Back from a Forced Break

Dear Reader:

 

Modern life has dealt me a couple of nettlesome blows recently;   thus I have been forced away from this blog for some weeks.   First, secondary effects of the societal pandemic crisis impacted me.  This meant I had to be away from normal blogging for many days.  Then, the blog host (Alphabet corporation and Google) threw up technical issues to my access.  This was quite annoying.  Having seemingly solved the technical problem of access, I am back to writing here again.   

It seems mostly the whole world is aware of the rough places in our political landscape owing to the marauding presidential wind force blowing from the Oval Office.  Our Military Leader (OML), who was so roundly defeated in the recent election, yet clings to the assertion that He (no, not that He) is the true winner of an election the world knows he lost.  (The Trumpistas hardly count, as they are, after all, in a world of their own.)

But how boring and flavorless to keep gnawing on this bone.  I, for one, am more interested in the Biden cabinet choices, and in his actual plans to help the country.  

And, by the way, if OML wants to remain in the White House after noon on January 20, I say just let him try.  The Constitution has a prescribed method for selecting and declaring that a new President has taken office.  The White House wasn't even built at the time the Constitution was approved, so who is in it at that hour doesn't come into it.  So let him stay there.  He will likely run out of bologna by about 6:00 p.m. 

A Different Kind of President

President Obama surprises citizens near the White House:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iZb6eP73rk&feature=share

Saturday Poetry

 

All your strength is in your union;  all your danger in discord;  therefore be at peace henceforward...And as brothers live together.  

 

                                                                  -- Henry Longsworth Longfellow

                                                                      as quoted in university yearbook

                                  

N. B.  It is in the kind of union that you find strength, for not all unions are equal in virtue.   

Accountability and Punishment for Any Crimes Is Essential Says Neuroscientist

 At the link below a noted neuroscientist states that in order for Americans to heal from the methods and practices of victimization, the American people will need to see punishment for the many crimes suffered at the hands of OML.  

Accountability for OML Crimes Necessary

 

 

Trump Forces Ramp Up Efforts to Overturn Election Results

 RED ALERT

Trump and his dead-enders -- as MSNBC is calling them -- are escalating efforts to try to overturn the election results.  Most recently they pressured two counties to refuse to certify their election results.  This, two weeks after the election. After the pressure, the counties gave in.  This is wrong on so many levels, including probably legally.

New York Times writer, Michael Schmidt, has stated that the Trump style -- now so long apparent --  introduces an unknown variable into the process.  I agree very much.  As Americans look to Thanksgiving and Christmas, distraction and fatigue are leading to accidental apathy.  This apathy is itself terribly dangerous.  For as former Governor John Kasich of Ohio energetically urged on national television tonight, the people watching at home must themselves  become leaders in ensuring that the election of 2020 is not, in fact, stolen.  

 

Biden Elected

From Saturday

 

Joseph R. Biden, Jr., has been elected the 46th President of the United States.

I will have more to say later. 

 From The Philadelphia Inquirer -- 

City elections officials said they were working to count ballots around the clock, as planned.

“We are doing the canvass, we are not stopping for nobody,” said Omar Sabir, one of three city commissioners, who run elections. “We’re here, we’re counting. The count has not stopped.”

If anything, another elections official said, Philadelphia is ahead of schedule when it comes to tallying mail ballots.

The confusion may stem from national news organizations' unfamiliarity with election results reporting in Pennsylvania. Counties do not always update the state system as often as they update their own websites, and at 11:40 p.m. the state’s website showed only 74,132 votes for Biden and 32,414 for Trump out of Philadelphia.

Were Polls Wrong Or Has There Been Vote Suppression?

 In these early hours after Election Day, there is already an opinion piece on the Philadelphia Inquirer website about hour wrong the pollsters supposedly were.  I won't read the article until a bit later, but as one who has seen his share of vote suppression over the years beginning twenty years ago in Florida, I have more than a mild sense of curiosity about the lower-than-expected vote totals for Joe Biden.  And the attempts at vote suppression continue at this hour with lawsuits already filed or being filed by Our Military Leader and his sycophants, as they are being called.

Yes, Mr. Biden was not the perfect candidate.  Still, he has managed to come out well in the end, currently leading in both the popular and Electoral College tallies.  We should give him credit.   And no one should tolerate any attempts to interfere with the legitimate vote count in America today.  With Covid concerns, we knew the results would probably be delayed, and they are.  This, however, is no reason to lose confidence in the process or attempt to create an alternative reality which comes from some alternative universe. 

Election Results Trending Toward Joseph Biden

Continuing the count

 On the morning after the U.S. election, Joe Biden looks increasingly to have captured the White House.  As numbers slowly pile up, the trend is reasonably clear that Mr. Biden has a path to win. 

This is not the first time in American history when there was a close election.  And considering the fact that it was conducted during a pandemic, Americans can be proud of the elections workers who have labored diligently and continue to do so to count every vote.  

 

Will the U. S. Vote End Up Being a Replay in Outline of Election 2000?

Mid-Night:

 Allan Nairn on Democracy Now! is raising serious issues about the vote situation as it stands at this hour in America.  It is beginning to seem possible, if not likely, that the announcement of a victor in this year's election will be delayed, perhaps by days, if not more.  It is still too early at midnight Eastern time in the U.S. to say exactly what is going to happen.  But as Nairn points out, if the United States were a true democracy both parties would have already admitted the obvious which is a majority of the voters have voted for the Democratic candidate, just as they did four years ago.  

Admittedly, the announced numbers are not complete.  But this may actually be part of the problem.  For Nairn is alleging that Trump saw that Democrats were going to emphasize vote-by-mail and thus he could turn the U.S. Postal Service into a vote-suppression operation.  We have already seen evidence of this.  Even just on Tuesday, the Postal Service has defied a court order to sweep their offices in ten problem locations for undelivered ballots.  And there is more.

He further asserts that it is not hard to see the Republicans readying their attorneys to flood into courts in various places to try to contest votes, especially those made via the mail.  

Your Musical Patriot, while not privy to OML's thinking, knew that relying on the mail for his vote was not a good idea.  Thus, he made his vote early, but in person.  

Florida Vote Corrupted?

