Justice Thomas, Other Justices Appear to Be Impeachable (for Lying Under Oath)

 Rep. Ocasio-Cortez claims to be witness to the fact.

 Rush Post

 

 

From WABC, New York --

 

(New York, NY) — Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calls the overturning of Roe v. Wade “a crisis of democracy.” Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, the New York Democrat called the decision a lot bigger than abortion rights. Ocasio-Cortez said the conservative justices misled Americans about their stance on abortion rights during their confirmation hearings. She said those contradictions caused a “crisis of legitimacy” and that “lying” under oath should be an impeachable offense.

Warrant for Trump?

 Quick Link—

Coming soon

How One Man Helped Ruin America’s Work Life

Quick Link — 

How “Neutron” Jack influenced America’s business tycoons and undermined the economy:

 https://apple.news/AIrOalqQ9S3aHHVEOEQpqqg

The new LBJ?

 Certainly there are many differences between Spring 2022, and the late 1960’s.  Sometimes, however, it is useful to find commonalities.  

In both eras, America was funding war in a foreign country.  In both there was raging inflation.  Both times there continued to be significant poverty in America.  

The Vietnam War did not turn out well. Speaking honestly, how do we think the Russo-Ukrainian war is working out?  Sometimes it is also useful to simplify.  Such a time is now.

N.B.  LBJ was Lyndon Baines Johnson, President of the United States during the Vietnam War.  

The Problem with the Profit System

 Here, then, is my latest book: Capital by Thomas Piketty.  In this tome I am expecting to find both history and analysis of the profit system, often called simply capitalism.  Now, I am against neither capital (money), nor a simple profit made by an entrepreneur allowing him to feed, shelter, and clothe his (or her) family, as well as obtain some of the finer things of life.  

 The difficulty arises when there is an imbalance -- one person to another, or one group to another.  One group gets too much money, the other gets too little.  In one sense the matter is as simple as this.  As Piketty writes:  The problem is that the price system knows neither limits nor morality.   Is this the kind of system we really want?  And can it even survive?  

 

 

Warning: System Error

 

The book shown above blazes new trails in its description of the problems facing Big Tech, and as a result, our society.  And in this sense, "society" is suddenly what could be considered the world society.  The book is almost dizzying in its return to an ethical framework for both individual lives and Big Tech.  

Well-chronicled here are the early savants and young billionaires who used the new computer/Internet technologies for both good and ill.  

The book is stunning in scope and depth.  Highly recommended. 

Thinking Twice Before Starting Cold War II

Quick link — 

Thinking twice before reprising cold war/ 

Bombshell Interview with Jamie Raskin

 

Rep. Raskin promises “gripping” hearings on January 6, 2021, attack on Capitol.

Forests Are Harbingers of Peril. But Also a Source of Hope

 

--courtesy National Geographic magazine, May 2022

 

 

     Today I read this splendid and enlightening article in the new edition of National Geographic magazine.   The superbly written report on the state of our world's forects was searching, concerning -- but also willing to entertain reasons for hope.  

 

     The facts as given certainly do create a sense of alarm for many places on earth, though some area's forests continue to show amazing resiliency.  How long this resiliency will last is not known.  And the concerns are real, for already some stands of trees have died, with no recovery in sight.

 

 

Highly recommended  

 

 

Endangered Trees, Endangered Planet

 What might have seemed fantastic is coming to be accepted today:  the health and survival of our trees are tied inextricably to the health and survival of the planet.  I am not a biologist, so I do not have the facts marshalled to support this rather sweeping statement.  But there are scientists who do.

I have greatly enjoyed my introduction to the latest issues of the National Geographic  magazine.  Practices which should have ended decades (a century?) ago -- such as clear-cutting -- are still raging on.  This must end according to those in the know.  See link below. 

Trees to the Fore-est

Russo-Ukrainian War: Voice of Reason Is Heard Around the World

Quick Link --

 Noted professor and thinker, Noam Chomsky, may not have all the answers regarding the tragic Russo-Ukrainian War.  But among those whose voices have broad reach through the media, his is among the very most reasoned -- and seasoned. 

Respected Professor, Noam Chomsky, Speaks on Russo-Ukrainian War 

Thoughts About Ukraine Now: A Beginning

 

The Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks to Sultan Mehmed IV 

by Ilya Repin

 

 I have waited perhaps too long to write about the current Russo-Ukrainian War.  This has been for several reasons, not the least of which have been personal.  In the meantime, there have been comments by ever so many persons -- Noam Chomsky, the President of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin and his foreign affairs minister, and of course the President of the United States.  

Yet none of these has seemed to have the whole truth in mind.  Chomsxky comes close in some ways, fails in others.  I am left somewhat with the feeling had about World War I, that there was no clear "good guy."  

But it is not easy to let the matter rest there.  For circumstances call out for understanding. However, underdstanding cannot come without knowledge, without background.  

So, I set about to do some research.  First I kept up with the astonisheing developments on the ground  and in the air. Then I began to seek out reasoned voices, the sounds of which were difficult to discern. Finally, I went to my encyclopedia to look up the article on (The) Ukraine.  All of these have been helpful.  None, however, did much to allay my concerns about the propagandistic tenor of the American news media.  For it is not the passions of the moment which interest me, but rather the deep-seated causes.

A theory I learned in graduate school has returned to me:  Just War Theory.  This theory propounds the belief that there is such a thing as a just war, but that certain specific criteria must be met.  (I will review this material and write more about it later.)  

It happens that I am not a strict pacifist.  If America were attacked today, I would feel compelled to support my country.  At the same time, I am inspired by the warnings of Our Founding Fathers to avoid any foreign entanglements.  In the post-war world this has been unlikely to the point of being unworkable.  And yet I see it as important to preserve something of the spirit of their wise admonition.  Is there a way we can be horrifed by the human tragedy in Ukraine, and minister to the needs of the people there as best we can without resorrting to hurtful histrionics?  

Let this be a beginning of deeper thought about the tortured and tragic land of Ukraine. 

Keeping Musical Lines Clear

Here we have a musical dilemma addressed in a gracious way by the ever-gracious Dolly Parton.  I agree with Ms. Parton that she is not a rock and roll star.  However, if there is a Popular Music Hall of Fame, Dolly Parton would be on my nominees short list.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dolly-parton-turns-down-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-i-havent-earned-that-right_n_622f58e6e4b02961583eab53

Investigating the Russo-Ukrainian War

 Regular readers here will have noticed I have not posted any comments or information about the continuing war in Ukraine. This is because it is a complicated situation and I have wanted to understand more about the matter before writing anything here. While my ivestigation is not complete, I will start by humbly asking readers to remember what your father and mother may have taught you as a child:  There are two sides to every story.

I cannot emphasize this advice enough.  Soon, I will have more to say -- and I hope much more --  about this most unfortunate situation.  

Post Script:  The media are certainly complicit in providing inadequate and misleading coverage of this war, to say the least. 

The Mid-terms: Red Alert for Democracy

 via Democratic Campaign Watch --

 

 Mid-Terms: Red Alert

 

Note:  TMP thanks his readers for supporting this blog through these trying times.