Play it Cool, Democrats, Says Times Columnist

Just play it cool boy,

Real cool.

                            -- West Side Story, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

In today's New York Times, Maureen Dowd writes usefully on the divisions in the Democratic Party.  She writes in her usual carefully witty style about what she calls Puritans of the left who would rather see defeat than stray from arch-purity regarding Our Military Leader (OML) in the Oval Office.  

Ms. Dowd can certainly write more entertainingly and better than most any newspaper writer in or out of  the Times.  Her message here, however, is also wise, even desperately wise.  For what we are seeing too much of is Democratic division, both on and off the campaign trail.  

At the same time it seems likely that the polling lead enjoyed by Joseph Biden represents more than just a simple lead, or a generational lead.  I'm guessing it also means everyday Democrats badly want to win this election and they do see Mr. Biden as the best choice for accomplishing this goal.

 

Meantime, we have progressives who are rightly disgruntled.  I for one do not begrudge them their disquietude.  But to aim first at fellow Democrats, then hope enough of them are still standing to defeat OML seems decidedly short-sighted.     

Maureen Dowd Decries "Purity" 

A View on Impeachment from a House Committee Chair

Via Newsmax --  

Adam Schiff says impeachment would be a waste of time. 
 
An interesting and valuable viewpoint:
Schiff on Impeachment

CNN Important Round-table Discussion

CNN this evening has had an important discussion about impeachment as well as about late-breaking news of the scandalous caving of the Supreme Court majority in the matter of the Mexican wall.

Wolf Blitzer, plus Gloria Borger, et. al., had a very spirited discussion about impeachment.  The upshot was the House must move quickly on the impeachment matter.  I agree with the urgency.  However, for the House to move without public support is understandably difficult for House leadership.   And at this point, we must blame the mainstream American media, particularly broadcast media -- along with certain sectors of Internet and "social" media -- for a terrific dereliction of duty in failing to educate or simply tell the truth about this current administration.

As the CNN round-table member said. this is a very critical time in the life of the country.  Will those who love the truth more than comfort please stand up?    Please, stand up.  Stand up. 

Via The "Internet" --

Today's Humor

5:35 p.m. or so

FROM "CNN"  (Central News Network)  --

We interrupt this commercial to bring you the following BIG BREAKING NEWS from CNN:

"The House Judiciary Committee kinda sorta upped the ante on a semi-real impeachment inquiry today.  The Committee chair committed to a suit which might lead someday to an actual, real impeachment inquiry if Nancy Pelosi is in a good mood and polls tell them 100% of the American people are behind the effort.   

And now back to the salamander trying to sell you Gecko Insurance at this low, low, very humble price...."

The Mueller Report Up Close

It took a little while, but I was finally able to procure my own copy of the Mueller report yesterday.  Mine is The Washington Post  edition.  Their introduction to the document is excellent, and helps lay the case for an accusation of vast impropriety to say the least.

And the introduction also helps make clear just how misleading and hurtful the Barr characterization of the report was.

I look forward to reading through the report (minus redactions).  Congress deserves encouragement as relevant committees work assiduously to uncover the truth about the election of 2016 and other matters.  

U.S. Inches Its Way Toward a More Rational Discourse

If one focuses only on Our Military Leader (OML), it would seem that American political discourse is no better than it was two and a half years ago. 

But there are signs of change.  Surprisingly, one sign came out of the so-called conference on social media at the White House yesterday.  It seems that as part of his meanderings OML complained that his Twitter(R)  posts no longer sky-rocket in popularity.  Well, that is interesting.  It seems we have here not only a personal admission of a decline in the popularity of his media posts, but a news item of significance.

The significance is that it appears that at least in one area, blather, and histrionics are not as popular as they once were.  This should not be surprising to people who retain a belief in the basic truth and goodness of people and things as such.

But it is a battle, is it not?  A real knock-down drag-out battle.  And yet through new social media policies and a faintly visible desire on the part of social media companies to intensify their enforcement of pre-existing policies, vitriol may yet be brought under control.

