Lessons of History and Trying To Avoid the Same Mistakes

[Sixties Fan]

 

[Sixties Fan]

Firearms recently became the number one cause of death for children and teens in the United States. We need to stop acting like this isn’t a hair-on-fire emergency.

We need to stop being worried that the gun lobby or Republican officials or the NRA will accuse us of wanting to steal people’s guns or scheming to repeal the 2nd amendment simply because we demand adequate gun safety laws. They’re going to accuse us of those things anyway.

So, let’s stop pretending that the right is willing to negotiate in good faith—because they’re not.

When you’re forced to negotiate with people who aren’t operating in good faith—as Democrats always seem to be—you must always stake out a position that is the diametric opposite of theirs. Every elected Republican supports the idea that all people should have unfettered access to every kind of gun in all places at all times. The Democrats’ opening bid, therefore, should be that nobody should be allowed to have any access to any kind of gun in any place at any time ever. That’s not just the position I’m starting from, that’s actually what I believe. One of the tragedies of modern American politics, however, is that the Republican position is considered unexceptional mainstream Republicanism, while mine—which is publicly embraced by no elected Democrats that I’m aware of—would be considered insane by some and political suicide by almost all.

Think about that for a second. Just think about it.


(full article online)

The Sickness unto Death, Part I

It's the guns

marytrump.substack.com

 

[Sixties Fan]

In the wake of last year’s school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in which 19 children between the ages of nine and eleven and two teachers were slaughtered, Republican-led states have continued to expand the rights of gun owners by:

• Crafting legislation that would enable teachers to be armed.
• Allowing college students to carry loaded weapons on campuses.
• Attempting to remove background checks.
• Getting rid of red flag laws (those which allow for the removal of guns from people who may be a danger to themself or others).
• Limiting the number of gun free zones, such as state capitol buildings, bars, churches, schools.

If you juxtapose these alarming trends against the reasons people own AR-15s, you’ll get a picture of just how much trouble we’re in as a country.

The top five reasons given are:

1. Personal safety

If you have a gun of any kind in your home, the people you are trying to protect are at greater risk of being shot than the intruder. If the gun is a semi-automatic weapon, the danger of collateral damage is high. The risk of accidental shootings is also extremely high.

1. Target shooting and recreation

I did riflery when I was a kid, but I’ve only been to a gun range once as an adult (long story). About ten minutes after I got there, a couple of guys with some kind of semi-automatic weapon started target shooting in the bay next to me. I left immediately. It was terrifying.

1. Hunting

Pro-tip: Real hunters don’t use AR-15s.

1. It looks cool

This makes sense if you’re a pre-pubescent child trapped in an adult’s body.

1. “Because I can.”

This is the kind of response you get when there is not sufficient political will to modify the second amendment, leaving the field open for the Supreme Court to misinterpret it.

BONUS REASON

1. It pisses off liberals.

That level of maturity should alarm all of us when it is possessed by the people buying the weapons of war and mass death.

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The family of the shooter in Lewiston knew something was seriously wrong with him. They were so alarmed by his behavior that months ago they contacted the police and the commanding officers at the army reserve base where he served in order to alert them to their concerns.

We need to find out why these warnings went unheeded, but even if they had been, it’s possible that Maine’s yellow flag laws wouldn’t have made a difference—they were written with the input of the gun lobby and are designed to be burdensome and slow to.

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In the wake of the tragedy, Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) came out in favor of banning assault rifles. This is good. We need all the progress we can get. But Golden’s change of heart is not the equivalent of starting to raise money for a disease because you or somebody you love suddenly contracted it. He did not change his position simply because the issue of gun violence has suddenly become relevant to him—as a lawmaker he’s actively involved in making policy decisions about guns. Golden changed his position because the issue of gun violence had become personal.

We will see no such epiphanies on the right. As accidental Speaker and white evangelical fanatic Mike Johnson would have it, “The problem is the human heart, it’s not guns, it’s not the weapons.”

This is no longer about the abstract right to own guns. This is a choice between our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, our right to keep our children safe (our right, that is, to make sure our children survive into adulthood without getting shot at school or at a mall or in a church) vs. their right to own a weapon of mass death . . . because they think carrying around an AR-15 makes them look cool.


(full article online)

The Sickness unto Death, Part II

It’s the Republicans

marytrump.substack.com

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

This is America. We don't learn lessons. If we did the left would never win

 

[Sixties Fan]

Gov. Tate Reeves’ top campaign contributors netted $1.4 billion in state contracts or grants from agencies the governor oversees, a Mississippi Today investigation found.

Of the 88 individual or corporate donors who have given Reeves’ campaigns at least $50,000, Mississippi Today identified 15 donors whose companies received a total of $1.4 billion in state contracts or grants since he took office in 2020.

The investigation reveals how private companies, whose executives routinely donate large sums to politicians, can rake in hundreds of millions in Mississippi taxpayer funds while having the ear of powerful elected officials.