 Blogging the 2020 Vote

 

Early returns in Florida raise familiar questions about the integrity of the vote there.  With lower vote totals than expected for Joseph Biden, especially in Miami-Dade County, suspicions about the quality of the vote information we are getting from there mount.  This is the county with the famous "white shirt and tie" riot conducted by Republican staffers from Capitol Hill in 2000, with the goal of disrupting the legitimate vote count there.  

And there are indeed reports in different parts of the country regarding broken vote machines, polling sites moved at the last moment, as well as acts of voter intimidation.  All of these are familiar (sadly) problems. 

However, at this very early point in the vote tabulation, one voting rights organizer I heard said that fortunately, the acts of threatening voter intimidation were not wide-spread in America this day in November 2020.  

Republicans Agree: This Is an Emergency

Tim Miller, strategist for the organization Republican Voters Against Trump, warned today of a crisis in democracy in the U.S. due to the influence of Our Military Leader (OML).  He, along with Olivia Troye, spoke out forcefully on cable news about the lying and corruption at the root of this administration in Washington.  

According to reports, numerous Republicans in the nation's Capitol -- even in the White House -- are secretly planning to vote Democratic this year.  Olivia Troye, former assistant to Vice-President Pence has already done so.

Mr. Miller today excoriated Republicans in the White House who have looked the other way and enabled OML time and time again in his efforts to weaken the agencies of the government, including at the Centers for Disease Control.  It is known other actions have been taken to corrupt agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Interior Department among many others.  

Now Republicans at Republican Voters Against Trump are trying to right the ship of state which is listing so dramatically.  Those who have already joined this organization are true patriots of our time and should be heralded and supported. 

 

 Republican Voters Against Trump 

Second and Third Thoughts About the American Way of Business

 The Towers of Zenith aspired above the morning mist;  austere towers of steel and cement and limestone, sturdy as cliffs and delicate as silver rods.  They were neither citadels nor churches, but frankly and beautifully office-buildings.

 

So opens  Sinclair Lewis' landmark novel Babbit.  Published nearly 100 years ago, Babbit stunned and thrilled the reading public with its starkly beautiful depiction of life in small-town America circa 1920.  As George F. Babbit navigates the vagaries of life and aspires to greatness at the expense of the truth, we see Everyman become revealed to the American and world public in a way gratifying to the public, if not to the American way of business itself. 

Perhaps you would like to read it along with me, as that same way of American business once again is being questioned more and more. 

The Three Federalist Societies Revealed

A highly revealing look at the dark money version of the Federalist Society by a United States Senator.  Gripping, breath-taking.

 https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/speeches/the-third-federalist-society

Quick Link

Polls Right; Reporters Wrong

The title above, though terse, is true.  My research based on several years of analysis indicates the national polls have the election right, as of now.  And according to Princeton Election Consortium, the Biden lead is not likely to change.

Where the press comes in is their irresponsible neglect of voter suppression tactics.  Thankfully, this is beginning to change, but barely.  The problem of Republican voter suppression efforts has become too big to ignore.  

Still, the press is not putting this issue front and center.  In the cable news programs we find the Barret hearings more important than the on-going story of a Pandor's box of vote suppressing and stealing tacts by the G.O.P.  

You, dear reader, can help by spreading the news about the work of Greg Palast already referenced here.  Stacey Abrams' work is informed by Palast's investigations.  Others are now picking up the trail of this story of often-criminal tampering with the voting process.  America can do better.   She must do better.  

 

Not Proud of the Proud Boys

At the link below, internationally known journalist Greg Palast reveals what the various pretend-military groups are up to in the U.S. and it's a scary picture.  While not all self-described militia groups are of the same variety, many are engaging in police actions and militaristic activities.  

An article in today's New York Times shows how these militia groups are actually illegal in states all across the U.S.  This aspect will be the focus of another post here soon.

 

What the "Militias" are Really Up to 

Speed Kills

 The speed of recent news developments has created a log-jam in the in-box of your musical blogger.  For in order to be a responsible blogger one must first filter the news and set priorities before writing.  With a president who has been diagnosed with Covid-19 and wants to be his own (spin-) doctor at the same time, a writer's job is complicated.  

Much of what remains clear has already been stated here, to wit:  the craven dishonesty of this presider is deep and pervasive.  There is no need to give further examples.  The dishonesty has long since become a campaign of deceitful propaganda. 

Yet, rays of hope are beginning to appear.  Kamala Harris -- unlike Mr. Biden -- was at least given a sliver of space to deliver an enlightened message of hope in the debate earlier this week.  And polling numbers continue to go up for the Biden-Harris ticket.

Even so, the threat of voter suppression continues, in Georgia, in Florida, and other places, even as court victories have popped up in other states such as Ohio.  

In summary, it continues to be a time of swirling, muddy waters.  But to reference a famous musician, perhaps the music of Muddy Mississippi Waters (the performer), and his name-sake River can poetically float a life-raft of optimism to the surface of this much-troubled current of events. 

Archive Post from 2016: Foreign Policy Experts Warn of Dangerous Trump Incompetence

 I am printing tonight a  letter from one hundred twenty-two Republican foreign policy experts who gave compelling reasons for their opposition to the candidacy of  D. Trump in March of 2016.  This document -- now nearly four years old -- details the reasons why this particular individual was unsuited to the Presidency of the world's greatest democracy.

So much here rings true now.  From the vacillating statements to out-right lies, OML was accurately described before he was ever installed in the Oval Office.  And let us be clear -- he was installed;   Not by the people but by self-interested moguls intent on getting their way.

I am presenting the following at this perilous time for our country and our democracy in order that you the reader may be reminded specifically why this person -- whom we call OML here -- is so dangerous.


via the foreign policy web site War on the Rocks -- 


We the undersigned, members of the Republican national security community, represent a broad spectrum of opinion on America’s role in the world and what is necessary to keep us safe and prosperous. We have disagreed with one another on many issues, including the Iraq war and intervention in Syria. But we are united in our opposition to a Donald Trump presidency. Recognizing as we do, the conditions in American politics that have contributed to his popularity, we nonetheless are obligated to state our core objections clearly:

His vision of American influence and power in the world is wildly inconsistent and unmoored in principle. He swings from isolationism to military adventurism within the space of one sentence.

