Snark

What Will Happen – Part 2 of 2


POST 1121

Preface

This is Part 2 of 2 – Part 1 was published last Sunday, detailing some of what you can expect from the second Trump presidency, Some of what follows is snark or satire. Most is not.

Criminality

The sentencing hearing for the 34 criminal convictions of Trump in New York for fraud is scheduled for November 26. Expect some cockamamie, bullshit suspension of sentence. The conviction will stand, but it will be neutered and Trump will get away with fraud, election interference and screwing a porn star while his wife was giving birth and caring for his infant son.

The E. Jean Carroll case is on appeal, likely to be decided around the time Trump is sworn in with his hand on a Chinese made Trump Bible. Watch to see if the Bible is held upside down, as in Trump’s photo op in Lafayette Square in 2020. If the judgement award is upheld, the money will be paid to Carroll from the bond believed to have been created by Trump’s lawyers. Then expect an infinitely long delay to repay Trump’s attorneys. Like so many Trump lawyers and contractors have been, those guys (or whoever put up the cash) will be screwed.

Once in office, Trump will attempt to pardon himself in order to avoid eventual prosecution in the insurrection indictment and in the Mar-A-Lago classified documents indictment. His puppet district court judge in the Mar-A-Lago case, Aileen Cannon, dismissed the case on bogus reasoning (a staple of her judgeship) that the special prosecutor was appointed improperly. There are at least two cases that establish with great clarity that there is no basis for her ruling. Jack Smith has appealed her stupid dismissal of the case. Expect yet another appeals court smack down of Judge Cannon.

Meanwhile, as I said, Trump will attempt to pardon himself from this and all other crimes which he may have committed, which will include the insurrection indictment and the Mar-A-Lago classified documents case. His pardon, if allowed to stand (and I don’t know who would challenge it, since he will control the Department of Justice) will only apply to federal cases.

Meanwhile, there’s the Fani Willis indictment of Trump in Georgia for election interference, criminal racketeering, conspiracy to change the outcome of the 2020 election and felonious manifestation of stupidity. That’s the, “What I want to do is this. I just want to find, uh, 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have, because we won the state,” case. This case will go nowhere because by the time Trump is out of office he will be mentally enfeebled and too much time will have passed for there to be public support for prosecution.

Several of Trump’s lawyers pleaded guilty to the Georgia conspiracy charges and some are disbarred. All are tarred and will have to go find real work. Maybe they can get jobs building the wall that Mexico won’t pay for.

These lawyers helped the big stinky fish to get away. That was a great deal for Trump, because he will stiff those lawyers. All it took to get his free legal defense was Trump’s promise of money and fame. The disgraced lawyers believed him and sold themselves out on the cheap.

Meanwhile, pardon or not, Trump will be President and therefore prosecution-proof because of that grievous 1973 memo from The Office of Legal Counsel in the Department of Justice, which says that a sitting President may not be criminally prosecuted. It isn’t law, but it’s treated as if it were.

And, of course, there is the idiotic Supreme Court stay-out-of-jail-free decision from 2024 that transforms a president into an absolute, untouchable monarch. The Court decided that a bad boy President can never be prosecuted for criminal official acts. That way Trump really can shoot someone on 5th avenue and get away with it. It’s good to have one’s own personal Supreme Court justices.

Supreme Court

Thomas and Alito will resign and Trump will replace them with radical right wing operatives (no women need apply). Their young age will guarantee an extremist Court for generations. They will be fundamental to the Heritage Foundation march to permanent destruction of democracy and the enshrining of autocracy.

There will be no ethics codes with teeth imposed on the Court, the kind that all other federal judges must abide by. The Trump Court will lubricate the monstrous enriching machine for already fabulously rich people, as well as send all power to just a few unworthy individuals. Cruelty and discrimination will be enshrined in our laws, as rights and freedoms are incrementally taken from the people. Abortion, gun safety, public education and humane immigration will all vanish. No worries, though. Things will get worse.

Legacy

In his first administration, Trump rampaged through everything on which Obama had his fingerprints. Effectively, he tried to erase Obama from American history. Now it’s Biden’s turn to be Trump’s whipping boy. Expect his efforts to cancel every Biden success.

Trump will direct his Department of Justice to prosecute the non-existent Biden Crime Family. All that will come of that will be a high volume lies and innuendos from Republican posers. They will sound like champions of justice to the MAGA crowd and like lying idiots to the rest of us. Biden will have to secure legal counsel to defend himself against the Republican dishonesty, so Trump will crow about how he crushed Biden.

Foreign Relations

Expect Trump to do everything he can to undermine NATO, including removing the US from membership. Plus, he will treat NATO like one of his lawyers and refuse to pay what is owed. Given his compliant Senate and likely compliant House, they will allow him to terminate our membership or financially undermine the organization that has kept the peace in Europe for 75 years. Following that, look for Putin’s Russia to begin invasions of NATO member countries with relative impunity, because Trump has already told Putin to, “Do whatever the hell you want.” Accordingly, it’s safe to assume Trump will cut off military aid to Ukraine and allow the very worst to happen to those people.

Expect some kind of aggressive actions toward Iran, likely leading to a military confrontation in a battle to win the Penis Raving Insecurity Challenge Kingdom (PRICK). There will be further sucking up to North Korea and provocations of China. What could possibly go wrong?

Final Note

There is nothing in this post that you didn’t already know. That is how blatantly, screamingly, obviously awful this stuff is. And there is more and worse on the way. We have a lot of work to do. Meanwhile,

Don’t let the bastards get you down!

 

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Thanks!

The Fine Print:

  1. Writings quoted or linked from my posts reflect a point I want to make, at least in part. That does not mean that I endorse or agree with everything in such writings.
  2. There are lots of smart, well-informed people. Sometimes we agree; sometimes we don’t. Search for others’ views and decide for yourself.
  3. Errors in fact, grammar, spelling and punctuation are all embarrassingly mine. Glad to have your corrections.
  4. Responsibility for the content of these posts is unequivocally, totally, unavoidably mine.
  5. Book links to Amazon are provided for reference only. Please purchase your books through your local mom & pop bookstore. Keep them and your town or neighborhood vibrant.
  6. Clicking on most pics in these posts will take you to the source information.

Click me

JA


Copyright 2024 by Jack Altschuler
Reproduction and sharing are encouraged, providing proper attribution is given.

What We Wish We Had Heard . . .


POST 1112

 .  .  .  in the Bret Baier Interview
Harris

Tell me, Bret: When you interview Donald Trump do you interrupt him? Do you talk over him? I bet not, because if you did he’d crush you like a bug.

Baier

Well, no, not really.

Harris

Then don’t interrupt or talk over me.

And just to make sure you don’t, if you do it again I will invite you to imagine me telling your mother what you’re doing. I’m sorry she’s passed, because that strong woman would know just what to do with you and you wouldn’t like it. So would the nuns at your high school alma mater, Marist School. They would know what to do with you. They’re strong women, too.

So, what do you say, Bret – are you going to be polite and respectful in this interview?

Baier

Uh  .  .  .  uh, okay.

It’s not the vibes and it’s not the polls: it’s the votes. 
Are you registered to vote? Check it out on any of these websites:
.

https://www.vote.org/am-i-registerilled-to-vote/

https://www.usa.gov/confirm-voter-registration

https://www.rockthevote.org/how-to-vote/am-i-registered-to-vote/

“Friends do not let friends vote for con artists.”
  • – Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), 2016


  • Did someone forward this post to you? Welcome! Please subscribe – use the simple form above on the right. And pass this along to three others, encouraging them to subscribe, too. (IT’S A FREEBIE!) It’s going to take ALL OF US to get the job done.

    And add your comments below to help us all to be better informed.

    Thanks!

    The Fine Print:

    1. Writings quoted or linked from my posts reflect a point I want to make, at least in part. That does not mean that I endorse or agree with everything in such writings.
    2. There are lots of smart, well-informed people. Sometimes we agree; sometimes we don’t. Search for others’ views and decide for yourself.
    3. Errors in fact, grammar, spelling and punctuation are all embarrassingly mine. Glad to have your corrections.
    4. Responsibility for the content of these posts is unequivocally, totally, unavoidably mine.
    5. Book links to Amazon are provided for reference only. Please purchase your books through your local mom & pop bookstore, even if that makes them a few bucks more expensive. That will help to keep them your town or neighborhood vibrant.
    6. Clicking on most pics in these posts will take you to the source information.