Before this we could only dimly hope.   Now there is evidence of improvement.  

Our Military Leader's Celebration Called "Dress Rehearsal" for Fascist Parade

Cost?
$2.5+ Million 

For the source of this incredible information see here:

National Park Service Said to Divert Millions for Fascist Display

Quick Link

German Authorities Shut Down Independent Media Site

Quick Link --

Recent History Document 

https://patriotinexigency.blogspot.com/2019/07/german-authorities-raided-independent.html 

Much More Data Needed Before Pot Legalization: New York Doctor

I have written here before of a looming public health problem.  Forces favoring the legalization of marijuana have succeeded in convincing citizens and legislative leaders in several states to legalize the formerly verboten drug. 

The main advantage to this serious over-turning of a century of legal precedent is that we are beginning to develop a body of knowledge about the dangers of marijuana from the states where it is legal.  The news is far from good. 

Perhaps the biggest concern is the effect on young people.  Beginning with concerns about second-hand smoke in the home and the effect on driving, we now have concerns about the effects on the human brain, especially before the age of twenty-five.  It is a pity states have rushed to legalize pot before sufficient data about its effects are available.  At least the shroud of mystery is beginning to lift. 

Reference:
Marijuana: The Word from a Qualified Doctor

The Rise of Far-Right Economic Orthodoxy

Robert Bork did more than any individual in the twentieth century to embed the libertarian free-market principles of Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman into the heart of the American economic and judicial system....Bork came to the University of Chicago in the late 1940s as a true believer in Roosevelt's New Deal politics....But as he began to get attracted to the intersection of economics and law, the conservative professors who dominated the Chicago faculty discouraged any belief that government could or should play a role in regulating business.    

                                                 -- From Move Fast and Break Things by Jonathan Taplin, pp. 109, 111

The story of how far-right economic theory became mainstream in America is rather involved, though its beginning and course are quite traceable.  The main thing is that this orthodoxy -- which says the government has no place regulating big business -- is prevalent today, and to a large extent has simply taken over public policy as it is enunciated by politicians, academics, and pundits.

There are exceptions, of course.  After all, it is pretty cleat that the Sherman Anti-Trust act was and is not in favor of trusts (combines of corporations, including financial outfits).  Yet, as author Taplin points out, we have in good measure returned to domination of only a few firms, particularly in the Internet field.

What Taplin attempts to do -- and this is ever so useful -- is show how the Internet monopolies grew out of the capitalist economic system.  And he further shows how this has been so very hurtful to true variety, diversity, and freedom. 
                              

Robert Bork

Former Republican Prosecutors Release Video

Several former Republican prosecutors who served in the highest ranks of government have recently released an important video about the Mueller report.  This video details their view that the Mueller report is absolutely damning when it comes to the President's attempts to obstruct justice.  It appears that in some cases the attempts at obstruction of justice were successful.

How sad it is that not only is the President credibly accused of obstruction of justice, but his Attorney General and Republican leaders in Congress all profess myopia and an inability to see a problem.  This means justice is delayed.   And, has been said, justice delayed is justice denied.


(See the note at top right about the video which can be viewed at Patriot in Exigency.)

The Immigration Crisis at the Border Explained

From Democracy Now, an expert speaks

via Democracy Now -- June 5, 2019

To Impeach, Or Not to Impeach; That Is the Question

TMP Has an Answer


Blog post coming soon

President Acts to Investigate Former Administration Members

What we are seeing here is flat-out fascism.  It is Hitlerism, autocracy-in-action, and totally un-American.   In fact, it is essentially unheard of in the history of the Presidency.

Now is the time for all patriots to come to the aid of their country!*  

I'll have more to say on all this soon.

NBC Details Chilling Use of Presidential Power Against Critics

*As always, my call is strictly for non-violent actions.

Freedom of the Press Under Attack; Democracy in Danger

The Trump Administration's Decision to charge an online journalist with violation of an Espionage Act crime is creepy and chilling.

I'll have more to say on this soon.


Read the story here: