Acts of civil war; subverting, undermining the Constitution; refusing to obey the law ...
Dear friends and readers,
The header describes what the Republicans have been openly doing since Trump took office, more overtly yet since the election began. They want to provoke violence from the democrats so that they can send violent heavily armed militia to maim and wound protesters and demonstrators or if people try to remove the fake ballot boxes the Republicans have been putting out in California. Openly in courts and elsewhere they are working to stop people from voting.
Police beating up a demonstrator:
Let's face the reality that what we are seeing in the US are acts of civil war. When one large group refuses to obey the law openly, they are challenging those they are determined to rule in order to hurt to _force them_. The republicans are now openly disobeying flouting laws as well as customs. The appointing of Am Coney Barrett is flouting custom and open lying.
Thus far the democrats have been unwilling ourselves to initiate violence but tried instead to act out the first amendment. The first amendment is now so hemmed in it hardly protects us when we try to assemble and demonstrate. We have not literally fought back; we have demonstrated and when attacked, defended ourselves, and yes fought back with screams (and the traditional) fires and projectiles and sticks. Now increasingly reports show that the federal and Trump's and republican police are deliberately wounding hurting maiming people immediately. If a democrat has a gun, then police have the right to murder him or her with impunity because courts refuse to indite or to convict. The attempt to kidnap the governor of Michigan has resulted in only a few arrests of those immediately in charge and the Republicans led by Trump are increasingly supporting this act. Now in California Republicans are putting out false ballot boxes and refusing openly to take them away.
The open use of the supreme court to change the laws to destroy the social contract we've had (decent medicine, social security) is part of this. I do see in these OLLI classes where I teach individuals who suddenly look sullen (the majority of people in these places democrats, if centrists ones) because I will say things like juries refuse to convict police who murder someone and now (as the election comes up) I got someone defending that, not on the grounds it was done, to allow people to murder blacks, but that the law in courts is set up to allow such nullification. I didn't respond, no, it's that we cannot make anything so airtight that we can prevent people from manipulating language. What I saw in a Kipling class (support for ideas that "the white man's burden" to support egregious colonialism, complacency in the face of racism, misogyny), in a class on health care (hostility to universal health for all as a right when the system that will bring it about is described) is the same.
And a few Trump signs are appearing in my neighborhood and others near by. No with his name but "law and order matter;" these are responding to many signs all over my neighborhood -- "black lives matter." I have one on my lawn. Law and order is code for we are allowed to crush you, for the republicans are not following law. Many who vote for Trump are ashamed of him but they are for his policies. A white supremacy with unqualified uncontrolled capitalism and militarism is their identity -- those who vote republican and openly for Trump want that.
Open violence here too. People sent by Trump, Republican party officials and people taking it upon themselves to come to polling places and (with guns some of them) attempt to stop people voting by intimidation.
To me it's no coincidence that around the world for decades (since WW2) the US gov't has crushed social democracies wherever it could when they emerge in new countries
*************************
William Barr by John Cuneo
Trump is glad that armed militia tried to kidnap with an intent to torment or lynch the governor of Michigan (and overturn the local gov't); he rejoiced when militia murdered an older man it's said was an anti-fascist; he does all he can to encourage police to move outside what is legally allowed as coercive violence.
Both together put a woman, Amy Coney Barrett, on the supreme court who is extremist in views (she will not endorse the right to vote, the idea there should be a peaceful transition of power after an election) and lies under oath, such as her claim she will be fair and observe precedent when it comes to Rowe v Wade or any other legislation. Here is a typical decision of hers: a case where a 19 year old pregnant prisoner was repeatedly raped by a guard; he forced her to perform oral sex on him after she gave birth; when she went to court and was awarded compensatory money (a good deal but nothing will erase the experience), Barrett was one of those who overturned the decision and stopped the compensation. She said the case was outside the court's jurisdiction. In other words, there is no place a girl like this can find protection. The basis of justice is empathy and equity and Barretts recognizes none. It has long been the custom not to fill an appointed office during an election; asked why they act in such bad faith, Lindsey Graham's reply is, You can do this when you are in the majority (take power). In other words we no longer have a consensus gov't but one side willing to break convention to set up tyrannical courts or whatever they please. This is not gov't for all the people by the people.