Reeves, one of the most prolific political fundraisers in state history, has set numerous annual and office-specific campaign donation records. But he’s been criticized by Republican and Democratic opponents as transactional — a politician who helps those who directly help him.

The $1.4 billion total in state contracts identified by Mississippi Today does not include dozens of additional contracts the Reeves donors have received from state agencies not led by the governor. For example, the Mississippi Department of Transportation awarded the governor’s top donors at least $552 million since 2020.

The total also doesn’t include millions in incentives and tax breaks many of his top donors have received, and it doesn’t include any state contracts that Reeves donors who have given less than $50,000 may have received.

(full article online)

Gov. Tate Reeves' top political donors received $1.4 billion in state contracts from his agencies

Gov. Tate Reeves’ top campaign contributors netted $1.4 billion in state contracts or grants from agencies the governor oversees.

mississippitoday.org

 

[Sixties Fan]

A Missouri jury on Tuesday found the National Association of Realtors, a real estate industry trade group, and some residential brokerages liable for nearly $1.8 billion in damages after determining they conspired to keep commissions for home sales artificially high.

The lawsuit covered home sales that took place between April 2015 to June 2022.

“We view it as a tremendous day of accountability for these companies,” Michael Ketchmark, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, told CNN.

Despite the verdict, the matter is still far from being resolved.

“This matter is not close to being final. We will appeal the liability finding because we stand by the fact that NAR rules serve the best interests of consumers, support market-driven pricing and advance business competition,” NAR president Tracy Kasper said in a statement after the verdict was announced.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/31/economy/national-association-of-realtors-commissions-high/index.html

 

[Sixties Fan]

Reed: Tuberville military holds may have contributed to Marine commandant’s hospitalization

The situation shows “the fallacy and the danger” of the Alabama senator’s tactics, the Senate Armed Services chair said.

www.politico.com

 

[Sixties Fan]

 

[Sixties Fan]

 

[Sixties Fan]

Motivated by world events​

The initiative to include abortion rights in the French constitution was prompted by global events, especially the US Supreme Court’s decision to reverse the landmark Roe v Wade decision in June 2022. This ruling, which acknowledged a woman’s constitutional right to abortion, marked a watershed moment in the fight for reproductive rights.

France’s commitment to constitutionalizing abortion rights sets an example for the rest of the globe, challenging governments’ rising limits on reproductive freedom. By adopting this brave step, France sends a clear message that it is fighting alongside women to safeguard their right to choose.

France’s commitment to entrench abortion rights in its constitution marks an important step forward in the ongoing fight for reproductive freedom. As it takes this firm move, the country sends a message of optimism and solidarity to women around the world, underscoring the necessity of steadfast support for reproductive rights.


(full article online)

France pledges to embed abortion rights in constitution | The Optimist Daily

President Macron pledges to make abortion rights in France irreversible by 2024, defying global restrictions.

www.optimistdaily.com

 

[Sixties Fan]

 

[Lesh]

Score on the Godwin Scale = 100 --- well done!


View attachment 722481

Part of Godwin’s Law states that there are some times when it applies.

This is one of them

 

[Sixties Fan]

• A federal court rejected a Republican lawsuit challenging North Dakota’s legislative districts. The court upheld four new subdistricts that were created to give Native American voters an equal opportunity to elect their candidates of choice.
  • A separate ongoing lawsuit brought by tribal nations alleges that some of the state House districts violate the Voting Rights Act by diluting Native voting power. A trial was held earlier this year and a decision is pending in this case.

Democracy Docket

 

[Sixties Fan]

Virginia Democrats sweep legislative elections after campaigning on abortion rights

Virginia Democrats who campaigned on protecting abortion rights have swept this year’s legislative elections, retaking full control of the General Assembly after two years of divided power.

apnews.com

 

[Sixties Fan]

Ohio voters enshrine abortion access in constitution in latest statewide win for reproductive rights

Ohio voters approved a constitutional amendment on Tuesday that ensures access to abortion and other forms of reproductive health care.

apnews.com

 

[HeyNorm]

https://twitter.com/MarkJacob16

With all the arguments over whether MAGA Republicans are fascists, I reread William Shirer’s “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich” to see how much the rise of Hitler and the rise of MAGA smell similar. Conclusion: They do. This thread lists 10 ways. Please take a look.

1. A big lie about treachery is used to foment resentment. Nazis: We didn’t really lose World War I. It was a “stab in the back” by Jews and other "November criminals." MAGA: We didn’t really lose the 2020 election. It was a “steal” by politicians and Blacks in big cities.




2. There’s an obsession with purity of the culture. Nazis: “Racial mixture” was a threat to Aryan culture, Hitler wrote. MAGA: “Great replacement theory” says immigrants threaten white culture.



3. Chaos is something to be exploited, not addressed. Nazis: Economic distress is a great political opportunity. MAGA: Economic distress is a great political opportunity.



