Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Railroaded Unions (The New Afghanistan Fiasco)

Stop that Train
I wanna get on
Famously, and incorrectly, it was claimed at least Mussolini made the trains run on time.  Much like his ideological descendent Trump this was a bit of fascist propaganda and the truth was Il Duce lackey's told him things to keep him placated.

The United States House of Representatives voted today 290-137 to avert a December 9th railway strike and impose the compromise contract previously brokered by President Biden's  emergency board led by Labor Secretary Marty Walsh President Administration between the Unions and Railroads. 

Railroads and workers in America are an outlier in modern American labor.  It was no accident, the vicious Ayn Rand choose a railway as the business her female protagonist owns.  Rand pined for the days of the rapacious billionaire, the consolidation of businesses and the power they had over workers was untrammeled and resulted in brutal Wage Slavery until those evil government bureaucrats interfered with their "anti-trust" laws.  In my Gen-X history classes wedged between the end of the Civil War and the glory of the World Wars was the small section on the glided age of Robber Barrons and the terrible working conditions from children in mines to garment workers and railmen, including stories of linemen, signal maintainers, and engineers getting their arms cut off or mangled by trains and being unceremoniously fired by the Railways.  Murderous working conditions and lack of retirement benefits pushed the FDR administration to pass multiple pieces of legislation separate from the Social Security system in the 1930's.  The Railroad Retirement Board is an independent agency of the Executive Branch of the US Government.

The current situation seems unbelievably ridiculous and a throw back to 19th century working conditions. Currently, railroad workers have no paid sick days and are reportedly terminated if they take a single leave of absence.

But, the CBS news story I highlighted earlier choose to end their story with this quote, "The 'most labor-friendly president in history' has proven that he and the Democratic Party are not the friends of labor they have touted themselves to be," Conductor Gabe Christenson said.  And numerous media pieces seem to focus on President Biden's role in requesting Congress intervene in a shocking attack on Unions and the working man and his role in averting an earlier confrontation by forcing a compromise contract which 4 of the 12 Railroad Unions rejected.

What I could see happening is a repeat of the End of Afghanistan, where the media works overtime to try and pin blame on President Biden.  And then repeatedly calling the Afghanistan pullout a disaster, fiasco, or failure.  Fortunately or sadly, I don't think this will happen because Americans don't really care about railroads or union contracts.  But, it does highlight how Democratic Administrations are often placed in untenable situations by years of neglect and subversion of the Federal Government by Republicans.

Because that is how Republicans operate at the Federal Level.  The GQP has run on a platform of Government doesn't work since at least Ronnie Raygun and when they get into office they undermine the government to proclaim the were right about government not working all along.  So, Democratic Presidents and Congresses find themselves in the thankless task of keeping the trains running by forcing the workers to accept a contract.

But, while Republicans seemingly aren't willing to be seen as halting the trains, the anti-American Republican Party is damn sure against giving workers more sick leave.  Because after the first vote to impose the contract, Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a second vote to provide more sick leave for railroad workers and 207 (out of 213) House Republicans voted no.

Republicans feel confident this vote against workers won't get the media coverage as the Corporate Media tries to push the Biden Hates Unions and working class people narrative.

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Republican Political Power flows from microphone through the barrel of a Gun.

"People should definitely arm themselves, I agree," Tucker Carlson and Christopher Rufo incite stochastic act of terror against the LGBTQ community.

Republicans and Rightwingers have declared War on Americans. Not rhetorical. Not symbolic. But, Acts of Terror and physical violence.

For the simple reason that political power for Republicans flows from the barrel of a gun.  Violence is the final arbiter of political authority to Republicans and Rightwingers.

This should have been clear when Republicans declared the January 6th insurrection, "Legitimate Political Discourse."

But, it's demonstrated time and again whether directly, as when the grandson of a Nazi at the urging of Lauren Boebert, Tucker Carlson, and Chaya Raichik takes his AR15 and murders suspected members of the LGBTQ community at Club Q, and indirectly when human marshmallow Kevin McCarthy declares Democratic Representatives Eric Swawell, Ilhan Omar, and Adam Schiff will be denied committee positions. Swawell, Schiff, and Omar receive an out-sized amount of death threats from conservatives. McCarthy is simply showing deference and acknowledgment that threats of violence and actual violence are the animating principle guiding Republicans.

