The System Isn't Broken

 

Maybe we should junk the whole thing and start over?

The System Isn't Broken

(A Tribute to RBG)  

By Redd Phlagg

You can become overloaded with others' bellyaching at times. You have to tune it out to preserve your sense of sanity. With the recent death of Supreme Court Justice Ginsberg, a whole new round of neoliberal woe-is-me-ing has begun to get on my nerves. The fact of the matter is it's all for naught and your tears of righteous indignation are just going to circle the proverbial drain, unheeded.

For all intents and purposes, the system is working in the way it is intended. It's efficiently replacing one cog in the pro-corporate, pro-billionaire machine with another. Already the "left wing" of the "same bird" is stepping aside and allowing the "right wing" to replace Justice Ginsberg with the puppet of their choosing. Nothing unusual there. It's business as usual. And it is business as in a "America's business is business" sort of way.

The system isn't broken as many attest and needs to be fixed. It's fixed in place, servicing well those it was meant to serve--the oligarchs, the 1%, the rich, whatever you want to call them. So, stop the crying about how "democracy is at stake" if a pseudo-left-leaning judge isn't appointed to the Supreme Court. How would it make any difference who is picked and placed in that spot? As long as the billionaires are getting their way, Trump could appoint Daffy Duck to the court, and they'd give Daffy their blessing.

Your needs and wishes are not all that important, peons. Get over yourselves!

If you want to use that righteous indignation in a productive way, stop the neolib whinging and start marching to the beat of a different drummer. Try democratic eco-socialism. Face it--we don't live in a democracy. We never have. If we did, all voices would be heard and attended to instead of only white males with tons of wealth.  If this doesn't describe you, then this isn't the system of government for you.

We don't take care of our neighbors as we should--we have our militarized police shoot human beings dead for driving, walking or sleeping while black, or lock them up in ICE detention if they're brown with a Spanish accent. That ain't democracy--that's fascism. Trying to perpetuate this totally f***ed up system with its easily corrupted checks and balances--or "checkbook balances of the rich"--is societal suicide.

And just stop it with the "Saint Obama would have never done such awful things!" bullshit. Who do you think set up the ICE deportation centers in the first place--Trump? Did Obama shut down Gitmo? (Answer: Nope to both questions.) These travesties of justice didn't just materialize overnight because "Trump." Remember, you're living in a fascist failed state. These concepts and anti-democratic institutions have been developed, perfected  and implemented over years, many years.

Now do you understand why replacing one "rubberstamp the corrupt system" justice with another doesn't make one speck of difference? Things are going to run the same way for the benefit of the same folks (the 1%) if we continue to prop up the dirty system we got now.

Solution? Tear it all down and start fresh.

As Thomas Jefferson said:

The system ain't working for you, but it's not "broken" by a long shot. It's just totally and utterly corrupt, and it breeds and nurtures corrupt leadership and creates corrupt practices and then it rewards even more corrupt men with them. That's all it was ever meant to do. Well, that and fool ordinary people into putting up with it.

Don't expect things to change for the better if you're not willing to stop putting up with corruption and fight it. Save your energy for the struggles ahead in tearing the whole system down and replacing it with something that is actually democratic. And while you're at it, can your insipid moping over a dead one-percenter Supreme Court justice. She's resting in a better, safer place than you are currently, right? I think even Ruth would tell you, "Stop whining and get to work!"

BIO: Redd Phlagg has had enough of those who can't see the forest for the trees and easily fall for the latest mainstream media drivel. Redd says, "It's time to grow a pair and think for yourself before it's too late! Our founders would not be proud of how we're handling things. They didn't sit on their butts and complain--they took it to the streets and made some noise and kicked out the bums holding them back. What's holding you back? Worried you'll miss your favorite Netflix show or break a nail? Get over yourselves!"