His advocacy for aggressively waging trade wars is a recipe for economic disaster in a globally connected world.

His embrace of the expansive use of torture is inexcusable.

His hateful, anti-Muslim rhetoric undercuts the seriousness of combating Islamic radicalism by alienating partners in the Islamic world making significant contributions to the effort. 

Furthermore, it endangers the safety and Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of American Muslims.

Controlling our border and preventing illegal immigration is a serious issue, but his insistence that Mexico will fund a wall on the southern border inflames unhelpful passions, and rests on an utter misreading of, and contempt for, our southern neighbor.

Similarly, his insistence that close allies such as Japan must pay vast sums for protection is the sentiment of a racketeer, not the leader of the alliances that have served us so well since World War II.

His admiration for foreign dictators such as Vladimir Putin is unacceptable for the leader of the world’s greatest democracy.

He is fundamentally dishonest. Evidence of this includes his attempts to deny positions he has unquestionably taken in the past, including on the 2003 Iraq war and the 2011 Libyan conflict.

We accept that views evolve over time, but this is simply misrepresentation.

His equation of business acumen with foreign policy experience is false. Not all lethal conflicts can be resolved as a real estate deal might, and there is no recourse to bankruptcy court in international affairs.

Mr. Trump’s own statements lead us to conclude that as president, he would use the authority of his office to act in ways that make America less safe, and which would diminish our standing in the world.*   Furthermore, his expansive view of how presidential power should be wielded against his detractors poses a distinct threat to civil liberty in the United States. Therefore, as committed and loyal Republicans, we are unable to support a Party ticket with Mr. Trump at its head. We commit ourselves to working energetically to prevent the election of someone so utterly unfitted to the office.

Ken Adelman
David Adesnik
Michael Auslin
Mike Baker
Christopher Barton
Kevin W. Billings
Robert D. Blackwill
Daniel A. Blumenthal
Max Boot
Ellen Bork
Anna Borshchevskaya
Joseph A. Bosco
Michael Chertoff
Patrick Chovanec
James Clad
Eliot A. Cohen
Gus Coldebella
Carrie Cordero
Michael Coulter
Chester A. Crocker
Patrick M. Cronin
Seth Cropsey
Tom Donnelly
Daniel Drezner
Colin Dueck
Eric Edelman
Joseph Esposito
Charles Fairbanks
Richard A. Falkenrath
Peter D. Feaver
Niall Ferguson
Jamie Fly
Richard Fontaine
Aaron Friedberg
Dan Gabriel
Greg Garcia
Jana Chapman Gates
Jeffrey Gedmin
Reuel Marc Gerecht
James K. Glassman
David Gordon
Christopher J. Griffin
Mary R. Habeck
Paul Haenle
Melinda Haring
Robert Hastings
Rebeccah Heinrichs
Francis Q. Hoang
Rachel Hoff
Jeffrey W. Hornung
William C. Inboden
Jamil N. Jaffer
Ash Jain
Marc C. Johnson
Myriah Jordan
Robert G. Joseph
Tim Kane
Kate Kidder
Robert Kagan
Rep. Jim Kolbe
David Kramer
Stephen Krasner

Matthew Kroenig
Frank Lavin
Philip I. Levy
Philip Lohaus
Mary Beth Long
Peter Mansoor
John Maurer
Matthew McCabe
Bryan McGrath
Richard G. Miles
Paul D. Miller
Charles Morrison
Michael B. Mukasey
Scott W. Muller
Lester Munson
Andrew S. Natsios
Michael Noonan
Tom Nichols
John  Noonan
Roger F. Noriega
Stephen E. Ockenden
John Osborn
Robert T. Osterhaler
Mackubin T. Owens
Daniel Pipes
Everett Pyatt
Martha T. Rainville
Stephen Rodriguez
Marc A. Ross
Nicholas Rostow
Michael Rubin
Daniel F. Runde
Benjamin Runkle
Richard L. Russell
Andrew Sagor
Kori Schake
Randy Scheunemann
Gary J. Schmitt
Gabriel Schoenfeld
Russell Seitz
Kalev I. Sepp
Vance Serchuk
David R. Shedd
Gary Shiffman
Kristen Silverberg
Michael Singh
Ray Takeyh
Jeremy Teigen
William H. Tobey
Frances F. Townsend
Jan Van Tol
Daniel Vajdich
Ruth Wedgwood
Albert Wolf
Julie Wood
Dov S. Zakheim
Roger Zakheim
Sam Zega
Philip Zelikow
Robert B. Zoellick
Laurence Zuriff

Number of Signatories: 122

The statement above was coordinated by Dr. Eliot A. Cohen, former Counselor of the Department of State (2007–8), and Bryan McGrath, Managing Director of The FerryBridge Group, a defense consultancy. They encourage other members of the Republican foreign policy and national security communities wishing to sign the declaration to contact them.

*  Italics added

Atlantic Magazine Describes Possibilities for Election Chaos Starting on Election Night

Rush Post --

Atlantic Monthly Article Begins to Make Sense of Election Night Worries 

more later

 

Explosive But Unsurprising Comments from Our Military Leader

 Although I am unable to present a complete piece just now, I did want to comment briefly on the utterances of Our Military Leader (OML) today about the November election.  In answer to a question about a peaceful transfer of power after the election the President gave an evasive answer -- one in which he failed to commit to a peaceful transfer of the Presidency should he lose the election.  

This answer was a set-up if every there was one.  The President and his henchmen are discussing ways to get around the people's choice in the November vote.  This, according to The Atlantic monthly article published today. Apparently herds of lawyers are being sent out into these our United States, to try to suppress the vote in every way possible. These human faggots* of incendiary madness will try to set a match to our democratic vote. 

In response, experts on cable news gave a beginning answer as to how to deal with this power play, which -- let us be clear -- would be on the side of evil, decidedly so.  "The people have a role to play," the commentator said, and indeed they do.  What he was referring to was peaceful protest in the streets.  

I also recommend contacting legislators and expressing your outrage of even a hint by the sworn President, that the results of the election could be shredded.  But this is indeed where we are now.  We are at a crosswords in American and world civilization.  As a friendly minister friend of mine said this evening, "This is nothing to play around with."  She meant it with all due seriousness.  Let us emulate her candor.  

*For English language learners a faggot, or fagot is a bundle of sticks used for kindling a fire. 

Dr. Naomi Wolf Interviews Greg Palast Regarding Vote Suppression

 

Quick link —

https://youtu.be/pqNAZ9RDmug

PTSD Expert Names Trump a Psychological Abuser

From Salon -- 

 

Our Military Leader, says a PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) expert, is patently dangerous as a psychological abuser.

His accusation is sobering and convincing.   

 

 PTSD Expert Declares OML a Menace

 

A special quick link from The Musical Patriot

American Quality of Life Ranked No. 28 in the World and Dropping

 According to a New York Times article today, the United States has slipped dramatically in rankings issued in the Social Progress Index.  First issued in 2011 the Index ranked the U.S. at No. 19.  The latest Index ranks our country at No. 28.  Indications are we are still slipping.

The index rates some 50 metrics of well-being in areas such as education, access to health care, and even tolerance for and treatment of minorities.  

With this new index the United States is behind the well-known Western nations, running on a par with Albania by some measures.  We can be sure that America is not the country some people think it is. 

The Media's Sins of Omission

The fault with the press and media lies not so much in what is reported, but on what is left out.  An honest reporting of the work of internationally known journalist Greg Palast in the area of voter suppression would be a good place to start.

Mr. Palast has been working assiduously on this matter for at least twenty years -- ever since the Bush v. Gore fiasco.  Now comes Palast's new book on "How Trump Stole 2020."  Let's hope the tongue-in-cheek title remains a dream of OML, and not reality.

The world is asking for elucidation first, then dedication.   Elucidation from outlets like this one, and dedication from citizens and voters everywhere.  The world depends on the leadership of the United States.  We must not let people of the Earth down. 

Electoral College Could Be Our Saving Grace

Could rhetoric about a corrupt election set the stage for Republicans to challenge a November defeat? With enough confusion, the Presidential election could be thrown to a “contingent election” in the House of Representatives, where a state-by-state vote would favor Republicans. 

However, this seems like an unlikely scenario. Indeed, this is an area where the much-maligned Electoral College helps, by acting like compartments on a ship: if one compartment is compromised, the others can still keep the whole thing afloat.

                                                              — Princeton Election Consortium

Republican Party Now Essentially a Cult

 

 Even the King of Siam abolished prostration. 

 

 

 With the announcement by the Republican Party that it will forego the normal party platform, and instead provide Our Military Leader with unquestioning support, the party of Lincoln has become as good as the first cult to put forth any kind of serious candidate for the Presidency.

If you doubt this judgment, think back to the fall-in-line behavior of the Republicans in Congress during the Impeachment process;   or most any other Congressional action -- with very few exceptions.  Almost inevitably, Republicans have supported the President.   There are some notable exceptions, the most famous being Senator Mitt Romney.   

But for the most part we have a symphony of sycophants, singing the song of a solipsist.    

 

 

 

Events in U.S. Accelerate

Biden Nominated;  Bannon Indicted 

This past week produced many headlines, what with the Democratic "virtual convention," and a high-profile indictment.

Joseph Biden delivered what was arguably his best speech ever as he accepted the Democratic nomination for President.  This after the nomination of Sen. Kamala Harris as Vice-President.

And Steve Bannon, former White House aide, was indicted for allegedly skimming money off a Build-the Wall fund.

A coming major focus of this blog is planned to be the role of the media in getting us to where we are today.  In a real sense, this focus will doubtless be on-going for years to come, as the story stretches back decades.  

There is so much to say about all this. For now, we must keep the faith our founding fathers started this country with.  The way will not be easy.   Let us not shirk our responsibility to defend this near-sacred democracy.

Education as History

 ...I would recommend that every subject be taught as history.  In this way, children, even in the earliest grades, can begin to understand, as they now do not, that knowledge is not a fixed thing but a stage in human development, with a past and a future.

 

                                                                    -- Neil Postman

 

This idea of Postman's is not exactly new, but he has expressed it in a new way, and a useful way, in his book Technopoly.  Certainly, teaching every subject as history is not a complete method of teaching.  That matter will await another time.

But Postman's thinking here is sound and needs to be taken up seriously.  For it is clear that American education has failed us.  Why else would we be caught in a situation in which what I call "a little bug" would stop our economy cold?  From one point of view, it can be argued that had school students studied the history of viruses, we might very well not be where we are today. 

True, this subject has not been entirely neglected.  Students graduating from high school likely are aware of the unsanitary ways of the past -- doctors failing to wash their hands -- and such things. 

Yet how did the fact that new viruses can and do appear from time to time -- ones which have no known cure -- bypass the consciousness of society?  How did such a basic fact escape our government?  Is it too far-fetched to opine that a business masters degree might leave out some important things such as biological issues which could effect everyone's business?  This omission would have been especially prevalent in schools of, say, the fifties and sixties, when many of our current leaders got their degrees.  

This matter of education is ever so crucial now.  In other ways apart from this blog I have tried to stand up for education of the complete kind.  There is more to this story than I have time and space to relate here.

But suffice it to say for now, that as educators scratch their heads trying to know how to teach safely during COVID, it is also vitally important to review what is to be taught, and how.

And how! 

And for fun:

 "Gears Gone Awry"

courtesy Castlevania and Sego via You Tube

 

 

 

Kemping Out in the Dark Woods of Georgia

Greg Palast likes the ready pun, and the clever turn-of-phrase.  Sometimes, the language gets a bit too cute.

But make no mistake about the seriousness of his message.  The election of 2016 was a huge heist.  The facts are all there to support the claim of theft.

And in 2018 it was Georgia Secretary of State Kemp who ran for governor while serving as the head of elections!  Again, the facts, ma'am, are at hand.

Palast's latest book (titled hubristically How Trump Stole 2020) is already a tour-de-force, and I am only in the early portion.

My advice is to get this book and be forewarned.  

Mark "URGENT": Greg Palast Has Investigated Election Theft in the Making

Internationally known investigative reporter Greg Palast, has -- through years of analysis -- uncovered a slew of under-handed election-stealing techniques used mostly by Republicans (and a few Democrats, as well).

But the shenanigans from Republican operatives this year appear to be rivaling any previous year.  The explosive Washington Post article on the subject in today's paper makes it urgent that Americans prepare for a contested election this fall overseen by a hyper-egoist in the White House, who has the power to stir up true mayhem, according to various experts.

While more information can be found at the web site shown above and below, I urge you to send this blog post to everyone on your e-mail list who would possibly be interested and supportive, both within our borders and without.  The health and welfare of all the world's citizens ultimately depend on getting the truth out. 

http://www.GregPalast.com

paperback revised and up-dated now available

Mary L. Trump: Donald Should Resign

Presidential niece, Mary Trump, said on CNN's "Cuomo Prime Time" that her uncle, Donald, should resign.  His presidency is not good for the country nor for Donald, she stated.  She further told host Chris Cuomo that it was her hope that the American people would no longer stand for this presidency.  She concluded her remarks on this subject by airing her wish that with Donald Trump's resignation the country could begin the difficult but necessary task of healing the divisions, one citizen for another.

Kudos to Ms. Trump.  And Americans do have a choice.  In coming days I hope to comment more on just what this choice is. 

Trump Deploys Secret Police

Rush Link —

https://www.salon.com/2020/07/17/theyre-kidnapping-people-trumps-secret-police-snatch-portland-protesters-into-unmarked-vans/

Greg Palast to Voters: Trump Is Not Your Fault

Rapid Post --  

America, you can stop hiding your face in shame: you are not guilty.
Trump didn’t win in 2016. And I’m not talking about Trump losing the popular vote. Trump lost the Electoral College. That is, he lost if you count all the votes burgled, jacked, swiped, shoplifted, purloined, filched, fiddled and snatched from citizens not of a whitish orange hue.
And unless we wise up, 2020 will be déjà vu all over again.
So opens my new book How Trump Stole 2020,...

-- from Palast's new book, publishing soon


HOW TRUMP STOLE 2020

The Great Johnstown Flood

Late in the nineteenth century an avalanche of water came roaring down the river toward Johnstown, Pennsylvania.  Unsuspecting citizens found themselves caught up in the nightmare event of their lives, and many did not survive.

Today we have a flood of information roaring at us twenty-four hours a day.  Fortunately, this avalanche of information can be somewhat controlled, but only partially, and barely.  This data flows and flows, often with various biases admixed. 

Through a judicious use of time, and a careful setting of priorities I have been able to keep this blog afloat for over fourteen years.  I plan to stay afloat awhile longer.  But in order to accomplish this, I feel a further refining and re-focusing is going to be necessary.  Just what the result will be I am not yet clear about.  It will help once the Covid situation is sorted out, and once the Presidency returns to normality. 

Until the time of  relative Nirvana I will attempt to slog on, joyously at times, with sorrow at others, but with pride at all times -- I hope.  I hope, too, that you the reader will be encouraged to stick around, to bring your own powers of observation.  May this make for clearer vision for us all. 

Facebook Avoids Facing the Music

Z U C K E D

Roger McNamee's new paperback edition -- revised and up-dated -- is a priceless look at, and into, the world of Facebook, and the other large Internet companies, including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon.

McNamee says that most users are not aware that much has changed since these companies came into existence, and that predominately the changes are for the worse, and are even dangerous.  I highly recommend this book to one and all.  This knowledge could save your freedom. 

Two Steps Forward, One Giant Step Backwards

Progress seems to come in fits and starts.  There are lurches forward, followed by a falling back.  At least this seems common. 

Looking through my high school yearbook from some years ago, I see several African-Americans in leadership roles.  I thought it would be good to share with you the names of some of these leaders and the leadership positions they filled.  The list includes both faculty, administration, and students. 

Our high school was quite diverse, with Caucasians, African-Americans, Hispanics, Italian-Americans, and others.  Few of us seemed to think about the nationalities of our fellows.  We were of a time rather far-removed from the early influxes of immigrants, or so we thought.  The few fights that occured were mostly within ethnic groups, not across them. 

What a story to be told!  America -- that great repository of learning and experience. 


Here are the African-American leaders from my high school:

Faculty

Mr. M. -- Boys' Physical Education, department head

Mrs. W. -- Business Education, department head


Sports Faculty Coaches

Coach M.  -- Varsity Football, Golf Team

Coach J. -- Varsity Basketball, Junior Varsity Football, Field Events

Coach G. -- Cross Country


Clubs

Mr. H --, Brotherhood co-sponsor

Mr. C. --  Distributive Cooperative Training, sponsor
 


Students

Miss Loretta. M. -- Junior Class President  

Miss Belinda W. -- Freshman Cheerleaders co-captain

Lauvenia B. -- Secretary, Girls' Athletic Association 

Greg. F., Parliamentarian, Sophomore Class


Administration

Mr. J. -- Dean



Other Ethnic --

Mrs. H. M. -- Foreign Language, department head 

Miss. G., Sr. D., Mrs. M. -- International Club 


and many others of various ethnic backgrounds in membership roles

Biden Campaign Said to Be Concerned About Fall Election Security

Coming Soon --

National TV News report today says the Biden campaign is increasingly worried about voter rights in the current campaign.  This concern was expressed long ago by this blog.

I'll have more on the specific concerns about the 2020 election soon.


For posts on this blog already published search especially for "Greg Palast" on my search function on this page. 

Days Difficult and Rich

The past days have been rich with news, profoundly difficult, yet somehow simultaneously hopeful. 

As for this writer, I have been at alternating times fascinated and sickened by events, as have many.  But today, fascination seems to be winning over horror, and this is a positive development.

As Joe Biden is said to be moving toward and FDR-style agenda, there is finally hope that the problem of police violence may be seriously addressed -- at least in Minnesota.  If these two developments constitute a trend, we can indeed by hopeful.

What stands in the way of this progress?  Two things, one an emotion, the other a group of people led by one very particular person.  The emotion is fear -- fear of difference, fear of the unknown, fear of loss of power and status.  These are the fears motivating the far right and Der Fuehrer.  The special person is the one I call OML -- Our Military Leader.   This is a moniker I created for this chief executive some few years ago.  Now, the meaning of this appellation is clearer and stronger than ever.  Guns stop people, but guns never stop ideas.  And ideas are what made America great in the first place.  So there is our hope. 