Despicable right-winger Tim Pool is celebrating this Act of Terror at Club Q.  Like so many of his ilk, Pool reveals in the blood which flows from their discourse. Chaya Raichik is already back at demonizing people in Colorado in the same community in which one of adherents just shot 30 people.

Republicans animate their rightwing attack drones by Fear & Anger.  Groomers and Pedophiles.  Groomers and Pedophiles.  Groomers and Pedophiles.  Repetition.  Repetition.  Repetition.  And their followers absorb this repetition and become Angry.

It's what Republicans did to black people (CRIMINALS), leftists (DRUG ABUSERS), Latinos (ILLEGALS), Muslims (TERRORISTS), and originally Homosexuals but, now Trans persons (GROOMERS).  Every decade Republicans set off to demonize and destroy a group of marginalized or powerless people by, inflating them to a Nationwide threat and white reactionaries eagerly absorb the message of hate and seek out those people to harm through direct violence and the election of Republicans who use the power of the state to harm those communities. 

Rightwingers are going to murder you.  It's only a matter of time.  Stop pretending it's just heated rhetoric, stop pretending it's mental illness. It's Terrorism and it's designed to make certain people afraid for their lives, and win control of the Government so Rightwingers can then use the awesome power of the state to effect a Mass Murder program.

Chaya Raichik, Matt Walsh, Tucker Carlson, Jordan Peterson, Tim Pool, whomever, are going to incite more and more and more and more violence against LGBTQ persons until such time as they can then turn that violence against those who defend LGBTQ persons.  And then it's a coordinated state run campaign of genocide.

This is not a proclamation to be as brave as the Trans Woman and retired Army Major who tackled and beat the shit out of the 22 year rightwing domestic terrorist and grandson of a Nazi who shot up Club Q, but a declaration that you've got to be ready because Republicans and Rightwingers are telling each other to murder you.

Monday, November 21, 2022

Republicans love when people are shot to death with AR15s (Club Q)

Matt Walsh and Chaya Raichik
They fucking love it.

A 22 year old right-winger with a history of domestic violence and bomb threats, went into Club Q, a renowned LGTBQ nightclub, armed with an AR15 and shot 30 people to pieces, murdering 5 until 2 incredibly brave people tackled him and stopped the latest act of rightwing domestic AR15 terrorism.

Whenever Lauren Boebert, Ted Cruz or any Republican you can think of hears of another mass shooting the first thing they do is find out who was murdered, once Republicans find out it's a group of people they hate like LGBTQ persons or Hispanic schoolchildren, Republicans give an ecstatic little cry of joy, then they type off a little missive of Thoughts&Prayers, then they get ready to cut another Faux News segment where they repeat CHICAGO CHICAGO CHICAGO to distract, and then Republicans go back to Fash Twitter to demonize LGTBQ people.

Then after cashing their latest check from the NRA and Gun Manufacturers Republicans will pose with guns in their Christmas Cards.

Meanwhile, Tucker Carlson, Matt Walsh, Ben SShaprio, Steven Crowder, Chaya Raichik (Libs of TikTok), and numerous other rightwing propagandists immediately return to demonizing LGTBQ people and stoking rage amongst their followers, whom they've also encouraged to arm themselves with military grade long guns.

I stated that Republicans and Rightwingers were coming to murder Us.  And it's here.  And they aren't going to stop.  Republicans and Rightwingers have declared War on numerous people in America.  Not rhetorical War but, an asymmetrical war where they incite their followers to commit acts of violence.  Republicans were hoping to win more elections and government positions so their paramilitary domestic terrorists could work hand-in-glove with official Law Enforcement but, what they will settle for is more 'lone wolf' mass shootings via stochastic terrorism which Republicans stoke.

Because you can't predict where the next act of Rightwing Domestic Terrorism will be but, you can fucking well guarantee it will happen.

Saturday, November 19, 2022

The Fascist Next Door 5: Twitter is for The Fash

One of the necessary skills Americans need to cultivate is reading gang signs and symbols.  Now, because of the relentless Copaganda campaign from local, state, and federal law enforcement, Americans are conditioned to read the word "gangs" and think blacks and Hispanics.  Also we could blame the 1990's Blood In, Blood Out and South Central but, the gangs which really threaten the United States these days are Rightwing Paramilitary organizations.

And the thing about Rightwingers is they reveal in flashing their gang signs out in the open and having the normies not pick up on it.

Let's start with our Twitter persona pictured here.  This "person" wrote an op-ed on the Liberal Laptop Class rejecting Elon Musk's request they work hard at Twitter.  But, read the nom de'plume, "blue collar guy she/her @metal_gear88".  I am going to interpret this for you; it's a thinly veiled Arbreit Macht Frei Heil Hitler.  Remember, right-wingers giggle and love inside jokes while maintaining a thin veneer of deniability.  Note also the childish addition of she/her for a "blue collar guy" and the GamerGate adjacent reference to Solid Snake (SS?) with the "metal_gear".

So, was it a lack of understanding whom she was sharing or was it purposeful when disreputable, anti-progressive, Corporate Media handmaiden Batya Ungar-Sargon decided to amplify this person's diatribe for Newsweek, a publication which has rapidly descended into anti-worker pathos and apologia for Corporate Bondage.  Batya Ungar-Sargon herself is quite an example of the pampered class of Lügenpresse, who do the work of the Corporate masters, believing their work will spare them from the trains when the time comes for Us.

Musk, himself, is undoubtably Fash Curious and Fash Friendly.  It's been noted that Musk has gone out of his way to respond to Neo-Nazi Twitter accounts, which he doesn't follow, but whose posts he apparently seeks out.  And of course 3 weeks ago, the Neo-Nazis, bigots, and other assorted rightwing trolls immediately began to flood Twitter with their bile, vitriol, hatred, and disinformation.  It's apparent the Twitter accounts flourishing are Crypto-Cons, Neo-Nazis, and bots.

Fascinatingly, this was not only predictable but, predicted by the interesting Englishman Tom Scott in a speech he presented to the Royal Institute in 2019, called there is No Algorithm For Truth.  I've included the presentation for your viewing pleasure; jump to 46:22 for the last third which includes the chapter titled Nazi Bars.  It incorporates the exact trajectory for Twitter under Elon Musk. 


So, as always... get ready.  Get knowledgeable about the symbols and signs around you.  Be prepared because Rightwingers are openly and proudly displaying their ideas and goals.  And those goals are your subjugation or elimination.

Additional:
BTW, after doing household chores I decided a few hours after writing this to do a cursory glance at "blue-collar guy she/her" and this popped up,

Look, rightwingers are yearning to unleash their inner fascist.  They are waiting for someone in the Republican Party to give the Go Ahead.

Forget Florida focus on the Four (Five) Southwest Corner States

"The vibe on the ground was totally different than this," Charlie Kirk talking to Arizona lunatic Wendy Rogers.  Rightwingers run on Vibes not Votes.  That's why the animating principle for Republicans is #OwntheLibs and not say how can we set up a more just union which materially benefits Americans?

The United States is a center-left Nation.  On every issue, Democrats represent the overwhelming will of America.  Yet...  the Republican Party persists.  It's no secret why Republicans still threaten the United States, they've inflitrated the Government and subverted laws and rights at every opportunity to ensure their agenda of oppression and subjugation continues to plague the American people.

It appears America's dildo is a lost cause for the foreseeable future. Florida has had steady trickle of angry Reactionary white boomers coalescing in the infected tip.  And those boomers are red-faced and furious. They were the golden children of America. They were going to live forever. The World was there's for the taking.  And then they got old.

Meanwhile, Soft Focus Kari Lake lost her bid to be the pugnacious Trumpette of Arizona.  And the Democrats won throughout Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, okay Nevada, were the Machinery set up by Harry Reid continues to churn out wins for the Democrats.

The Southwest is already a blue bulwark against the sea of red which rolls over the empty High Plains of the Nation.  So, accept that, with the exception of an odd House district in Florida, the Southwest should be the focus of effort along with the old so-called rust belt states.  Because Republicans in the US House and Rightwingers in back room meetings continue to indicate that should they get power, women are going to be reduced to second class citizens bereft of the basic rights to bodily autonomy and Republicans will aid Vladimir Putin and other Authoritarian leaders roll back progressive gains and ensconce a new era of Fascism on the Globe.