Here's yet another example of the mainstream media propagating propaganda and writing hit pieces to cover up neoliberal lies and campaign mistakes. Jimmy Dore on the Dems: "How is disenfranchising voters encouraging them to vote for Democrats down ticket? Their voter outreach should be called 'bullying into submission'... If the Democrats understood irony they'd change their name."

https://youtu.be/VBUXTMJSelw

***

From Move to Amend:

The system isn't broken. It's fixed. These converging crises -- public health, racist police violence, and ecological collapse -- are laying bare who, and what, matters most in our system. Should we be surprised? Well, no. How can we be surprised that profit and property are consistently prioritized over human beings, when our founding documents -- that still guide our system to this day -- were written to do exactly that? And what would it look like if we had a People's Constitution? Join us for a People's Movement Assembly, where people from all walks of life will come together and envision a country and a world with genuine and vibrant democracy. "Toward a People's Constitution" October 24-25th *RSVP HERE* This conversation might not be for everyone. But if you’re ready to come together with other passionate people and envision together what we would want in a Peoples Constitution -- and figure out how to build towards that vision -- you are invited. This two day event will include art shares, panel discussions, small group breakouts, planning and community building. Move to Amend is partnering with other organizations like the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund and A Radical Guide to put forth a rich and visionary weekend October 24th and 25th.  Learn more and RSVP at MoveToAmend.org/PMA In Solidarity, Jessica, Greg, Keyan, Joni, Milly, Kaitlin, Shelly, Alfonso, Daniel, Leila, Jason, Tara, George,  - Move to Amend National Team

 ***

From Faithful America:

In a year full of grave racial injustices, this is some of the worst.

U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement has been forcing women in ICE detention to receive hysterectomies against their will. The horrifying news comes from heroic whistleblower Nurse Dawn Wooten, who worked at ICE's Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia.

Let that sink in: The days of the Tuskegee experiment, when our government intentionally let Black Americans suffer from syphilis, are not over. Violent, state-sanctioned medical abuse against women of color is still rampant in the United States.

When Jesus' mother Mary sang of bringing down the powerful from their thrones, it was surely with abusive governments like this in mind. A fundamentally racist system must be changed, and the corrupt authorities who have enabled it -- including Donald Trump and his allies -- must be swept from power.

The first step is to put our faith into action by supporting the calls of local organizers to permanently shut down Irwin.

Tell Congress: Shut Down ICE's Irwin Detention Center >>

This is forced sterilization – and it fits the broader pattern of racist abuse that has characterized the U.S. immigration system for decades. Immigration officials have been repeatedly accused of rape inside detention cells, filming women as they showered, shackling pregnant women, ignoring miscarriages, and threatening victims with deportation if they speak out. The problems have only grown worse in recent years, emboldened by Donald Trump's hatred.

It is not surprising to learn of such atrocities from an administration also guilty of separating families, rejecting refugees, teargassing those who protest for racial justice, banning Muslims, desecrating sacred Native lands, and supporting white supremacists.

Yet some have been brave enough to speak out. In Georgia, organizers and attorneys have been taking complaints of medical neglect for a long time. In Texas in late February, Cameroonian women at an ICE facility staged a sit-in to protest their lack of medical care. What's different this time is the courage shown by whistleblower Dawn Wooten.

Nurse Dawn is a Black woman, and Black women have often been the bedrock of social change. She will likely be the subject of racist attacks herself, which makes it all the more important that we believe her, support her, amplify her complaint, and condemn racism whenever and wherever we see it.

Tell Congress: Shut Down ICE's Irwin Detention Center >>

Thank you for everything you do to love your neighbor, welcome immigrants, and oppose both racism and sexism. After you sign this petition, we'll send you several next steps you can take in the fight against injustice.

In peace,
Rev. Nathan and the Faithful America team

***

From Color of Change:

Prosecutors have failed to deliver justice for Breonna Taylor.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced the decision we were all fearing he’d make: No murder charges will be filed against the police officers who murdered Breonna Taylor in her home. Just one officer was charged with "wanton endangerment," and it was NOT for shooting Bre.¹

After 194 days.

2.3 million petition signatures.

100,000 phone calls.

And a global uprising demanding justice for our sister, Breonna Taylor.

No justice was served.

By failing to bring murder charges in the brutal killing of Breonna Taylor, Attorney General Cameron has failed to deliver justice for Bre. Instead, after more than six months, all we’ve received is a second injustice as Bre’s killers — Brett Hankinson, Jonathan Mattingly, and Myles Cosgrove — walk free with no murder charges. 

