Are Sextortion and other Cyber Scams just a form of Reparations?

I recall over a decade ago reading about a Professor who had been taken in by on-line scammers in a 21st century Honeypot scam.  The 68 year old British Professor somehow convinced himself he was communicating with Denise Milani, a big breasted internet model who's claimed to be the most viewed woman in the world.  But, instead of moving to Bolivia to be with Denise Milani, the Brit was given a briefcase with 2 kilos of cocaine to transport to Belgium.

Most Sweetheart/Romance Scams which target the elderly don't end up with the victim being an international drug-mule but, with money being sent to the scammers.  There are multiple other types of scams which go after elderly (trusting victims).  But, increasingly young "disaffected" men are falling victim to romance scams in which they send pictures of their genitals and or videos of themselves masturbating to scammers.

I've taken numerous reports from embarrassed young men who tell me they're being blackmailed by these scammers after sending them "incriminating" pics/videos.  It's always the same basic MO, as the youth somehow makes contact with someone purporting to be a sexy single lady and I always have to break the bad news that a) it wasn't, and b) I can't help them get their images back or stop them from being disseminated.  And if they've paid money well that's gone too and that won't stop the blackmail.

According to a report by the Network Contagion Research Institute,

Financial sextortion is the fastest growing crime targeting children in North America and Australia—accelerating at an alarming rate, with incidents surging up 1,000% in the past 18 months. In a December 2023 hearing, FBI Director Wray warned Congress that sextortion is “a rapidly escalating threat,” and teenage victims “don’t know where to turn.”

Cybercriminals are using fake social media accounts to coerce victims, almost all of them boys, into sharing an explicit photo. As soon as the criminal receives the photo, they threaten to (and sometimes do) expose the photo to the victim’s friends, family, and followers unless a ransom is paid. These criminals employ ruthless tactics to intimidate their victims, inflicting lasting trauma and immense distress–which has led to more than 21 youth suicides.

Apparently, the leading group is a West African cybercriminal gang called the Yahoo Boys.  If that's really the name the group choose I'm either disappointed at their inanity or impressed that Yahoo.com continues to this day to have a lasting impact on our on-line world.  I suppose Sextortion is an update on the Nigeria Prince email scam of the 1990's.

But, the question is how do you stop/control/minimize these young men from sharing pictures of themselves on the Internet?  As soon as cell phones added cameras, Dic Pics became the go to move of horny young men looking for sex/companionship replacing the drive-by hootin' and hollerin', and on street catcalls.  In fact, dick pics, death threats, and crypto cons seem increasingly to be all the Internet is used for.

I'm not going to minimize the toll this takes on the victims who suffer embarrassment and financial loss. Illinois residents lost a combined $267 million to internet based crimes and scams in 2022.  There are several CyberHeroes battling back against these scammers, Kitboga and Scammer Payback for instance. But, it is fascinating that this crime is being done by the descendants of the colonized, in places like Jamaica, West Africa, or Mumbai India against their former erstwhile Colonizers.  So, we could perhaps just chalk this up to Reparations but, a better plan would be mandatory education highlighting these new scams, while employing and empowering teams of Anti-Scammers, while stressing the old wisdom of if it sounds to good to be true it probably is...

Republicans hate America 18: Wayne LaPierre's brain is shrinking, NRA gun policies are also brainless

Wayne LaPierre is currently in a trial for corruption.  It's been known for a long time NRA executives used the donations they got, not only for bribing Republicans to undermine Law&Order in the United States, but also for lavish trips for themselves and for expensive luxury items.

*Wisconsin Republican David Clarke* in Russia 2015 

It's also a proven fact that the NRA was in contact with the Russian FSB, most likely through convicted FSB Agent and current Russian State Duma representative In a Butt, Maria Butina, who condutced an unsubtle Honeypot scheme on willing rightwing dupes.

Multiple NRA lowlifes and LaPierre himself flew to Russia in 2015, in a show of fealty to Vlad Putin.  In 2018, on Independence Day, Republican Senators would do the same, as they swore allegiance to a Foreign Government.

The NRA executives needed fresh influxes of cash (and didn't care what the source was) because they were using the funds for the personal benefit, as well as the bribes to Republicans.  You see the NRA was not as wealthy as rightwing Billionaires and could not easily keep the Supremacist Justices on the Supreme Court in the lifestyle they had become accustomed. 

Butina & Putin possess thousands of GOP dick pics

While, I believe LaPierre's claims of illness, medical infirmity, and cognitive decline are a sham to help him get away with decades of criminality and coarsening of American society, it would be pleasing to believe LaPierre's brain is so soaked with lead, antimony, and barium he is turning into a pudding brained bozo like Traitor Trump.

Of course, what always happens when some rightwing bozo gets in trouble with the law, conservatives and Republicans all of sudden don't know them and they become persona non grata.  For instance, Bill O'Reilly, Tucker Carlson, Matt Schlapp;  Thanks for all your hard work fucking over Americans see ya later.

LaPierre's brain is most likely shrinking from his heavy consumption of alcohol at all the soirée's he's attended were he and other gun humping crazies celebrate the latest mass shooting or valorize the latest domestic abuser to pick up a gun and execute "his" wife and family. 

A mother and her three daughters were killed Sunday morning in a domestic-related shooting at a house in Tinley Park, village officials said.