    Click me

    JA


Copyright 2024 by Jack Altschuler
Reproduction and sharing are encouraged, providing proper attribution is given.

The Jax Politix Trump Rally Speech


POST 1106

Late Addition: The Debate Opening We Wish Had Happened

“Senator, you don’t know me. We just met, so we’re not close friends. I will address you as Senator. You may address me as Governor or Governor Walz. Not Tim. I’m quite sure I’ve earned that respect.

“Three years ago you confidently announced that you want to tear down our Constitution and our democracy and replace it with an autocracy – a dictatorship. What is significant is that before that you were a United States Marine. You swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic and then you argued for tearing it all down. You’ve repeated some version of that loathsome statement since then. and you’re partnered with a criminal who wants to “terminate the Constitution.”

“You took that same sacred oath upon becoming a United States Senator. That means that your first official act as a senator was to swear that sacred oath, knowing you were lying. You did it with your hand on your Bible. That was unacceptable dishonesty. Were you to win this election, it would be treasonous dishonesty. Senator, you’re the worst kind of fraud and you aren’t fit to be Vice President of the United States.”

View From a Half-Empty Arena With Attendees Leaving

Donald Trump advances to the podium, then shifts to the side and claps his hands not quite in time with the music. Then he begins to speak.

My friend Hannibal Lector – he’s the greatest – he came up from my Mar-a-Lago basement yesterday where he’s been staying as my guest at no charge. It’s a beautiful basement – the best – like nothing you’ve ever seen – there’s even a gold toilet and cases of ketchup – and he explained it all to me. It’s so bad, he told me.

Nobody can believe it. You’re lucky to have me here to protect you from the horrible people in this failing nation and to deliver the revenge and retribution against these horrible people, these Democrats, who dribble corn flakes in your bed.

And the election – you won’t even have to vote because we’ve set up traps – they’re called rabbit snares – and we can stop the fake voters with these traps. We can stop the illegal people who ka-MA-la-la is letting into our country. They are trying to vote and steal our great nation. So are the people who aren’t White but who try to vote anyway, and even the fake FBI. They’re so fake that it’s their first name. The Fake Bureau of Investigation. Nobody can believe it, but I’m telling you this is true. I wrote it in ketchup on the wall.

The foiber and gonzelets are fonzled in abstentia, but we real Amerikanzis stand toothgetter. We have to be strong and flight, flight, flight! Nobloody has ever seen this kind of strengther before. Nobloody.

I’ll protect our women. That’s what strong men do. I do that. I’m strong. “I WILL PROTECT WOMEN AT A LEVEL NEVER SEEN BEFORE.” But ka-MA-la-la is horrible. She’s actually mentally disabled and should be impeached and persecuted. She’s weak and can’t protect our women or our country. Trump is the only protector. The only one.

But the women, they love me, even the women who love their cats but not their dogs. They love me. Especially the ones who are my type. I really like my type. Ivanka is my type. I’d date her if she weren’t my daughter. Melania used to be my type, but not so much anymore. I’m sorry I brought her here from Lower Slobovia. What’s that kid’s name?

We can’t let our country become a shithole country, which is where we are headed unless I’m president. Hannibal Lechter told me that and he knows. He’s strong and he speaks to me. He told me that electrocution by batteries in the ocean is better than getting eaten by a shark and he should know, because he was electrocuted. He’s a very strong man. Very strong. Like me.

I could be sun bathing my beautiful body,* but instead I’m here protecting you. I stand here taking the blows for you and that’s okay. Don’t worry about me. I worry about you, which is why you have to fight like hell. So, stand back and stand by. We’ll make the Democrats and the corn flake crumbs go away forever. That I will tell you. FLIGHT, FLIGHT, FLIGHT!

It will be like nothing anyone has ever seen. People are saying  .  .  .  something. I can’t remember what.

Exit to the playing of copyrighted material used without permission.

View From The Brits
From the FaceBook post of Dwight Homer of September 21,
.
“Why do some British people not like Donald Trump?” in London Daily Sept 16 2023 (excerpt)
.
“Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem. For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace – all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed. So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.
.
“Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing – not once, ever. I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility – for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman. But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is – his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.
.
“Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers. And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults – he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.
.
“There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It’s all surface……
.

“And worse, he is that most unforgivable of all things to the British: a bully. That is, except when he is among bullies; then he suddenly transforms into a snivelling [sic} sidekick instead. …”

Many thanks to DS for pointing me to this piece.

View From the Hypocrisy and Mendacity Corner

Of course you know they lie, but they’ve really set a new low mark using the devastation of hurricane Helene to spew their hate, just when our people are desperate for help. Here’s a bit from Heather Cox Richardson’s post of October 1:

.  .  .  the hurricane has become the latest topic of disinformation for MAGA Republicans. Social media today is full of accounts claiming that the federal government is not responding to the crisis in western North Carolina because it prefers to spend money in Ukraine and on undocumented immigrants. Newsmax host Todd Starnes claimed that FEMA’s “top priority is not disaster relief” but to push diversity, equity and inclusion. “So, unless you’ve got your preferred pronouns spray painted on the side of your submerged house—you won’t get a penny from Uncle Sam. Western North Carolina is just too Conservative and too Caucasian for FEMA to care.” The House Judiciary Committee posted that “Joe Biden was at the beach.”

These posts echo Russian disinformation, and Trump was on board with it.

It’s possible that the Republican Party can be revitalized into something that is based in truth and reality. It’s possible that they could stop being cruel, stupid and anti-American. But we’ll have to wait a long time for that.

Read Richardson’s full post to revitalize your understanding of why we must get Democrats elected.

Quote of the Week

From Steve Sheffey’s post of September 29,

“Why are some of us eager to believe anything bad about Biden and Harris but willing to dismiss the truth about Trump?”

Voting and getting out the vote reduce the risk of unwanted presidencies!

______________________________________________________

* View From the Tennis Court
.

 

 

 

 

.

 

Many thanks to SA for the Obi-Wan gif.

It’s not the vibes and it’s not the polls: it’s the votes. 
Are you registered to vote? Check it out on any of these websites:
.

https://www.vote.org/am-i-registered-to-vote/

https://www.usa.gov/confirm-voter-registration

https://www.rockthevote.org/how-to-vote/am-i-registered-to-vote/

“Friends do not let friends vote for con artists.”
  • – Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), 2016


  • Did someone forward this post to you? Welcome! Please subscribe – use the simple form above on the right. And pass this along to three others, encouraging them to subscribe, too. (IT’S A FREEBIE!) It’s going to take ALL OF US to get the job done.

    And add your comments below to help us all to be better informed.

    Thanks!

    The Fine Print:

    1. Writings quoted or linked from my posts reflect a point I want to make, at least in part. That does not mean that I endorse or agree with everything in such writings.
    2. There are lots of smart, well-informed people. Sometimes we agree; sometimes we don’t. Search for others’ views and decide for yourself.
    3. Errors in fact, grammar, spelling and punctuation are all embarrassingly mine. Glad to have your corrections.
    4. Responsibility for the content of these posts is unequivocally, totally, unavoidably mine.
    5. Book links to Amazon are provided for reference only. Please purchase your books through your local mom & pop bookstore, even if that makes them a few bucks more expensive. That will help to keep them your town or neighborhood vibrant.
    6. Clicking on most pics in these posts will take you to the source information.

    Click me

    JA


Copyright 2024 by Jack Altschuler
Reproduction and sharing are encouraged, providing proper attribution is given.

What a Load of Bovine Fecal Matter!


POST 1097

Cow Pie #1

Republicans tell us they’re for small government, low taxes, no deficits and no debt. Good thing. Otherwise, we’d have a crazy amount of debt, right? Here’s how the Rs helped us with this, looking at just their tax programs.

The unpaid-for George W. Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 collectively added about $5.6 trillion to our national debt. Dubya solemnly promised that the cuts would “pay for themselves” via increased economic activity, plus more opportunity and better wages for working people. None of happened, but rich people did become much more wealthy every year of his administration.

Dubya was the first president to cut taxes while our country was at war, creating massive debt. His vice president, Dick Cheney, proudly declared that budget deficits don’t matter, so they conducted “off-balance sheet” wars. I still don’t know what that is.