Read this excellent short article by Mark Greene about the MAGA Boomer Rage and how there were several inflection points and the Boomers, as a whole, often made the worse decision each time and it's led to the Faux News fueled White Boomer Rage.  From the article, 

The MAGA bell curve peaked as we moved into retirement, staring blankly at our own mortality. Because we had bought into the decades long drumbeat of individualism sold to us by a GOP bent on eliminating social safety nets, we sought validation in class and status and so ended up without community.

A succinct description of Florida and its' denizens.

Friday, November 18, 2022

The Revenge of the Thin Blue Line 29: Trespass not against Me! I Trespass against You!

Police Officers are usually poor lawyers. Now, this isn't a question of smarts, but of the lack of attention to details and general belief in their own superior understanding of laws even if they haven't read them. Back in the Marines I used to call this thinking "Barracks Lawyering", it's an ardent belief in something you once heard or some guy once heard in reference to a rule or procedure.

To wit: The Illinois SAFE-T Act has changed trespassing to a ticket! Poor people are going to set up campsites on your front lawn! Even, a cursory reading of the law indicates there are several provisions in the body of the reworked language which gives the officer a significant amount of latitude to arrest the person and remove them from the "Real Property" instead of ticketing them and leaving. Not to mention other laws like Obstruction of Peace Officer, in which a Peace Officer can lawfully order a person to leave a property.

But! But... that gets to the crux of the issue. A significant number of police officers chafe and become petulant when faced with direction, supervision, and accountability. The exact things the SAFE-T act was designed to address. And underlying this is a lack of self-awareness, reflection, and an absolute inability to place themselves in the shoes of another.

Reading various additions to the ILCS, Officers scoff and proclaim well I would never do this or that, and refuse to believe this or that is happening elsewhere.

For instance, this addition was made to the Use of Force,

(c) The authority to use physical force conferred on peace officer by this Article is a serious responsibility that shall be exercised judiciously and with respect for human rights and dignity and for the sanity of every human life. 

Of course, grumble the almost all white Officers policing almost all black communities. But, I read that addition not as superfluous but as the I was just following Orders addendum. You see no Officer wants to believe they could possibly be the bad guys, that they would act as storm troopers, that they would simply follow inhumane orders. That events would overwhelm their natural instincts and moral code as the engage in indiscriminate unlawful use of force.  That they, would be the Nazis.

Yet, what did we see in Philadelphia during the 2020 protests? Officers indiscriminately using force on everyone they saw.

Thursday, November 17, 2022

sQueaker of the House Qevin McCarthy and Qrazy Qult of Qonservatives

"Bakersfield? Bakersfield! BAKERSFIELD!!!"
The Zombie Republican Party secured enough US House seats to be the majority in the 2022 elections.  Of course, Corporate Media and rightwing propaganda was working overtime before the election, predicting a 2010 60 seat blowout by Republicans, mainly, because the media's job is to get Republicans elected and make their fascist agenda palatable to the masses. However, when Americans vote, especially the Millennial Zoomer Generation, Republicans lose. Which is why you hear various rightwing assholes screaming about not letting 18-29 year olds vote anymore.

The final total of Republicans in the House is likely to be 219 or 220, including the odious Lauren Boebert. But, since no one likes, Kevin McCarthy it's not yet assured he'll be Speaker. The soulless GQP ghouls will demand the QAnon Platform of MAGA intolerance, oppression, bigotry, elimination of Civil Rights, and the enshrinement of Corporate Hegemony be accomplished immediately and McCarthy won't have any margin in the House.

Of course, the House Republicans are going to conduct all sorts of investigations. Hunter Biden will be blamed for all manner of things and Faux News is going to call for his arrest. But, really we shouldn't care. President Biden having learned appeasing and appealing to Republicans sense of duty is fool-hardy, apparently, has assembled a team to combat these frivolous attacks by Republican psychos

Also, remember what Republicans seek to do is to demonize Joe Biden for saying this to Hunter,
"It's Dad. I called to tell you I love you. I love you more than the whole world, pal. You gotta get some help. I don't know what to do. I know you don't either, but I am here no matter what you need, no matter what you need, I love you." Joe Biden to Hunter in a voicemail from 2018.  There is no depths to Republican depravity and inhumanity.