4. The super-rich bankroll the right-wing seizure of power. Nazis: Thanks to I.G. Farben, Deutsche Bank, Thyssen, Krupp, etc. MAGA: Thanks to the Mercers, Uihleins, DeVos, Thiel, etc.



5. Some people think the fascist threat is overblown. Nazis: While Hitler posed a major threat, some said he "ceased to be a political danger.” (2 weeks later, he was chancellor.) MAGA: While Trump poses a major threat, many people think it’s “just politics,” no worries.


6. There’s a cult of personality. Nazis: The German army made a pledge of loyalty to Hitler personally. MAGA: Trump’s supporters bill him as “the most moral president” in U.S. history.



7. Christianity is used to legitimize the movement. Nazis: “The party stands for positive Christianity.” MAGA: Trump is described as the “Chosen One” protecting American Christianity.





8. Books are the enemy. Nazis: Any book that “acts subversively on our future” must be burned. MAGA: “I think we should throw those books in a fire,” says a Virginia school board member.




9. An independent news media is the enemy. Nazis: Any newspaper that “offends the honor and dignity of Germany” must be banned. MAGA: The press is the “enemy of the people.”



10. Educators are pressured to be politically compliant. Nazis: Teachers took an oath to “be loyal and obedient to Adolf Hitler.” MAGA: Florida’s DeSantis accuses teachers of “indoctrination” and pressures them to avoid references to America’s racist history and LGBTQ people.



I'm not saying that MAGA will end up as horrifically as Nazism. I am saying that America 2022 feels too much like Germany 1932, and I don't want to take the risk of watching MAGA cultism play out. We have to stop it now.



Why did Twitter put a “sensitive” warning on this thread? Who knows? My only theory is that it has a “hateful symbol”—a swastika on the cover of Shirer’s book about Nazism.

Pure projection is all this is.

 

[HeyNorm]

Ohio voters enshrine abortion access in constitution in latest statewide win for reproductive rights

Ohio voters approved a constitutional amendment on Tuesday that ensures access to abortion and other forms of reproductive health care.

apnews.com

And since this is now constitutionally protected. Child support payments by men appears unconstitutional. Only women now control reproduction.

 

[Mac-7]

Ohio voters enshrine abortion access in constitution in latest statewide win for reproductive rights

Ohio voters approved a constitutional amendment on Tuesday that ensures access to abortion and other forms of reproductive health care.

apnews.com

“The future is bright, and tonight we can celebrate this win for bodily autonomy and reproductive rights,” Lauren Blauvelt, co-chair of Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights, which led support for the amendment, told a jubilant crowd of supporters.

The future is not so bright for the unborn children of drunken party girls who dont wany them

 

[Sixties Fan]

 

[Sixties Fan]

BREAKING: Joe Manchin ruins everything. This post was going to be solely about Republican hypocrisy, but then Senator Manchin, an alleged Democrat who did Republican’s bidding more often than not, just announced his retirement right before I hit “publish”. It’s a reminder that in the world of the GOP, as long as you play ball and let them lie, cheat, and steal their way into destroying the country, they’ve got your back . . . which is why they always had his.

Case in point, what the corrupt James Comer is doing to Pres. Biden right now, while Joe Manchin is doing his best to hand MAGA the Senate in 2024.

Here’s why Comer, Manchin, and Donald get a free pass, while people doing the right thing on the left do not.

While Republicans in the House are busy doing the serious business of governing—holding votes to reduce the salaries of Vice President Kamala Harris and White House Press Secretary Karine Jeanne-Pierre to $1 (I can’t for the life of me think why they singled out these two public servants. s/), James Comer (R-KY), Chair of the House Oversight Committee, has been desperately trying to dig up dirt on both President Biden and his son, Hunter Not-a-Government-Official Biden.

Currently at issue is the fact that in 2018, then-private citizen Joe Biden transferred $200,000 to his brother, James. Two months later, James and his wife, Sarah, sent Joe Biden a check for $200,000 with the notation “loan repayment” written on the front.

Sounds terribly nefarious, doesn’t it?

Well, not if you’re interested in the truth. But Comer clearly is not. He has called this transaction “troubling,” and “believes” that Joe Biden is lying about it. In order to make these claims, Comer is overlooking the ample evidence at his disposal that proves the loan was exactly as it seems.

I, personally, can’t see the crime in extending a short-term, interest-free loan to a family member who then pays back said loan in a timely fashion, but then I’m not the powerful chair of the Oversight Committee on a mission to undermine Pres. Biden at every turn—even if that means making shit up about him and his son.

In a bizarre twist, the Daily Beast has reported that Comer loaned his own brother the exact same amount of money. The difference is that the Comer transaction was not nearly as straight-forward as the Bidens’ and, very possibly, not nearly as above-board.


(full article online )

How to Be Corrupt & Get a Free Pass

Why the GOP & Manchin always get away with it

marytrump.substack.com