The shooting happened in the 7400 block of 173rd Place at around 11:20 a.m. Police were notified when a man at the residence called 911. The victims were pronounced dead at the scene at 11:36 a.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. 

The medical examiner identified the women as Majeda Kassem, 53, Halema Kassem, 25, Zahia Kassem, 25, and Hanan Kassem, 24. 

The scene is secure and a male suspect is in custody, according to a statement from the Public Safety Department. The suspect was at the house when police arrived, said Village Manager Pat Carr. He also said a gun was recovered at the scene. This is the deadliest shooting in the village since 2008, when five women were slain inside a Lane Bryant store, according to Carr. The case remains unsolved. “ 

"This stirs a lot of emotions for people,” Carr said.

This stirs a lot of emotions in people and how!  Wayne LaPierre, the NRA, and pro-gun psychos fucking love, I mean their tiny thin dicks get pitiful erections and orgasm, when people in Chicago are murdered by guns.  

Of all the rightwing villains who have consistently advocated for policies which undermine the United States and hurt Americans, Wayne LaPierre's 45 years in Washington DC, might make him the worst.  Describing the NRA, as an anti-law and order, foreign-funded, terrorist organization is not hyperbole but an accurate description of the organization.  

Which is why Republicans so closely align with the NRA leadership and stated goals, Republicans hate America and have nothing to offer the American people. 

** - Wisconsin Republicans overwhelmingly support David Clarke to run for Senate this year.  It would make sense for Wisconsin, as Ron Johnson is already a sworn vassal of Putin to have two Senators who hate America, tired to overthrow the United States Government and taken trips to Russia to declare loyalty to Vlad Putin.

Migrant Buses and the Government's inability to respond to a crisis Part 5: Caravan of Conservative Terrorists on the way to the Border

There may be a convoy of armed rightwing domestic paramilitary terrorists is heading to the Texas border to bolster Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick, and Ken Paxton's play.  (Never forget Republicans are so fat and financially well-off that the can take off for weeks or months and drive 1000's of miles bringing their arsenals of expensive guns to go Glamping and Cosplaying Cops in the Texas desert.). They call themselves TOBB and 'God's Army' as conservatives continue to make violations of Godwin's Law meaningless, knowing that the FNYT will simply not call them Fascists and will continue to BothSides everything, while making Republican Perfidy just palatable enough for the largely politically unmotivated middle able to punch that (R) on the ballot with a semi-clear conscience.  

"Let me tell you, I'm not willing to do too damn much right now to help a Democrat," Republican Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas told CNN this week. 

Republicans not only have no intention of doing anything constructive in reference to the border and immigration, it looks like they are hoping to spark a shooting confrontation with Federal forces.  And you know these Convoy Cosplay gun-tottin' yahoos are just itchin' to shoot a brown person. 

Republicans saw the Trump loving murderer in El Paso as a model and a Hero.

Republicans have nothing to offer the American people.  They are not interested in anything to help the American people or to effectively govern the United States, nor any desire to interact with the wider world other than to play big swinging dick and tell everyone else well, SUCK. ON. THIS!  It's Rule or Ruin.  That's what's going on and that's what 2024 is all about.

I've said before but, when The Left (writ large) became so disgusted by the criminal and oppressive actions of Republicans and rightwingers we made a "mistake" in allowing them to co-opt the language of Patriotism, Freedom, and Liberty.  Republicans profane the Untied States of America but, they learned from the mistakes of their ideological ancestors in the Confederacy and have worked for decades to infiltrate, subvert, co-opt, and pervert the Nation into an ungovernable conglomeration of little fascist fiefdoms.  It's the same with religion, or more specifically christianity in America.  The abuses by the religious leaders, the dehumanization of people written into dogma, and the massive on-going grift by various denominations have allowed the worst people to claim the mantle of religious leadership.

Will this Texas border stunt turn into Mahleur Bird Sanctuary or a Waco?  Well, Biden was no doubt advising President Obama not to let the Bundy Insurrection (#1 or #2) turn into a large scale Ruby Ridge, which the Bundy Klan and Supporters definitely wanted but, this time we have a Governor and multiple "Law Enforcement" Agencies in Texas defying Supreme Court rulings and ratcheting up the pressure for a shoot-out.  Faux News continues to call this a Civil War, so you know diaper wearing rightwing grandpas watching at home are itching for this to be the Casus Belli, and open insurrection they've yearned for, for so, so long.

Understand quite clearly, Republicans have no desire to fix "The Border" because it has supplanted "Abortion" as the cause célèbre for Republicans to gin up Fear and Anger amongst their rabid base.  Notice how Republicans are fighting to make sure Abortion is nowhere on any ballot in 2024.

Legislative efforts in Missouri and Mississippi are attempting to prevent voters from having a say over abortion rights, building on anti-abortion strategies seen in other states, including last year in Ohio.

I will be amazed but, not surprised if Republican Treachery in Texas results in electoral victories for Traitor Trump and other Republicans in the 2024 elections because this bullshit border theater is too early to be an October Surprise.  But, the Republicans have subverted the government at many levels and will continue to do so not only because it helps them get elected but, also because Republicans don't believe in a functioning government. 

So... where are we right now?  Republican Governors are openly pledging their allegiance to this Texas Sedition and sending their National Guardsmen to help.  Republican Congressmen are clearly behind the effort and if something goes sideways I believe Texas Republicans and the various rightwing paramilitary are going to declare some sort of Declaration to overthrow the criminal Biden Crime Family by any means necessary.