But, besides the vindictive attacks on the Biden's, the House GQP will vote to disband the FBI, declare Afghanistan all Joe's fault, hold Dr Fauci responsible for Covid, and simply not pass any funding bills.  But, most troubling of all is how openly Republicans talk about repealing birth control and reducing women to sex slavery and second class citizen status. 

Because, understand the Republican Party has nothing to offer the American people; their entire platform is the diminution of rights, the reduction of the US standard living, the elimination of education, the retrograde movement of the United States back to an unfree Nation of Slavery and subjugation.

MAPA! MASA! MAWA! MAGAGA!

Lord Magaga

Rah, rah-ah-ah-ah 
MAPA! MAWA!
MA-GAGA, ooh-la-la
Want your bad romance

Donald Trump will be the GQP nominee in 2024.  Period.  As with Lady Gaga's song Bad Romance (The Fame Monster 2009), the Republican Party is wedded to Donald J. Traitor Trump til death do them part.  Not because Trump is a Svengali but, because he represents everything Republicans are and everything they want to be.

Ron DeSantis isn't going to challenge Trump because of many reasons.  DeSantis may want to run against Biden as a youthful winner and tempt rightwingers with visions of the DOJ and Executive branch of the Federal Government being weaponized against the Non-MAGA the same way DeSantis did in Florida but, unless Traitor Trump falls over dead DeSantis is going to wait to unleash rightwing fury in 2028, presumably against Vice President Kamala Harris, whom Faux News and Republicans are going to spend the next 6 years smearing as they try to build a recreate a combination of the rightwing anger at Barack and HRC for Kamala Harris.

In the meantime, Trump is going to try and recreate the atmosphere of 2015-2016, and I believe the rightwing media will quickly fall in line behind him and the Corporate Media will again force feed Trump's addled spirochete infected speeches on us while they provide massive amounts of free airtime to a thieving traitor who tried to overthrow the United States Government.

Sunday, November 13, 2022

The American people again reject Republicans

Thanks Millennials!  Okay! Zoomers!

The 18-29 year olds turned out in the second highest numbers since the 1970's, only 2018's turnout was higher. Additionally, according to the Edison Research National Election Pool exit poll, the national youth vote choice for the U.S. House of Representatives was 63% for Democrats, 35% for Republicans.

Now, while we can stop and applaud the youth involvement we can lament that 27% is a high achievement.  If... the Millennials realized that by getting 50% turnout (just half) they would swamp, the apathetic and small Gen X and rapidly dying white boomers, they would set the agenda for the Nation.  

I believed the 2016 elections would be the last gasp of aging white boomer rage and I was right, in a sense, but, now for the 3rd straight elections (2018, 2020, 2022) Americans overwhelmingly rejected what Republicans and Rightwingers represent.  In fact, Americans consistently reject Rightwing policies and vote against Republicans; including the Presidency, which a Republican has only won the popular vote once in 32 years.  And as polling on all issues facing the American people show, the United States is a Center-Left Nation.  Unfortunately, the United States was set up to mimic a Republic and was more accurately perceived as an Oligarchy.  The Republicans have latched onto the built-in undemocratic elements to retain power and control.  

But, the GQP is a dead party. Or more accurately an Undead Party.  And the Zombie Corpse of the GQP stalks the Nation infecting and killing each state that they can and turning them likewise into Reactionary Ghouls further preying upon the remaining body politic of the Untied States.

The bloated zombie besetting the Land
But, this year the bloated vampire Trump saddled Republicans with his thralls in numerous states which as we see Americans rejected.  The best thing Trump could have done for his legacy was to die of covid in October 2020.  Because then rightwingers could have elevated him to the martyred prince.. the onec and future king.  His election would have been assured if not for villainous Dr Fauci killing him.  His string of "victories" would have gone down as the greatest in US history his legend would pass into myth.  Instead Trump had presided over 3 disastrous elections and is fatally damaging his aura by attacking the heir apparent, Florida Governor Ron DeathSentence.

Already we've seen some knives come out for Trump but, the jabs have been tepid and led by Republicans whom the rightwing base do not venerate,
"I think Trump's kind of a drag on our ticket.  I think Donald Trump gives us problems, politically. We lost the House, the Senate and the White House in two years when Trump was on the ballot, or in office." Paul Ryan.  Now, certainly Republicans would love to be able to pin everything on Trump and go back their slow-moving Coup.