Trump continued the lie, promising tax cuts that would bring greater opportunity and higher wages for working people. He structured his tax policy to give 83% of the benefit of the tax cuts to corporations and extremely wealthy people – about $2 trillion – and we got the debt.

Do you understand $1 trillion? You can do the math, of course, but can you really relate to what it actually is? Consider yourself a genius if that number is anything but an abstract notion of math to you.

The tried and true method of explaining large numbers is to imagine dollar bills laid end-to-end. $1 trillion would stretch around the earth at the equator .  .  .

4,000 bills deep!
.

That’s $1 trillion. But these two presidents piled about $7.6 trillion of debt onto the backs of We The People in order to stuff large denomination bills into the pockets of the already rich. That results in a circle of dollar bills around the earth at the equator

30,400 bills deep!
.

That’s what supply side voodoo economics (that was H.W. Bush’s term) got us. It’s wealth transfer from us to the rich. We still have search crews out looking for the supply side benefits for working people that Republican presidents have promised.

Are you getting this?

If elected president again, Trump has promised another massive tax cut for the rich, and why not? His first tax cut worked out so well for himself and his rich pals.

Republicans are not for small government. They are not debt or deficit hawks. They are strictly for enriching the grossly wealthy at the expense of the rest of us, creating an almost feudal system of wealth inequity. Their tax plans are a load of bovine fecal matter.

Just for fun

Our national debt is currently over $35 trillion. Stack those singles around the equator and the pile would be.

140,000 bills deep!

That’s what we owe, in part thanks to Republicans and their phony opposition to debt and deficits.

Cow Pie #2

A couple of weekends ago vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance complained on CNN that Democrats are bullying him by calling him weird. The nerve of them to correctly identify the pretender to the throne as weird! They are such meanies!

But wait. Didn’t Vance call Democrats “miserable, childless cat ladies?” That’s pretty weird. Didn’t he denigrate the 24 year military service of Tim Walz? That’s weird, too. Doesn’t Trump spend a significant part of his day trying to think up a mean, playground brat name for Kamala Harris?

That’s all pretty weird. And since J.D. is now a spokesperson for all the weird Republican stuff, his whining about being called weird is nothing less than hypocrisy.

Tell you what, J.D.: we’ll stop calling you weird when you stop pretending to be a man of the common folk from Appalachia, you faux-billy. We’ll stop calling you weird when you stop demeaning American women who haven’t given birth to a child. We’ll back off that descriptor “weird” when you stop trying to make America into a 13th century patriarchy ruled by a cruel despot.

Because until then, you’re just a weird cow pie.

Cow Pie #3

Read this from Boston College Professor of History Heather Cox Richardson, reporting a Supreme Court decision on the topic of women’s suffrage:

In a unanimous decision in 1875, the justices decided that women were indeed citizens [by virtue of birthright citizenship guaranteed by the 14th amendment] but that citizenship did not necessarily convey the right to vote.

It would take another 45 years and a Constitutional amendment the Supreme Court couldn’t mess with to fix that.

That crazy pants decision is from the same body that recently decided that presidential immunity from prosecution for criminal acts – felonies – was a good idea. Apparently, they believe we don’t need accountability or equal justice under law.

What kind intelligence abdication, as well as Constitution defying brain pretzeling does it take to come up with such contorted lunacy? Did these guys sprain muscles and dislocate joints getting to their twisted idiocy? Our nation is severely damaged by their blatant faithlessness.

Cow Pie #4

Trump ridiculing disabled reporter using recreational cruelty sanctioned by his Ministry of Cruelty

You know all you need to know about far right cruelty, dispensed daily by Laura Ingraham, Ann Coulter and, most cruelly, by Donald Trump, like when he ridiculed a disabled journalist. Last week they ridiculed Tim Walz’s son Gus because of his tears of pride and joy for his father. That 17-year-old with nonverbal learning disorder just isn’t a real man, according to these savagery dispensers.

I learned a new term for what these awful people do. It’s

recreational cruelty.
.

You’ve seen their joy in hurting others just for the fun of it. What is far worse is that they have a huge audience that cheers their bloodthirsty sadism. They are the drivers of the sick, cruel recreational cruelty. If they mob were to stop cheering, the perps would go down like waste in a sewer.

Final Fecal Heap

Trump visited the graves at Arlington National Cemetery of 13 service people (“suckers” and “losers”) who died in a Taliban bombing as we exited that country, done per the agreement Trump made with the Taliban. He was at Arlington to use those people as props to attack Biden and Harris, this in direct violation of the law and the rules of the cemetery. Read Steve Schmidt’s take on Trump’s reprehensible cow pie.

 

 

 

Quick Comments On the CNN Interview – No Cow Pie Award Given

All participants got what they wanted.

Harris and Walz didn’t answer many questions. They did a standard political two-step around the sticky ones and Dana Bash let them get away with that. That got them:

Reduced media and Republican heat for having done no interviews to that point.

They did no harm to their campaign.

Dana Bash and CNN got:

Ratings

Advertising revenue

We The People didn’t get much.

Are you registered to vote? Check it out here:
.

https://www.vote.org/am-i-registered-to-vote/

https://www.usa.gov/confirm-voter-registration

https://www.rockthevote.org/how-to-vote/am-i-registered-to-vote/

“Friends do not let friends vote for con artists.”
  • – Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), 2016.


  • Did someone forward this post to you? Welcome! Please subscribe – use the simple form above on the right. And pass this along to three others, encouraging them to subscribe, too. (IT’S A FREEBIE!) It’s going to take ALL OF US to get the job done.

    And add your comments below to help us all to be better informed.

    Thanks!

    The Fine Print:

    1. Writings quoted or linked from my posts reflect a point I want to make, at least in part. That does not mean that I endorse or agree with everything in such writings.
    2. There are lots of smart, well-informed people. Sometimes we agree; sometimes we don’t. Search for others’ views and decide for yourself.
    3. Errors in fact, grammar, spelling and punctuation are all embarrassingly mine. Glad to have your corrections.
    4. Responsibility for the content of these posts is unequivocally, totally, unavoidably mine.
    5. Book links to Amazon are provided for reference only. Please purchase your books through your local mom & pop bookstore. Keep them and your town or neighborhood vibrant.
    6. Clicking on most pics in these posts will take you to the source information.

    Click me

    JA


Copyright 2024 by Jack Altschuler
Reproduction and sharing are encouraged, providing proper attribution is given.

A New Take On Rights


POST 1096

First, A Few Takes From the DNC Convention

I’ve never seen anything like that. Nobody else has, either. We saw,

An IVF baby, now a young man, clapping and jumping, tears streaming down his face, pointing at the vice presidential nominee, yelling, “That’s my dad! That’s my dad!”

A daughter introducing her dad with such love and tenderness that when the President of the United States came on stage he was dabbing at his tears.

Oprah Winfrey being – what else? – Oprah Winfrey, and exhorting everyone to love and fight for freedom.

Obama brought her husband and each blew the roof off the United Center. When she was about to leave the stage, he held her hand a little longer and invited the crowd to applaud her. He is what a role model should look like. The country craves their clarity, their steadiness and their hope. Gawd, I miss those people.

Ever-present at the Republican convention but notably absent from 4 nights of the Democratic convention were:

cruelty

cynicism

exclusion of any class of Americans

Click me, if you can stomach seeing this

copyright infringements of anyone’s music

Lee Greenwood, his music and any inference of chest thumping superiority

muscle-bound domination of others or demonstrations of primitive masculinity

promises to strip away freedoms and end our democracy

lies about history, rights and freedom

No worries. The Republicans are completely caught up on all those awful things, so they aren’t going away any time soon.

There was great emotion throughout the Democratic Party convention, but it seems to me that the most powerful thread was a sense of the restoration of a long absent hope. It was the next step in the ending of a dark and terrible night, with the sun now shining on the horizon, promising a better tomorrow.

Reagan was just an actor reciting someone else’s words, so I will paraphrase those words now because at last they will be true.

Once again it will be morning in America, with the sun shining on the city on the hill.

The American spirit is coming out of its slumber and awakening once again.

CAUTION!

The right wingnuts have already begun their cruelty, blasting Tim Walz’s son. There will be more cruelty to come from them, more playground brat meanness and outright lies. Expect it to continue at least until November 5 because it’s all they have. Where appropriate, call out the lies and the hatred. And always,

DO NOT LET THE BASTARDS GET YOU DOWN!