My goal in this blog since Trump took office has been to share relatively unknown but important essays -- or essays that won't attract wide popular attention. I can't always find such writing but I do have one today: Fintan O'Toole on William Barrr (New York Review of Books. Trump's Enabler-in Chief, [the career, writings and father of] William Barr
In reality, the contrast between Trump’s statement and Barr’s is one of tone, not of substance. Barr was answering a question about the election at a press conference in Milwaukee. His reply began, “Obviously I’ve been outspoken and concerned about a last-minute shift to universal mail-in ballots.” In his quieter, more restrained way, Barr was actually supporting Trump’s case-the peaceful transfer of power depends on the validity of the election, but such legitimacy is undermined if there is a large number of mail-in ballots.
Barr has been echoing Trump’s baseless accusations that voting by mail is inherently fraudulent for many months. In an interview with Steve Inskeep on NPR on June 25, Barr raised the possibility of widespread counterfeiting of ballots. Inskeep asked, “Did you have evidence to raise that specific concern?” Barr replied, “No, it’s obvious.” There is only one reason to point to threats for which there is no evidence-to lay the ground for a challenge to the election’s results. In this light Barr’s statement in Milwaukee, far from contradicting Trump’s strategy, could in fact be imagined as the opening premise of a brief from the attorney general to the Supreme Court arguing why huge numbers of votes should be discounted.
*****************************************
Senator Whitehouse explaining how Trump and junta are managing to pack the courts: dark money, huge contributions by corporations to protect themselves from taxes, from having to follow regulations for public health, from having workers with any rights ...
I have a third presentation (this time not written except in a transcript, which is attached when you click on the URL), which people may have overlooked and is important.
So what we are seeing occurring in front of our very eyes on TV is an act of war, an open subversion (undermining of constitutional norms) in the case of the fanatic religious woman, Amy Conan Barrett. You really must submit yourself to "advisors" told about your private life in the Praise of God group, and all women to husbands.
We need an explanation of how she got there: how is it Trump unerringly picks for courts the most reactionary and extreme right-wing and religious men and women? They are selected by the Federalist Society for Trump (he acknolwedges this openly -- they are among his strongest rich supporters); who are they? one of several interlocking groups of super-rich donors who have transformed the US courts so as to render powerless most individuals bringing economic injustices before the supreme court, and those who want regulations to help our environment remain healthy and our natural resources last, and to reinforce (put back) a reactionary conservative social agenda (especially against any forms of sexuality but heterosexual and any liberties for women as individuals apart from men). It was explained during the hearings by Senator Whitehouse of Rhode Island. In case you missed this, here it Is:
******************************
I do worry people will not realize that Trump is deliberately spreading the disease and so too his Republican colleagues: they want to preclude lockdowns doing any good, and fight off any demands that the gov't help support people in need during quarantines, any money for PPE for hospitals, any more unemployment benefits than the bare minimum of ordinary life. This is seen in story after story of their behavior -- but it is not made explict so I make this explicit here -- the fifth reality people must not overlook, must face as shocking it might seem that a group of people in power are working to spread a potentially deadly and maiming disease among us.
Dr Fauci on PBS Reports ....
Trump deliberately doing what he can to spread COVID19; every single demand he makes on how to get there, how to be there is a determined way to spread the disease. He and Junta refusing to pass a bill to help sick, unemployed people and small businesses. Seeking to overturn ACA with Amy Coney Barrett, as handmaid.
When Trump issues dire threats to republican governors: if he does not win, he will get back at them. Stupid people see how stupid he is about the constitution. No, he is telling them to cheat massively or he will get back. "I'll fire you" is the way he talks -- from the Apprentice. He has faced he might lose and is saying he will leave the country -- he does fear prosecution because now he's president he has forced on wide public notice all his crimes -- especially to be seen in his tax returns: see this story about what he's doing in Wisconsin: New York Times: it has hit us with a vengeance. Dr Fauci, this is a systemic disease, not at all an ordinary flu: it maims your organs and different systems. Trump openly ridicules Fauci to run interference so Fauci's message is lost and all the papers talk of is how Trump dismissed the well-known doctor's words as foolish.
This is where the US is today, why we are now over 220,000 deaths, mass drug and alcohol addiction, high suicide rate, blighted areas of the US where Trump's most ignorant supporters live. They vote for him because they want to derive their pride and identity from his white supremacist, macho male, seething angry stances.