The only way Republicans win elections is by voter apathy (which they cultivate), voter suppression  (which they create), and voter intimidation (which they stimulate).  But, even with these nefarious methods The Democrats are going to gain a Senate seat, several US House seats flipped, didn't lose any toss-up contests, and every district touching the Pacific Ocean is represented by a Democratic Rep, Democrats gained control of the Michigan statehouse, Democrats won Governors races throughout the Rustbelt and Southwest, and perhaps most importantly, abortion referendums in numerous states protected Women's rights.

But, there are no eternal victories and the struggle in 2022 isn't over yet.  Getting Senator Reverend R. Warnock re-elected (as the 51st Senator) is the last victory of this battle and the first step in the next one.

Saturday, November 12, 2022

Did you every notice Republicans don't talk about the GWoT anymore? Let Us Not Forget Armistice Day


As we solemnly recall the 11th of November, I pause to thank President Biden for a second consecutive Armistice/Veterans Day without an open US overseas conflict.  No new VFW memberships will be filled today.

But, besides the half-hearted ThankyouforyourService bromides you can't find a conservative today who talks about the Veterans of the Global War on Terror or the Iraq War or Afghanistan.  20 years ago Republicans and Rightwingers declared the so-called War on Terror the single most titanic clash of civilizations since the Cold War and the defining monumental struggle of the 21st century.  Today, nothing...

It's one of the most shameful actions of mass forgetting by Rightwingers in US History.  Additionally, while I don't slam Democrats who couldn't stand against the tide of war back then I understand it's de rigueur to claim the Democrats weren't even a tepid non-resistance to the Rush to War and were more than willing accomplices.  The cool cynics ape the declaration that there is one party in America; the War Party with two branches (left and right).  

But, let's be clear any candidate who was against the AUMF didn't stand a chance in 2004, yes Bernie Bros, beloved Bernie Sanders didn't run for President in 2004 because he knew he'd be annihilated.  And yes Racist Ron Paul's rEVOLution didn't come out until 2008. And Republicans ran on WAR in the 2002 midterms and won. 

But, by 2016 the Corporate Media was more than willing to let Rightwingers engage in the time honored America tradition of revisionist history and cast the blame for the GWoT mainly onto President Obama and HRC.  No one should forget the Maureen Dowd ridiculous too cute alliteration column Donald the Dove, Hillary the Hawk.

By 2021, after not covering the Afghan War for years when President Biden extricated the United States from Afghanistan Dick Engel raged at the loss of his War Boner and news agencies cultivated Lara Logan's insanity as the Corporate Media declared the End of the Occupation after 20 fucking years to be the greatest blunder in US foreign policy ever.  It was shameless and ridiculous, untrue and galling.  So if you think the Corporate Media would have laid off an anti-War candidate instead of constantly hounding anyone who stood against the GWoT in 2002 and 2004 you're either fooling yourself or a fool.

In fact, the only Republicans who talk about the War on Terror today are those running for office who inflate, exaggerate, and lie about their service records.  J.R. Majewski, that doughy lard-ass, continued to claim throughout the year his deployments are sooooooo classified that he can't show them to anyone after it was shown he completely lied about his military service.  Tyler Kistner in Minnesota was caught claiming combat experience when he had none.  Kistner, who claimed 4 combat tours took a page from Majewski and claimed his military action was so sensitive, "even basic details could help foreign adversaries."

This is really shameless.  But, Majewski and Kistner still received over 100,000 votes in their respective House races, though both fortunately lost.  But, I did't expect any rightwinger to not vote for these two Republican Liars.  Rightwingers are sheep and drones.  Remember every accusation by a rightwinger is a confession, they only care about power.  Rightwingers long ago jettisoned their so-called values, ethics, morals, beliefs, all that matters to them now is gaining the power of government to enforce their agenda of hatred, intolerance, and oppression.

Terrorist Fist Jab
So, understand The Military writ large isn't actually a bastion of conservatives anymore, even if psychotic Rightwing lunatics infest the ranks of Admirals and Generals..  It's not the Reagan 1980's anymore.  The majority of veterans in the 21st century are liberal.  The majority of Veterans and active duty voted for Joe Biden in 2020.    