The secret to the Republican Plan to Destroy the United States of America is...

Sent Jan 17th after the autogolpe of Jan 6th failed

They've already done it.

Much like the plot of the genre defining graphic novel Watchmen, Republicans openly discuss their plans because they've already accomplished them.

Sean Hannity, whose always enjoyed crushing the spirit and bodies of the American people, gave Trump the softest of soft ball questions and Trump just blurted it out, 

“Under no circumstances, you are promising America tonight, you would never abuse power as retribution against anybody?” Sean Hannity asked Trump in the interview taped in Davenport, Iowa. 

“Except for day one,” Trump responded. “I love this guy,” he said of the Fox News host. “He says, ‘You’re not going to be a dictator, are you?’ I said: ‘No, no, no, other than day one. 

There has always been a two-tiered Justice system in the United States; black v. white, poor v. rich, worker v. corporation.  Invariably the Republicans have always sided with the powerful over the weak.  But, Republicans usually try to be nuanced in their lawlessness they very, very rarely come out in direct opposition to the Rule of Law.

Republicans now feel absolutely free to flout conventions, norms, unenumerated rules, direct ruling from courts up to and including Supreme Court rulings.

Individual journalists are wholly unprepared to handle the onslaught of non-stop bad faith Republican attacks on the United States.  For years the training of The Corporate Media has been to BothSides everything and rationalize disingenuous Republican actions and normalize Republican perfidy.

Republicans for 50 years have grown accustomed to being afforded the widest latitude and zero pushback from the Media, while simultaneously standing up a relentless propaganda machine which attacks anyone who points out Republican malfeasance.

So, Kaitlin Collins was flabbergasted when Republican Ralph Norman who objected to the certification of President Biden's overwhelming victory proudly with a shit-eating grin declared the only thing he regretted was he misspelled martial law.

The most worrisome aspect of the upcoming Republican plan to simply declare Trump the winner of the 2024 election; is that the Media will acquiesce before even raising a tepid objection and pivot to supporting Trump and the Republicans seizure of power.  I mean Traitor Trump claims he won New Hampshire in 2016 and in 2020, who are we in the media too disagree?  Trump Decides, We Report

Because I hope you don't expect Republicans to simply not declare themselves the winners and expect you  to accept their soft overthrow of the United States Government?  

After losing the 2020 Presidential election, Republicans hatched a number of schemes and conspiracies to undermine the results of the election and keep Traitor Trump in power.  Ron Johnson was supposed to hand a fake slate of electors to Mike Pence during the certification process which would've resulted in the adoption of fake electors for several states Trump lost.  Or if Pence had declared he can't certify the election, the Republicans in Congress would have said the matter now goes to the House to decide.  Those bureaucratic tricks failed mainly because Mike Pence got cold feet.

So, then Trump ordered his mob of criminals and insurrections to storm the Capitol.  The January 6th autogolpe succeeded in stopping the peaceful transfer of power.  And even after the mob of rightwing criminals had left the building, arms raised in triumph, Republicans returned to the Congress, with conservatives shit still smeared on the walls and broken glass and broken traditions all over the floor, and still tried to decertify President Biden's victory.

Republicans expect, not without reason, if they do throw a successful Coup d'etat that the country will merely shrug and accept it.

Republicans are a fully-fascist organization who've inculcated much of their pseudo-religious dogma and vile beliefs into Law.  Look, at the number of smooth-bodied well-fed, wide-waisted, heavily-jowled Republican motherfvckers who are declaring their intent to not accept WIC or other federal food programs designed to combat childhood hunger.  And then juxtapose this with the very limited media coverage these Republicans policy decisions received.  

Fat puffy purulent Wisconsin Republican men feel completely free to compare women to breeding farm animals, as they seek to yet again enshackle women into servitude and a life of non-stop pregnancies,  

“You know, in my veterinary career, I did thousands of ultrasounds on animals, you know, determining pregnancy and that kind of thing,” Republican Joel 'Get Women back in the' Kitchens said. “So I think I know mammalian fetal development better than probably anyone here.

Republicans are the Party of Life (so say they and so say the Corporate Media) therefore any plans to deny food to hungry children is therefore pro-life.  Republicans are Party of Life so making women naught but vessels for white men's semen is pro-life.

Caught Herpes Red-Handed

The only current drawback to Republican plan to replace the United States of America with a Fascist Fundamentalist Ethno-State built upon racism and slavery is the head of their movement is a syphilitic jello-brained fascist madman.

"We’re going to place strong protections to stop banks and regulators from trying to debank you from your— your political beliefs what they do. They want to debank you. We’re going to debank— think of this. They want to take away your country. Electric cars..."

"We have more liquid gold and wealth under our feet than any other nation. We have more liquid gold. Oil and gas. More liquid gold. Well, I just met non-liquid gold. You know where it was? Iowa. It’s called corn! They have– it’s non-liquid. I said, ‘Corn.’ They said, ‘We love that idea.’ You know, it’s a pretty cool thought, isn’t it? That’s a nickname in it’s own way but we came up with a new word for– a new couple of words for corn.”