Now, About Those Rights

Jon Meacham’s reminder and warning (scroll to “Critical Quote”) that “The forces that broke into the Capitol and threatened the lives of our elected representatives, including the Speaker of the House and the Vice-President of the United States, are still very much abroad in the land,” is a crystal clear statement of the danger we face. Those forces intend to strip our rights from us.

I wrote recently about rights in the context of Gov. Tim Walz’s admonition to Republicans to mind their own damn business. Here’s a bit more about our rights.

  1. When my wife and daughter – any of us, really – consult with our doctors, we have a right to evict all Republican politicians from the exam room, the doctor’s office and the entire building. Permanently.
  2. We are free to travel to any state at any time for any reason without fear of prosecution from deranged Republican bullies aflicted with Severe Self-Righteousness Syndrome. It’s a legal thing, thus sayeth the Constitution.
  3. My children and grandchildren have a right to be taught actual, full-story history that is unpolluted by Republican revisionist propaganda.
  4. All users of schools and libraries have a right to have books on the shelves available to students without interference from hyperbolic, ignorance loving, self-righteous Republican literature vigilantes.
  5. The Constitution says that we have gun rights. It also says that our 3rd graders have a right to not get shot dead in their classrooms by a wacko with “issues” carrying an AR-15.
  6. All Americans have the right to not go bankrupt due to the hideous cost of treatments for major medical events. Healthcare is not just for the rich, thus sayeth the Bernie.
  7. Citizens have the right to see accountability meted out to wrongdoers, regardless of whether the perps are shameful senators, representatives or any others like them who think there should be no accountability, even when their psychopathic bestie loses and breaks the law four different ways to regain power.
  8. We have the right to grab a beer at the Minoqua Brewing Company even though the extremist Republican (is that redundant?) county judge and the owner of the local newspaper don’t like the pub owner’s politics.
  9. We have a right for “No one is above the law” and “Nation of laws, not of men” and “The rule of law” to mean what they say and that nobody gets a free pass to commit crimes. Ever. Including the president. Especially the president.* And “guilty” means “guilty” for anyone who is guilty.
Best Reads, Because You Want To Understand

The Republican driven reinstatement of the Robber Barons that has been going on since we were tricked by Reagan’s woeful economic idiocy is crushing millions of Americans and inviting the purchase of our government by the ultra-wealthy. That’s not an accident. It is the result of decades of hard work by selfish, power and money greedy cannibals and it has prevented you from getting what you want (see the list above). And it has put us face-to-face with this MAGA and Heritage Foundation attack on our democracy. Read Thom Hartmann’s excellent explainer here.

To understand the ossified MAGA fascist brain, read Ed Gurowitz’s explainer, Growth vs. Stagnation.

Some Good News

1. Look at this headline:

Translation: Boeing, in the midst of all of its international and extraterrestrial fumbling, is going to be saved by international embarrassment Elon Musk. Feel free to chuckle or moan over any part of that.

2. Look at this chart from Gallup:

You’ll definitely want to read the source doc. Just click the pic.

Given our national history of discrimination, this is stunningly good news!

Final Takeaways From the Convention (click the pics)

“And we made sure that every kid in our state gets breakfast and lunch every day. So, while other states were banning books from their schools, we were banishing hunger from ours.”

– Gov. Tim Walz – Acceptance speech to the DNC, August 20, 2024

  • .

“I want to know, who’s going to tell [Trump] that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those Black jobs?”

– Michelle Obama, Address to the DNC, August 20, 2024

  • .

“America, let us show each other and the world who we are and what we stand for: freedom; opportunity; compassion and dignity; fairness and endless opportunities.

“We are heirs to the greatest democracy in the history of the world. And on behalf of our children and our grandchildren and all those who sacrificed so dearly for our freedom and liberty, we must be worthy of this moment.

“It is now our turn to do what generations before us have done, guided by optimism and faith to fight for this country we love, to fight for the ideals we cherish, and to uphold the awesome responsibility that comes with the greatest privilege on Earth: The privilege of being an American.”

  • – Vice-President Kamala Harris, Acceptance speech to the DNC, August 22, 2024

Yes, Sarah Palin, it’s that “hopey, changey” thing coming back to our doorstep. And it’s a stake in the ground that no person and no party holds an exclusive on the red, white and blue.

As Steve Schmidt says,

“We won’t get the years back, but we are going to get our country back.”

The real America, this nation founded not on royalty or privilege of the rich or on contortions of the law, but on the idea of democracy, is coming back. Dictator lovers, stand aside.

_______________________________________________

* Especially, because the president can do far more harm to America and Americans than any other individual.

Are you registered to vote? Check it out here:
.

https://www.vote.org/am-i-registered-to-vote/

https://www.usa.gov/confirm-voter-registration

https://www.rockthevote.org/how-to-vote/am-i-registered-to-vote/

“Friends do not let friends vote forcon artists.“
  • – Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), 2016.


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    And add your comments below to help us all to be better informed.

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    The Fine Print:

    1. Writings quoted or linked from my posts reflect a point I want to make, at least in part. That does not mean that I endorse or agree with everything in such writings.
    2. There are lots of smart, well-informed people. Sometimes we agree; sometimes we don’t. Search for others’ views and decide for yourself.
    3. Errors in fact, grammar, spelling and punctuation are all embarrassingly mine. Glad to have your corrections.
    4. Responsibility for the content of these posts is unequivocally, totally, unavoidably mine.
    5. Book links to Amazon are provided for reference only. Please purchase your books through your local mom & pop bookstore. Keep them and your town or neighborhood vibrant.
    6. Clicking on most pics in these posts will take you to the source information.

    Click me

    JA


Copyright 2024 by Jack Altschuler
Reproduction and sharing are encouraged, providing proper attribution is given.

The Ultimate Con


POST 1056

CAUTION! Contains snark!

The content below touches on sensitive issues, willful ignorance and deeply held hypocrisies. It implies widespread gullibility and faith-free faith. Proceed if you dare, but follow the Surgeon General’s recommendation to wear an N95 mask while reading and to squint your eyes against the glare of nearly believable satire. Note that injections of bleach following reading are not recommended, but hydroxychloroquine injections are recommended, but only on a doctor’s orders and if you have malaria. Also recommended are to brush and floss daily and to hold hands when crossing the street.

The King Grifter Version – Click me

Donald, you’ve been a con all your life, including conning your father out of hundreds of millions of dollars and your relatives out of their inheritances. You’ve conned contractors and lawyers and even 1/3 of the American public. You’ve conned people by promising a university education and delivering nothing and by assuring them of vast riches by following your get-rich-quick scam. You’ve conned people with steaks and bottled water, vodka, a fraudulent charitable foundation, gold painted sneakers, perfume and now a Bible. Poor, easily influenced people have already been conned into buying a copy, as well as sending you donations for your ever-mounting legal bills to defend your felonies.

About that Bible. There is no American Bible. While we revere the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Pledge of Allegiance and the Bill of Rights, they are not holy documents and they were not inscribed by the finger of God – or even Lee Greenwood’s. Indeed, nowhere in any Bible other than your King Grifter Version is America mentioned. For effectiveness moving forward, we recommend that you not mention that you’ve broken most of the 10 Commandments repeatedly (Think: Access Hollywood tape), or that you don’t know anything that is between the covers of that book. And while most people don’t mind that you hoisted a Bible upside down in front of St. John’s Church after tear gassing peaceful protesters, it’s still not a good idea to mention that.

You have used The Big Lie repeatedly, even before the 2016 election, then claiming that if you were to lose that election that it would only be because of Democratic fraud that stole victory from you. That was a fine con, Donald, and through diligent practice over the years you’ve perfected The Big Lie, making claims not just of stolen elections, but Big Lies about judicial decisions you didn’t like and fantabulous lies about people, even about the daughter of the judge presiding in one of your cases. Because you adhere to the Big Lie principles so well, you’ve conned millions.*

But facing the facts of actuarial tables, Donald, you’re near the end of your run. Given your sedentary lifestyle and your diet of fast food junk, it’s probable that the only thing holding your body together is a massive clod of cholesterol glue. You’ve always been certifiably crazy, but now you babble incoherently, so dementia is right around the corner. While you still have the capacity to con on a grand scale, Donald, it’s time for supreme action.

