Tag Archives: Amanda Marcotte

Something to Ponder …

Posted on by under Free Press Issues, Global Issues, History, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry

Something I read in Amanda Marcotte’s semi-weekly newsletter struck a chord …

The coverage of the defense budget debate this month has been deplorable, mostly because the press takes seriously the notion that Republicans are bartering Ukraine aid for beefed-up border security. No one should fall for this ruse. Even if Biden gave House Republicans everything they want, they’d find some other excuse to withhold aid. That’s because they want Ukraine to fall into Russian hands.

Partially, it’s their thank-you to Putin, for spending handsomely on social media propaganda to help Trump and other Republicans. But the sickness goes deeper than that. It’s because the GOP is an authoritarian party. And in their war on democracy, they see Putin as an ally.

Sadly, I think she may have a point.  The GOP seems enamoured of people like Viktor Orbán, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Jair Bolsonaro, Javier Melei and other authoritarian leaders around the globe, and there’s no longer a shred of doubt that they are fully behind Donald Trump, who has loudly declared his intentions to be a strongarm dictator.  So, is it a stretch to believe that they WANT to see Ukraine fall to Russia?

And as regards the “beefed-up border security” the Republicans are demanding … what they really want is to close the border to all asylum seekers and immigrants.  There is no excuse for such a move other than racism.  Most people crossing into the U.S. are seeking opportunities for a better, safer life for themselves and their families.  They are NOT criminals coming here to murder and pillage, as the Republicans would have you believe.  They are NOT the ones, for the most part, bringing illegal drugs into the U.S. – it is U.S. citizens doing that!  But the Republicans are seeking an all-white, Christian-dominated nation.  Full stop.

There is more than sufficient evidence that Putin helped Trump win in 2016 and is likely willing to do so again … perhaps in exchange for our assistance in helping him defeat Ukraine.  Something to think about, for sure, and it would explain some things that are otherwise inexplicable!

Thoughts On Everything And Nothing …

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, Global Issues, History, Political commentary, Social commentary

I just seem to have a jumble of thoughts bouncing around in my head today – I think that extra hour is somehow to blame for my lack of focus.  So, bear with me for just a few very short thoughts ‘n snippets …

Generally, when a child throws a temper tantrum, only a handful of people at most hear it.  But when that child has his own social media platform and the press follow him around 24/7 waiting for him to have a tantrum, then unfortunately the entire nation is exposed to his screaming tantrums.  And the same people who would be disgusted if they saw a child throwing a tantrum in the grocery store, seem to love the tantrums of a crazy old man with the mind of a toddler.  Any guesses who I’m talking about?

Imagine that in a fit of anger … perhaps he didn’t like what you fixed for supper, or his favourite shirt wasn’t clean … your husband threw something, knocked over a candle, and set the house afire.  Flames are racing up the curtains, spreading across the carpet … you need to get the baby, call 911, and get out of the house, but he won’t let you near the phone and is blocking the door.  He has put his family in imminent danger and is also putting neighbors up and down the street in danger as the fire spreads.

This is the state of the United States today.  The angry, vengeful spouse is the Republican Party, the wife and baby are We the People, and the neighbors are our allies, including Ukraine and Israel who really, really need this nation to be at its best right now.  Instead, it is at its worst.  The House of Representatives, operating under a very slim Republican majority, brought the business of governance to a screeching halt for three weeks, and now that they’re back at work, they are more interested in game-playing and rallying their supporters for next year’s election than in passing meaningful legislation to help our allies and averting a full government shutdown in just 12 days.

From Amanda Marcotte, writing for Salon …

With Netanyahu at the top of international news every day, I hope people are beginning to see it’s not just Trump — corruption and right wing authoritarianism are inextricable. We see that in the federal court systems. These Federalist Society judges were bred for two purposes: Pushing a Christian nationalist agenda and rigging the system so rich people can cheat and steal without consequence. 

It’s demoralizing, because it will take years, if not decades, to fix. But Ukranians are out there dying in the hopes of one day having a functioning democracy. We can stick out our less deadly fight here.

Perspective … we must learn to put it all in perspective.

The most famous line ever uttered by the late President John F. Kennedy was from his 1961 Inaugural Address …

“Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”

It seems to me that today we have lost sight of that message.  In fact, I believe that many have reversed the phrase.  More on this one later when my thoughts stop bouncing.

And speaking of the late JFK, on Friday his nephew, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who is running next year for the office of president, received a standing ovation at an anti-vaccine conference (who knew there even was such a conference?) when he said that if elected president next year, he would direct the National Institute of Health to halt all research on infectious diseases for a period of eight years.  A standing ovation … where are people’s minds???

He also said he would appoint a “like-minded” attorney general and use the power of that attorney general to threaten editors of medical journals and force them to publish studies that had been disproven, such as that ridiculous one about ivermectin, the drug used to kill parasites in horses, being an effective treatment for Covid.  He really, really wants to make the U.S. a third-world country that will be shunned by all!  Fortunately, his chances of ever becoming president are about as good as mine.  But wait … didn’t I say that about another famous idiot back in 2016?  And look where that got us.  🙄

And on that note, it’s time for me to move on to something useful, like … maybe a nap?  Enjoy the rest of your weekend and I’ll be back tomorrow morning with Jolly Monday!