Ellen
The header describes what the Republicans have been openly doing since Trump took office, more overtly yet since the election began. They want to provoke violence from the democrats so that they can send violent heavily armed militia to maim and wound protesters and demonstrators or if people try to remove the fake ballot boxes the Republicans have been putting out in California. Openly in courts and elsewhere they are working to stop people from voting.
Police beating up a demonstrator:
Click to viewLet's face the reality that what we are seeing in the US are acts of civil war. When one large group refuses to obey the law openly, they are challenging those they are determined to rule in order to hurt to _force them_. The republicans are now openly disobeying flouting laws as well as customs. The appointing of Am Coney Barrett is flouting custom and open lying.
Thus far the democrats have been unwilling ourselves to initiate violence but tried instead to act out the first amendment. The first amendment is now so hemmed in it hardly protects us when we try to assemble and demonstrate. We have not literally fought back; we have demonstrated and when attacked, defended ourselves, and yes fought back with screams (and the traditional) fires and projectiles and sticks. Now increasingly reports show that the federal and Trump's and republican police are deliberately wounding hurting maiming people immediately. If a democrat has a gun, then police have the right to murder him or her with impunity because courts refuse to indite or to convict. The attempt to kidnap the governor of Michigan has resulted in only a few arrests of those immediately in charge and the Republicans led by Trump are increasingly supporting this act. Now in California Republicans are putting out false ballot boxes and refusing openly to take them away.
The open use of the supreme court to change the laws to destroy the social contract we've had (decent medicine, social security) is part of this. I do see in these OLLI classes where I teach individuals who suddenly look sullen (the majority of people in these places democrats, if centrists ones) because I will say things like juries refuse to convict police who murder someone and now (as the election comes up) I got someone defending that, not on the grounds it was done, to allow people to murder blacks, but that the law in courts is set up to allow such nullification. I didn't respond, no, it's that we cannot make anything so airtight that we can prevent people from manipulating language. What I saw in a Kipling class (support for ideas that "the white man's burden" to support egregious colonialism, complacency in the face of racism, misogyny), in a class on health care (hostility to universal health for all as a right when the system that will bring it about is described) is the same.
And a few Trump signs are appearing in my neighborhood and others near by. No with his name but "law and order matter;" these are responding to many signs all over my neighborhood -- "black lives matter." I have one on my lawn. Law and order is code for we are allowed to crush you, for the republicans are not following law. Many who vote for Trump are ashamed of him but they are for his policies. A white supremacy with unqualified uncontrolled capitalism and militarism is their identity -- those who vote republican and openly for Trump want that.
Open violence here too. People sent by Trump, Republican party officials and people taking it upon themselves to come to polling places and (with guns some of them) attempt to stop people voting by intimidation.
To me it's no coincidence that around the world for decades (since WW2) the US gov't has crushed social democracies wherever it could when they emerge in new countries
*************************
William Barr by John Cuneo
Trump is glad that armed militia tried to kidnap with an intent to torment or lynch the governor of Michigan (and overturn the local gov't); he rejoiced when militia murdered an older man it's said was an anti-fascist; he does all he can to encourage police to move outside what is legally allowed as coercive violence.
Both together put a woman, Amy Coney Barrett, on the supreme court who is extremist in views (she will not endorse the right to vote, the idea there should be a peaceful transition of power after an election) and lies under oath, such as her claim she will be fair and observe precedent when it comes to Rowe v Wade or any other legislation. Here is a typical decision of hers: a case where a 19 year old pregnant prisoner was repeatedly raped by a guard; he forced her to perform oral sex on him after she gave birth; when she went to court and was awarded compensatory money (a good deal but nothing will erase the experience), Barrett was one of those who overturned the decision and stopped the compensation. She said the case was outside the court's jurisdiction. In other words, there is no place a girl like this can find protection. The basis of justice is empathy and equity and Barretts recognizes none. It has long been the custom not to fill an appointed office during an election; asked why they act in such bad faith, Lindsey Graham's reply is, You can do this when you are in the majority (take power). In other words we no longer have a consensus gov't but one side willing to break convention to set up tyrannical courts or whatever they please. This is not gov't for all the people by the people.
My goal in this blog since Trump took office has been to share relatively unknown but important essays -- or essays that won't attract wide popular attention. I can't always find such writing but I do have one today: Fintan O'Toole on William Barrr (New York Review of Books. Trump's Enabler-in Chief, [the career, writings and father of] William Barr
In reality, the contrast between Trump’s statement and Barr’s is one of tone, not of substance. Barr was answering a question about the election at a press conference in Milwaukee. His reply began, “Obviously I’ve been outspoken and concerned about a last-minute shift to universal mail-in ballots.” In his quieter, more restrained way, Barr was actually supporting Trump’s case-the peaceful transfer of power depends on the validity of the election, but such legitimacy is undermined if there is a large number of mail-in ballots.
Barr has been echoing Trump’s baseless accusations that voting by mail is inherently fraudulent for many months. In an interview with Steve Inskeep on NPR on June 25, Barr raised the possibility of widespread counterfeiting of ballots. Inskeep asked, “Did you have evidence to raise that specific concern?” Barr replied, “No, it’s obvious.” There is only one reason to point to threats for which there is no evidence-to lay the ground for a challenge to the election’s results. In this light Barr’s statement in Milwaukee, far from contradicting Trump’s strategy, could in fact be imagined as the opening premise of a brief from the attorney general to the Supreme Court arguing why huge numbers of votes should be discounted.
*****************************************
Senator Whitehouse explaining how Trump and junta are managing to pack the courts: dark money, huge contributions by corporations to protect themselves from taxes, from having to follow regulations for public health, from having workers with any rights ...
I have a third presentation (this time not written except in a transcript, which is attached when you click on the URL), which people may have overlooked and is important.
So what we are seeing occurring in front of our very eyes on TV is an act of war, an open subversion (undermining of constitutional norms) in the case of the fanatic religious woman, Amy Conan Barrett. You really must submit yourself to "advisors" told about your private life in the Praise of God group, and all women to husbands.
We need an explanation of how she got there: how is it Trump unerringly picks for courts the most reactionary and extreme right-wing and religious men and women? They are selected by the Federalist Society for Trump (he acknolwedges this openly -- they are among his strongest rich supporters); who are they? one of several interlocking groups of super-rich donors who have transformed the US courts so as to render powerless most individuals bringing economic injustices before the supreme court, and those who want regulations to help our environment remain healthy and our natural resources last, and to reinforce (put back) a reactionary conservative social agenda (especially against any forms of sexuality but heterosexual and any liberties for women as individuals apart from men). It was explained during the hearings by Senator Whitehouse of Rhode Island. In case you missed this, here it Is:
******************************
I do worry people will not realize that Trump is deliberately spreading the disease and so too his Republican colleagues: they want to preclude lockdowns doing any good, and fight off any demands that the gov't help support people in need during quarantines, any money for PPE for hospitals, any more unemployment benefits than the bare minimum of ordinary life. This is seen in story after story of their behavior -- but it is not made explict so I make this explicit here -- the fifth reality people must not overlook, must face as shocking it might seem that a group of people in power are working to spread a potentially deadly and maiming disease among us.
Dr Fauci on PBS Reports ....
Trump deliberately doing what he can to spread COVID19; every single demand he makes on how to get there, how to be there is a determined way to spread the disease. He and Junta refusing to pass a bill to help sick, unemployed people and small businesses. Seeking to overturn ACA with Amy Coney Barrett, as handmaid.
When Trump issues dire threats to republican governors: if he does not win, he will get back at them. Stupid people see how stupid he is about the constitution. No, he is telling them to cheat massively or he will get back. "I'll fire you" is the way he talks -- from the Apprentice. He has faced he might lose and is saying he will leave the country -- he does fear prosecution because now he's president he has forced on wide public notice all his crimes -- especially to be seen in his tax returns: see this story about what he's doing in Wisconsin: New York Times: it has hit us with a vengeance. Dr Fauci, this is a systemic disease, not at all an ordinary flu: it maims your organs and different systems. Trump openly ridicules Fauci to run interference so Fauci's message is lost and all the papers talk of is how Trump dismissed the well-known doctor's words as foolish.
This is where the US is today, why we are now over 220,000 deaths, mass drug and alcohol addiction, high suicide rate, blighted areas of the US where Trump's most ignorant supporters live. They vote for him because they want to derive their pride and identity from his white supremacist, macho male, seething angry stances.
Ellen