You’ve tickled around the edges of claiming to be sent by God, saying things to your followers like, “I am being indicted for you,” and talking about your “divine purpose,” hinting not very delicately that you are Jesus himself, but that isn’t enough. You have to boldly transcend to The Ultimate Con.

You must take to the stage at your next big rally, with thousands of adoring dupes carrying Trump signs and Trump flags, wearing red, white and blue shirts and MAGA hats. You will speak (even to “my Negro”) and you’ll raise your hands pontifically. You’ll strongly – because you are a strong man – and with absolute conviction declare that you are not just a god, but the God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit – all of them. You’ll tell your faithful that you sent yourself to save America, to make it a Christian Nationalist place the way it was intended to be.** You’ll say that you are God, which means you can smite your godless opponents. You are The Law and all power and vengeance are yours, thus sayeth The Donald.

The Via Delarosa – Jerusalem

They will play deep, moving organ music and a great chorus of angelic voices will rise to the heavens strongly, as you solemnly labor from one side of the stage to the other, your hands grasping for purchase, your face in self-reverence, as though you’re struggling painfully and victimly along the Via Dolarosa. You will absorb the adoration of your people and all will bow their heads in maximus supplicationus. Many will weep.

The pundits will declare that to be against you is blasphemy. Pastors will pound pulpits in theocratic fervor and no Republican elected official will dare to utter even a single discouraging word, although that’s nothing new.

Yours will be the kingdom, the power and the glory of the Ultimate Con.***

This Ultimate Con hasn’t been tried since the first century AD/BCE when the incestuous Roman emperor Caligula grabbed that turf. He was a deviant, but that might appeal to you. Note, though, that his grab for god status didn’t work well for him, as he was assassinated not long after making that claim. Still, it was a great con.

Who knows? You might get away with it. If you can make this work and get yourself elected, your self-serving truth may be known and it will set you free (from prison).***  As your truth is said in the Book of Donald, “I say unto you, and this is true, it’s a witch hunt, a hoax. I won bigly and strongly. Stop the steal!” These moving words are for monks to ponder by candlelight in dark, damp monasteries for centuries.

Donald, this will be your greatest con ever.****

This Next Is No Con

Many thanks to Sheila Markin for this:

Below is a [link to a] letter written by a concerned American who wants to pressure Justice Roberts to ask Justice Thomas to recuse himself in the upcoming case United States v Trump. Take a look and see if you want to sign on. You do not have to be a lawyer to sign it. Pressure on Roberts to try to get Thomas to do the right things is probably worthwhile even if it doesn’t keep Thomas from doing the wrong thing.
.

https://ldad.org/letters-briefs/justice-thomas

I signed the letter and urge you to sign it, too.

________________________________________

* In a fine post by Thom Hartmann, he offers an audio clip of President Roosevelt during the 1944 presidential campaign, with FDR explaining The Big Lie masterfully. Scan down to the bottom of Hartmann’s post to hear the short clip. Important for your understanding is that Republican Presidents Harding, Coolidge and Hoover had been in charge for the 12 years before Roosevelt won the 1932 election. Those Republican men brought us the Great Depression. So, it isn’t just today’s Republicans howling The Big Lie. There were Republican Big Liars in 1944, too.

** Regardless of the somewhat vague references to God in our founding documents, the Founding Fathers were adamant that this is not a theocracy, that this is not a Christian nation. CNN published a most accessible review of this. Better, albeit far more ambitious, would be a review of the Federalist Papers.

*** With apologies to The Lord’s Prayer and John 8:32.

**** Donald sent out a blizzard of 77 Truth Social ALL CAPS messages on Easter. His messages were about himself, attacking his opponents, attacks on judges and members of their families and comparing himself to Jesus. More specifically, his primary Easter message contained 7 words about Easter and 161 words attacking his enemies and whining about the legal system. Likely, his White Christian (in name only) minions ate it up. Great lead-in to The Ultimate Con.

Today is a good day to be the light

  • _____________________________
  • Our governance and electoral corruption and dysfunction and our ongoing mass murders are all of a piece, all the same problem with the same solution:
  • Fire the bastards!
  • The days are dwindling for us to take action. Get up! Do something to make things better.


  • Did someone forward this post to you? Welcome! Please subscribe – use the simple form above on the right. And pass this along to three others, encouraging them to subscribe, too. (IT’S A FREEBIE!) It’s going to take ALL OF US to get the job done.

    And add your comments below to help us all to be better informed.

    Thanks!

    The Fine Print:

    1. Writings quoted or linked from my posts reflect a point I want to make, at least in part. That does not mean that I endorse or agree with everything in such writings.
    2. There are lots of smart, well-informed people. Sometimes we agree; sometimes we don’t. Search for others’ views and decide for yourself.
    3. Errors in fact, grammar, spelling and punctuation are all embarrassingly mine. Glad to have your corrections.
    4. Responsibility for the content of these posts is unequivocally, totally, unavoidably mine.
    5. Book links to Amazon are provided for reference only. Please purchase your books through your local mom & pop bookstore. Keep them and your town or neighborhood vibrant.

    Click me

    JA


Copyright 2024 by Jack Altschuler
Reproduction and sharing are encouraged, providing proper attribution is given.

Is It Time to Surrender?


Post 1,043

CAUTION!

Contains both snark and sarcasm. Sensitive readers are advised to be holding both Teddy and blanket prior to reading further.

It’s time to give up. Wave the white flag. Throw in the towel. Nothing left to do but for Trump to kneel before Putin and surrender the ceremonial Presidential Sword.

MAGAs keep saying how they love Putin; how America is a failed state; how democracy is over; how a strongman American ruler allied with murderous international despots should be our future. They show their muscle by refusing aid to Ukraine, allowing Putin to continue his megalomaniac genocide in that country.

We know MAGAs will let him rampage through eastern Europe because Trump has already invited him to do so. Putin plans to invade and annex Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Moldova and all of Eastern Poland. Belarus is already a vassal state. Viktor Orbán in Hungary would immediately prostrate himself before Putin, as would Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkey. Go look at a map and you’ll see that at that point Putin will have effectively reconstituted the Soviet Union, the long term goal of his KGB thug heart. Why shouldn’t we let him do that? Like, who cares?

The MAGAs align with brutal leaders in many ways, like by refusing aid to Taiwan, leaving those people to wonder when Xi’s communist hoard will cross the Taiwan Strait and crush them. They cheer as Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei of Iran further emboldens Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen and more. He threatens to invade Iraq and he murders Iran’s citizen protesters. Not our fights – why shouldn’t we let these dictators do what they want to do?

The MAGAs in the House are once again holding up aid to Israel, just as Sen. Rand Paul likes to do in the Senate. Their delay, of course, emboldens and supports Hamas and Hezbollah, which in turn strengthens the tyrants running Iran.

So, MAGA supports what Pres. George W. Bush called the Axis of Evil and they denigrate America. So what? Even though these might-makes-right people once declared themselves to be the tough guy party, ready at a moment’s notice to stand up against what Reagan called the Evil Empire, that was so yesterday. Instead, their leader has vowed to take actions that will end NATO and the peace and economic welfare it has promoted and guarded for 75 years. Perhaps that is what we need to do. Maybe we should get out of the way. Besides, the MAGAs can more easily roll over non-MAGAs if we just sit in the stands instead of getting onto the field of play. No bloody noses that way.

Our American love affair with macho men is long standing. The toughs in our own South went to war against our nation in the 1860s, quite happy to demonstrate their love of domination of others, to the point that 620,000 soldiers died. No problem, they say. Even these 159 years later they still mourn their “lost cause” of cruelty and subjugation and they even threaten another civil war if they don’t get their way. We don’t want a war, so maybe we should hear their saber rattling and let them have their way.

Nearly 1,000 Americans in Nazi uniforms marching in New Jersey in 1937. Click me.

There were the toughs of the German American Bund of the 1930s, when red, white and blue Americans, their goose bumps a-popping, seig heiled swastikas and the likeness of Adolph Hitler. Clearly, a lot of us really like tough guys. It would be a shame if something were to happen to our nice little country, they tell us, like another Civil War, so we ought to just give in to their demands.

In fact, we have a sizable portion of Americans who long for a strongman ruler, who have little regard for the rule of law or for the lives of people they see as “others.” They love democracy only when they win. Shouldn’t we just let them have their way?

