medication which caused a miscarriage. I rushed her to the hospital and they performed what amounted to an abortion – the fetus was already dead. That happened without a second thought.

So, here’s my thoughts about the issue if it happens to YOU! If you don’t believe in abortion, don’t have one. (Although, I believe in the case of the miscarriage, virtually everyone would do what we did) I find it odd stuffy OLD men who say they believe in getting government out of our lives want to control the lives of America’s women. And, of course, the MEN involved in many unwanted pregnancies face no consequences. What’s up with that?

And, as usual, there’s more. Put yourself in the place of a woman who believes she’s in no position to have a child (maybe ANOTHER child). Well, republicans are saying if you choose to terminate that pregnancy (do republicans believe in free will?) we also don’t believe in providing ANY support for you once that child has been born. Take for example the “Build Back Better” bill put forth by President Biden (even that which hasn’t been pared back by Manchin and Sinema) – there are several portions of that legislation aimed DIRECTLY at children who are growing up in poverty. The universal Pre-K, the support for Child Care, the help with health insurance, etc. etc. are issues which are designed for those women who CHOOSE to bring a pregnancy to term.

Ideally, the numbers of unwanted pregnancies could somehow by lowered, maybe by providing more responsibility to MEN, but, in the mean time, the attempt by democrats to reduce the childhood poverty rate in America, to me, is welcome news. It’s NO surprise, I’m sure, that NOT a single republican will vote for these programs designed to help those children whose mothers chose to carry their pregnancy to term when their financial means are insufficient. As I said above, they call THIS socialism, while the tax SCAMS never get characterized as SOCIALISM – even though it’s government giveaways to the “rich.” The contrast couldn’t be more clear! (Wouldn’t you like to know how many republicans have had abortions? Just saying) Stay tuned………

Final Thought: If the Supreme Court upholds the recent Texas law aimed at overturning Roe v Wade by a scheme to allow the enforcement of the law to be done by “citizen” “vigilante’s” who can sue anyone involved in an abortion which takes place after six weeks of pregnancy (when many women still don’t understand they’re pregnant) – well, then all bets are off. If that scheme works, I’m going to write to my state legislature and suggest they pass a similar bill where if anyone is proven to purchase or own a “long gun” with automatic capability they can be sued by ANYONE who finds out with a bounty of $25,000. (we might as well, kick up the penalty a bit)

I’ve been paying for the Washington Post for several years now because I wanted to support the investigative journalism I believe is so important to the future of our republic. Every once in a while I think to myself, “Do I want to keep doing this.” Tonight I almost ended my subscription because in their “Washington Post Live” series the first segment on November 1st’s “docket” will be (is/was) “The Drift: Stopping America’s slide toward Socialism” by Kevin Hassett. If you don’t know who Kevin Hassett is he was the chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under individual 1 and his claim is: “individual 1 (he, of course, uses the surname which I can’t bring myself to type) was the right president to deconstruct government intervention in the economy.” He was the guy who couldn’t get the s@#t eatin grin off his face every time he was interviewed during the reign of our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president plus, he always got EVERYTHING wrong.

He used to do interviews on MSNBC with Ali Velshi, who apparently worked for one of the cable channels focused on the economy before coming to MSNBC. I forced myself to listen to them and, as I said, he ALWAYS got it wrong – including during the pandemic. His “cubic model” of, in essence lifting Covid restrictions as the pandemic was accelerating was referred to by many as “nonsense.” His predictions the pandemic would subside within a few weeks of enacting the “cubic model” proved to be as absurd as individual 1’s saying “It’s all going to go down to zero.”

But, as usual, that’s not all. He was instrumental in defending the 2017 tax SCAM which took close to $2 TRILLION tax dollars and, as usual with “conservatives,” funneled it to America’s wealthiest individuals and corporations who used the money to buy back their stock. Hassett was adamant the “plan” (SCAM) would generate enough stimulus to the economy to pay for itself in increased government revenue. Of course, that was as nonsensical as the day Ronald Reagan first said, “I’m going to reduce your taxes and get rid of the deficit.” Individual 1’s tax SCAM along with the rest of his “policy” led to a RECORD $7 TRILLION “boost” to our national debt in just four years.

President Obama spent 8 years working to bring down the HUGE deficit he “inherited” from Bush/Cheney (a HUGE “mess” but nothing compared to what individual 1 left for President Biden) and individual 1 had DOUBLED it in just the first year. Here’s kind of the rub for me as I look at the subject of Hassett’s “stream” put on by the Post: He was (ultimately) a strong supporter of the $1.9 TRILLION “rescue plan” which was enacted soon after President Biden took office – which, well, how can he defend what he supported under individual 1 and then call what the democrats are doing “Socialism.” (As an added bonus, he supported the “CARES Act” which included the “Paycheck Protection Program” (PPP) along with an extra $600 each week to those who were collecting unemployment benefits.

Don’t get me wrong. I have supported both of those programs enthusiastically – and, the “CARES Act” was largely the work of Nancy Pelosi and the democrats – the republicans would NEVER have agreed to such a program if they didn’t believe their chances in the upcoming election depended on infusing a few TRILLION into the economy (much of it, of course, went to businesses which didn’t need the help – but, each side had to agree to stuff the other side would never have otherwise agreed to because the economy was sinking – to republicans (who controlled the Senate) they had no choice.

In fact, I’ve used a word I hate – STUPID since about four or five months prior to the November 3rd, 2020 election in describing individual 1 and the Senate republicans (and, since, in describing many in their “base”). The pandemic simply kept picking up “steam” all throughout 2020 and Pelosi and the democrats proved their focus was MORE on “crushing” the virus than on winning in November. Moscow Mitch and individual 1 were NOT sophisticated enough to accept what likely would have led our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president to actually “win” in November.

If you remember, Pelosi and the democrats in the House came up with the “HEROES Act” a proposal totaling close to $4 TRILLION to be enacted in the second half of 2020 which included much of what ultimately was included in the $900 BILLION package passed by Congress in December of 2020 AFTER the election, of course, plus President Biden’s “rescue bill.” McConnell called the “HEROES Act” “dead on arrival” and it sat at the foot of his desk for the rest of the year. Naturally, individual 1 was supportive of McConnell’s decision (And, likely Hassett, although I believe he was “gone” by then – a victim of the absurdity of his “cubic model”) and the economy continued to TANK (except for Wall Street, surprise, surprise) right up to the day our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president left office.

The stimulus the economy felt from President Biden’s “rescue plan” COULD have happened prior to the election, PLUS there would be (likely) 100,000 (or more) fewer Americans dead from the pandemic had the “HEROES Act” been enacted. If you remember, there were around 3,000 to 4,000 Americans DYING each day in the last month of individual 1’s reign – because, he was doing literally NOTHING about it – too busy laying the groundwork for the attempted coup d’etat of January 6th, 2021. I’ll say it once more, that was STUPID.

I mean, I had a double or nothing bet that he would LOSE the election – I could have owed an acquaintance of mine TWO steak dinners had individual 1 (and McConnell) not been so transfixed on “deconstructing the administrative state.” The bottom line in America is if Americans are DYING at a rate in excess of one 9/11 EACH DAY, well, and if you’re the president, you need to at least make it look as if you care – and that you’re trying to do something about it. Likely, individual 1 will be remembered more for attempting to OVERTHROW our elected government (OK, I know what you’re thinking – he STILL is working on the “coup”) than for being responsible for the DEATHS of HUNDREDS of thousands of Americans due to his INCOMPETENCE and lack of – well, how do you describe someone who doesn’t seem to care about so many DEATHS? You got me!

In fact, had individual 1 actually “won” the election – of course, he would still have been CHEATING (and America would be SCREWED) – but, with him, that’s a given – I would likely still be communicating with the person I had the bet with – I would have had to pay up because I doubt even he thought individual 1 could pull off being another Putin or Xi and name himself “president for life” – but, it stands to reason, there then wouldn’t have been January 6th, 2021 and individual 1 would still “only” have been IMPEACHED once – although, I’m sure, by now, he’d have found another way – just sayin.

Also, my friend likely wouldn’t have gone off the deep end supporting individual 1’s claims which led to the INSURRECTION and we’d still be arguing about “how can someone who calls himself a “Christian” support someone as morally bankrupt and VILE as our (now) TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president. I still don’t get it. And, hardly anyone on the republican side seemed to grasp what “nonsense” – from an economic point of view – Hassett was “feeding” individual 1. NOTHING he said, proved prescient – other than he supported the “CARES Act” and, eventually, the “Rescue plan” although, now he’s apparently referring to the democrats proposal to INVEST in our people, from the bottom up, and actually PAY for the investment by going after tax CHEATS (which, of course, will include individual 1) and forcing corporations to pay SOMETHING (Did you know Jeff Bezos applied for, and I believe, received thousands in the child tax credit – because he paid NOTHING in taxes for various years?) as Socialism.

Just like I’ve said lately, the problem isn’t exclusively republicans – just ALMOST exclusively. By now, anyone who’s been paying attention knows about Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema – two democrats who enjoy the spotlight enough to possibly TANK President Biden’s agenda – still to be determined, but I digress. Manchin blocked several of the proposals of the democratic House because he doesn’t believe in “entitlements.” I really wish I could ask him one question: “How many times have you voted to continue the oil depletion allowance or other “giveaways” to the fossil fuel industry – including COAL – in which you have a vested family interest? Are those BILLIONS of dollars not “entitlements?” Is it just you consider giving a “hand up” to the “least of these” (in the words of Jesus) to be an entitlement and NOT giveaways to corporations? I’m confused.

Then there’s Sinema who’s blocking the provision where the government can negotiate drug prices for Medicare – it almost seems absurd to me I have to write those words. I believe THAT “entitlement” was the work of the Bush/Cheney regime and it costs “we the people” around $700 BILLION per year. And, then, of course, Ms. Sinema BLOCKED the reversal of the individual 1 tax SCAM – which provided virtually NO stimulus to the economy and simply piled up MORE debt – and which republicans are now screaming about (and, don’t want to pay for). None of this makes sense, until you take a quick look at where the money comes from for Ms Sinema and Mr. Manchin. Sinema has received $500 THOUSAND from the pharmaceutical industry – no surprise – and a BUNCH of money from Wall Street financiers. Manchin, well, fossil fuels, mainly. The results are painfully clear – and the rest of the democrats are FORCED to “kiss their asses” because they need EVERY vote in the Senate to do ANYTHING.

Nothing new in America and when these industries see a 50/50 split in the Senate they swooped in like an owl which has spotted a nest of rabbits – easy prey! All they have to do is swing one vote and voila “case closed.” Think about the prescription drug “thing” just for a second – an “investment” of half a MILLION in Ms. Sinema’s campaign coffers saves the industry an amount in the tens of BILLIONS – EACH year! That’s leverage “we the people” can only dream about. And, blocking the reversal of individual 1’s tax SCAM (that part which benefits those making in the MILLIONS) cost even less for the Wall Street “investors” (er lobbyists). It’s all UGLY, but in the end, I do hope they succeed with something Mr. Hassett will still refer to as “Socialism.”

Here’s what Kevin Hassett SHOULD be talking about. Until America deals with the extreme income inequality which has slowly engulfed the nation since the days of Ronald Reagan we will continue to have a broken society where people have grown into “tribes.” There’s plenty of wealth in this nation for some people to be RICH and STILL be investing in those at the “bottom;” lifting them up so they can become productive tax paying citizens. To get to that point, sadly, as I’ve been saying for YEARS, the “present day” (and, it keeps getting worse) republican party needs to be voted into the History books.

It’s going to happen eventually, but, clearly, there’s a lot of work – and, possibly, a lot more “water under the bridge” being necessary before it happens. Common sense would say our young people are growing up (and, really do care about things like the Climate crisis) and the old white people who are supporting the coup d’etat of individual 1 are getting older and dying off. Have we put individual 1 “to rest?” Well, that’s still to be determined because he’s still not where he belongs (JAIL) and the “alt right” considers him their “fuhrer,” so the “war” for the heart and soul of our nation I’ve been writing about for years, CONTINUES.

Will progressives continue to show up to vote in EVERY election? If history is any guide, the answer is NO! Which is exactly why republicans have so much power in the state legislatures of the so-called “red” states and they’re trying to embed the possibility of overthrowing the “will of the people” in their codes of law via some incredibly arrogant LAWS which they’re confident will “pass muster” with the Supreme Court – and, very likely, they’re correct. – Unless Congress manages to PASS Voter protection legislation. (Why wouldn’t they do that with democrats “in control?” Again, we have to “beg” Manchin and Sinema to do the obviously RIGHT thing – not a promising proposition.