Republicans and Rightwingers don't represent America anymore and have nothing to offer the American people but, violence and lies.  Veterans and active duty service members know and can sense this and it's why Republicans are steadily drifting away from helping and addressing Veterans issues and why in the 2022 elections Wisconsin Republicans committed election fraud via military ballots and sought to throw out overseas military ballots.


Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Thomas More Dead Women Society: More Election Denial! More Religious Zealotry! More Subjugation!

More! More! More!
How do you like it? How do you like it?
More, more, more
How do you like it? How do you like it?
More, more, more
How do you like it? How do you like it?
I mentioned the sophomorically named Thomas More Society in July, when former Illinois State Rep Peter Breen was giggling at the prospect of arguing before the Sinister Supreme Court that pregnant women should be detained and stopped from interstate travel because they may engage in the soon-to-be unlawful activity of abortion.  

Before the monstrous Dobbs decision, Breen and the Thomas More Slavery Society brought lawsuits in Sangamon County (Their headquarters is in Chicago but, you know these religious freaks don't want to bring a case up before Cook County Judges) that Illinois Abortion Coverage Mandate somehow violates their "sincere" religious beliefs.  Breen of course, cited the almost as monstrous 2014 Hobby Lobby Court decision which allowed business owners to determine what employees can or can not do with their personal medical care.  Peter Breen is a grotesque but, he's far from the only one at this rightwing club of scoundrels as they've brought lawsuits in numerous states using the false piety and religious liberty to restrict the rights of others.

To wit: As the 2022 Elections conclude, the Thomas More Society is gearing up to overthrow the results of elections because Republicans are no longer certain their techniques for suppressing voter turnout and disenfranchisement provide them with enough "wins" so like all Authoritarians they've moved to "legally" challenging and overturning results.
"If there is a close election, it’s going to be up to us to fix it,” said Erick Kaardal, a lawyer with the Thomas More Society, a conservative legal group in Chicago, during an Oct. 27 Zoom attended by more than 50 people. “We’re the team that’s going to have to fix an election in Michigan, if it’s rigged.”
And how will we know if "it's rigged"?  Why if the Republican supposedly lost, it's rigged!  And how do we "fix it"?  Why simply declare the Republicans the winners!

The Thomas More Dead Women and More Slavery society started in 1998, when these types of groups got their footing on the coattails of Racist Limbaugh's powerful rightwing agitprop radio program, Newt Gingrich's Contract on America, and the birth of Faux News.  Since, then these groups have worked the Long Game, slowly eroding laws and codifying religious liberty arguments into US and State Law.  It's an insidious way to overthrow the US Government, and one which was working piece by piece, the kind of methodology preferred by long-time institutionalists like Mich McConnell and John Roberts. 

I hope you've already voted by the time you read this but if you haven't, go vote and take friends and family, because we're quickly moving to the the second stage of a pre-fascist Government in which election losses are overturned via court injunctions and bureaucratic legerdemain.  Thus, the fascists can point to "free & fair" elections as they move to the next step of permanently ensconcing themselves into Office, while retaining the facade of a democratic Republic.  

But, regardless of the outcome of the 2022 Elections understand the Rightwing isn't going to stop.  They've got their bloodlust up, they've got the 6 Unjustices on the Supreme Court, they've got their gerrymandered State Legislatures and they've got their sights set upon claiming the Whole Thing in 2024. So as I've written before get ready.  Get ready to fight for your lives, literally.  Because Rightwingers are coming for them.

Monday, November 7, 2022

Time to Choose: Democracy or Slavery

"Republicans will never lose another election in Wisconsin after I'm elected governor," Billionaire Religious Bigot Dictator Wannabe Tim Michels, who is running to be Governor of Wisconsin.

All across the Nation, Republicans are broadcasting their Authoritarian intentions, with the prime goal of establishing permanent oppressive, intolerant Republican Rule.  The Corporate Media won't say anything about this; except to run their standard storylines of BothSidesDoIt and Democrats in Disarray.  It's up to Us too slow, stop, and reverse the Vile and Murderous Actions of the Crypto-Fascist Republican Party.

And yes there are structural rules and undemocratic traditions deeply embedded in the Nation which makes this a heavy lift, besides the perfidious back-stabbing of the likes of Kyrsten Sinema. 