Some guys think everything is theirs to piss on. Original photo credit Pixabay.

The MAGAs suck up to Trump, Putin and absolutist, fundamentalist preachers and politicians who worship only power. Millions of sheeple are prepared to follow their every word. It seems many of us have already surrendered, so why shouldn’t the rest of us? These MAGAs are in charge with their minority rule because we don’t vote them out of office, so maybe we don’t care and should turn everything over to them.

The MAGAs in the Alabama state Supreme Court recently took a bold step toward Christian Nationalism – MAGA rule – by declaring that frozen human embryos from Invitro Fertilization efforts are children with all the rights of anyone. They declared that such embryos cannot be destroyed, as that would be murder.

Standard IVF practice is to fertilize many more eggs than necessary for one successful pregnancy in order to allow for various difficulties that might occur. The effect of the Bible-thumping ruling of the Alabama Supreme Court, with its imaginary, God-declared ruling, means that a couple who supplied the eggs and sperm for as many as 34 frozen embryos* would have to carry all 34 to term or suffer multiple counts of homicide. Clearly, our best move will be to let over-certain religious zealots dictate our every move, lest we face felony charges.

Finally, we now have the clarity we need, stated by Jack Posobiec at the 2024 CPAC convention. He said (begin at 0:50) that MAGAs are here to overthrow our democracy. More to the point, the crowd cheered his declaration.

MAGAs are a mutually reinforcing, self-generating engine of anger and destruction – and there are so many millions of them. Besides, there really is no need for us to stand up for what we know is right because there are no principles worth fighting for anymore. America is done. It’s over. it’s time to get on our knees and surrender.

Unless .  .  .

Unless we are willing to listen to our Founders, who knew so much about the cruelty of living under the thumb of a totalitarian.

Unless we still believe in liberty and justice for all.

Unless we know in our bones that once again Thomas Paine is right, that these are the times that try men’s souls and we hear his call to service.

Unless we are willing to give America what it needs – what it always needs – us.

If we make the decision, we can stand strong to make sure that we are and continue to be the shining city on a hill, the beacon of hope to the world. To keep our light shining will take all of us – all of we freedom and democracy loving people. Nobody left behind.

Do we still have the right stuff for the continuing battle? Does it still burn within us?

—————————————-

* From The average number of eggs retrieved during IVF:

“Generally, retrieving between five and 14 eggs is considered adequate for women under 35. For a woman who is 38, this number increases to between 10 and 34.”

I’m not at all clear how a 38 year old woman would deal with 34 pregnancies.

  • Today is a good day to be the light
  • _____________________________
  • Our governance and electoral corruption and dysfunction and our ongoing mass murders are all of a piece, all the same problem with the same solution:
  • Fire the bastards!
  • The days are dwindling for us to take action. Get up! Do something to make things better.


  • Did someone forward this post to you? Welcome! Please subscribe – use the simple form above on the right. And pass this along to three others, encouraging them to subscribe, too. (IT’S A FREEBIE!) It’s going to take ALL OF US to get the job done.

    And add your comments below to help us all to be better informed.

    Thanks!

    The Fine Print:

    1. Writings quoted or linked from my posts reflect a point I want to make, at least in part. That does not mean that I endorse or agree with everything in such writings.
    2. There are lots of smart, well-informed people. Sometimes we agree; sometimes we don’t. Search for others’ views and decide for yourself.
    3. Errors in fact, grammar, spelling and punctuation are all embarrassingly mine. Glad to have your corrections.
    4. Responsibility for the content of these posts is unequivocally, totally, unavoidably mine.
    5. Book links to Amazon are provided for reference only. Please purchase your books through your local mom & pop bookstore. Keep them and your town or neighborhood vibrant.

    Click me

    JA


Copyright 2024 by Jack Altschuler
Reproduction and sharing are encouraged, providing proper attribution is given.

The Moronica Awards*


Post 1,036

WARNING! Contains Snark

Sensitive readers are advised to get over it.

The Moronica Awards are given to those who behave with the distinction of being obviously mentally unfit and who offer themselves without hesitation to display their true limitations publicly. The Awards are heavily weighted toward those who have made the greatest public impact to dumb down and compromise our world.

————————————-

First, a context setter from Steve Schmidt in his post of December 13, 2023:

“Where the original America First extremists were Hitler’s useful idiots, these [MAGA] America First-ers are those of Vladimir Putin. Each group disdains the US constitution and is easily manipulated by the siren song of their leader’s madness and lies. Their patriotism is hollow and cancerous. They are the scourge of Americanism because they disdain it and will destabilize the world until it starts burning again. America First was a threat in the 1930s, and it is a threat today.”

Thus, the first 2024 Moronica Award goes to the MAGA America First-ers. These are Trump’s impassioned, fawning followers, eager to seig heil their leader, to renounce their own principles and those of our country, to vent their fears and anger and to be useful idiots for people who hate America (see the Quote of the Week below). While these words might not register within them due to their mental limitations, we offer congratulations to all! You have earned this distinction moronically.

————————————-

The recipients of the second Moronica Award have worked tirelessly to perfect their voluntary ignorance and are most obviously deserving of recognition. The second 2024 Moronica Award goes to Republicans in Congress.

These brain damaged people practice their craft every day, cleverly finding new ways to do and say moronic things. Their major current project is to wail about the immigration situation at our southern border, decry what they call the President’s open borders policy, demand with eyes a-googling that our laws be improved and then declare that they will refuse every solution offered for improvement, even from bi-partisan coalitions. In other words, they demand change and steadfastly refuse all change. It’s moronic.

These Republican morons in Congress are now attempting to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. They have no evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors. so they are impeaching him for the complete failure of Congress to enact laws sufficient to the task of protecting our borders. Note that they wrote their articles of impeachment before holding hearings.

These actions and more are truly and deeply moronic, even as they are only the most current demonstrations of Republican moronica.

Congratulations are offered to Congressional Republicans, both for their moronic behavior and for the cowardice of those who know better but refuse to take a stand. Moronically done, one and all!

————————————-

These awards would be incomplete without recognition of all the enablers of the Orange Circus Master. So, the third 2024 Moronica Award goes to Donald Trump, Jr., Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Steve Bannon, Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, Mark Meadows, Lindsay Graham, Mitch McConnell, Mike Johnson, Ron Johnson, Gini Thomas. Stephen Miller, Jeffrey Clark and the rest of the spineless suck-ups.

A dishonorable mention goes to all the ancestors of Republican cruelty, like Paul Weyrich, Richard Nixon, Christian provocateurs like Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and head Jesus quoting sneak Ralph Reed, plus all the progenitors of modern Republican absolutistism, like Barry Goldwater, George Wallace, Newt Gingrich and the slinkiest of all, Ronald Reagan.

————————————-

The Grand Prize Gold Star 2004 Moronica Award goes to Donald Trump for his outrageous and bafflingly stupid claim of immunity from prosecution for all his criminal behavior while President. On Tuesday a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit handed Trump a devastating defeat for him in his federal elections interference case. It is a magnificent victory for justice and the rule of law.

The unanimous decision (download the text of the court’s decision here) was quite aggressive in it’s smack down of Trump’s “I’m above the law” claims and we can only hope that his lawyers get an appropriate smack down from the American Bar Association for their absurd and insulting claims. Meanwhile, we can cheer that the big bully got punched in the nose once again.

He will appeal to the Supreme Court, but don’t be surprised if they refuse to review the case. Trump’s argument really is that stupid.

To all Moronica Award recipients, sadly, your 2024 Moronica Awards are well-earned.

————————————-

The Cure for Moronica

There is good news and there is bad news.

Yoda

The bad news is that there is no cure for moronica. It is a persistent, progressive disease for which there is no penicillin. There have been reports of a few cases of spontaneous remission, but these are only anecdotal. No scientific study has been possible because nearly all carriers of this disease cling to their extremist views as though they are lifelines in a violent sea.

While there is no known cure for moronica, there is still good news: We can overpower it.

I recently consulted with Master Yoda about this. He explained the path to me and directed that I share his wisdom with you.

“A great and terrible disturbance there is in The Force. Happened this has many times before and evil is once again coming to destroy the Republic and enslave the people.

“If free people you are to remain, The Way of The Vote you must learn. A luminous path it is to what is right and what is good. To refuse The Vote is a path to the dark side.