These are not the statements of a man with a sound mind.  Trump's brain is turning into a orange-hued pudding and the sad reality of American journalism is the media will attempt to parse and interpret this utter gibberish.  Certainly, it sounds like someone told him about the Department of Justice using bank records to track rightwing domestic terrorism.  Or perhaps he's going back to the old hits of Republicans lying about the IRS going after conservatives under President Obama.  But, Trump also spent the last couple of days attacking E. Jean Carroll because she's beaten him and keeps beating him.  And his spirochete riddled brain can not handle it.  And it's another story Trump ego story as he's invented a new word for Corn, i.e. "non-liquid gold".

Now, exactly zero MAGA cultists care about the reality of Trump, they've turned him into a worship object and what he represents to them is transcends mere reality and this fallen world.  And rightwingers have been conditioned for years with more eloquent lies from Republican liars so Trump's verbal diarrhea hits just enough of the fragments of agitprop conservatives have absorbed for them to recognize he's speaking the right worship words.

Elected Republicans don't care about his worsening dementia, they know if he's in power they've got plans this time to surround Trump with just the right people to advance the vicious rightwing agenda into Law and impose Order on the millions who would not be ruled by the Fascist Fundamentalist Republican Party.

So, don't get worried about what Republicans plan to do understand what they've already done.  And prepare and plan to beat them in 2024 and fight either way in 2025, because Republicans will not stop trying to destroy the United States of America and replace it with a simulacrum in which Republican word is Law and anyone who resists will be rounded-up and sent to the death camps Republicans are already planning on building. 

Migrant Buses and the Government's inability to respond to a crisis: Part 4: Texas threatens to Secede; every Republican is a Traitor to the US

Briscoe Cain
“Let’s see them enforce it.” 

Additional: 

Republicans in Texas have decided they will not comply with the Supreme Court ruling and will not recognize President Biden’s authority.  It appears Greg Abbot believes he can force a reaction from the President which bad faith Republicans will use to justify their upcoming decision to engage in open rebellion, violence and Civil War 2.0.  

Clearly, Abbott and Republicans in the Federal Government see no problem with cosplaying CivilWar Nullification crisis actors and expect that the Corporate Media and their rightwing drones will blame Biden for Texas Lawlessness as we edge ever closer to that day Republicans decide to attack the United States of America... again.

Part of me wants to see Texas secede and Get the Fuck Out of Here Texas.  It's a shithole State that's only been kept afloat with massive influx of Federal cash.  LBJ really fucked America over by making sure Houston was going to be NASA's headquarters.

Like, everything that's bigger in that shithole state, Texas has always had an oversized share of assholes, from the Jerry Jones and his Dallas Cowboys to the Texans who fought for slavery to the Texans who got the shit kicked out of them by Santa Anna at the Alamo, to the current crop of assholes Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick, and Ken Paxton.

I'd like to see Texas leave the Union and try to make it on it's own.  But, it's fascinating to watch these

Two-Tiered Justice System at Work!

Republican controlled states simply ignore the Supreme Court while Republicans everywhere expect us to continue to adhere to the decisions of 6 unelected wannabe Priests without push back. 

Now, if Texas were to go, I would place crushing sanctions on them and this wouldn't be punitive for leaving but simply back pay for the United States taking on Texas massive debt in the 1800's.  Something like $100,000,000,000 Trillion should cover it, the IMF can place sanctions on the militant Nation of losers and make sure Texas pays its' debts to US while they try to make it on their own.

But, of course Texas isn't going to secede or succeed.  They along with the conservative movement have become too successful at infiltrating and subverting the United States Government to simply take their Hats and go home.  For instance, Ken Paxton sent demand letters and subpoenas to a Seattle, Washington Hospital to appear in person and answer his questions under oath.

The first demand, which has an issue date of Nov. 17, told the hospital that the OAG was investigating “misrepresentations regarding Gender Transitioning and Reassignment Treatments and Procedures and Texas law” that allegedly violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act.

That demand gave the hospital until Dec. 7 to produce documents to the OAG for the agency to identify the following:

• All medications prescribed by the hospital to Texas children
• The number of Texas children treated by the hospital
• Diagnosis for every medication provided by the hospital to Texas children
• Texas laboratories that performed lab tests for the hospital prior to prescribing medications
• Protocol/guidance for treating Texas children diagnosed with gender identity disorder, gender dysphoria or endocrine disorders
• Protocol/guidance on how to “wean” a Texas child off gender transitioning care

Notice first how Republicans claim ownership of children.  "Texas children" as though they belong to the State.  That's the filthy secret of the Moms for Liberty, PraegerU, and every other rightwing fascist organization going;  they feel absolutely entitled and empowered to own people, especially children.  Republican States have been receiving money from Democratic States for decades now they feel confident in reviving Fugitive Slave Laws to control other states legislatures.  Just before Republicans attempted to overthrow the United States Government on January 6th 2021, Texas sued multiple states to overturn their election results. 

Texas is going to stomp and cry and evil fvcking pricks like Abbott, Paxton, Dan Patrick will be invited on Faux News to continue undermining the United States of America as "homegrown" terrorists who are trying to destroy the Nation and replace it with a Neo-Confederate Fascist Fundamentalist slave state, held aloft by the pillars of white power and patriarchy. 

I have no doubt that Abbott, Paxton, and Patrick are hoping the Traitor Republicans in Congress will push some bullshit and threaten to "Imeach" President Joe Biden.  But, no Texas won't Secede anytime soon.  We, the People, are stuck with Republicans and they've made it clear that they intend to Rule or Ruin America. 

Vote.  Volunteer.  Help Democratic candidates.  But, get ready.  Because Republicans in 2025 are going to unleash waves of State sponsored terrorism across the Nation if they gain control of the Federal Government.

President Joe Biden is fixing the DADT discharges, while Republicans plan to execute gay people

I knew one Marine who was discharged in 2002 under the Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) provision after "compromising" Polaroid(!) photos of them circulated amongst the unit.

Under President Barack Obama DADT, was repealed.  Now, under President Joe Biden the Secretary of Defense and the Military are undertaking the task of undoing the Bad Conduct and Dishonorable Discharges, foisted upon LGBTQ service members.

"As we mark the 12th anniversary of the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," I want to recognize the service members, DOD civilians and DOD families who served courageously and forged new pathways for future generations of our force. Their contributions have made our armed forces more representative of the American people and better equipped to tackle future challenges."

~ Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, Sept. 20, 2023

Once again, I will point out the 2020 and 2024 vote for President Biden also means voting for the progressive cabinet members and progressive ideas advanced under the Executive branch of Government.  Only bad faith actors will continue to claim there is no difference between the parties and only fascists and bigots will vote for Traitor Trump.

Again as far as I know this has received scan attention from the Corporate Media.  Nor have I heard any terminally on-line lefty types giving credit to President Biden for this.  And again this Biden policy change will have a huge impact for those Veterans kicked out under DADT; including but not limited to access GI Bill benefits, healthcare coverage, job options, not to mention pride in their military service. 

Contrary to some of the vitriol directed at President Bill Clinton, Don't Ask Don't Tell was a radical first step in ending open discrimination against men and women in the military and American people in general in the 1990's.  Too anyone who might ask well why didn't they take it all the way can look at the current reactionary with hunt of Trans persons today for a parallel.  In fact if you ever want to know why some policy or some obvious wrong is codified into law can easily find the answer:  Republicans.

The Republican Party is wholly wedded to the ideology that Government is not supposed to help anyone.  to Republicans Government's power is destructive and Republicans want to use that destructive power to, well, destroy things.  That's all.

Terrorist Fist Jab

Republicans don't even want to help members of the military.  Look at Tommy PotatoBrain's recently ended blanket filibuster of all Officer promotions.  Look at video of Senator Ted Cruz and Steve Daines, and Josh Hawley hooting and hollering and fist-bumping after voting down healthcare coverage for Veterans sickened by toxic burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Republicans don't give a shit about Veterans, or anyone who doesn't have millions of dollars to give them in campaign contributions. 

There is always some group the Republicans target and vilify.  Currently it is Trans people.  But, homosexuals have always been a target of rightwing vitriol.  If Republicans get back in power in 2025, their bigoted base of domestic terrorists will feel absolutely embolden and will rightly believe they can attack anyone they identify as LGBTQ.  If you think those death camps, Traitor Trump, Steven Miller, and the Project 2025 people have planned for the homeless and "illegal immigrants" won't also be used for Trans people and then outspoken gays, and then anyone else the Right targets you're making a deadly mistake.

Perhaps, you're a white feminist who knows Republican Daddy won't come for you.  But, as the Texas abortion laws demonstrate; make a mistake, or step out of your very tightly defined box, and Republicans will slap you back into your place.

2024 is going to be the year of tightly constrained Rightwing violence.  This election could very well see rightwing domestic terrorist attacks and outright political violence to change the outcome of votes in certain communities.  If Republicans manage to pull off the Coup they tried on January 6th 2021, 2025 is going to see the One Day Dictatorship mimic the 1000 Year Reich.

Vote like your lives depend on it, because they do but, whatever happens be prepared to defend yourself because Republicans are banking on stealing the election and instituting death camps.

Senile jello-brained Trump is 10-96 while President Joe Biden continues to deliver

President Biden continues to deliver tangible progressive accomplishments and continues to receive scant credit.  The bullshit left (as minuscule as it is) really does their best to discount and undermine President Biden's accomplishments.  It's beyond a reflexive need to Yeah, but these achievements.  I don't know why.

Changing marijuana from a Schedule I to Schedule III drug...

Another round of Student Loan Debt forgiveness...

Predatory bank overdraft fees...

These are tangible real policies which will protect the poor and working class from financial ruin and yet it must always be couched by progressives as not good enough.

Now, the Corporate Media doesn't talk about it because these things don't benefit the rich and the swamp creatures ivo Washington DC.  Certainly, Jamie Dimon was pissed about the overdraft fees and made his opinion clear, i.e. Vote Trump.

But, look at the Stock Market, the surging jobs report, and other economic indicators.  When Trump (or Worst, or Ronnie Raygun) was in office the Stock Market "booming" was heralded by the media with Best Economy Ever headlines and the Republican President was lauded for his keen financial acuity and the Corporate Media couldn't wait to run news stories about how great the economy is; under President Joe Biden it's financial doom and gloom.

The Corporate Media does not want Joe Biden to be President.  It's boring.  They really want Nikki Haley.  They desperately need and want the first female President to be a Republican.  They've been treating her as a moderate and doing everything they can to prop up her campaign because what the rabid rightwing MAGA fascists want is "Their Retribution" and that is senile jello-brain Trump.  