Do you feel it, too?   

Covid, Crisis, and Cogitation

Memorial Day 

The Covid-19 pandemic is turning out to be a time of deep reflection for some of us.  As cases begin to rise in more states, the decision to simply "open up," as it is being characterized, is beginning to be questioned.

It is true there are some areas which are experiencing a relatively low case of incidence of this virus so far.  And there are other locations in which numbers continue to decline.  (Your local newspaper or trusted online source should have further information about this.) 

But for other areas such as Arkansas and West Virginia, the recent increases in cases is alarming indeed. 

My overall advice is, first -- don't panic.  But do listen carefully to the authorities, especially the health authorities in your locale and state.  I suggest erring on the side of caution as necessary, since many government leaders are understandably eager to "re-open" for business and are in the process failing to meet the Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

With a sister who is an M.D. and a brother-in-law who is a physician and teacher of medical students at a state school, I am keeping up with the latest thinking as best I can.  This is a time to be calmly cautious and soberly judicious in one's actions.  This is all the more true in a time when rather large numbers of our fellow citizens seem not to understand the gravity of the situation, or even the basic facts. 

This Developing Life

Note to Readers:

The quantity of material available to an advocacy blogger these days is enormous.  And as time goes on, needs change both for readers and bloggers.

It happens that I have recently pre-filed to stand as a candidate for a political convention.  While this may or may not develop into a major time commitment, it does mean I have to prepare for a new role.

Since the election is still a little ways away, I will take the time to let you know how deeply frustrating the national picture in America is or can be.  If you are a regular reader you are well aware of the many challenges we face in the United States with a President who represents powerful monied interests in a way we have never really seen before.  Even the President himself is a wealthy dude.

The only good news is that Americans are finally beginning to wake up to the danger facing our democracy.  But with a media which is itself a very lucrative business, it is hard for the truth to get through.  And you can imagine, in a country as large and diverse as ours, what a problem this creates in and of itself.  For when the people don't get the clear and complete picture of what is really happening, it becomes next-to-impossible for them to react and act appropriately.

Fortunately, the feeling now is beginning to take hold:  something is very wrong, and not just with the danger of coronavirus, but with the economy.  If we can make clear to people that the problem with the economy is foundational, not just symptomatic, we will have taken a very large step forward. 

Standing Up for the Electoral College

Rush Link --

There is hardly anything in the Constitution harder to explain, or easier to misunderstand, than the Electoral College. And when a presidential election hands the palm to a candidate who comes in second in the popular vote but first in the Electoral College tally, something deep in our democratic viscera balks and asks why the Electoral College shouldn’t be dumped as a useless relic of 18th century white, gentry privilege. Actually, there have been only five occasions when a closely divided popular vote and the electoral vote have failed to point in the same direction. No matter. After last week’s results [the 2016 Presidential election], we’re hearing a litany of complaints: the Electoral College is undemocratic, the Electoral College is unnecessary, the Electoral College was invented to protect slavery — and the demand to push it down the memory hole. 

                                                                              -- excerpt from Gettysburg College paper


 And from time to time here I, too, have had occasion to stand up for the Electoral College as being something not to toss in the waste bin of history.  Having read about the Electoral College over the years it has seemed to me appropriate and necessary to defend something which sprang from good intentions.  The truth of the matter is the Electoral College has not functioned as envisioned since early in our nation's history.  However, the answer is not to eviscerate it further or to abolish it.

Please join me in perusing the document linked to below.  




In Defense of the Electoral College

Putting People First

"We have to put people before profits."

                                                                          -- Oakland, California mayor Libby Schaaf

"Putting people first."   This was one of the campaign slogans of Bill Clinton in the 1992 race for the Presidency.  Once in office, President Clinton found out just what kind of obstacle he was up against:   this was simply not how it was done in America, and he was told this by the powerful Wall Street interests who could back up any threat to pull the rug on the American people.

But here we are twenty-eight years later, and the same idea is being put forth by an American mayor of an important city.  I believe history will look back on this time as the beginning of the end of the profit system.  Such a big change will not happen all at once.  But, for now, it is refreshing to here such a statement from a U.S. mayor.


Source:  CNN, today

New Projections Have Merit

Quickly —

New projections have merit say experts.  The physicians I know are very concerned.

We need herd immunity.

What about unified and informed herd mentality?


More soon

The Profit System Has Failed Us

This is not an ideological diatribe.  This is real.  And this is true:  the profit system has indeed failed us both before and during the Covid-19 pandemic.  It is good to say this straight and clear.

People, now all over the world, are suffering and even dying because of an aggressive virus which has spread seemingly without warning.

Now comes word from PBS's Newshour that America may indeed see actual starvation before the Covid-19 pandemic is over, which may not be for another year to eighteen months.

Is this the America we know?  Is this even a civilized society?

But where does it all start?  Is it not possible, just possible, that it is the desire for power, self-aggrandizement, and wealth which has led to cut-backs in needed items such as protective equipment and ventilators?  For if I, a business owner, want to make the maximum profit, would I tend to look the other way when workers suffer -- especially if my company is big and my workers are anonymous to me?

It is time for us to bid the profit system a well-deserved good-bye.  And as soon as possible.


The title of this post and certain material in it were inspired by "Good-Bye, Profit System," by Eli Siegel.   Definition Press.

Time to Be Deeply Thoughtful

Like many others, I am made busy adapting to new circumstances.  Fortunately, I do not have to deal with job loss or destitution.  The corona virus has shocked and bewildered people around the globe.  The end of this pandemic is not yet in sight.

America finds itself very much in the midst of things.  There is fear.  There is a certain amount of paralysis.  There is simply the unknown.  All are part of the fabric of life these days as persons go about their daily lives with reduced freedom.  There, is too, a feeling of lostness.  Everything can seem different, and not in a good way. 

Leadership in the United States has fallen primarily to the state governors.  Some governors are responsive to the health of their citizens as the first priority.  Others seem more responsive to business concerns.  And so, in this very political time, health itself has been politicized. 

So, where do we go from here?   What do we do constructively, as opposed to simply riding things out?  Is there even an alternative?

I like to think there are answers here, contained in earlier posts.  But to be perhaps clearer and sharper, surely we can begin to admit that the normal way of business is not possible now.  Possibly, someof us  can see that things will never be quite the same again.  For, who can trust that nature will not send us another virus, equally as unpredictable and unpredicted?   And who can believe this government in the future when it attempts to function as a coterie of savants while assuring us nothing untoward will happen?

Without getting too deeply into religion or philosophy, let me say somewhat simply, that now is a time for thoughtfulness of a kind most rarely participate in.  It can be a time of deeper caring for our fellow human beings.  Who can say how much there is to see?  Who can say where is the end of new discoveries?  Who can say when a new period of increasing wisdom might come to an end, if the Divine will simply allow it?

May we stand ready to receive as well as act, to ponder as well as care, to hope as well as love.  And may this happen in a near time. 

Election 2020 At Risk

Under this general title I will be submitting articles here on the general subject of attacks on the Election of 2020.  Details about this year's election are only beginning to emerge.  We as citizens must be ever vigilant, as the forces of darkness -- shall we say -- attempt to do what they have done so often before:  subvert our elections and thereby the democracy itself.

Greg Palast Tells the Sad and Scary Story:
The Danger of Voting By Mail

Information Overload

Your Musical Patriot is handling the torrent of information about the economy and the coronavirus fairly well, but only because the job situation has placed him on paid leave. 

As a paid staffer, I am one of the more fortunate Americans, particularly in my field.  Money, though tight, is not a major worry at the moment.  And the extra time and more flexible schedule  has allowed me to keep abreast of the situation better than most.

Still, there are house-work, and errands, and various tasks which must be dutifully tended to, no matter disheveled hair (though even here I mostly have my act together).  Thus, it becomes a matter of priority.   What is most important for my readers?  This is no minor question.

Yet slowly things become clearer:.  For instance the three-pronged plan beginning to be favored by governors.  First, testing must be increased, second, the physical distancing and stay-home policies must be continued in order to help limit the spread of the disease, and third, tracing the path of the virus from victim to victim must begin immediately.

It is this third program which looms largest, as it involves a huge investment of money for workers, training, facilities, and equipment.

The matter always comes back first to leadership, then to money.  With proper leadership such as that provided by Franklin Roosevelt in the Depression and then World War II, great things can happen.  Without effective leadership, the country bobs, and dives, neither sure of its grounding, nor its course.

Day Whatever

On this late Sunday evening (Day # whatever of the pandemic), my heart goes out to all those affected directly and indirectly by the covid-19 virus.  That such an event never had to be this bad makes it a pan-tragedy.

It is a deep time of sorrow, regret, and plain seriousness for the country and the world.  We are hardly able to see any light at the end of the tunnel.  Perhaps the best which can be said is we might — might — be nearing the end of the beginning.  

Here Is an Interesting Blog I Ran Across

Tweets by TheARFdn

Congressional Investigation Called For

Quick Post —

It is becoming clearer that important information about the risk of a pandemic in the US. was kept from the American people by its own government.  An earlier post here related to this.

Why is this important?  It is important so we can avoid the next pandemic or a resurgence of this one.

Understanding Covid-19: Starting with Some Simple Science

Noted Epidemiologist Has the Scoop on Coronavirus

A literally Brilliant epidemiologist tells the truth about where we are now.

Warning: contains profanity.  [PG 13]
Smallpox Epidemiologist on Covid-19

Corona Virus Pricks the Bubble: Expert

Quick Link —

The corona virus has simply pricked the economic bubble says well-known expert.



Corona Virus But a Pin Prick

A Call to Help Restore America's Public Health System

Rush Post --

Below is the hyper-link to a plan calling for the restoration of America's public health system, and her place of leadership on health in the world.

It is fine to want to shower money directly on Americans -- even at the risk of inflation.  But far better to couple this kind of aid with a plan and program to re-establish America's formerly vaunted public health system, so something like the covid-19 fiasco can never happen again.

Re-building our health system will take years, but what a better time to start than now.   


https://www.healthandcommunications.com/blog/theplan

The Man Who Saw the Pandemic Coming

Quick Link --

Below is a link to an interview with noted researcher Dennis Prager, who predicted the coming of new and deadly pandemics years ago.  This interview has important and interesting facts about the corona viruses and others.

Note:  be prepared for the term zoonetics.   

Highly recommended. 


http://nautil.us/issue/83/intelligence/the-man-who-saw-the-pandemic-coming 

Greg Palast’s Success in Georgia

Quick Link —

Here is a good link to an interview with investigative reporter Greg Palast about his efforts to combat voter suppression. Spanning years, Palast’s work is beginning to yield fruit.




A Short History of Greg Palast’s Efforts in Georgia

The Cult of OML

Strong language:  a "cult."  Yet study shows -- and many have said -- the Republican Party has become largely a cult of personality surrounding OML.  Now comes further proof by way of a new book purchase.

In When a Church Becomes a Cult, Anglican priest Stephen Wookey describes in clear terms how cults work.  My use of this book here is not to lambast churches but rather to shame all cults.  In chapter 5, Wookey describes how cults and their leaders use language.  Speaking of cults he says:

     Words are used not to communicate truth, but to obscure and confuse so that you abandon your rational senses and simply receive an experience.  Put another way, words have been rendered obsolete.  This is, of course, incredibly dangerous.   Words are the most basic and accurate means of communication that we have.   We can communicate by body language, or picture, or music, to some degree.   But they are inevitably flawed and can easily confuse....

     Words, on the other hand, are designed to clarify, to explain as precisely as possible.   If ever we want to make something clear, we have ultimately to use words....When we use words to confuse, or we use words loosely, we are no longer able to communicate in a meaningful sense.*

Here we have the essence of OML's use of words.  We are indeed in dangerous territory.   If, as Wookey says, our culture is reliant on language -- and surely we are -- the loose and seriously inaccurate use of words at the highest level of the federal government has become a danger to the people, a clear and present danger.  Examples can and have been given. 

Thus, all due speed and effort must be used to call out this cultic use of language for what it is -- a means of manipulation and control.  For when confronted with such verbiage, one is tempted to give up in simple exhaustion, proclaim to oneself, "What's the use," and then succumb to torpor and silent acceptance. 

By now in this short essay it should be clear that the people of the United States are in grave danger of coming under the sway of a vast conspiracy of deceit.  As I continue in the book, I hope to find suggestions of a way out of such a morass.  When I do, you will be the first to know. 




*pp. 90-91

A Quick Suggestion

To All Americans:

Do something constructive every day to advance the cause of democracy.  Call a legislator to support the independence of the judiciary, the rights of the under-privileged, or the rule of law.   Call or write to protest interference by the Executive in the courts, lying from the Oval Office, unwarranted firings of patriotic Americans.

This is our time;  this is our moment.   Let us reflect the light of liberty and justice for all.  We are in an emergency.   We can and must act now to preserve our democracy. 

In Surprise Move, Judge Decides Kemp Defense So Weak No Trial Is Needed

via E-mail --

Kemp Loses Vote Purge Suit
Brought by Reporter Palast
By Nicole Powers for the Palast Investigative Fund

[Atlanta-Feb 9] In an extraordinary and unexpected move, Federal Judge Eleanor Ross has declared Gov. Brian Kemp the loser in a lawsuit brought by investigative journalist Greg Palast for the State of Georgia to open up its complete files on the mass purge of over half a million voters from the rolls.

Surprising all parties, the judge ruled that Kemp’s defense was so weak that no trial is needed.  The judge acted "sua sponte"—on her own initiative, unrequested by Palast’s attorneys.

Greg Palast & Helen Butler, co-plaintiffs in Kemp lawsuit Palast has been fighting Kemp to release his hidden purge lists and methods for six years, for Rolling Stone, al Jazeera, Salon, Democracy Now and currently, The Guardian. Palast said, "Kemp and the new Sec. of State of Georgia want to keep the lid on their methods for removing literally hundreds of thousands of low-income, young and minority voters on the basis of false information.  They cannot hide any more.  This is a huge win and precedent for reporters trying to pry information from the hands of guilty officials." A key issue at stake are the "Interstate Crosscheck" purge lists secretly provided to Georgia by the Kansas Secretary of State in 2015 and 2017.  Kemp had turned over Georgia’s voter rolls to Kansas official Kris Kobach, who worked closely with Donald Trump, and is known for his racially biased vote suppression techniques. "Kemp tried to hide the Crosscheck lists which he got from his crony Kobach. The lists are at least 99.9% wrong.  Kemp’s office claimed he did not use the lists to purge voters, an assertion contradicted by his GOP predecessor.  Moreover,  Zach D. Reports of the Palast investigative team obtained the Georgia 2013 purge list provided by Kobach through (legal) investigative techniques—so we know, and the judge knows, he has more squirreled away. "Kemp finally turned over evidence that he purged 106,000 voters, overwhelmingly voters of color, that were on the Crosscheck list.  But that’s just the tip of the purge-berg." Palast’s co-plaintiff Helen Butler is the Executive Director of the Georgia Coalition for the Peoples Agenda, a non-partisan group founded by civil rights legend Rev. Joseph Lowery.  Lowery, commenting on the Crosscheck purge system, told Palast, "It’s Jim Crow all over again." Oddly, one of Kemp’s defenses was that he turned over Georgia’s confidential voter information to Kobach so it could be used to purge voters in 29 other states, but not Georgia.  Kobach’s list showed thousands of Michigan voters supposedly also registered or voted in Georgia.  Michigan removed tens of thousands of voters with names like "James Brown" and "Mohammed Mohammed"—almost all with mis-matched middle names. The Michigan purge of Georgia voters was key to Trump’s official victory margin of 10,700 in Michigan, putting Trump over the top in the electoral college. While Palast says, "The evidence is overwhelming that Kemp used the Crosscheck list in some way to purge Georgians — 106,000 is not a ‘coincidence’— I do want to find out why Kemp was using Georgia voter rolls to remove voters in other states." The Crosscheck list identifies over half a million Georgians — including one in seven African-Americans in the state — as having moved out of Georgia, according to an investigative report on Kemp and Kobach published by Palast in Rolling Stone in 2016. "My job as an investigative journalist is not to change laws or affect elections, but to expose official shenanigans.  I thank my lawyers Brian Spears of Atlanta and Jeanne Mirer of New York for taking this case pro bono to rip the cover off Kemp's and the state of Georgia’s racially poisonous undermining of democracy." The Palast team is providing investigative reports to The Guardian’s "Fight for the Vote" series.   *     *     *     *     * The Palast team is completing work on our short film of how exactly Brian Kemp illegally eliminated 340,134 voters from the rolls, stealing the election from Stacey Abrams.   The Palast film then takes us to Wisconsin where the "Kemp" techniques are the center of a push block 247,000 voters, mostly Democrats and thereby keep Wisconsin, the swing state of swing states, in the Trump column. Help us complete our investigation, dig into the purge lists and finish this film?   It’s not about candidates, it’s about democracy.  Donate $1,000 and you’ll be listed in the credits as a producer, $500 as a co-producer,  $100 as a supporter or simply donate what you can. And you’ll get a signed copy of the film!  We have a team of 15 digging into the heist of 2020—there is nothing like it in US journalism.     Greg Palast (Rolling Stone, Guardian, BBC) is the author of The New York Times bestsellers, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy and Billionaires & Ballot Bandits, now out as major motion non-fiction movie: The Best Democracy Money Can Buy: The Case of the Stolen Election, now available on Amazon and Amazon Prime. Stay informed, get the signed DVD, a signed copy of the book companion or better still - get the Book & DVD combo.   Support The Palast Investigative Fund and keep our work alive. Become a monthly Contributor. Or support us by shopping with Amazon Smile. AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your purchases to the Sustainable Markets Foundation which automatically goes to the benefit of The Palast Investigative Fund and you get a tax-deduction!   Follow Palast on Twitter and Instagram | Like Palast on Facebook | Forward to a friend  Subscribe to Palast's Newsletter or his separate list for Poems & Stories. Share this with  Copyright © 2020 Greg Palast, All rights reserved. You are receiving this Newsletter because you are a subscriber. Our mailing address: (Check donations are payable to: SMF (our fiscal sponsor) Memo: Palast Fund Greg Palast 3357 Cahuenga Blvd W, #13 Los Angeles, CA 90068 Add us to your address book  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences