March 11, 2024

Lyndon Johnson may have explained the MAGA mentality.

President Lyndon B. Johnson once said:

In that quote, replace the words "colored man" with Blacks, Browns, Jews, Muslims, all non-"Chistians," LGBGTs, Immigrants, and Democrats. And broaden the word "lowest" to mean most ignorant, meanest and most intolerant, and you pretty much have the definition of Trump's MAGA's.

Johnson was a Southerner who understood bigotry and hatred. Yet, he didn't use his knowledge to divide people. Rather, he chose a road that brought us The Civil Rights Act, The Voting Rights Act, Medicare and Medicaid.*

Donald Trump, on the other hand, instinctively understands the principle that Johnson had put into words. He fully grasps the power of divisiveness and hatred. And given his narcissism, his lust for power, his innate cruelty, and his mean-spirited nature, he has taken the road that would benefit himself and only himself.

Almost half the voters in America are buying the shit that Trump is selling. How sad and depressing that they're more than willing to give away democracy and their freedoms to a transparent, evil con man who, if he wins/steals the presidency, will destroy us all.


*Johnson also brought us Vietnam, but that's a subject for a different thread..

March 9, 2024

"NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW." Well, almost no one.

The powers that be feed us bullshit all the time. But, perhaps one of the largest chunks we've been fed, and most believe, is that "No one is above the law." Watching the Orange Prick tap dance around all the rules and regulations of society, and tie our judicial system up in knots, what fool could still believe that particular meme?

Someone once said: "Never steal anything small." Now there's a piece of wisdom. Why rob a bank when you can steal a country?

And come November, He might just do it (with lots of help from wealthy, powerful allies).

Why are we playing by rules that mean nothing to those trying to destroy America?

Why are we playing by rules that will make us "owned" by the wealthy and powerful?

Why are we playing by rules that will turn us into property?

Actually, most of us "get it" and are not playing by those rules. But a minority are all in. And that means that every voter suppression tactic imaginable is in play and the Republicans are using them all. So forget that "No one is above the law" crap. The biggest lawbreaker of our time has a damn good chance of becoming America's first dictator. And if he succeeds, it's because enough morons bought bullshit, voted for him, and we lived on one dream that we hoped would come true called GOTV.

Sometimes, I wonder if we are bigger fools than the MAGA's.

March 6, 2024

How does a civllzed country go bugshit insane?

Many who were born in the 20th Century wondered this for years regarding one of Europe's most advanced countries.

Germany was not only socially advanced, but was perhaps one of the most scientifically advanced countries in Europe. My guess is that they led much of the world in citizens who were physicists, mathematicians, and every other branch of science.

Yet, by the 1930's and 1940's, they had turned into the most barbaric country in the world.

I was born at a time when learning history was still respected and permitted. I spent many years wondering what had happened to turn an educated country into such a bestial threat to the entire world.

I don't wonder anymore. America, one of the most highly educated, scientifically oriented, and creator of so much of the arts, could turn into a possible new and improved form of cruelty and self-destruction. How did this happen? The answer is, it was always there. All it needed was a match to ignite the ugliness of humanity that has always existed just below the surface.

Everyone here has watched that happen. Everyone here has seen a madman take control of the levers of power and abuse them. And now, everyone here is watching to see if this madman will, once again, be put into power by a minority of Americans.

Were this to happen, 20th Century Germany may be made to look somewhat benign. Think that can't come to be? I hope that history proves you right and that my opinions are treated as a false alarm.

Nonetheless, keep your passport up to date. And prepare yourself for total hell on Earth if He wins or steals the presidency

March 5, 2024

What would it take to destroy His cult?

There are tens of millions of them across America. You can't reason with them, or demonstrate that he's conning them and destroying their hopes for a better future. Some religious fanatics believe that he's the "Second Coming." Bigots, and every type of hater, believe he is the one who will rid America of all the "THEMS." Total imbeciles believe every word that comes from his mouth.

So what would it take for them to turn their backs on him? How far could he go?

Could he video himself taking a crap while he denounces Blacks, Jews, Muslims and those who don't speak English?

Could he spread an AI photo of himself nailed to a cross?

Could he eat a baby on prime time TV?

I really don't know how much his minions would put up with.

And if you want to know what this means for the rest of us if he regains the pResidency, think of Germany in the 1940's. He's so ignorant that he probably doesn't know all the details of that era, but I'm sure some helpful aide will show him films of the camps, the "shower" rooms, and the ovens.

Do you really think "It Can't Happen Here?" Wake up. We're well down that road. And if He "wins"/steals it in November, we'll be taking that road all the way. And this time around, there won't be any America to "Save the world." That America will be long gone and will have become "The destroyer of worlds."

And every single person who votes for him will be responsible for the end of democracy.

February 29, 2024

SCOTUS appointed a president in 2000. They're fucking us again.

Against all precedence, and acting beyond all power of the Court, they reached a decision in 2000 that, in effect, appointed George W. Bush to the presidency. That was a Court with a Republican majority.

Now, the Republicans have a super majority of the Court, and they've taken a case they should never have touched. They've taken the case of whether or not a president, or ex president, has complete immunity from whatever crimes he may commit.

You already know that their going to say no to this. But their aim is delay. They took the case to make sure that Trump will not face trial until it's too late. (Too late is two months before an election. It's a tradition of the DOJ to not bring a prosecution against a presidential candidate after that time.)

So we have a Supreme court, the majority of which wants to see Trump in the White House.

And we have tens of millions of morons willing to vote away their own democracy and freedoms and hand them over to a madman who envies Putin, Kim Jong Un, and every other dictator in the world.

How did we end up here? And more importantly, how do we defeat this insanity?

February 26, 2024

What would U.S. intelligence agencies do if Trump wasn't the ex president?

The job of America's various national security agencies is to protect American democracy. And anyone who thinks theses agencies play by the "rules" when our nation is in danger, is naive.

At this moment, the greatest danger to our democracy is Donald Trump and his fanatical minions who will follow him off of any cliff of his choice.

So here's my question. What would our security agencies do if he weren't an ex president? What would the CIA, the NSA, and even the anti-espionage division of the FBI do if they weren't dealing with the very real threat to democracy presented by Donald Trump?

Here's my answer. I don't know. Having said that, I wonder what your thoughts are on this issue. Do you think the agencies charged with protecting America from threats to democracy, would stand by and do nothing? Our country is currently in a unique position that has never occurred in our history and that the agencies formed to protect us have never faced. What is their duty? What are their obligations? Do you think this is an issue they are all currently wrestling with?

Beats me. What do you think?

February 25, 2024

Religious fanaticism in Alabama.

"The People of Alabama have declared the public policy of this State to be that unborn human life is sacred. We believe that each human being, from the moment of conception, is made in the image of God, created by Him to reflect His likeness. It is as if the People of Alabama took what was spoken of the prophet Jeremiah and applied it to every unborn person in this state: 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, Before you were born I sanctified you.' Jeremiah 1:5 (NKJV 1982). All three branches of government are subject to a constitutional mandate to treat each unborn human life with reverence. Carving out an exception for the people in this case, small as they were, would be unacceptable to the People of this State, who have required us to treat every human being in accordance with the fear of a holy God who made them in His image."

Those words were spoken by Justice Tom Parker, Supreme Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court.

So his religious beliefs override the Constitution of the United States? Seems that in Alabama, it does.

This kind of shit started when the U.S. Supreme Court wiped out Roe V. Wade. And it ain't gonna stop there. The American Taliban will push their insanity as far as possible.

IMO, this kind of thing will mean the end of today's Republican Party. But, many Republicans, "The Heritage Foundation," the newly organized "John Birch Society," are dedicated to keeping their agenda on the main track.

Sane Republicans are too afraid to act to stop the loonies. And they are also afraid of Trump.

Which leaves it up to us Democrats to stop madmen, like this Chief Justice in Alabama, and all other MAGA's of every other flavor, to end their reign of insanity. This one nut in Alabama isn't alone. There are many like him who want their version of a "Christian" America, and they really don't give a damn what any other American wants or believes.

Democracy means nothing to them. How much does it mean to us and what are we willing to do to save it?

February 22, 2024

Democrats who will not vote for Joe Biden could destroy America.

Some Dems will not vote for Joe because he hasn't stopped Israel's destruction of Gaza.

Some Dems will not vote for Joe because they're paying too much at the grocery.

Some Dems will not vote for Joe because he's "too old."

We,ll Benjamin Netanyahu doesn't take orders from Joe. But Joe is doing everything in his power to stop the slaughter.

Joe Biden doesn't control grocery prices anymore than he controls oil prices. This is a phony issue peddled by the GOP.

Joe is "too old?" Trump is four years younger that Joe. Joe is sane. Donald Trump is insane.

So those of you who will not vote for Joe, what do you have in mind? A non-vote for Joe is a vote for Trump.

A vote for a third-party hack is a vote for Trump.

And if Trump wins or steals it, he will become an absolute dictator. How do I know this? He's told us so.

You've got a choice. Stick with your issue and don't vote for Joe. Or stick with your issue and take the chance that we could be looking at the end of democracy in America.

Is that what you really want? Think about it.

February 21, 2024

Okay, I confess. I'm a schmuck.

I started a thread a short time ago. It doesn't matter what it was about, but I got pulled into a dialogue.

Threads are not supposed to be dialogues between two people. They are forums where many join in with varying opinions. Yet, I mindlessly let it deteriorate into a two person "I'm right, you're wrong" dialogue. I could easily have stopped it by not replying. But, instead, I replied, and then replied again, which makes me a major league idiot. My apologies to all for breaking my own rule of not letting this sort of thing happen.

February 21, 2024

The winners write history.

If we defeat today's Republican Party, and drive them from all access to power, history will view them as some deviation from the norm, caused and led by a single orange maniac. (And, of course, many books will be written to delve deeper into this crazed era.)

But what if they win? What if they seize complete control of our government. Well, I suppose history will record how "crazy, woke, liberals" almost succeeded in perverting American education. Not to mention that they wanted all fetuses destroyed, but we're stopped by "Dear Leader." And, of course, America's doors will be closed to all immigrants. White, Christian nationalism has prevailed. -- But then, all books being banned means there won't be any written history to which to refer.

Wouldn't you like to be around 50 years from now to see which of these two histories become "reality?"