And realize before you claim it's hyperbole or that's just what everyone says about the current election; understand that Republicans in numerous States, in the Federal Government, and all the way up to the Supreme Court have already begun to restrict rights, impose oppressive burdens, ensconce undemocratic methods, and are resolved to go further and further and further.

They've already begun with Abortion, which, if the GQP wins majorities, will quickly be made unlawful across the country.  Along with a host of other medical procedures because the GQP are coming for Contraception.  Bodily Autonomy. Same-Sex Marriage.  Social Security.  Medicare.  Your very Right to Vote at all.

Everything is on line.

And yes when the Republicans underperform tomorrow November 8, 2022, they will scream and shout and cry Fraud, lie about their Stolen "Victories", and incite their Rightwing Domestic Terrorists to further actions which make Jan 6th seem like a picnic on the Capitol grounds because that's what Rightwing political thought is these days violence and lies.

So go and vote while you still can but, also get ready to fight for your very lives afterwards because Republicans and Rightwingers are coming for them.

Thursday, November 3, 2022

Republicans have nothing to offer the American people; but a lot to offer Oil & Gas Companies

As President Biden, Senator Warren, and numerous other Democratic officials have noted; oil & gas companies are raking in record windfall profits on the backs of the American people.

“Oil companies. record profits today are not because of doing something new or innovative,” Biden said. “Their profits are a windfall of war, a windfall for the brutal conflict that’s ravaging Ukraine and hurting tens of millions of people around the globe.” 

Over the last two quarters, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips, and TotalEnergy earned over $100 billion in profits—more than they earned all of last year, and more than two-and-a-half times what they earned in the same quarters of 2021.

For one thing, long range, these fossil fuel conglomerates realize the days of the internal combustion engine on personal motor vehicles is coming to a close and are looking to rake in as much as possible for as long as possible.  To that extent Republicans eagerly aid Republicans in fucking over the American consumer. 

Because Republicans provide Oil & Gas Companies a safety value of claiming the price of gas on Biden's War on Energy.   It would be ludicrous if it wasn't so indicative of the Fascist GOP plans to shackle every American in perpetual servitude to Big Companies while retarding all growth in the renewable energy sector as they've done decades.

Of course, Republicans have zero plans to relieve the pressure at the pump and are, most likely, relying on Oil Companies lowering prices in response to Republicans easing restrictions and regulations on drilling, dumping, polluting, and transferring all the costs of Oil extraction to the people while profits are safely secured in stock buybacks and bonuses.  It's the old privatize the profits and socialize the losses maneuver so-called Capitalists are famous for...  

To say nothing of the fact that many of the Multinational Oil Companies are really just extensions of their native Governments, including such repressive terrorist sponsoring regimes like Saudi Arabia.  And the arguments Republicans are feeding their Rightwing drones basically amounts to nationalizing Oil Companies so the President can dictate the price of gas.

President Biden and the Democratic House have passed Windfall Profits Tax on Oil & Gas Companies, and every Republican in the House voted against it.  The bill will not pass the Senate because zero Republicans in the Senate will support such a bill because Republicans ally and align with rapacious Oil Companies over the American citizen, all the time.  Biden has also released oil from the strategic reserve, pressured oil companies to increase production, while the Democrats in the Senate the Gas Prices Relief Act, stopping the excise tax on gasoline for 2022.

I recall Republican Congressman Joe Barton apologizing to BP executive Tony Hayward for the dastardly Obama War on Energy after BP destroyed the Gulf of Mexico with the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe,

"I'm ashamed of what happened in the White House yesterday. I apologize. I do not want to live in a country where anytime a citizen or a corporation does something that is legitimately wrong is subject to some sort of political pressure, that is again, in my words, amounts to a shakedown. So I apologize." Texass Dick Pic Joe Barton

But, then what is painfully obvious, and has been so for decades, is the Republican Party hates America.  They hate a diverse and free America.  Everywhere we see Republicans shackling people, removing rights, eliminating options, demonizing Americans, and seeking to return to a Nation with a tiered system of citizenship.  Because that is what Republicans want; a NeoConfederate Slave Economy with rights conferred based on race, religion, and the size of your bank account.  Poor, black, women, queer need not apply; and to achieve this Republicans will side with whatever Foreign Power necessary and harm as many people as possible.