“Not enough is it for you to do this noble task. Influence others to Vote, you must. You will do this with the The Force that is within you. Feel it connecting you to others and between you and the stacks of prepared ballots awaiting voters. Then guide others, you must, and follow you to the polls they will on the wave of The Force. Then will you feel the crushing of the disturbance in The Force, the moronica will be defeated and triumphant will be democracy.

“Go now. Much work there is to do. If your job you do well, The Vote will be with you, always.”

The final battle will be on November 5. Meanwhile, there is much preparation for us to do, including donating to those who are on the proper path of truth, justice and the American way, plus supporting and promoting the candidates who are the true defenders of our republic. We are the Army Of Democracy!

May The Vote be with us!

Quote of the Week

From Steve Schmidt’s post of February 5,

Tucker Carlson is an internet-era Father Coughlin, a domestic enemy of the US Constitution, a friend of tyrants, and a disloyal American.

It just tickles my confirmation bias to read that. Yes, really.

________________________________

* From Wikipedia:

Moron is a term once used in psychology and psychiatry to denote mild intellectual disability.[1] The term was closely tied with the American eugenics movement.[2] Once the term became popularized, it fell out of use by the psychological community, as it was used more commonly as an insult than as a psychological term. It is similar to imbecile and idiot.[3]

In using the word “moron” in this post, no disparagement is intended toward most persons suffering this mental limitation. The disparagement is solely and intentionally focused on those persons specifically named herein.

  • Today is a good day to be the light
  • _____________________________
  • Our governance and electoral corruption and dysfunction and our ongoing mass murders are all of a piece, all the same problem with the same solution:
  • Fire the bastards!
  • The days are dwindling for us to take action. Get up! Do something to make things better.


  • Did someone forward this post to you? Welcome! Please subscribe – use the simple form above on the right. And pass this along to three others, encouraging them to subscribe, too. (IT’S A FREEBIE!) It’s going to take ALL OF US to get the job done.

    And add your comments below to help us all to be better informed.

    Thanks!

    The Fine Print:

    1. Writings quoted or linked from my posts reflect a point I want to make, at least in part. That does not mean that I endorse or agree with everything in such writings.
    2. There are lots of smart, well-informed people. Sometimes we agree; sometimes we don’t. Search for others’ views and decide for yourself.
    3. Errors in fact, grammar, spelling and punctuation are all embarrassingly mine. Glad to have your corrections.
    4. Responsibility for the content of these posts is unequivocally, totally, unavoidably mine.
    5. Book links to Amazon are provided for reference only. Please purchase your books through your local mom & pop bookstore. Keep them and your town or neighborhood vibrant.

    Click me

    JA


Copyright 2024 by Jack Altschuler
Reproduction and sharing are encouraged, providing proper attribution is given.

I’m Sorry


Post 1,021

___________________________________

I’m sorry that Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) hates America.

At least he hates the Capitol Police and the DC cops who saved his miserable ass on January 6, 2021. He wants to protect not the cops, but the mob that attacked, injured and killed cops. And he clearly wants to protect the traitors who sacked the Capitol Building, carried a traitorous Confederate battle flag through it and pissed and defecated in the halls.

He still challenges the 2020 decision of We The People and tried to have us all stripped of our votes and our voices. He’s promoting a presidential candidate who has called for the “termination” of our Constitution, who says he’ll be a dictator if elected and who encourages Americans to commit violence against fellow Americans. No, I don’t think Mike Johnson loves America at all. I think he hates America.

I’m sorry, too, that his principles shift like a weather vane as the winds change.

He repeatedly wailed crocodile tears over the awful, unfair, partisan impeachment of Donald Trump. You likely recall that in one impeachment Trump was caught trying to extort Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, this for a Trump political advantage over Joe Biden in 2020. In the other impeachment he was caught leading an insurrection, a traitorous act. In both cases the evidence was and still is in plain sight. Nevertheless, Johnson’s croc tears.

The impeachments were largely decided on party line votes only because Republicans hadn’t the courage of the Republicans who told Richard Nixon that they would vote to impeach and convict him for his crimes because he was, in fact, a crook. Just like Trump.

So, Mike Johnson shed his aforementioned crocodile tears over and over for the unfairness of one-party impeachments, never mentioning the cowardice of his party and its denial of the obvious high crimes and misdemeanors of their orange fuhrer.

Then the wind shifted to Republican control of the House and a Democrat in the White House.

As Speaker Johnson has seen his party spend over 11 months digging for evidence of any Joe Biden high crime or misdemeanor, this in order to impeach him for something – anything – jaywalking – whatever. Literally, the only thing they’ve come up with is to invent the label “Biden crime family.” They have unearthed no facts to support that or their other dishonest accusations. Meanwhile, they have nothing – as in: NO THING! – that so much as hints of anything untoward done by the President.

To be clear, the Republicans have launched an entirely baseless political proctoscopic examination of anything that might possibly appear to be attached to Biden, but probably isn’t. And Mike Johnson, he of the “awful, unfair, partisan impeachment” crocodile tears for Trump, has waved his magic wand and “Abracadabra, WHOOSH!” Partisan impeachment is okay now! Who woulda guessed it? And Johnson isn’t shedding crocodile tears over this awful, unfair one-party thing now.

It’s that weather vane thing. I’m wondering if Johnson is good buds with Lindsay Graham.

Here’s why they’re doing this:

  1. The Democrats impeached Trump. Now that they have control of the House, they want to eliminate that election advantage for Biden. They want Biden tarred and kicked in the Constitution, however much fraud and hypocrisy that might require.
  2. The Republicans held eleven (11!) different hearings on Benghazi in 2016 looking for wrongdoing by Hillary Clinton. They found nothing, NO THING! But they kept digging anyway, wasting millions of dollars and thousands of brain-free political hours, when instead they might have actually done something to benefit the country.* What they accomplished was to keep a false appearance of Clinton wrongdoing in the public eye until the 2016 election in order to disadvantage Clinton. They are trying to do the same thing to Joe Biden with their “impeachment inquiry” ahead of the 2024 election.

Meanwhile, I’m sorry that the Republican controlled House:

hasn’t passed an emergency supplemental bill

hasn’t passed a regular Appropriations bill – that’s going to crash and burn again in just a few weeks

hasn’t passed a funding bill for aid to Ukraine or Israel **

hasn’t passed a bill to enhance border security (although they’ve whined a lot and pointed fingers at Biden)

hasn’t passed a bill for humanitarian aid for Gaza

hasn’t passed the Farm Bill

With Mike Johnson’s partisan hand on the gavel they haven’t even been able to name a post office.

To be fair, last Thursday they managed to pass an $886 billion military spending bill. There’s much to scrutinize there, including that some of our lavishly paid military contractors design, build and deliver weapons that the Pentagon doesn’t want.

Meanwhile, I’m wondering if Biden can legally redirect some of that defense overspend to support Ukraine, as they fight to protect western democracy, and to support Israel, as they fight to stay in existence.

Ah, what was I thinking? If Biden were to ignore this mean-spirited, do-nothing Republican House and instead do what needs to be done for our country and for our allies, Mike Johnson wouldn’t stand for that. Biden would be impeached for protecting our national security without employing extortion or retribution.

I’m sorry, but I really don’t think Mike Johnson loves America.

LATE ADDITION

Yesterday the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Donald Trump could not be on the Colorado primary ballot nor be elected President from that state – something like that. The word “disqualified” is prominent in the court’s ruling. Details are still being sorted out. The expectation is that the case will be appealed to the US Supreme Court. Meanwhile, Trump just lost again.

I’m not sorry about that. At all.

_______________________________

* Fun fact: The last Benghazi hearing closed on December 12, 2016, oddly, just a short time after the November election. Just a coincidence, I’m sure.

** As the House went on vacation for 3 weeks, Speaker Mike Johnson tweeted his explanation for sitting on their hands regarding aid to Ukraine. He tweeted, “we must secure our own border before we secure another country’s.“ Apparently, he thinks our having done nothing to improve our immigration system for decades means that we must remedy that before we help to stop Russia from killing, raping and kidnapping Ukrainians. Apparently, he doesn’t just hate America. He hates Ukraine, too.