Unfortunately, for the Corporate Media Trump's dementia is accelerating but, not fast enough.  This is why Ron DeSantis is staying in the primary despite being so unlikable.  This is why Nancy Pelosi is running to be the Republican President.

Trump's brain is so addled and riddled with spongy soft tissue, he continues to conflate President Biden and President Obama, he continues to tout his mini-mental test as though he took the MENSA exam, and constantly declares he had no duty as President to defend the Constitution.  

“You know, by the way, they never report the crowd on Jan. 6.  You know, Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley.  Nikki Haley, you know they, do you know they destroyed all of the information, all of the evidence, everything, deleted and destroyed all of it. All of it, because of lots of things like Nikki Haley is in charge of security. We offered her 10,000 people, soldiers, National Guard, whatever they want. They turned it down. They don’t want to talk about that. These are very dishonest people,” Trump said.

Orange Puddin' Brain

If Joe Biden had given a rambling disheveled, sweat-soaked speech, full of lies which have been repeatedly debunked, where he constantly confused Nancy Pelosi for Nikki Haley, and demanded total immunity, Faux News would spend every single second of their Sunday shows calling for his immediate ouster and the invocation of the 25th Amendment.

But, the Corporate Media will continue to do their best to clean up his insanity and lies as they've always done.  Oh he's misspoken because he's so tired from campaigning.  Trump appears to confuse Haley and Pelosi.  They'll say he's being deliberately provocative.  They'll claim it's the Trump style to make fun of his political rivals.  They'll claim he doesn't really mean he's going to be a Dictator.

I don't fall for RW Lies, I make them

Don't fret though, Reactionary Bro Rogan and one of his bigoted meathead guests will certainly find time to run a whole segment on Biden being senile for confusing Nikki Haley for Nancy Pelosi and then when told it was Trump, pivot and easily say, "Oh, so Trump fucked up" and add "That’s the thing about media these days. You gotta look into it.”

That darn media!  They won't call it shockingly sexist, or part of a vile long running campaign of lies, they won't point out Trump deliberately held back a quick reaction force from responding to the Capitol building, they won't juxtapose his lies about losing the election.  They'll simply let his fascist base decide for themselves and MAGA has decided; the 2020 election was stolen and they intend to steal the 2024 Presidential election by any means necessary, and yes that means violence.  Rightwing domestic terrorists are going to attack the United States again.

I wish Joe Biden could hang up his gear and enjoy his last few years.  But, he understands there are no final victories.  Like Beowulf he feels he needs to defeat Trump even if it means he dies in the saddle.  Joe Biden isn't wrong, Trump represents the 5 decade long Republican descent into Pure unadulterated Fascism and the end of the American experiment.

Understand TPTB are aligned against President Biden.  While it might be nice if Americans actually voted for the person fulfilling their alleged policy preferences but, we don't live in that Nation; we live in one in which propaganda works and the Propagandists are working overtime to defeat President Biden.

Migrant Buses and the Governments inability to respond to a crisis - Part 3: Stop the Buses!

The Migrant Crisis is only a crisis of ill preparation and 50 years of Republican perfidy in slashing social services, cutting taxes on the rich, and hollowing out the administrative state.  Dealing with this relatively small influx of people could be handled by the government.  It's not 1909 anymore with Immigration agents asking people to sign cards declaring they aren't Anarchists.  But, taxes have kept low and we can't have large number of government workers on the payroll because Government doesn't Work.

Start thinking of why the people who denigrate government often run to be in charge of it and why they want you to believe government can't handle issues like the migrants and asylum seekers being trucked here under false pretenses from Texas assholes.

Of course, the response from the suburbs in the collar counties has been less than admirable.  Numerous small suburbs have passed ordinances banning the dumping of migrants in their towns.  Especially, when the Kankakee County Sheriff's panicked just before Christmas because 30-40 people were abandoned at a gas station before dawn.

Now, the complaint is small villages in DuPage, Lake, suburban Cook, and the nearby counties aren't equipped to take in large number of migrants might be true, but why is that?

First off, I think villages and everyone of these communities could take in 10-20 people and house them temporarily but, most have allocated zero budgetary funds and have made zero preparations with local churches or charities, and because small suburbs have bitterly resisted building any sort of temporary or homeless shelters because NIMBY.  Thus, fail to plan, plan to fail and all that...

So, as Chicago began to decide buses could not drop off migrants without having coordinated first and began turning away buses full of people.  The suburban response is to tell the buses to keep going.  In my town there was such a panic in December of buses stopping in town that we (i.e. the Police) were supposed to follow them and ensure they don't stop, if the bus did stop we were to ensure the migrants didn't get off.  As far as I know there is no "official" policy from the town board or city manager, obviously due to the fear of lawsuits.  But, in many other suburbs residents have expressed their desire to help.

It's would certainly be better than keeping the migrants on the buses because the sub-zero cold will kill the lightly dressed people.  The bitter negative degree temperatures will supposedly abate by this Monday so we'll see what happens.

Now, I think IDOT, the Illinois State Police, and Secretary of State should have asked for guidance from the Governor's office and treated the busing of undocumented people north as a case of possible human trafficking.  Which means detaining drivers, impounding vehicles, and conducting a thorough investigation, including filing charges against the owners of any companies engaged in a conspiracy.  Now, I read that the migrants who arrive here have supposedly signed affidavits requesting transport but, regulations for shipping people are laxer than those for transporting livestock.

The federal Department of Transportation in conjunction with the FAA and airport authorities at Rockford, Midway, and elsewhere should have taken a stronger hand and suspended the shipping licenses for whatever shitkicker backwater Texas airline/bus company is transporting people as well as investigating the companies for human trafficking.  

But, instead the Texas bus company Wynne Transportation LLC, trucking migrants north filed a federal lawsuit against Illinois for interfering with interstate commerce and for "intentional discrimination".  Chicago is again the second city because New York City did the right thing suing 17 bus companies in Texas for $708,000,000 with Docket No. 01 at the beginning of the year. 

Now, these above ideas obviously reflect my focus in terms of law enforcement but, this is really a question of the soul of the Nation and the perfidious nations Republicans are taking to make white people insane.  It's generally worked, nearly half of the white Republicans in Iowa declared immigration the number on issue.  Iowa... 

And of course, Republicans in Congress openly declare they will fuck up the budget and will hamstring any legislative efforts to address immigration because they've staked their political futures to making white people insane.

Texass, of course, receives billions from the Federal Government for "Border Security" and what have the Republicans governors done in the last 20 years?  Well, shuffle those public monies to private companies.

An investigation by ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and The Marshall Project found that the state’s claims of success have been based on shifting metrics that included taking credit for uncovering crimes that had no links to the border, work conducted by troopers who were in the region before the operation began, and arrests, drug seizures and migrant apprehensions made in conjunction with other agencies. More than nine months into the operation, DPS told the news organizations that it had removed about 2,000 charges it deemed not related to border crime from a dataset of arrests credited to Operation Lone Star. The state faces several lawsuits and calls for investigation from Democrats, lawyers and advocacy groups following media reports detailing alleged civil rights violations and court rulings raising questions about the constitutionality of the trespassing arrests. Despite DPS and Abbott’s office highlighting human trafficking and smuggling arrests, the largest share of arrests are of people accused of trespassing on private property. The Army Times and the Tribune have also reported about poor working conditions and suicides among National Guard members deployed under the operation.

Of course, it's shameless but, that's how Republicans operate.  And the rise of rightwing media and the explosion of social media agitprop grants Republicans a wide latitude and enormous cover to engage in these schemes, shenanigans, and crimes.  And that's they name of the game for Republicans;  having Two Sets of Laws.  For Republican friends and allies everything, for their enemies The Law.

Women's problems are being shot, sued, or abused in a cult and worse...

Jordan Peterson Menace to Western Society 
and his Pronouns are Ass/Hole

There's a reason the English word "Menace" (to threaten in hostile or malignant way) contains the root men in it.  Ever since, Bronze Age priests decided to blame everything on Women, women's greatest danger in life continues to be Men.  So, several stories about male abuse of women caught my eye.

"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even be talking about this stuff.  For 54 years they were trying to get Roe v. Wade terminated, and I did it and I'm proud to have done it," 

Jello-brained, herpes-handed Trump proudly proclaimed during his campaigning in Iowa.  As we get further away from the race to claim the Republican nomination (which Trump will win) expect The Creature with the Red Blistered hands to sound more and more "moderate" on Abortion to give the media cover to claim Trump won't issue a total federal ban on all medical care for women. 

Look, the biggest threat to women is Republicans in power using The Law and the "Justice" system to ensure women are denied life-saving medical care.  It's already happening but it would be uncivil for the Media to report anything other than bothsides disagree and then move on to other issues (NOT GAZA!) in the news cycle.  But, there are the legions of Andrew Tate acolytes who view woman as conquest objects or disposable trinkets whom they use to fill the emptiness which comprises the whole of their beings.

We Hunted the Mammoth used to catalogue these vile misogynistic creatures until, it took an emotional toll reading the flood spiteful crap MGTOW, Incels and other grotesque pickup-artists, that they temporarily retired.

This story out of Chicago of an erstwhile PUA Nikko D'Ambrosio epitomizes the way men weaponize the law.  D'Ambrosio decided to sue 27 women, one man, 20 different parts of the Facebook corporation, Meta, Patreon, GoFundMe, and the website arewedatingthesame.com, under the newly adopted 2024 ILCS Anti-Doxxing Law.  It used to be if you are always running into assholes everywhere you go and everyone you meet, it's highly likely you're the asshole.  It also used to be that Truth was an absolute defense against charges of defamation but, in the MAGA universe saying true things about Republicans is a "criminal" offense.  D'Ambrosio has a first hearing on March 11, 2024.

But, the next story really stimulates the primitive rightwing brain pleasure centers.  As you know rightwingers refer to Transwomen as "biological males" and continue to state they will never refer to them by their chosen names, while Republican controlled states pass legislation vilifying, ostracizing and harming transwomen whenever possible.  So, when I read the FBI affidavit from FBI Special Agent Damara Gonzalez on 34 year old Elizabeth West (aka Wyona Wolf) in Oregon, I knew rightwingers would adopt the mentally ill angle as West is a transwomen who worked in a Transgender support group before her on-line social media activities descended into pure Nazism, multiple displays of firearms, then multiple threats of gun violence against multiple people.

It appears West has suffered depression, suicidal ideation, had a Neo-Nazi Oregon boyfriend who died in 2017, and once tried to shoot her father.  Still West was able to amass a huge arsenal of firearms and even after she supposedly disposed of dozens had in her possession 12 handguns and 16 rifles.  Another two revolvers weren't recovered. 

So, remember in the Republican worldview the problem isn't guns it's mental illness and trans people are especially mentally ill but, perversely West isn't a "Biological male" who is a danger to others because in this instance Republicans can blame transgender and thus their priors are safely protected from evaluation.  Of course, Republicans wouldn't do anything like increase funding for treatment for the mentally ill.

Then, of course, there's the guns and the familiar story;  3 women shot, 93 year old grandmother dies.  Remember other nations have mental illness but don't have this level of unrestricted gun violence because other nations don't have Republicans.

A year ago, for child Native American actor Nathan Chasing Horse was arrested for criminal sexual assault, kidnapping, and child abuse in a cult case involving multiple girls and women. He requested the Nevada Supreme Court dismiss the case but, fortunately they declined.  

So, what's going to happen?  Rightwing groups and federal and state Republicans have multiple plans in the works through the courts and legislation to attack and end No-Fault divorce.  Taking suffrage away from women is openly talked about at conservative get togethers.  White "Feminism" is going to be a problem.  Will white women do as they normally do and vote for a Republican President?  As we see with so many white women in Congress and Governors they steadfastly undermine other women and minorities and prop up Patriarchy because a White Male dominated society tends to place them in a special niche below men but, above everyone else.

The more Americans see of Casey and Ron DeSantis the Less they Like! But, like Covid he won't go away

Wibble Wobble Bibble Bobble

Old wibble-wobble head DeSantis is still trying to capture the Republican nomination despite several severe drawbacks, the most glaring is the more Americans see of Ron DeSantis the less they like.

Ron DeSantis is maybe 5'9' tall, so it seems odd for bibble-bobble DeSantis to make himself look taller by wearing 3 inch lifts in his brand spanking new alligator boots since this would offer up more of himself for people to dislike.

But, far worse than his short stature is bibble-bobble DeSantis's incoherence about vaccines and his insistence on lying about Covid in the faint hope of sparking some life into his campaign while his demented lies literally kill his erstwhile supporters.

“Now, every booster you take, you’re more likely to get COVID as a result of it.”  

This is such a vile statement the best you could say about Ron DeathSantis is he's shamefully saying it to get MAGA support for his dead campaign.  And if you dare to read the comment sections of any rightwing  agitprop organization (Reason), then you will be exposed to the insane hatred and lies about myocarditis and ruining your "natural immunity" that will make you understand why DeSantis will play footsie with these Covid lies.

And they will help you understand why the Corporate Media is still STILL trying to make DeSantis Happen.    

Now, certainly the Media would love nothing more than to elevate Nikki Halley to Republican nominee but they know the Magat Horde yearns to have Jello-Brain Herpes Hands Trump back in office.  But, regardless of whom the nominee is the Medias job is to help elect Republicans and to that end they will do whatever it takes. 

Unfortunately, Ron DeSantis is such an unlikeable uncouth asshole, other unlikeable uncouth assholes want nothing to do with him.

In an excerpt from his forthcoming book The Fall: The End of Fox News and the Murdoch Dynasty, which was published in New York, Michael Wolff reports that Tucker Carlson invited DeSantis to lunch at his home in Florida in spring 2023 to see if he could back Rupert Murdoch’s preferred candidate. DeSantis wound up alienating Carlson and his wife, Susie, by behaving boorishly and pushing — or possibly even kicking — their beloved dog:

High Heels
not allowed
In the Navy

A common trope in TV and Movies is that dogs have a preternatural sense of who is a good guy and who is a bad guy [Evil-Detecting Dog].  This was famously illustrated in The Terminator, but continues to this day.  Now... sometimes reality imitates Art.  Trump is hated by dogs and other animals, whereas good ole President Joe loves dogs.  DeSantis kicking a dog is emblematic of how he's treated people throughout his rise.

Remember Ron DeSantis stood up an Election Integrity State Police unit to harass and arrest blacks in Florida for "Voter Fraud"so it's ironically grotesque his vile little troll wife Casey just encouraged Republicans to commit Voter Fraud in the Iowa Caucuses.  Casey DeSantis is apparently is as mean a little vindictive shit as Ron.  It's also hilarious to see vile troll Casey stand next to vile shit Ron and realize they are the same height

Of course, it wouldn't be proper for me to talk about DeSantis without mentioning his Bronze Star award, that is a Bronze Star without the V Device.  Which means Ron didn't earn it for "valorous" action or conduct but was awarded it for paper work.  There is a class of Officers who base their prospects and look to set up their future endeavors by having a large salad stack on their dress uniforms.  

These Officers know how to ingratiate themselves into their higher-ups and also know how to craft a decoration request for themselves to make it look like they did something.  DeSantis did not.  DeSantis is real, real, real close to a Stolen Valor chump.  This is why he never talks about his time as a JAG as he knows if he starts boasting about his GWoT exploits it'll open him up to criticism and critique and since he did nothing of note expect paperwork to justify torture at Guantanomo.

Of course, the lessons DeSantis has learned from his time at GITMO andin the Navy he's brought to his career in Florida and what he wishes to inflict on the American people.

ETA:

The best thing about DeSantis is his pathetic campaign is subjecting him to daily humiliation.