Obviously, reading the Washington Post has lowered its standard enough to grant Kevin Hassett an hour of time on their “Washington Post Live” stream is what motivated this rant. I’ve got another couple “rants” in the works, but him suggesting individual 1’s attempt to “deconstruct government intervention in the economy” – which was TANKING the economy – remember individual 1 is the ONLY president to have a NEGATIVE jobs number when leaving office in the “modern era” – and suggesting he was “stopping the slide toward Socialism” is every bit as much NONSENCE as the so-called “cubic model” he introduced in the middle of the first wave of the pandemic. (And, then he supported the “CARES Act” and President Biden’s “‘Rescue plan” – go figure! Weren’t they “Socialism?”) That’s what got me “riled up” and this rant is the result. To me, Kevin Hassett should “ride off into the sunset” and keep his s@#t eatin grin to himself and SHUT up!

Final Thought: I can’t seem to write anything without reference to some of the STUPIDITY of individual 1’s time in office. Certainly, January 6th, 2021 falls into that category, but he’s simply incapable of admitting any kind of mistake and he CAN’T accept that Joe Biden (“Sleepy Joe”) TRASHED him in the election. So, he’s still out there pushing the “Big Lie” and demanding all republicans do the same. Here’s the deal; this issue WON’T be resolved until there’s accountability – and, I’m not talking about the near 700 suckers who listened to our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president on the Ellipse January 6th, 2021 and then stormed the Capitol Building chanting “Hang Mike Pense – and are now in JAIL.

Nope, I’m talking about individual 1, Steve Bannon, Mo Brooks, Rudy Giuliani, individual 1 Jr. Josh Hawley, and anyone else who planned the INSURRECTION, financed it (the people came on FREE buss rides – somebody had to pay for that), or were on that stage urging the MOB to attack the Capitol. John Eastman developed the “plan,” Jeffrey Clark attempted to use the Justice Department to pull off Eastman’s “plan,” and likely several members of Congress were involved (Yeah, I’m thinking of you Jim Jordan). If there’s NOT a SERIOUS investigation going on at the Justice Department regarding all these people – there should be. And, all indications are, from my viewpoint, that Merrick Garland is allowing the House Select Committee to do the investigating. Sadly, Mr. Garland (Our Attorney General) is coming across to me as “milk toast”). Stay tuned……………………..

I said this about Bush/Cheney: “If they’re not held accountable for their CRIMES the next time there’s a republican president it will be worse. OK, I was correct, and then some. So, I’ll say it again – and with God’s help Mr. Garland will read this. If individual 1 is NOT held to account for his MANY CRIMES, the next time – and, of course, he’s planning it will be him the next time – although, there are plenty of republican low life’s waiting in the wings (DeSantis, Noem, Abbott, etc.) who will do even worse if given the chance. The list of the groups they HATE is too long for me to list here – I thought I was done in the previous paragraph! :o) VOTE!

Tonight I watched, on MSNBC, a documentary on the “Civil War” which, to put it mildly, was thought provoking. It just reinforced, in my own mind, how little I actually KNOW about American history despite the FACT I love to read about American “history.” I put that word in quotes because so much of the American “history” I’ve read has been through the eyes of educators who want to paint a “picture” which leaves out much of the TRUTH. It reminded me of my thoughts over the past few years that “we the people” want to look away from our “history” because not doing so is very uncomfortable.

The first thought I had when watching this documentary was a direct reflection of my own shortcomings. At the time individual 1 (Yep, I still can’t bring myself to write his name) was first running for office – when the “Access Hollywood” tapes became public along with the xenophobia – I was regularly having breakfast (maybe once or twice a month) with a friend I met at church who thought (thinks) in a way which – at least politically – I just couldn’t understand. However, we were able to “dialogue” and, I guess you’d say, “agree to disagree.” We considered our bond the connection to our spiritual beliefs in the teachings of Jesus.

I was shocked when he became a supporter of individual 1 despite knowing what an either IMMORAL or AMORAL person he is. It soon became clear our now TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president was also a pathological LIAR, an overt racist, and an extreme narcissist – among other questionable characteristics. One thing he CERTAINLY was (nor is) was a “Christian.” Yet my friend, who claimed the republican party was “conservative and “Christian,” became more and more intransigent in his connection to what I referred to as a CULT. Personally, I also pointed out on numerous occasions individual 1’s arrogance toward our system of laws.

As time went by we made a couple bets on the outcome of the elections. I LOST the first one because individual 1 “won” the “White House,” obviously, in 2016. I owed him a steak dinner. However, we went double or nothing on 2020. He seemed to genuinely believe individual 1 would win reelection “by a landslide” – and, of course, he predicted once that happened the “left” would respond with violent riots. I told him he was correct only it would play out in the opposite direction of what he was predicting.

That all being said, I enjoyed our time of “dialogue” because I could talk to someone with the opposing view of myself without getting yelled at. Of course the pandemic then “hit” and we could no longer meet for breakfast because the restaurants all got “shuddered” as what he termed “just another flu” began spreading across America exponentially and individual 1 proved to be totally incompetent in dealing with it. So, the conversations became more rare and more “pointed.” My friend said some things to me which raised a few “red flags.”

Keep in mind that he and his (wonderful) wife raised three African American children up to adulthood. I never fully understood the circumstances which led to this, but it was one of the reasons I felt a sense of kinship with him. However, there became a time when some of the things he was saying about his own (adopted?) daughter caused me to shudder. She was receiving public assistance and he seemed to complain about it in a way that made me think he would rather she was out on the street. I always hoped I was wrong about that, but due to the pandemic’s arrival the subject was never fully addressed (and, I always appreciated I felt I could address it).

Then, individual 1 LOST the 2020 election and it became clear to me my friend was so “sucked in” to the CULT that he actually was believing President Biden didn’t actually WIN and was STILL falling for the so-called “Big Lie” of our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president. I had tried to get him to, for example, read the Mueller report – which I read TWICE. He declined and was happy to believe the LIES of William Barr who undermined the report in order to protect individual 1’s followers from knowing the TRUTH about the “Russia thing.”

As I processed the objections of my friend who was defending individual 1’s ABSURD claims about the election fraud I was like “Do you really not understand how our elections work?” Well, I actually explained to him EXACTLY how the entire process of President Biden being certified as “President Elect” would unfold. Of couse, what I got WRONG was, despite my prediction right wing groups would protest and that they are heavily armed, I didn’t predict they would STORM the Capitol and actually attempt to pull of a coup d’etat – at the behest of individual 1 (and several of his co-conspirators) himself.

It was at that point – as I was watching people carrying confederate flags, people wearing anti-Semitic slogans on their clothing, white nationalist organizations working in tandem with each other, a GALLOWS erected on our Capitol Building’s grounds while the INSURRECTIONISTS were chanting “Hang Mike Pense,” and the attackers were VIOLENTLY assaulting the Capitol Police, then the D.C. Metropolitan police calling those officers who are African American the typical white nationalist racist slurs that it dawned on me the republican party had evolved into a party of white grievance dominated by white nationalists, including individual 1 – who on several occasions REFUSED to denounce these groups.

As I thought about all of this I could come to no other conclusion than my friend had chosen to associate himself with a racist CULT and that just seemed intolerable to me. We were conversing via more infrequent emails at that point and I just had to directly confront these issues – which, of course, led to a “falling out.” I think in my last email to him I simply said “You’ll never admit you’re wrong – you won’t repent” and I had gotten to the point where his positions were simply unacceptable. It was hard for me to understand how someone I NEVER would have accused of being racist could identify with a group which is OPENLY racist – and more and more as time has passed – as some republican leaders say – the INSURRECIONISTS were simply peaceful visitors to the Capitol! Yikes!

And, now individual 1 is brainwashing them to believe the “real insurrection” happened on the day of the election, not on January 6th, 2021. Another brazen “Big Lie” – but, it’s clear his “base” will go along with it just as they still believe he’s going to become “president” again once all these “fraudulent votes” get over ruled. (The Fraud I’ve heard of, so far, – and, by the way it’s infinitely RARE – are examples of several people attempting to vote TWICE for individual 1) So, I’m not conversing with my friend and don’t know if he’s still buying into this nonsense. If you’ve been around here, a few months ago I simply got to the point where I started referring to many of the members of individual 1’s CULT as “stupid” – a word I thought I’d never use in this “blog.”

That’s the backstory of what my thoughts were as I watched that documentary. I’ve gotten to the point where I just don’t want to converse with people I believe are aligning themselves with a white nationalist/supremacist agenda. And, sadly, that means I can’t have a thoughtful dialogue with MOST people who belong to the church I attend. Like when you bring up the subject of “racists” the ones I’ve broached that topic with respond as if offended “I’m not a racist.” Of course, to me, if you’re part of individual 1’s CULT you really are.

To be perfectly transparent, I understand that I’m a racist to some degree. I’ve enjoyed “white privilege” for decades having not a single thought about what it is. So, I realize the dialogue with those around me is important even if it’s totally uncomfortable. I think (certainly) one of my own shortcomings is I’ve become intolerant to people who I consider “uneducated” and don’t want to get “educated,” when, in reality I’m uneducated. The documentary I watched simply confirmed to me how uneducated I am. There’s so much of American “history” I don’t understand or even have an awareness it happened because it’s enormous and complicated.

It makes me long for the conversations, but with an agreement there can only be ONE set of facts – obviously there can be a multitude of ways of understanding those FACTS and interpreting them, but FACTS are FACTS. As I listened to some of the people interviewed in this documentary I thought a major problem in America today is that people seem to make up “facts” which are convenient to the way they already think. Or, they watch outlets like Fox “news,” or “Newsmax,” or they access other media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, Breitbart news, etc. etc. Sadly, it’s hard to argue with people who get their information from these sources. I still remember a study of a few years ago pointing out those who get their info from Fox “news” are the “least informed Americans, even more than those who access NO media outlets!” At some point these right wing propogandists must be outed for what they are.

Many of these people are pushing for another “civil war” – whatever that means. Some actually believe it will be like a “walk in the park” for the white nationalist/supremacist bunch to take over the government in our country – doing what with the “liberals” I have no idea. I think they actually believe those in the National Guard or, in more extreme circumstances, our military would not honor their obligation to “defend the constitution against all enemies foreign and DOMESTIC.” Yes, there are members of individual 1’s CULT in the military although many are being “weeded” out due to the Covid-19 vaccine mandate – those refusing are looking for a new job – just like many members of Police forces.

To those who refuse to get vaccinated I say GOOD RIDDANCE! By the time the “Delta Variant” is calmed down the number of Americans succumbing to the pandemic will be over 800.000 – enough already! NOT just another flu! I don’t want public service further exacerbating this virus. I do have to add the Police in so-called “liberal” Portland, Oregon seem to have a very high tolerance of the street thugs “The Proud Boys” who are often allowed to reek havoc in Portland’s streets with on Police presence. The “Proud Boys” were involved in the conspiracy to INVADE the Capitol on January 6th, 2021 and reports are they continue to scheme the next INSURRECTION. As I tell my son, these are HISTORICAL times and, as President Biden so aptly points out, “we’re in a fight for the soul of our nation.”

While I totally agree with that last statement – I have to add I’ve been saying that since well before individual 1 took office. Of course, there was Dick Cheney and the Bush/Cheney cabal who instigated the Fiasco’s in Afghanistan and Iraq – leading to the DEATHS of hundreds of THOUSANDS of people – mostly Iraq’s and Afghani’s and that was followed by the “Tea Party” – the initial OVERT racist “move” of the radical right into republicanism. Naturally, the traditional republicans have either been pushed out or into their cowering corners with a “base” composed of various white nationalist/supremacist groups including the KKK. Yikes!

This is exactly why it’s so discouraging someone like me can’t even have a dialogue that is serious with anyone who watches Fox or the other right wing propaganda outlets. The movie I watched made it clearer to me how serious the issue of white grievance is in this nation – serious in the South, but NOT only in the South. I know of at least two families who have MOVED from the (liberal) state I live in to right wing “RED” states to get away from all the “liberals.” I’ve been paying attention to politics since the days of Dwight Eisenhower and I’ve now witnessed the success of republicans to DIVIDE our nation’s populace like no other time in my lifetime.

When all is said and done, I believe it will be a real travesty if individual 1 and those who participated in the conspiracy which led to January 6th, 2021 are NOT held to account. When you think about the “Russia thing” – the involvement of Russia in making individual 1 into the head of the republican party – it’s not hard to imagine the glee in Moscow as they watch our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president make that “divide” even worse. And, of course, it’s – as always – race which is used to make things go even more “down hill.” Take for example the Governor’s race in Virginia – the republican candidate is using “dog whistles” to ensure individual 1’s supporters his “with them,” while pretending he wants nothing to do with our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president. That is – having it both ways. Will Virginia’s voters fall for this? We’ll see. Stay tuned!!

Final Thought: I ordered a book after watching the documentary on the Civil War which deals with many of the issues made clear in the movie. I look forward to reading it and, as usual, I’ll do a somewhat “book report” here once I finish it. Right now I’m reading “Peril” by Bob Woodward and Bob Costa about the last year of individual 1’s administration. It’s eye-opening although I have to say I just read a book, “I Alone Can Fix It” by Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker and it confirms much of what is in “Peril.” I sincerely hope Merrick Garland reads one or both of these books if he’s still not INVESTIGATING those who INSTIGATED the INSURRECTION! I’m obviously a big fan of BOOKS! (Although ghost written right wing books full of LIES don’t appeal to me)

If you’ve been around here much you know I’ve been going after (verbally) the republican party for close to 15 years. And, I don’t feel any different right now. However, the issue is NOW whether or not democrats will be up to the ASSAULT on the fabric of our nation coming from the republican party. It’s almost as if, what is it you don’t understand? That would be my question to the democrats. Yes, it’s critical to get President Biden’s agenda passed, but I have to wonder if Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema aren’t helping to drag all this out so they don’t have to deal with the VOTING RIGHTS bills languishing in Congress which could BLOCK many of the RACIST policies being put into “practice” virtually every day by republicans.

Maybe you understand how partisan gerrymandering works – most of us don’t. But, here’s an egregious example which is happening as I’m typing this. In Texas the republican legislature has taken two or three districts which traditionally vote for candidates “of color” and combined parts of them – putting at least two long standing representatives from Texas NOW into the same district. They have “diluted” almost EVERY district of “majority minority” populace – despite the FACT Texas is almost 40% Latinx. This is RACIST “redistricting” in “plain sight.” And, of course, just as I’ve been pointing out republicans all across the country are flouting our laws with IMPUNITY, here’s another example. We will likely be depending on individual 1’s Supreme Court to rectify this WRONG and, I’m sure, I’m not the only person lacking confidence the Court will do so.

Then, how about all the members of “MAGA” who are THREATENING election workers, health care workers, teachers, School administrators, etc. with VIOLENCE. Why are we NOT hearing of these people making the THREATS – many via email or text or social media – being ARRESTED and prosecuted for these egregious activities. This is why I’m questioning our new Attorney General’s resolve to get all this OBVIOUS lawbreaking STOPPED. Remember, the AG is in charge of the entire Justice Department which would include the FBI and they have the tools to identify those who are making VIOLENT threats to various different public servants! Are these democrats AFRAID of individual 1 as well? How deep does this FEAR go?

As I always point out, there’s always more! Mid October is the “flash point” across many states and localities where there have been vaccine mandates becoming effective. My observation is one group which feels they can’t be “mandated” to do anything would be police officers. Many (thousands) are refusing to get vaccinated despite the FACT their job puts them in contact with “people” all the time AND the reality is TWO or THREE times as many officers in the past two years have died from Covid as opposed to from gun violence. This, to me, is a sign, (which I predicted months ago) that TOO many members of America’s police forces are sympathetic to the authoritarian scheme of our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president.

This is also an issue in our military. As far as I’m concerned “good riddance” to those who refuse to follow legally authorized MANDATES regarding the vaccines. I believe the military is already on the verge of PURGING many members who are refusing the vaccines and I believe the police departments should do so as well. Maybe this would be the way to “defund the police.” In Washington State, where I happen to live, around 125 members of the State Police have chosen to find a new job as opposed to taking the “jab.” Heck, the highest paid member of Washington State, the WSU football coach (and four of his assistants) chose to LOSE their jobs instead of getting vaccinated – like EVERYONE else involved in education in the state are required, and, again, I say “Good Riddance.” (FYI – I have two degrees from WSU – Washington State University)

Speaking of what appears to be Merrick Garland’s FEAR of individual 1’s base, we’ll soon see the depth of that FEAR when the House sends the CRIMINAL referral for Steve Bannon’s REFUSAL to answer a subpoena from the January 6th Select Committee to the Justice Department. Look, if you’ve been here at all you KNOW I believe individual 1 SHOULD have been ARRESTED for INSTIGATING (and conspiring to pull off) the INSURRECTION long ago. I’ve pointed out how I believe I could argue for his guilt without being an attorney – simply based on public knowledge. As the Select Committee proceeds it becomes more apparent the Justice Department is NOT even investigating all of this.

Yes, they’ve arrested something like 670 of the “sheep” who actually STORMED the Capitol that day, January 6th, 2021 (In case you’re a republican and trying to FORGET that date), but those who PLANNED the uprising, those who FINANCED the uprising, and those who INSTIGATED the uprising are walking around as if they have “no worries.” They SHOULD have MORE worries than whether or not they “might” answer a Congressional Subpoena. I’ve said this before, but it really reminds me of Abu Ghraib during the Iraq FIASCO where the “grunts” who carried out the “orders” to TORTURE Iraqi’s went to prison and those who AUTHORIZED the TORTURE of these Iraqi’s walked away “Scott Free.” Only in America!

Seriously, individual 1 had been GROOMING his CULT for months before January 6th, 2021 to believe his LIES the election was “rigged.” To suggest he didn’t step over some lines of ILLEGALITY, to me, is ABSURD. I mean, if you listened to his call to Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the ABSURDITY of our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president walking around free and suggesting another “run” for the “White House” seems ridiculous on its face. For heaven’s sake, he was urging his CULT to be in Washington DC on January 6th, 2021 for weeks saying it would be “WILD.” Steve Bannon was MORE “out there” in encouraging the ASSAULT, but he was consulting with individual 1 right up to the 6th. And, there’s many others who SHOULD be paying lawyers right now regarding their part in what seems obvious was a CONSPIRACY to overthrow our elected government!

As all of this unfolds – as I’m writing this individual 1 is, as usual, attempting to “drag things out” by filing a FRIVOLOUS lawsuit alleging the Congress has no right to investigate January 6th, 2021, I keep coming back to where is Merrick Garland? Why is it left up to the Select Committee to investigate what took place on January 6th, 2021? This Committee is kind of “under the gun” to come to a conclusion by the end of 2022 in case republicans retake control of the House as many “pundits” are predicting. There would be no such “timeframe” for the Justice Department yet they seem to be leaving the “ball” in the Select Committee’s “court.” To me, that’s bordering on absurd and it suggests timidity or FEAR in the mind of AG Garland.

I can’t believe I’m going to say this: I’ve come to really admire Liz Cheney. You could check the archives of this site to confirm, in the past, I’ve written many DAMNING “rants” directed straight at her father Dick Cheney. There is little Ms. Cheney has voted FOR in her time as a member of the House I agreed with – until IMPEACHMENT #2 she was in leadership on the republican side – but I can imagine having a discussion with her regarding my differences with her voting record. That being said it’s not often you run into American politicians willing to risk their careers for a principle stand. Ms. Cheney, along with Adam Kinzinger, are two republicans speaking TRUTH to power right now and, to me, it’s impressive.

There were other republicans who had the guts to vote for individual 1’s SECOND impeachment, including my representative Jaimie Herrera-Beutler. However, since her vote for impeachment Ms. Beutler, along with MOST of the other republicans voting to IMPEACH, has shown NO courage to follow up with some of the HARD positions both Ms. Cheney and Mr. Kinzinger have PUBLICLY taken. After listening to Ms. Beutler make her vote to IMPEACH I thought “I’ll be voting for a republican.” However, when Ms. Beutler then failed to DEFEND Ms. Cheney when she was STRIPPED of her leadership position I was taken aback and her shuttle back into the CULT has put me off from the idea of voting for her. She is more concerned with re-election than standing on the side of the TRUTH – which could be right next to both Ms. Cheney and Mr. Kinzinger. – that position essentially encompasses the ENTIRE republican party.

I’ll end this by saying “please AG Garland don’t cause “we the people” to rely on the Select House Committee to solve the 1/6 INSURRECTION! The more the TRUTH comes out the MORE “we the people” realize the magnitude of the ASSAULT on the fundamental values of this nation – which have taken over 240 years to evolve. Individual 1 is defining what his administration meant when Steve Bannon, early on, admitted the goal: “Deconstruct the administrative state.” And, the OPEN level of corruption via individual 1, Mr. Bannon, and, it appears, many others who were involved in the INSURRECTION puts the “onus” on our Justice Department. In my view, if they fail to hold CLEAR lawbreaking, especially of this magnitude, to go unchallenged I believe either individual 1, or a republican who follows the same “playbook,” will succeed in an INSURRECTION (likely one which will succeed via the state level voter suppression encroaching on America as I’m writing this) Stay tuned……………….

Final Thought: Several months ago I started noticing Kyrsten Sinema hanging out with republicans like, for example, John Cornyn of Texas. Reports have surfaced recently of where MUCH of the campaign “contributions” to Ms. Sinema are coming from and it’s more than alarming. For starters, she’s recently received MAXIMUM donations from a “bevy” of long time republican donors – many affiliated with either the Pharmaceutical industry or the Finance industry. In addition, something in the neighborhood of 90% of the “contributions” coming in to her campaign are coming from “out of state.”

This all is on top of recent reports Ms. Sinema was in EUROPE recently seeking donations while the rest of the democratic members of the Senate were working to come to some kind of agreement on the “Build Back Better” plan of President Biden. Think about this: with a 50/50 “split” in the Senate all republicans needed to accomplish was to get ONE democrat to come along side with them – and, it appears they’ve succeeded in doing this with Ms. Sinema.

Naturally, Joe Manchin is still a MAJOR problem, but it appears to me Ms. Sinema may be the most critical one. Let’s hope democrats can come together to produce a truly historic bill!

Tonight I had ANOTHER (:o) idea: Considering the ability to get a free Covid-19 vaccine has been widely available for several MONTHS now, I’m thinking if you’re NOT vaccinated against the virus and you contract it, if you have any HONOR, you should NOT go to a hospital for treatment – no matter the level of the virus you have in your system. The reason I’m making this suggestion – and, I would be OK with hospitals refusing to admit these patients, especially in the states where there’s a “CRISIS” level of care due to overrun hospital ICU’s – is because, in many instances, it’s these very people who are leading the “charge” in attempts to threaten and intimidate those who support the mitigating efforts to put a STOP to the pandemic.

Ultimately, the DAMAGE these people (those who are threatening health care workers, etc.) are doing to our Health Care system could take YEARS to “fix.” First, there have been THOUSANDS of doctors, nurses, and others directly involved in providing care for Covid across America who’ve given their own LIVES to this pandemic. Those who are remaining MUST be either on the edge of BURNOUT or nearing it, and these right wing wack jobs aren’t helping matters in a positive way. Like I said above, many are, in one breath, threatening those who would attempt to make things safer for all of us – especially our Health Care workers – and, in the next breath they’re in the Emergency Room expecting the people they’ve been THREATENING to save their lives. Human nature would suggest it’s a miracle the people in the Hospitals continue attempting to save EVERY life. (Except in places like Alaska, Idaho, etc. where they have to decide who has the best chance to LIVE when deciding who gets care in their overrun hospitals.)

And, I know personally, many of the people in the Health Care system have just about had “enough already.” My niece works in one of the University of Washington Hospitals in Seattle in a Covid ICU and, basically, those on their team feel they’re working to save the lives of people who, almost ALL being unvaccinated, SHOULDN’T be there. My youngest daughter is a Registered Nurse in the Kaiser system and just last week the nurses voted OVERWHELMINGLY to go on strike. I’m guessing a large part of the problem for Kaiser has to do with the overwhelmingly HIGH cost of treating people with the more serious cases of Covid – apparently, they don’t feel they can afford to pay their nurses for what they’re dealing with – much of which is caused by Kaiser’s CHOICE to “short staff” these nurses. I told my daughter I would walk the picket line with her if it gets to that.

Like many of her peers, my daughter has mixed emotions regarding the care of the patients who are going to be “left in the lurch” – should it get to a walkout. Apparently, those in administration positions will be back actually working the “front lines” and they’re talking about bringing in “traveling” nurses who will charge Kaiser almost 10 times what their nurses are making who want a reasonable raise (4%) and they want Kaiser to HIRE enough nurses so different areas aren’t “short staffed,” and their nurses aren’t always working on the “edge.”

The VAST majority of those ending up in the Covid ICU’s are unvaccinated and that attitude spills over into many other areas of our communities. I’ve written about the “Proud Boys” causing a “lockdown” of a local area High School because of their support of a young student who wanted to force her way into the School without a mask – despite a clear “mask mandate.” We’re seeing a new level of hypocrisy coming from various levels of the republican party which has been hijacked by individual 1, a party who claimed to be the “party of law enforcement,” where a metastasizing level of civil disobedience is spreading all across this land – from the minimal where this girl refused to wear her mask at school to the absurd level of arrogant law breaking by the supporters of our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president.

You can now quickly identify the hard core supporters of individual 1 around where I live by simply going to the supermarket – for example, the local Kroger’s. When you go there you ALWAYS see at least a few people who are refusing to wear a mask – despite clear directions as you walk through the door stating “face coverings are required.” Not only do ALL these people “get away with it” but, when I asked the store manager why they allow this the response is, well kind of like they don’t want to make a scene. I point out it would be EASY to enforce the mandate and their response is “corporate” won’t allow it. That is, apparently Kroger is telling their customers (and their employees) they are unwilling to follow the law. (It’s a STATE mandate)

This is the kind of attitude I’ve been predicting for years would be the result of democrats FAILING to hold CRIMINAL activity from republicans to account. Ronald Reagan was allowed to go free (along with HW Bush) for their involvement in the Iran/Contra scandal. GW Bush/Dick Cheney/Don Rumsfeld et al were allowed to go “free” after committing WAR CRIMES during the Iraq and Afghanistan FIASCOS. And, of course, individual 1 – a common “mini” organized crime boss – has taken the reluctance of democrats holding republican LAWBREAKERS to account MANY steps forward.

As I’ve said here several times by now “we the people” are depending on Merrick Garland to hold individual 1 and his ring of lawbreakers to account for their ARROGANT lawbreaking. Along the lines of what I just said this ARROGANCE has filtered its way down to “Main Street” via those people you see without their masks, attacking School Boards and Health Care workers with their anti-mask and anti-vaxx insanity along with THREATS to those who are public servants, all the way up to the CRIMINALS who breached the Capitol on January 6th, 2021 and the CRIMINALS who INCITED their sedition. Sadly, I have to say there are already reports finding their way to various media outlets that Mr. Garland has a “weak stomach” (my characterization) for forcefully dealing with all these LAWBREAKERS.

The reports would suggest Mr. Garland is concerned with turning more of, for example, those who entered the Capitol on January 6th, 2021 into even MORE radical members of society. All I could think of was “tell that to all the African Americans who are sitting in prison for petty drug offenses.” Here’s the deal: In my view, Mr. Garland MUST start thinking in the exact OPPOSITE direction. Throw the “book” at the people who planned to “Hang Mike Pense,” who planned to overthrow the “will of the people” – and, by the way, still do – in fact, due to the lack of accountability for those who INCITED the INSURRECTION the republican base feels even more enabled. It’s almost as if “we’re white” how can you hold us accountable to the laws?

The THREAT to our republic (usually referred to as our “democracy”) is part of the public dialogue each and every day since the attempted INSURRECTION. The reticence of AG Garland and the Justice Department to fully ENFORCE our laws is becoming more concerning by the day. It’s been NINE months since the INSURRECTION and there hasn’t been a “peep” about holding individual 1 to account for OBVIOUSLY planning and INCITING the assault on our Capitol. As I’ve said here before, despite me not being a lawyer I believe I could argue for his GUILT in INCITING this INSURRECTION myself based simply on public knowledge. It appears Mr. Garland is NOT pursuing the actions of individual 1, his “number one” son, Mo Brooks, Rudy Giuliani, the lawyer who was encouraging individual 1 to “go for it” in regard to overturning the “will of the people” – John Eastman, and several members of Congress who were likely involved in various ways to this egregious attack on our NATION!

The DAMAGE being done to our nation due to individual 1’s CRIMINAL behavior has manifested itself in many ways – some of the worst I’ve laid out above. The reality there are STILL around 2000 Americans dying of Covid-19 EACH day at this point in time can be placed entirely at his feet – even though, on occasion he’s admitted he was vaccinated. He undermined the integrity of the republican party long before the pandemic, but his incompetence in dealing with it resulted in HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of unnecessary DEATHS while he was focused on his re-election – after he LOST the election he ignored the pandemic ENTIRELY – and, well, it just continues. Of course, he’s no longer in office (despite what he claims), but, indirectly, I believe the “anti-vaxxers” DYING in droves are the result of his persona.

With the (continuing) help of Vladimir Putin individual 1 has managed to turn America into two nations with the WORST of his “base” calling for “civil war.” In reality, what they’re trying to do is start a race war – as if they don’t understand the VAST majority of people who voted for Joe Biden are WHITE. Yes, Biden received MOST of the votes coming from the African American communities around the country, but, after all, he did receive over 81 MILLION votes – about 7 MILLION more than our IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president.

Final Thought: In regard to my concerns listed above regarding our Attorney General Merrick Garland, today the House Select Committee investigating January 6th, 2021 announced next Tuesday will be the committee vote on CRIMINAL contempt charges against Steve Bannon for failing to appear to answer an subpoena from the committee. Bennie Thompson, the chair of the committee, said, today, he’s expecting Mr. Garland will act expeditiously to put the committee’s CONTEMPT referral quickly to a Grand Jury resulting in Bannon’s INDICTMENT and arrest. Personally, I hope this happens “forthwith” and sends a message to EVERY other person who is subpoenaed to appear before their committee or for records sought by the committee. “We the people” need to FULLY understand EVERYTHING which led up to the ASSAULT on the Capitol, including who funded it, who planned it, and the INTENT of everyone involved – including individual 1 – who apparently watched it play out on live TV and STOKED it as opposed to attempting to stop if. Please Merrick Garland do your job! Enforce the LAWS to the fullest extent when it comes to saving our republic!

I believe Merrick Garland is more critical to saving America’s republic than the Congress which can’t get beyond a couple recalcitrant democratic Senators who are basking in the limelight which, up until this year, had escaped them. Having the “hammer” regarding the democrats progressive agenda have allowed them to face a “gaggle” of reporters every time they walk the halls of Congress. I’m sad to say that I believe Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema are willing to undermine Joe Biden despite the desperate NEED of so many of their own constituents for the investments in our people the “Build Back Better” agenda would provide for them. This is the classical example of what’s wrong in our Congress. The MONEY of lobbyists can derail even the MOST popular of government programs and, over and over again, they – and the politicians they buy off – prosper! It’s an ugly TRUTH about America. (One of many)

I’ve been around for a “while” so there’s not much which surprises me anymore as I observe American politics through the (mostly) lens of the so-called “liberal media.” There are those on MSNBC who are attempting to report what actually happened on January 6th, 2021 and how it all came about – including all those scheming in the “shadows” as the ACTUAL attempt to OVERTHROW “the will of the people” from the November 3rd election by instigating what amounted to an actual coup d’etat. Of course, in the eyes of those who watch Fox “news” the “INSURRECTION” occurred on election day and January 6th, 2021 was actually just a bunch of “patriots” protesting. Naturally, that would be the explanation of individual 1 – who seems more and more desperate to keep his own “arse” out of JAIL by way of – as I wrote in my previous posts – PROJECTION! The “INSURRECTIONISTS” were those Americans who voted for Joe Biden. I’m not kidding! This is what individual 1’s “base” is willing to “soak up.”

This is exactly why I’ve started using a word I despise, but for which I can’t find an alternative: “STUPID.” These are people who will believe whatever Fox and the other right wing media outlets “throw” their way with nary a single question. For example, in another “light,” you’ve got republicans all across America refusing a FREE vaccination while flooding to the feed store to buy up all the Ivermectin they can get their hands on. I’m not kidding. If you don’t know, Ivermectin is the horse/cattle/goat/sheep DEWORMER which, if consumed in the paste form my horses used to ingest, could make your “next stop” the ER room. My son knows an anti-vaxx family which is large and extended and, today, he learned 10 members of the “clan” have contracted Covid – all being unvaccinated. (And, we don’t yet know about the children) True to form, today, they were awaiting their Ivermectin, which they have every intention to ingest. My son’s friend’s wife said, “Ivermectin kills Covid in less than 35 seconds.” Yikes! Where did she hear this? Odds are they all watch Fox “news.”

So, is it any wonder we have MILLIONS of Americans who’ve been BRAINWASHED by Fox “news,” “Newsmax,” “OANN,” “Bannon’s War Room,” and numerous other right wing outlets. However, I’ve lost patience with those I know who are buying into this nonsense and who are comfortable believing if the person I vote for WINS, that means the “election” is “rigged” and should be overthrown. I’ve been paying attention to American politics since my Mom and Dad were arguing over Dwight Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson and it’s SHOCKING to me there are so many Americans who are willing to accept a FASCIST takeover of our government from within after fighting it off during WW II! Trying to accomplish what Adolf Hitler failed to do back when my Dad was in the Army in the 1940’s. This is beyond disappointing.

It’s almost as if outlets like Fox are experimenting to find out if there’s ANYTHING their “sheep” won’t believe with nary a whimper. And, even MORE shocking is that the EVIDENCE supporting the FACT there was an organized attempt to OVERTHROW our elected government continues to PILE up at a rapid pace further CONFIRMING there were a BUNCH of sycophants in the “White House,” the “Justice Department,” and various other agencies perfectly willing to go along with individual 1 STEALING the election. (Talk about your PROJECTION – they called their attempt to OVERTHROW the election, “Stop the Steal” – and, of course, their solution to individual 1 claiming the “election was rigged” has been to work “OVERTIME” to “RIG” our future elections – or, short of that, to enable republican legislatures to CHANGE the outcome of an election which doesn’t go their way! Wouldn’t that be STEALING?)

The EVIDENCE this is all going on – OK, was going on – is coming out almost FASTER than the “drip, drip, drip” I was predicting MONTHS ago. However, virtually NONE of the members of individual 1’s CULT will be aware of this because, well, they consume Fox “news” and/or the other right wing propaganda outlets mentioned above. So, what can we do about all this in the face of about 30% of the American public refusing to allow themselves any FACTUAL information to penetrate their skulls? Well, as I’ve said several times already on this site, “where are you Merrick Garland?” “We the people” are depending on our Justice Department to enforce the existing LAWS which CLEARLY cover this type of misbehavior – and, I’m not even a lawyer. Let me remind you: America is supposed to be a “nation of laws and not men.” This behavior of our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president smacks of Sedition!

Sedition: “incitement of resistance to or insurrection against lawful authority” – that’s a succinct way to put it, but it tells you all you need to know. There were NUMEROUS members of individual 1’s “team” – including our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president – who fit nicely into that definition. We’ve heard the word “sedition” used to describe the actions of MANY of the WORSE offenders on January 6th, 2021 (a day republicans would love for you to forget) so, in response, in their habit of PROJECTION we’re now seeing the word thrown around loosely so that those who were at the “head” of the INSURRECTION might avoid legal accountability.

So, along the lines of the republican FOCUS on PROJECTION – and, this happened back before the election which – in fact, it’s been obvious from day one of individual 1’s reign, and now, he is claiming the “real insurrection was the election: This example of PROJECTION comes via the communications director just prior to November, 2020’s election – ” The top communications official at the powerful cabinet department (HHS) in charge of combating the coronavirus accused career government scientists on Sunday of “sedition” in their handling of the pandemic and warned that left-wing hit squads were preparing for armed insurrection after the election.” You just can’t make this stuff up! Do you see the absurdity?

Now, we’re finding out more and more of what went into the REAL INSURRECTION and who were some of the “cast of characters” aside from individual 1. Our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president was GROOMING his suckers er sycophants er sheep well before the election and the members of the CULT gladly bought into his LYING. (Sadly, this continues – maybe even worse because the Justice Department seems reluctant for an “intervention”) I actually had an acquaintance who got sucked into the CULT and, despite him claiming “I don’t watch Fox,” well, the evidence would not suggest he was telling the truth. He was actually predicting to me about the “left wing hit squads preparing for armed insurrection after individual 1 would ‘win in a landslide,'” When will these people understand what’s being pumped into their heads?

I can make a suggestion: When Merrick Garland INDICTS individual 1 and many of his “lieutenants who were integral in the attempt to OVERTHROW the “will of the people” culminating in the January 6th, 2021 INSURRECTION (No, the “insurrection” was not on November 3rd when over 81 MILLION Americans voted either for Joe Biden or AGAINST individual 1) will be a good first step. And, when the right wing wack jobs all across America revolt because their fuhrer is being held accountable, start arresting ALL of them who choose to express their “revolt” via violence. We’re talking about the Proud Boys, the “Three Percenters,” the “Oathkeepers,” and other right wing FASCIST white nationalist “militia” groups. Many of the people defending individual 1’s attempted INSURRECTION are, like me, people who’ve taken a solemn OATH to defend the constitution against all enemies “foreign and domestic.” (Maybe individual 1 was anticipated when the “domestic” part of that oath was written into our constitution)

I graduated from High School back in 1965. I was an average small college basketball player and decided to quit playing basketball in 1967. Brainwashed about “communism” back then I joined the Marine PLC (Platoon Leader Corps) during the winter break from my Junior year in College. I took that solemn OATH and was fully prepared to put my life on the line fully because of that oath. As “luck would have it” – when I reported for boot camp I was given a more thorough physical and failed it due to a severe knee injury suffered during a High School football game. Shortly after getting an honorable discharge from the Marines I realized the Viet Nam “war” was built on LIES as with many other parts of my upbringing (maybe why I “fact check” information by reading multiple versions of the same situation) That all being said, I was fully willing to honor that OATH once I had given it!

I say that because I’m constantly taken aback by the number of republicans who appear to consider their OATH to the constitution nothing more than a necessary evil in their attempt to undermine the very government they’ve PROMISED to defend. Do you really think individual 1 could give a rat’s arse about the OATH he took when he was inaugurated into the “White House. And, what about all those people around him who were “all in” on his plan to overturn the election? What about all those members of Congress who voted to overturn the results of the election, even though they’d just been cowering in the Capitol Building hours before while the attempted INSURRECTION was under way? Are you reading this Ted Cruz? Josh Hawley? Heck, there were over 140 republicans voting against the electors in Pennsylvania. Yikes!!!

I’m trying to put my thought somewhere beside individual 1 and what seems like an obsession I have with him facing accountability for his ILLEGAL behavior – not only while he was in office – but, in addition, his actions prior to the 2016 FIASCO of an election. And, I keep coming back to Merrick Garland and believe he’s more important than the Congress in providing accountability for our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president. The last time I felt so compelled to pay attention to our nation holding a president accountable was during “Watergate” and the egregious actions of Richard Nixon which seems “tame” compared to the actions of individual 1, at least from my perspective.

Final Thought: Sadly, I have to make the following prediction – and, I have to add, most of my predictions come true – even though, like with this one, I usually hope they don’t. I believe when push comes to shove as the democrats are attempting to push through Joe Biden’s agenda and Joe Manchin continues to get berated for his intransigence – which seems to be uplifting for him, that is, constantly being in the spotlight – he just might switch parties and give the control of the Senate back to Moscow Mitch. The only thing which is likely preventing that from happening is, once he would make the switch he would NO longer be the focus of so much attention. Back into West Virginia’s invisible political space. We’ll see…………………..

I have to add: There are reports of THOUSANDS of police officers balking at the mandate they be vaccinated for the Covid-19 infection. In my state, their choice is to be vaccinated or lose their jobs. I believe this might be the best way to “weed” out the right wing officers who are in support of the INSURRECTION which continues to slowly seep throughout our country. For example, should individual 1 get what’s coming to him – that which he PROJECTED repeatedly onto his political “enemies – and, that would be an INDICTMENT for INCITING the INSURRECTION – “we the people” will need our police officers to be willing to “stop the STEALERS” – which would be those who don’t believe in encouraging more and more people to actually exercise their PRIVILEGE of VOTING. By now, NO ONE who is paying even the slightest attention to what the republican party is doing should fail to see the RACIST foundation they’ve now FULLY and overtly adopted.

Back when Ronald Reagan began his campaign for the “White House” in Philadelphia, Mississippi, the use of “dog whistles” aimed at the white nationalist voters was much more covert. It took me a while to pick up on it, but it soon became undeniable – but, not even close to as obvious as what is happening now. Back then, republicans were still “shunning” those in groups like the KKK, but, now, individual 1 is OPENLY encouraging a kind of apartheid in America. Remember the phrase “Make ______________ Great Again – (fill in the blank) it was used by Adolf Hitler AND Vladimir Putin when they were turning their countries toward fascism. Hitler: “Make Germany Great Again.” Putin: “Make Russia Great Again.” I’m sure you get my point!

Most observers I’ve read lately compare individual 1 to Mussolini, but I see too many parallels to the Third Reich. If you do the research it seems to be undeniable. The next few years are going to determine whether or not there are enough people to FIGHT back against this slow motion attempt at a “cou d’etat.” “We the people” will need police officers who are committed to the SOLEMN oath they took to the constitution prior to placing that badge on their uniform. That’s exactly why I believe those who refuse the vaccine mandate have identified themselves and they SHOULD be replaced!

Sadly, I’m already hearing “liberal” pundits suggesting progressive voters will “stay home” in 2022’s midterms because of the continued OBSTRUCTION of their will in Congress. Of course, the obvious solution is to vote in MORE democrats and vote OUT as many republicans as possible so that “we the people” are not relying on Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema to pass voting rights legislation along with President Biden’s “agenda.” Hopefully, democrats will be able to “cobble” together something which moves this nation closer to a 21st Century 1st world power.

The reality that Congress passes a defense budget of about $750 BILLION – each year, with nary a “whimper” from either “side of the isle,” but we can’t INVEST $350 BILLION each year in our people – especially, those who are young and with young families or aspiring to get there is – well – DEPLORABLE! My message to anyone who might read this is to make sure you VOTE in every election and VOTE against republicans every chance you get. (At least until individual 1 is gone and sanity is returned to the GOP – which may be IMPOSSIBLE at this point because almost ALL of them have proved themselves COWARDS in the face of our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president. This will take a number of YEARS!)

Just think: Had republicans, as they clearly SHOULD have, voted individual 1 GUILTY of INCITING the INSURRECTION back in February they would NOT be forced to deal with all this. Individual 1’s “ambition” for another run to the “White House” would not be possible – he’d be BARRED (pun intended) from holding any future office. Period! Full Stop!!! OMG! To quote an old song, “Wouldn’t that be wonderful!”

Projection: Is the process of displacing one’s feelings onto a different person, animal, or object. The term is most commonly used to describe defensive projection—attributing one’s own unacceptable urges to another. For example, if someone continuously bullies and ridicules a peer about his insecurities, the bully might be projecting his own struggle with self-esteem onto the other person. (From “Psychology Today”)

I start this rant with the aforementioned definition because the more I read about individual 1 the more obvious he is a pathological LIAR and “lives” in a world of projection. For example, if he’s accusing someone (example: Joe Biden) of doing something – he’s doing it himself. Presently, I’m reading “Only I Can Fix It” by Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker – the book focuses on the disastrous final year of individual 1’s time in the “White House.” During this “disastrous” year, our TWICE IMPEACED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president continually puts his own shortcomings on Biden and others who might challenge him.

Of course, as I often mention, there’s always more. I believe one reason for this constant projection is the demented personality individual 1 “perfected” over the course of his lifetime – likely taught to him by his father – where admitting ANY mistakes is IMPOSSIBLE because, to him, that’s a sign of “weakness.” You often hear him refer to others as “weak” when, in reality, just like the schoolyard BULLY he’s the one who was/is “weak.” He was CONSTANTLY making MISTAKES during the campaign and, despite people close to him pointing out some of these mistakes, he would ignore their suggestions and “double down.”

Individual 1 is the classic example of the person “born with a silver spoon” as he inherited, by most accounts, over $500 MILLION from his papa who regularly bailed him out of some of his disastrous decisions as a young man. (Like, for example, his Casino project in Atlantic City – the “Taj Mahal”) He’s BULLIED banks to actually forgive some of the DEBT he clearly owes – which should make the next year interesting as a reported $600 MILLION of “personal debt” is coming due. (Watch for some of his properties to be “on the market”) The reason I point all this out is to give a snipit of what has led him to become a pathological LIAR and so demented that he seems to be constantly PROJECTING his weakness onto others.

In one of my recent posts I defined fascism and pointed out how many people throw words like that around with no regard to their meaning. Individual 1 has predicted our nation’s government will become a “fascist” government under Joe Biden – this after his right wing authoritarian sycophants stormed our nation’s Capitol on January 6th, 2021 in an attempt to overthrow our nation’s democratic republic by throwing out the outcome of the November election – where individual 1 LOST by almost 8 MILLION votes. Of course, many of those votes came from “people of color” and a significant portion of them voted for Biden. Individual 1’s challenge to the election was racism and fascism “in plain sight.” Sadly, much of our nation’s so-called “liberal media” don’t want to talk about this – while the INSTIGATORS have been very busy attempting to change the “rules” of future elections to ENSURE they get the outcome they desire – even when they LOSE.

What catches my attention as I attempt to take in as much of the national “discourse” as I’m able to stomach is the constant PROJECTION of those on the right as they accuse democrats of super-charged “words” like “Socialists,” “Communists,” and, of course, “Fascists.” Well, I would never accuse the right wing, white nationalists in America of being either “Socialists,” or “Communists,” but when they suggest people like me are “fascists” it’s clear they’re assuming their “base” doesn’t understand “projection.” For example, the constant “drumbeat” by our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president to have his “enemies” – ie Barack Obama, Joe Biden, James Comey, James Clapper, etc. etc. JAILED because of their “corruption” was the epitome of PROJECTION!

Individual 1 is the MOST corrupt (so-called) president in American history to live in the “White House” calling those above mentioned above of “corruption.” I believe, as MORE evidence comes out, seemingly each week, we’ll all see even MORE examples of his CORRUPTION which was ongoing well before he moved into the “White House.” The INSURRECTION was a prime example of his CORRUPTION – where he attempted to overturn the “will of the people” right in plain sight. As I’ve written, so far it appears Attorney General Merrick Garland is AFRAID to INDICT our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president for CRIMES which one of us “common folk” would have been in court long ago.

Not only the INSURRECTION, but the “Russia thing” where Robert Mueller “memorialized” TEN instances of OBSTRUCTION of Justice so that once out of office and no longer protected by the OLC memo stating a “sitting president may not be indicted” – a memo honored by Mr. Mueller despite the CLEAR evidence of CRIMES being committed as individual 1 attempted to “knee cap” Mueller’s investigation – which, when you read about it from the principles, he succeeded (with the help of William Barr) (Here’s another thing: individual 1 seems to understand his legal vulnerability to in true form – in this case DEFLECTION – he’s grooming his thoughtless “base” to believe the “real” insurrection was the election itself – not January 6th, 2021. What a LIAR!!!)

Here’s some examples of individual 1’s PROJECTION from “I Alone Can Fix It:” On October 16 at a rally in Macon, Georgia he said: “The Biden family is a criminal enterprise” (Of course, individual 1’s family operates a criminal enterprise) He then adds, “Sleepy Joe Biden is the living embodiment of the corrupt political class that enriched himself while draining the economic life and soul from our country.” (OMG – that’s individual 1 himself! Couldn’t be put any better!) One more example from October of 2020 while in North Carolina and attacking the media: “You know you turn onto this ‘MSDNC’ and fake news CNNN, all you hear is, ‘COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID.” That’s all they put on, because they want to scare the hell out of everyone.” (Suggesting MSNBC was part of the “DNC” – when Fox “news” – i.e. individual 1’s “home base” which was (and is still) flooding their “base” with “alternative facts.” I bit more subtle example of PROJECTION. In this case calling the REAL news “fake” and the implying the FAKE “news” to be real. It goes on and on!

The PROJECTION continues “hot and heavy” to this day. Individual 1 is using this “strategy” in a poorly disguised attempt to keep Merrick Garland from taking the OBVIOUS step of INDICTING our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president for INCITING the INSURRECTION on January 6th, 2021. Yes, it’s true, when individual 1 is FINALLY indicted, his white nationalist base while recoil in a major BACKLASH – but, so be it! It’s either step up and show the COURAGE to defend the constitution and prove we ARE a “nation of laws and not men” or allow this right wing cabal subvert the very republic which has withstood what outwardly looks worse – ie Hitler during WW II – but could, invariably, result in an identical disaster to our “democracy.” I’ve said this several times, but, where is Merrick Garland? Why are right wing lawbreakers still walking free? (And, of course, that includes individual 1)

Final Thought: Again, today, I was listening to one of the commentators on MSNBC refer to the so-called “Build Back Better” plan of President Biden as a “massive” expenditure – which is how it seems because of its $3.5 TRILLION price tag (the “reconciliation” part of the “infrastructure” plan – and, I have to add, this is what “galls” me. There are about 1% of Congressional Democrats threatening to block this proposal – which is aimed at making America more competitive vs. the rest of the world going forward – complaining about the price. Keep in mind this bill’s “price tag” is spread across TEN years – so, in reality, it’s about $350 BILLION a year. Yes, that’s still a lot of money, but, keep in mind, virtually ALL these “balking” democrats, just a few weeks ago, voted to APPROVE the defense appropriation of OVER $700 BILLION for JUST the next year.

Yep, that’s correct, the “reconciliation” bill which is SORELY needed to keep America from falling FARTHER behind the Chinese and other forward thinking nations is less than HALF of this year’s defense budget which surpasses the defense spending of about the next ten highest spending nation’s in the world – COMBINED! And, have you heard a “peep” out of our so-called “liberal media” about the MASSIVE defense appropriation bill? How about “crickets.” And, EVERY one of the so-called “moderate” democrats balking at the “huge” spending in the infrastructure plan – wanting it to be paid for WITHOUT raising taxes ???? (let that one sink in, Joe Manchin) This is the absurdity which seems to be what you’d refer to as “only in America.”

And, as I’ve been saying so often of late, there’s always more. It appears Joe Manchin is willing to “accept” $150 BILLION in spending each year for the next 10 years (as we fall farther and farther behind the Chinese in the fight against Climate change) with the caveat there can be no restrictions against “coal, oil, and gas” subsidies. What Manchin doesn’t like made public is he owns, reportedly, a $5 MILLION stake in a coal company, which he “gifted” to his son years ago. This is discouraging, because it appears Manchin really will torpedo this much needed legislation, potentially, by himself.

However, former “liberal” Kyrsten Sinema is the other “democratic” Senator who is “balking” at the proposed legislation. In Sinema’s case, she also appear to be relishing being in the spotlight by being one of the two holdouts. However, in her case, there is universal “understanding” they don’t “understand” what her issues are – although, apparently, the price tag is what, at least in my case, we’ve heard she’s objecting to. But, what in the bill does she oppose? So far, at least publicly, that continues to be a mystery. It will be a shame if these two Senators torpedo Biden’s agenda and, if they do so, how will “we the people” respond? Will progressives flock to the polls for the third straight election to vote out republicans and replace them with progressives? Most pundits don’t believe that will happen.

There are twice as many republican Senators up for re-election than democrats – which includes several seats where republicans have “retired” – so, “we the people” have the opportunity to take this POWER away from both Manchin and Sinema – both of who are up for re-election in 2024 – by voting in MORE democrats to the Senate. Plus, in the face of partisan gerrymandering in places like Texas, pundits believe republicans will retake the HOUSE in 2022. Will, “we the people” allow this? Or will we “flock” to the polls in record numbers once again? Trust me, this ASSAULT on America will require progressives to VOTE in every election for the foreseeable future. But, will it happen? Stay tuned…………….

I’ve said this several times by now, but what is Merrick Garland waiting for regarding holding individual 1 to account for his BRAZEN and arrogant disregard for our system of laws. He continues to STOKE the right wing TERRORISTS who make up the core of the republican base – a group of THUGS who don’t hesitate to make death threats against anyone who might make an unkind comment about their fuhrer. (Fortunately for me, I’m simply floating around in cyberspace mostly unnoticed) Despite the FACT he’s been banned from “Twitter” and, apparently, for a period of time, from “Facebook” – two stalwarts of “Social Media” which I consider the “tools” which the anti-government faction in America use to stoke what amounts to radicalizing people in the same way groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS operate, individual 1 continues LYING to his base and walking around “free.”

You have to give individual 1 credit for creating, certainly in my lifetime, the “mother” of all personality CULTS. Everytime I think about an acquaintance of mine who became entrenched in the CULT suggesting the republican party under individual 1 is “Conservative and Christian” I can do nothing but shudder. I’m a Christian and I have to say it was really offensive to me watching INSURRECTIONISTS breaking into the nation’s Capitol Building on January 6th, 2021 chanting “Thank you Jesus.” All of this reminds me of reading about the Third Reich and the takeover of Germany by Adolf Hitler back in the early 1930’s with a base of “Conservative Christians.” An eye opening book was the biography of Deidrick Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas.

So, why is individual 1 still sending out his BRAZEN LIES from Mar a Lago instead of from behind bars? Here’s the deal; Michael Cohen went to jail for paying HUSH MONEY for our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president who has yet to be called to account for “directing” the payments – preventing “we the people” from knowing about his illicit affairs (yes, two of them) which happened while his (now) wife was bearing his final son. A one off? Not on your life! There are now OVER 600 INSURRECTIONISTS facing varying levels of jail time – from a few months to many years – because they did what individual 1 INCITED them to do on January 6th, 2021. Why are they in jail and the man who told them to “Go to the Capitol and fight like HELL or you won’t have a country anymore” still roaming around as a free man?

Of course, I can’t leave off the OTHER acts of ILLEGAL behavior as individual 1 stoked the claim the “election was stolen” – openly, for example, calling the Georgia Secretary of State and threatening him while, at the same time, asking him to “just find 11,780 votes which is one more than we have” (actually, a strange way to put it). How do we know he did this? Well, Brad Raffensperger fully understood individual 1’s tendency to LIE so he recorded the call and decided to publish it if individual 1 LIED about his ILLEGAL behavior. So, we ALL know what was said in a phone call which lasted MORE than an hour. The DA of Fulton County, Georgia, reportedly is at the Grand Jury stage of her “investigation.” What SHOULD be done is obvious, but it appears individual 1 has our law enforcement officers as intimidated as the republicans who continue to cower from their OBLIGATION to their oath to the constitution because of their FEAR of the right wing core of the republican base.

I suppose, maybe as I’m writing this, Attorney General Garland is considering how individual 1’s base will respond if our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president is indicted. It appears to me, not only SHOULD individual 1 be indicted for INCITING the crowd which stormed the Capitol on January 6th, 2021 but also on the podium at the Ellipse that day was individual 1 Jr., Rep. Mo Brooks, Rudy Giuliani, and, likely in the “shadows” Steve Bannon. Shouldn’t these people be held accountable for their words encouraging the attack on our Capitol? Even suggesting the overthrow of our elected government is SEDITION! When the “suggesting” (Brooks famously said when the MOB reached the Capitol “Take names and Kick Ass.”) INSTIGATORS motivate their audience to actually ACT on their words, well, that then is – for sure, from my reading of the law – SEDITION. If you don’t know, that’s a SERIOUS crime calling for a 20 year sentence if found GUILTY. All of these people should get the opportunity to defend themselves in court.

Tomorrow, as I’m writing this, is the date where the so-called “MAGA” crowd will descend on Washington DC in a protest of the FBI and Justice Department holding the “MAGA” sycophants who stormed the Capitol to account. They’re now referring to these SEDITIONISTS as “patriots” – at the urging of none other than their fuhrer. Of course that would be what individual 1 would be doing as he’s clearly attempting to mitigate his own role in the INSURRECTION. He’s pretty STUPID, but not so stupid as to fail to realize his “future” very well could be at the “mercy” of Mr. Garland. Keep in mind, there are still the 10 instances of OBSTRUCTION of Justice “memorialized” by Robert Mueller in case a future prosecutor (Merrick Garland gets the honor by default) decides to follow through on the Mueller investigation.

Individual 1 is no longer protected from indictment by the OLC memo written after the Watergate scandal back in the 1970’s. That memo has left many Americans, including myself, to wonder whether there really are Americans who are “above the law.” Keep in mind, I’ve been pointing out since our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president began his conspiracy to promote the so-called “Big Lie” that the election was “stolen,” that the TRUTH is going to come out – likely “drip by drip.” Well, it’s gotten to the point where it’s no longer “drip by drip,” but, instead, there’s a RUSH of EVIDENCE coming out which corroborates what those of us who’ve been calling for individual 1 (and, his co-conspirators) to be INDICTED. I just told my son I’m having trouble reading the books quick enough.

I recognize I’m possibly even more focused on wanting accountability for individual 1 as I was back in the days of Watergate for Richard Nixon – who, compared to our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president seems a “saint” – but, the reality is this time in America will be HISTORIC for more reasons than whether or not “we the people” fend off this republican assault on our nation. For example, I wish I could meet personally with the democrats who are BLOCKING the passage of Joe Biden’s agenda. Well, now that I think about it, those democrats are the ones who could be putting their names in the History books in the same paragraph as the MAGA crowd.

As the TRUTH about what led to the INSURRECTION becomes clearer and clearer “we the people” will be staring at some stark realities right in the “face.” Did democrats get Biden’s “Build Back Better” agenda passed? Did they counter the republican Voter Suppression assault on, mainly, the voters who – OK, it’s no secret – tend to vote democratically – like the so-called “people of color.” (Of course, it goes well beyond that) Did they prevent the government from defaulting on its debt – $7 TRILLION of which came during individual 1’s LONG four years in the “White House?” Was there another government “shutdown” which republicans will blame on democrats – but, happened because they filibustered the vote? Will the so-called “liberal media” continue to allow the “right” to spread LIE after LIE without exposing why they continue to do so? These really are HISTORICAL times. Stay tuned……………..

Final Thought: As I returned to this rant – I actually have published another one which was started much later – the “rally” I mentioned above which happened on September 18th, 2021 in support of the INSURRECTIONISTS of January 6th, 2021 – drew a couple hundred “protesters” who believe the INSURRECTIONISTS are, instead, “patriots.” Yikes! I keep coming back to my belief the FIRST step in the “healing” of America will be the ARREST of individual 1 for instigating the INSURRECTION along with the others who conspired with him in the attempt to overthrow the “free and fair” election which he LOST (badly, by the way – over 7 MILLION more votes for Joe Biden).

Yes, that will cause a (likely) violent reaction from those who frequent Stormfront.com, The Daily Stormer, Fox “news,” “Newsmax,” etc, etc, The MORE “drip, drip, drip” of the TRUTH comes out it’s becoming clearer there should be SEVERAL people ARRESTED for planning and INSTIGATING the attempted INSURRECTION. Remember, Sedition is a crime which doesn’t require you to succeed – in fact, had individual 1 succeeded in overthrowing the 2020 election and attempting to remain in POWER the issue would be much more SERIOUS than sedition. It would be the same OFFENSE as the reason all the Confederate statues have recently come down – those people were TRAITORS and individual 1 and his sycophants are falling into that same category.

It’s another day and I SHOULD post this rant today, but I have to add: The backlash I often talk about from individual 1’s cult is happening in real time – again, drip, drip, drip. Here’s where it’s getting really ugly: members of the CULT are doing the “traditional” “Tea Party” thing – only, instead of at Congressional Town Halls, they’re storming and shouting down school board meetings and meetings held by public health officials – going beyond the SHOUTING! Because, in my view, of the reticence of our Justice Department to enforce our existing laws in regard to our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president – acting as if they’re afraid of his “base” – seems to be encouraging more and more of them to THREATEN and ASSAULT members of school boards who believe students should be wearing masks and, likewise, for public health officials.

These public servants are hearing people shout at them “we know where you live” as they point in a threatening manner at their faces. Personally, I’m getting sick of these people. I’ve said I’m a Christian and I had to repent after going to the local Kroger store – which, by the way, I was told by a manager that “corporate” was unwilling to enforce the local mask mandate (actually, it’s a state mandate) – at the store I found myself getting angry at the number of people refusing to wear masks, even though there’s a sign at the entrance telling them “masks are required.”

These people who refuse to abide by the state mandate remind me of the oppositional children I taught when I was still a 6th grade teacher. I guess, yesterday, I had had enough, so I said to one of them, “you’re supposed to be wearing a mask” (I thought I’d do what the store manager was refusing to do) and he replied, “yeah, OK,” and continued putting stuff in his cart. I said, “I’ve got more masks in my car if you need one.” He said, “This conversation is over,” to which I relied, “You’re an effing dick!” It just came out and, as I walked away I quietly asked for forgiveness. In reality, there were fifteen “dicks” in the store I could see in my short time there and I told the manager (I actually asked to speak to him) it’s just going to be getting worse because the “word” will spread and more (dicks – I didn’t use that word to him) will be showing up every day. The people most threatened by this behavior are the people working in the store – who I consider the “frontline workers.” NONE of them, who I talked to, are happy about the store policy – which kind of explains the sign in front, “we’re hiring.” Go figure…………………

Until our Justice Department starts stopping this disregard for our “nation of laws and not men” by starting at the top, this INFECTION in our country will continue to metastasize. Every day there is MORE evidence about 30% of America have no regard for the aforementioned “laws” and feel empowered to threaten public officials all the way from school board members to anyone who speaks “truth to power” in regard to our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president. This group of seditionists feel empowered to use VIOLENCE or threats thereof to get their way – despite the FACT they are a significant MINORITY of this nation. It reminds me of an American version of APARTHEID. (As I’ve said many time, the parallels with 1930’s Germany are STARK!

In an attempt for clarity here are some definitions: (From Miriam Webster)

Conservative:  tending or disposed to maintain existing views, conditions, or institutions : TRADITIONAL conservative policies:  marked by moderation or caution, conservative estimate; marked by or relating to traditional norms of taste, elegance, style, or manners.

Neo-Nazi: a person who belongs to a group that believes in the ideas and policies of Hitler’s Nazis and that sometimes commits violent acts.

Fascism: a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.

Sedition: is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, established authority. (Oh yes, in America, it’s AGAINST the LAW with a sentence of 20 years if found GUILTY)

These terms get thrown around without regard for their actual meaning, including by our so-called “liberal media” and this, in my view, is a founding cause for the divisive politics which now permeates America. I could have put the term “Christian” in that same vein, but I’ll leave that for your imagination. I bring that up because I still know “republicans” who claim their party is “Christian and conservative.” They claim to be “pro-life” and in one of the great ironies, so far, of the 21st century, you have “republicans” who are scheming to control the bodies of American women claiming, in their fight against vaccine mandates, “my body my choice” in their refusal to abide by ANY of these proposed “mandates.” Let that sink in!

As I’ve stated here MANY times, I’m not a proponent of abortion, I simply don’t believe it’s my “call” to tell a woman how she can handle her body. And, if the teachings of the Bible are correct, then any consequence of that decision rests with that woman. (I’ve suggested in the past if the MAN involved in an unwanted pregnancy was forced to pay a fine of – let’s use the figure from the recent Texas abortion restriction – $10,000 for causing that pregnancy, I believe you’d see this issue change dramatically, but, I digress – actually, the more I think about it, let’s make it $20,000)

Soon, the death toll in America from the “novel” coronavirus (SARS-Cov-2 – ie Covid-19) will surpass 700,000 – likely by the time I publish this rant – and, for the past five or so months OVER 90% of the deaths are from people unvaccinated who had the opportunity to get the vaccine FOR FREE. Instead, many of them are consuming the ANIMAL dewormer, Ivermectin, which they have to either buy it from a feed store or find a doctor who’ll prescribe it despite the research which says not only does it NOT prevent Covid-19, but it very likely will poison you for taking it! (Instead of the FREE “jab” which has been proven to prevent a great MAJORITY of severe cases of Covid even IF you’re one of those who gets a “breakthrough” infection (a VERY small minority of those who’ve been FULLY vaccinated – I got my second dose of the Pfizer vaccine in early March with absolutely NO side effects)

Anyway, if you’re a republican, you’re expected to oppose abortion and OPPOSE the vaccine – “my body my choice.” (And, anything else Fox “news” TELLS you to oppose) Talk about wanting it “both ways.” However, the real “kicker” in all this, to me, gets back to my definitions above. I personally don’t see ANYTHING resembling “conservative” in the “present day” republican party and, in addition, I don’t see anything resembling “Christianity” in the rank and file behavior of those claiming to be republicans. As I’ve stated, also, many times here, I see a stark parallel to America’s so-called “Christian right” and the “Christian right” which made up the “base” of supporters for the Third Reich back in 1930’s Germany (more on that below).

When you read the definitions of “neo-Nazi’s” and “fascism,” terms of classic PROJECTION of republicans thrown aimlessly at democrats, you can see a clear parallel to where individual 1 and his prominent supporters (Mike Flynn, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, Jim Jordan, Steve Bannon, Paul Gosar, Mo Brooks, and others) are attempting to take “we the people.” The “America First” campaign was classic “nationalism,” the racist memes and “dog whistles” coming “fast and furious” from these “republicans” are classic fascist signs, and the attack on traditional institutions and values fully demonstrates these people are NOT “conservatives.” (Steve Bannon, while still part of individual 1’s administration famously was quoted as saying their “number one goal is deconstruction the administrative state.” That’s not the words of a “conservative!”

But, as usual, there’s ALWAYS more! And, on this next one, which I’ve been harping at for the past three plus years, I really don’t understand why our “liberal media” doesn’t just come out and “educate” all of America’s “uneducated voters” (and, many of her “educated” ones) that the LYING which permeates the republican party is part of a scheme which they “adopted” from the Third Reich (OK, Hitler himself) called the “Big Lie theory.” Yes, they’re referring to individual 1’s claim the “election was stolen” as the “Big Lie,” but what about the THOUSANDS of other LIES? What about all the recent LIES? Why do republicans, in unison, repeat their LIES over and over?

And, of course, “two siding” the issue of politicians “LYING” is ridiculous. The democrats don’t hold a “candle” to the LYING of the republicans – I don’t know, maybe because they’re not organized enough, or, just maybe, because the democratic party is not composed of a bunch of FASCISTS. Now, are all republicans “fascists?” Of course not. But, on the other hand, if you believe that, well, THEN you have to BELIEVE the party is made up of a BUNCH of cowards! I’ve always accused democrats for being either passive or being spineless, but they’ve got NOTHING on the republicans in Congress who KNOW BETTER but continue to support individual 1 with their COWARDLY silence. (And, keep in mind, Mitch McConnell – i.e. “Moscow Mitch” – is just a different version of the same “animal.” He’s just WAY more sly and sleezy than individual 1 and some of his disgusting sycophants – either way, willing to sell out America for the sake of POWER!)

And, speaking of fascists and, well, Steve Bannon, today marked the German elections where Angela Merkel is being replaced after 16 years. And, true to form, just as he did with individual 1 back in 2016 with his neo-Nazi base, Bannon has his “tentacles” in Germany pushing the right wing neo-Nazi movement there – and presumably in other countries in Western Europe. If you remember, another of the “white nationalist” “neo-Nazi” types in America’s media, Tucker Carlson, spent a week in Budapest kissing up to Viktor Orban, who, I believe meets the definition of a “fascist.” However, I read recently an article in the “Bulwark” which argued he’s NOT a fascist but a “Kleptocrat.”

So, in the name of “definitions:” A “Kleptocrat” is one who runs “a government characterized by rampant greed and corruption.” To me, when you look at Orban’s history as the RULER of Hungary it’s a “fine line” to call him a “Kleptocrat” as opposed to a fascist. Personally, I believe the “Miriam Webster” definition of fascist is pretty much met by Mr. Orban. There’s a reason why Carlson spent a week there broadcasting his show to America’s “suckers” in the Fox “news” viewing audience and there’s a reason why the white nationalists in America tune into Carlson’s show on a regular basis. Here’s the deal: The white nationalists/neo-Nazi’s/fascists in America are part of a “movement” which permeates the various borders of Western “democracies.”

People I know who consider themselves part of individual 1’s CULT have openly said to me, “I hate democracy.” I know at least a couple of them who would support a “race war” with the hope it would lead to another “civil war.” OK, you’re wondering where I’m going with this semi “history lesson.” I’ll get back to my long held belief democrats are “spineless.” Now, I do have to say, there are a few “young” democratic members of the House who I believe have GUTS, but, at the top, this still appears to be a problem. And, let me give you my PRIME example: Merrick Garland!

It’s true Mr. Garland SHOULD be a member of the Supreme Court, and had his appointment been confirmed, I believe there would be much less belief the Court is made up of a group of right wing political HACKS! However, Mr. Garland finds himself as the Attorney General at a time in American History which calls for someone with the COURAGE to meet the challenge of the time. And, first and foremost in that challenge, of course, would be holding our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president to account. How would he do this? Well, let me count the ways! OK, I don’t have enough fingers. But, for starters, our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president continues to find ways to “broadcast” to his CULT the so-called “Big Lie” the 2020 election was stolen.

That’s not helping anything – especially when any American who’s been paying attention to REALITY understands individual 1 SHOULD be under investigation by the Justice Department for INSTIGATING the INSURRECTION of January 6th, 2020, Now, I’m no lawyer, but I believe, with simply the EVIDENCE which is NOW part of the public record I could argue to a JURY why he’s GUILTY of SEDITION and get a conviction. I believe our Attorney General is NOT acting because he FEARS the backlash! (SHOULD I use the term “spineless?”) To me, that SHOULD have NOTHING to do with whether a former president – especially a TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president – is INDICTED for illegal activity – especially an attempted coup d’etat!

Of course, as I said above, there’s ALWAYS more! How about the TEN instances of OBSTRUCTION of Justice “memorialized” by Robert Mueller in his report on the “Russia Investigation” where, when asked during his Congressional testimony if individual 1 could be prosecuted after leaving office? His ONE word answer, was “YES!” That’s not enough for you? Well, why do you think I refer to him as “individual 1.” He was the “unindicted co-conspirator” in the Campaign finance FELONY which helped send Michael Cohen to prison for three years. Shouldn’t he face accountability for that? Is he actually “above the law” as he clearly believes?

We KNOW his buddy Vladimir Putin will claim a double standard should individual 1 be indicted, but WHO the hell CARES? Let Putin face the music in his own country as his MOB behavior becomes more understood by the Russian people while he continues to rob them of all the GREAT Russian natural resources – mainly OIL and GAS – from which he’s created his incredible WEALTH (and, likewise, to his inner circle of political sycophants and “oligarchs”)

As OIL becomes less and less valuable, the Russian economy is likely to continue to suffer. Yes, Putin’s opponents end up in jail (gulags), but to compare what he does with what we do (or SHOULD do) couldn’t be MORE opposite. In fact, I believe Putin is behind much of the divide created since individual 1 announced his candidacy back in 2015 with the Russian “Active Measures” campaign – along with what’s happening also in Western Europe. In addition, (as an aside) at some point I believe “we the people” will FULLY understand the “collusion” which helped individual 1 “win” the “White House” in the first place.

Lest I forget, there’s also the issue of individual 1 clearly attempting VOTER FRAUD by trying to intimidate various government officials around the country to overturn their 2020 election results – prior to his last gasp effort to BLOCK the certification of the Electoral College votes on January 6th, 2021 by INSTIGATING the INSURRECTION. As MORE and MORE information becomes public Mr. Garland is going to be looking very “spineless” unless there’s an investigation going on which “we the people” don’t know about. (Seems as if it’s pretty hard to keep something like that a “secret.” For example, take the investigation of Matt Gaetz. It appears there’s a plethora of EVIDENCE connecting him to a sex trafficking ring, among other allegations and, yet, he’s still walking around “free” while spouting clearly fascist BS. But. the existence of an investigation is public knowledge)

I’m not sure who I’m the most fed up with here? The republicans who are clearly attempting to turn America into a version of what Karl Rove referred to as the “permanent republican ‘majority'” back when he worked for GW Bush – Of course, today’s republicans are taking it much farther than anyone could have imagined back when Rove first “coined” the phrase. Or the members of the Justice Department who seem to be “crickets” as more and more EVIDENCE makes it clear there was a CONSPIRACY to commit SEDITION on January 6th, 2021.

The number of republicans with NO spine makes the democrats look like the reincarnation of a bunch of Audie Murphy’s. I keep wondering, what on earth are they afraid of? Well, the likely answer is all the death threats they’ll receive from the white nationalists who identify with republicans because of individual 1. Honestly, I can’t imagine why anyone, other than an overt racist, would allow themselves to be associated with that “bunch?” That being said, is AG Garland’s Justice Department living in FEAR of the same dynamic? This is the greatest threat to our government in my lifetime.

Where does the solution to this national “threat” lie? Well, sadly, we keep coming back to Attorney General Garland. And, if he’s got some slow moving investigation going, in my view, he needs to speed it up. What more does he need for “probable cause?” Five people DIED in the INSURRECTION, more died soon thereafter (Capitol Police officers committing suicide after the experience) and MILLIONS worth of DAMAGE done to the Capitol Building. This thing was planned ahead of time and individual 1 was the PLANNER. There’s NO way the 600+ INSURRECTIONISTS charged, so far, should bear the BRUNT of that seditionist attack on the “heart” of our democratic republic with extended jail times. It really is time for Attorney General Garland to INDICT individual 1 and allow him to defend himself from a charge of SEDITION! (I added the definition of Sedition above to alleviate any possible confusion)

Final Thought: I follow the statistics on the “pandemic” pretty closely on “Worldometer.info” and it’s becoming very interesting as we’re getting closer to the 700,000 number of Deaths attributed to the virus. (Clearly, the number is much higher) I’ve been pointing out the CHEATING going on in many republican led states for over a year now – when you follow this daily it becomes obvious. To me, the worst offender will likely be the republican nominee for president in 2024 should Mr. Garland do what he SHOULD as explained above. Without individual 1 “mucking up” the republican field the “front runner” would be none other than Ron DeSantis – who appears to be making his case by being the WORST governor in the nation regarding his fundamental job – ie “keeping Floridians safe.”

And, to me, making matters worse – but, likely in the eyes of the republican “base” making things better – he’s been CHEATING on the statistics repeatedly. Florida’s reports to “Worldometer.info” – or wherever they get their data – each day suggests around 3 – 5 Floridians are DYING from the virus when, in actuality, other places who are less public but actually collect the REAL data have been saying over 300 Floridians are DYING per day from this virus. That’s NOT just “another flu” as DeSantis and other republicans would have you believe.

My point: SHOULD AG Garland do the “right thing” it does not solve the republican party problem. It doesn’t change they’re attempting to suppress the votes in almost EVERY state in the union, it doesn’t change the FACT they have no “agenda” aside from “white grievance,” and it won’t keep another right wing wack job from gaining the nomination – maybe DeSantis, or the governor of Texas, maybe Kristi Noem of South Dakota – whose state looks REALLY bad despite the CHEATING, and there are several more. Also, until “we the people” begin PURGING republicans who oppose our “democracy” from Congress, this crisis will continue. And, considering all of that, my biggest concern is “will progressive voters (OK “liberals”) stay focused for the next SEVERAL years – because it will take that long to turn the “pendulum” back to the left.

Yes, Joe Biden is attempting to make a significant “first step” but, it appears, there are at least two “democrats” who are going to prevent Biden’s “agenda” from making it through the Senate. Hopefully, the “infrastructure bill” and the so-called “reconciliation bill” will pass in some form – but, in my view, without the Voting Rights legislation being passed “we the people” could be taking a giant step backward. And, we still don’t know the full effect of the right wing Supreme Court on several critical issues. (And, I’m not even bringing up the potential crisis with funding the government and the debt ceiling issue – America 2021!) Stay tuned…………………..

Today I’ve become 74 and I’m going to start my celebration (not:) by beginning a post with thoughts that crossed my mind this morning and thoughts I’ll lose if I don’t jot them down. I’ll finish this in the coming days. Recently I wrote about how the “Proud Boys” (what they have to be “proud” of evades me) decided to get involved in an “anti-masking” demonstration outside a local High School – eventually causing the school (and two neighboring schools) to experience a “lockdown” during the first week of the new school year where kids were finally back in the classrooms.

As I’ve been reading more about what happened there and what is happening across the nation spurred on by the right wing republican party attempting to keep their CULT members at a fever pitch heading toward the 2022 Mid term elections where it’s clear they’re looking for issues which will rile up their “base.” Originally, it was Humpty Dumpty (or some such character – oh yes, it was “Mr.” Potato Head”) and it’s evolved to the anti-mask anti-vax movement which is KILLING those who refuse the FREE “shot” all across the nation and, believe it or not, the so-called crisis over “critical race theory” (CRT).

So, if you noticed at the top of my “blog” (if that’s what this is) I spent the last 23 years of my working life as (mostly) a sixth grade teacher. (I’ve mentioned many times individual 1 has often reminded me of a sixth grader – but, I digress) Here’s how I view “critical race theory” from a teacher’s point of view. In teaching American History it seems to me it’s impossible to ignore issues like slavery, lynching, Jim Crow, the Tulsa “massacre,” etc. etc. These topics can be taught without the teacher influencing the “thinking” of the students – i.e. “critical thinking” – which was a key skill I attempted to teach to my sixth graders.

Here’s an example of how I taught (apparently) critical race theory – even though, at the time, neither me, my students, nor their parents understood the teaching in those terms. American History has always had a “soft spot” for teaching about Christopher Columbus who “sailed the oceans blue in 1492.” His “discovery” of America was him landing in the Caribbean apparently in the Bahamas. The natives, the Taino “Indians,” inhabited the island (Hispaniola?) and there are numerous articles on the internet about what happened during Columbus’ time with the Taino’s. The way I had my students study this was they were to write an essay with the title EITHER “Columbus a Hero” or “Columbus a Villain.”

Their responsibility was, first of all to research both sides of the “issue,” then, write a cogent essay where whatever position they took was supported by credible evidence. (And, there are numerous articles which would support each position) Of course, they were to read the various articles, decide their position, and then use information from the articles to support their point of view – why they believed one side and not the other. Of course, when you read about Columbus’s actions you get a good picture of what happened to Native American culture once the Europeans began to inhabit North America. Most of my students, but not all of them, came to the conclusion Columbus was a “villain” although their grade was based on the quality of the essay they wrote – notwithstanding their choice of topic. (Back then “Columbus Day” was still a holiday)

We didn’t get directly into the topic of slavery because that was not in the curriculum “years” of History we were teaching and not all teachers chose to follow suit in how I dealt with this issue. But, my point is, even sixth graders are capable of reading multiple points of view on a topic and making up their own minds on what is the “correct” position. Obviously, when the topic becomes “slavery,” “lynching,” “Reconstruction,” “Jim Crow,” “Juneteenth,” “Tulsa,” etc. people who are believers in the “lost cause” don’t want their children to understand the “warts” in our History. The reality in America right now is there is an undercurrent of moneyed elites who surreptitiously are FUNDING the right wing ASSAULT on our nation – including our nation’s Public Education system. They view themselves as “libertarians,” but, in reality they are promoting fascism – in it’s purest form. Yikes!

And, this group is supported by the talking heads on outlets like Fox “news,” “Newsmax TV,” the OANN network (full disclosure, I’ve not watched this one, only read quotes from what has passed over their network), Breitbart, etc. They have developed a large following of “minions” who, in my view, are incapable of “critical thinking” in any area – when I talk to those who I KNOW (many of them will deny this) who watch Fox their words are a regurgitation of what comes out of the mouths of people like Hannity, Carlson, Ingraham, etc. These people are NOT “conservatives,” they are full blown supporters of autocrats. A requirement of the GOP “leadership” is being willing to LIE for money and power. Sad! (Rush Limbaugh used to call the “minions” “ditto heads” – and, they had no objection to being called “ditto heads!”)

To me, a dialogue between “liberal” and “conservative” principles, when it comes to politics, is quite healthy. Here’s the problem: These terms have been HIJACKED by what is now represented to “we the people” by the republican party. Just imagine even 20 years ago a bunch of THUGS like the so-called “Proud Boys” showing up at a republican rally as the “security.” The moneyed interests behind this evolution of the republican party, most notably the now infamous “Koch Brothers” (today “Koch Brother” because one of them died) have surreptitiously been working to transform as many legislatures in America as possible to their “libertarian” (neo-fascist) point of view. They are smart, they have UNLIMITED funds, and they are ruthless – which is exactly why individual 1 appeals to them. Simply flatter him and he’ll bend to your wishes!

I’m guessing even Charles Koch is beginning to realize he “bit off more than he can chew” by backing individual 1 – an example of an narcissistic organized criminal becoming a politician. He does a good job of “playing dumb” when he’s asked about support from, for example, David Duke – pretending he doesn’t know who Mr. Duke is. Rrrrright! And, after saying he didn’t know who the “Proud Boys” are during a presidential debate he then asked them to “stand back and stand by” – not many “politicians” have that kind of “stones” to “dog whistle” during a debate on national TV. But, as happened for four years, our so-called “liberal media” allowed him to “get away with it.”

There are some members of the “Proud Boys,” along with members of the “Oathkeepers,” “3 Percenters,” and other right wing “militia er street brawler” groups facing extended JAIL time due to their ASSAULT on the Capitol during the January 6, 2021 INSURRECTION because they “stood back and stood by” waiting for the, in essence, “charge” command from their fuhrer er “commander in chief.” As I’ve said here several times, why are they in JAIL (OK, I actually KNOW why) and NOT the one who sent them on the “mission?” (Which was to impede the certification of Joe Biden’s landslide – based on individual 1’s own characterization of the 2016 election results – VICTORY) Just as in Abu Ghraib the “grunts” go to JAIL and those who “authorized the mission” go “scott free.” ONLY in America! (I wish someone would pass these words on to Merrick Garland, just sayin…………)

Speaking of “Only in America,” this coming weekend there is planned another MOB demonstration in Washington D.C. in support of the OVER 500 INSURRECTIONISTS who stormed our nation’s Capitol Building on January 6th, 2021 with the INTENT of overthrowing our government in support of individual 1’s so-called “Big Lie.” (Of course, his “Big Lies” came “hot and heavy” from the day he announced his intention to be a candidate back in 2015 – over 36,000 “Big Lies” during his four years in office.) Naturally, our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president had to “weigh in” by calling those facing charges for the INSURRECTION “great patriots.” Well, with “patriots like these” who needs……………….. Who else is calling them patriots? Yep, you guessed it, none other than Vladimir Putin! Stay tuned………………

Final Thought: I’ve pointed out how Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida, has been attempting to LIE about the disaster his (non) “policy” of (not) defending his state against the Covid-19 pandemic has caused to the people of Florida – apparently, in order to “raise” his political standing with the republican “base” – and, as the TRUTH comes out his FAILURE of LEADERSHIP is far worse than most of us understand. As I’ve done since the first reports of the SARS-Cov-2 virus (i.e. Covid-19) spreading across America I’ve followed the “data” on “Worldometer.info.” It became apparent to me, early on, several republican led states (not just Florida) were LYING about the severity of the virus in their state. DeSantis is simply one of the most egregious.

So, during the past month or so, Florida’s “data” has been very “spotty” as far as listing the numbers of new infections each day – anywhere from 10,000 to 30,000 – according to other sources, the best I can tell is an average of over 20,000 PER DAY – of new infections. On “Worldometer.info” it has not been unusual for Florida to report tens of thousands of new cases with anywhere from 5 to 8 deaths – with today’s total reported as “5.” So, I did a bit more research today and discovered OVER 1500 Floridians DIED just TODAY from the virus their governor is not only REFUSING to fight, but seems to be actually “fighting” to help it spread.

Several states don’t report any data and there are several others which don’t report the number of DEATHS for each day – and, despite all this, according to the “Worldometer.info” site there’s still around 2000 Americans dying from the so-called “delta variant” EACH day. What we know, is the number is MUCH higher than that. And, over 90% of those DYING from Covid-19 have NOT been vaccinated. Republican governors in numerous states are actually preventing their constituents from “mandating” vaccines and/or mask requirements – essentially saying, “their right to refuse protection from the virus makes it OK to spread it to others.” For republicans, when it comes to the vaccines it’s “My Body My Choice.” When it comes to the women of Texas, not so much! (This is what I call “right to life hypocrisy” in one of its MANY forms) Yikes!!!

One last thing: I have an acquaintance who I became simply unable to tolerate when he became too much a part of individual 1’s CULT – he continues to refer to republicans who support individual 1 as “conservative and Christian,” and led me to believe he believes the “Big Lie” about the election (among other “Big Lies”). He once referred to Covid as “just another flu” when talking to me about it – although, since I lost contact with him, I’ve heard he and his wife actually contracted it, I don’t know how bad of a “version” they got and I prayed they would fully recover, unbeknownst to them. The reason I bring this up is because I believe he would/will move to Idaho the first chance he got. His daughter is an RN in Boise and Idaho is a VERY “red” state – full of so-called “militia” members including a cell of the Atomwaffen crack pots (ie Nazi’s) – plus Idaho is one of the least vaccinated states (for Covid) in the entire Union.

So, I can’t help but think of his daughter (I also have a daughter who is an RN) because the Hospitals in Idaho (his daughter works in one of them in Boise) are well past overflowing with desperately ILL Covid-19 patients. In fact, Idaho is trying to transfer patients from their hospitals to their neighboring states (Oregon and Washington) which also have hospitals who are facing serious Covid situations, just not as CRITICAL as Idaho. Today, the government of Idaho announced their hospitals are now “triaging” care based on perceived chances of survival and, if you need an “elective” or emergency surgery, well, you’re “SOL.” (i.e. S@#t out of Luck) Will all of this cause any change in his thinking? Likely not. My guess is he’ll blame Joe Biden for the debacle in Idaho, Florida, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Indiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Alaska, etc. etc. – do you see the underlining issue here? Enough said………………..