Today is a good day to be the light

_____________________________

  • Our governance and electoral corruption and dysfunction and our ongoing mass murders are all of a piece, all the same problem with the same solution:
  • Fire the bastards!
  • The days are dwindling for us to take action. Get up! Do something to make things better.


  • Did someone forward this post to you? Welcome! Please subscribe – use the simple form above on the right. And pass this along to three others, encouraging them to subscribe, too. (IT’S A FREEBIE!) It’s going to take ALL OF US to get the job done.

    And add your comments below to help us all to be better informed.

    Thanks!

    The Fine Print:

    1. Writings quoted or linked from my posts reflect a point I want to make, at least in part. That does not mean that I endorse or agree with everything in such writings.
    2. There are lots of smart, well-informed people. Sometimes we agree; sometimes we don’t. Search for others’ views and decide for yourself.
    3. Errors in fact, grammar, spelling and punctuation are all embarrassingly mine. Glad to have your corrections.
    4. Responsibility for the content of these posts is unequivocally, totally, unavoidably mine.
    5. Book links to Amazon are provided for reference only. Please purchase your books through your local mom & pop bookstore. Keep them and your town or neighborhood vibrant.

    Click me

    JA


Copyright 2024 by Jack Altschuler
Reproduction and sharing are encouraged, providing proper attribution is given.

“They Don’t Give A Damn About The Rest Of The Unit” – That’s Us


Regular reader Diana Dobrovolny Hefter put together a piece of clarity you must see. She was motivated to speak out due to congressional insanity designed to kill your rights and your freedom. She had help making her point from Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL-6) to communicate what the sneaky, Republican National Defense Authorization Act really is.
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Read Diana’s guest essay for the full story.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which funds the annual budget and appropriations of the Department of Defense, regularly passes Congress on a bipartisan basis. Since 1961 it has been considered must-pass legislation, as it provides the funding for our national security. For all that there is grumbling on both sides over one thing or another in the measure, it is generally kept outside partisanship.
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On July 14 House Republicans did what they criticize: they added pork and demands unrelated to a defense budget. They added their entire agenda: no books; no abortion; no training; no LGBTQ+ rights; etc. Every point DeSantis defends has been added in. Every Republican voted for it – vote totals: 219-210.
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That has never before been done to the Military Budget.
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The Right can NEVER again criticize any add-on to bills, pork or otherwise. This issue is a hostage maneuver and they took it. Time will tell if it lives through the Senate and then next steps. But they have been clear – they’ll do whatever it takes.
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Representative Sean Casten (D-IL) summed up the vote on Twitter.

“The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is the bill that funds all of our military operations. It is typically bipartisan and is about as serious as Congress gets. What weapons of war we fund, which allies we share them with, how we recruit. National security is a BFD.

“We can have our political debates about any number of issues but it is generally understood that when Americans are willing to sacrifice their lives to defend us, it’s time to check the crazies at the door. But today, the crazies won.

“They won first because [McCarthy] put the crazies in positions of power. But second because none of the “moderate” Republicans had the courage to stay the hell out of KrazyTown .  .  .

“Is every member of the [House Republican Conference] a homophobic, racist, science denying lunatic? No. But the lesson of today is that the ones who aren’t are massive cowards completely unfit for any position of leadership.

“There is space—and demand—for reasonable differences of opinion in our democracy. This isn’t about whether we agree. It’s about whether we can trust that—differences aside—we trust that we’ve got each other’s back if we ever find ourselves in a foxhole together.

“That’s usually a metaphor, conflating the horrors of war with the much lower-stakes lives that most of us are fortunate enough to lead. But today, the entire [House Republican Conference] told us—both literally and metaphorically—that they don’t give a damn about the rest of the unit. [emphasis mine]

Be clear that “the rest of the unit” is you and me and all of we-the-majority.

Diana wrote separately:

When the far right held [Speaker] McCarthy to “firm commitments” in order to be elected Speaker of the House, one demand was increased transparency for future earmark spending – as in: ONE BILL, ONE TOPIC.
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Republicans just broke their own rule. Showed they are out for themselves, not our country.  In less than 6 months their own Republican House actions show they cannot be trusted.
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Reference: https://open.substack.com/pub/heathercoxrichardson/p/july-14-2023?r=z96xn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

I think that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the long suffering, often filibustered, not exactly titan of communication might need a smidgen of assistance in responding to Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) when the House poo-poo NDAA bill arrives in his office. Here is a proposed memo to help him.
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Kevin, thanks for sending along the NDAA the House passed on a party line vote. Of course you know that means that both extremist, hair-on-fire Republicans and so-called “moderate” Republicans all voted to violate their own rule about packing a bill with pork. It also means that every Democrat gave the finger to this insane bill. More on that another time.
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You know that both here in the Senate and in the hearts of the American people we’re all for a vigorous national defense and national security, including enthusiastic support for our military people.
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What we’re not in favor of, Kevin, is the partisan, extremist pile of poo-poo you loaded onto this bill. Not only does that stinky stuff not belong in a bill focused on our national defense, the majority of Americans oppose everything contained in your unconscionable amendments to the bill. Everything.
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And so, my friend Kevin, ask not what your crazy caucus members can do for you, because they really don’t give a damn about you or our country. Ask what you can do in hopes of finding even a chip from your long lost backbone.
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I’m sending this krazykrap bill back to you, Kevin, returning it in the same envelope in which it arrived. I’m both surprised and impressed by your creativity in crafting an envelope from toilet paper cores and duct tape. That’s so very appropriate for this bill.
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Face it: there just isn’t a way to disguise this sneaky move that you promised wouldn’t happen under your leadership, or your attempt to attack key things Americans want.
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Get rid of what you know doesn’t belong in the NDAA, Kevin. Use that big eraser on the handle end of your gavel and eliminate the sideways poo-poo from this legislation. Get a clean bill passed and send it to me. I’ll have my homies look it over carefully for any vestigial poo-poo and maybe it will make its way to the floor of the Senate for a vote, but only if you’ve performed a radical krap-ectomy.
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And Kevin, if you send me more crap like the sewerage you forwarded, I’ll package it with a brick and snail mail it to you at your house in Bakersfield, COD.
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By the way, Kevin, the President recognizes that you knuckled under to the worst of the extremists in your party, this in order to become Speaker. He understands the terrible bind you are in to pass a sane NDAA in the face of extreme pressure from your crazies. He sends his warm wishes to you for a fine stewing in your own juice.
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It is with collegial affection that I await your revised, clean NDAA.
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Chuck
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Bragging Rights Made Easy

Last Sunday I encouraged you to help stop the hand wringing about President Biden’s age and instead to talk about all the great benefits he’s brought to Americans. There was a link to a White House page with lots of good stuff listed there.

To make it even easier for you to wave the President’s flag of accomplishments, here’s a PDF for you to print. Affix it to the door of your refrigerator so you have the facts ready when you need them.

Many thanks to JN for forwarding this construct.

Finally, Everything Ends

From The Onion:

THE WORLD WIDE WEB—The existence of shared communal truths was dealt a critical blow at approximately 10:07 a.m. Monday, sources reported, when the last factual piece of information was deleted from the internet.

Today is a good day to be the light.

______________________________

  • Our governance and electoral corruption and dysfunction and our ongoing mass murders are all of a piece, all the same problem with the same solution:
  • Fire the bastards!
  • The days are dwindling for us to take action. Get up! Do something to make things better.

    Did someone forward this post to you? Welcome! Please subscribe – use the simple form above on the right. And pass this along to three others, encouraging them to subscribe, too. (IT’S A FREEBIE!) It’s going to take ALL OF US to get the job done.

    And add your comments below to help us all to be better informed.

    Thanks!

    The Fine Print:

    1. Writings quoted or linked from my posts reflect a point I want to make, at least in part. That does not mean that I endorse or agree with everything in such writings.
    2. There are lots of smart, well-informed people. Sometimes we agree; sometimes we don’t. Search for others’ views and decide for yourself.
    3. Errors in fact, grammar, spelling and punctuation are all embarrassingly mine. Glad to have your corrections.
    4. Responsibility for the content of these posts is unequivocally, totally, unavoidably mine.
    5. Book links to Amazon are provided for reference only. Please purchase your books through your local mom & pop bookstore. Keep them and your town or neighborhood vibrant.

    Click me

    JA


Copyright 2024 by Jack Altschuler
Reproduction and sharing are encouraged, providing proper attribution is given.

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