Elected officials at every level — from Mayor Greg Fischer and Commonwealth’s Attorney Tomas Wine to AG Daniel Cameron — all failed Breonna, her family, and the millions of people like you who demanded justice. 

Cindy, this moment is more than disheartening — it’s infuriating. And while you may be thinking, “what more must we do to get justice for a Black woman murdered by police?”, don’t forget what we’ve made possible since March: After millions demanded #JusticeforBre, the phony charge against her boyfriend Kenneth Walker was dropped. Louisville voted to ban no-knock warrants. Audio of the 911 call was released, and one of the police officers involved was removed from the force. None — and I repeat, none — of this would have happened had we not exercised our voices to stand up for Bre.

Color Of Change won’t stop fighting. Black Lives Matter Louisville won’t stop fighting. And you can’t stop fighting either. 

Here’s what you can do right now to continue demanding #JusticeforBre:

• Sign the petition to uplift Breonna Taylor’s family’s demands in calling for the city council to divest from the LMPD.

• Tweet at the Louisville city council president to divest from the LMPD. 

Millions, if not billions, of people worldwide have joined the movement to say her name and demand justice for Breonna Taylor. Black kids across the country have recognized their power to effect change. Our white allies are having the much-needed tough conversations at their dinner tables. And so many local organizers now have the resources they need to keep the fight going. 

Breonna Taylor changed the world. And this is not the end. 

We can’t be deterred. Because folks like Tamika Palmer, Breonna’s mom, are still on the ground fighting relentlessly to secure justice for our people.

We stand with Breonna’s family, BLM Louisville, and local organizers and activists in demanding the Louisville City Council take immediate action to divest from the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department and invest in communities.

Today is a hard day. But although we may be discouraged by this announcement, we will never stop fighting for Black people. 

Until justice is real,

Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Erika, Marybeth, Malachi, Leonard, Ernie, McKayla, Ana, Ariel, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

Reference:

1. "Police officer indicted in Breonna Taylor case." CNN.

 

I Believe Christine (and Anita and Patti and...)

I Believe Christine (and Anita and Patti and...)

by C.A. Matthews

The time we live in is one of skepticism and cynicism.  We trust nobody and trust even less what these "nobodies" have to say. Yet Americans have elected an apparent pathological liar to the highest office in the land. What gives?

When a liar is elevated and adored by many, any persons who are seen as a threat to the worshiped sociopath must be eliminated. Their reputations must be besmirched; their testimony silenced. Truth cannot be allowed to shine on the heroes of darkness, revealing more warts than even the most adoring of fans could tolerate. So truth must be denied and added to the list of ideals to be skeptical of, derided to the point that it becomes the most despised of virtues. Because to quote an infamous Twitterer: "Facts aren't necessary."

Even so, I believe in truth. I believe Christine Blasey Ford. I still believe Anita Hill and the testimony she bravely gave at the Clarence Thomas hearings. Why do I believe these women? It's not just because I'm female and a fellow #MeToo member.  It's not because I've experienced similar horrors or felt powerless to do anything against my attacker. I believe them because I believe any person (male, female or other gender) who is brave enough to admit publicly of being harassed and violated in such an intimate manner is a strong person, and, as such, has no reason to resort to subterfuge to gain an upper hand over the person who wronged them.

A rapist/sexual predator, on the other hand, behaves in the completely opposite manner.  This individual learns to lie and obfuscate to cover his deep-seated sense of inadequacy and self-loathing that manifests itself in an outward hatred and dehumanizing of others. He (face it, most rapists are male) becomes an actor in our "macho tough guy" culture. He knows how to put a woman "in her place" through forcing her to "live through her own death," as rape has been described by many survivors. Laughing it off as "boys will be boys," he seeks to normalize his sadistic behaviors by destroying his victim's reputation. He'll claim she is liar, a whore, an attention seeker or otherwise a person of no consequence. He alone is what society wants and needs. Society shouldn't listen to the hurting souls he leaves in his wake through his violent actions, let alone believe or empathize with them.

I don't believe Brett Kavanaugh knows what truth is--or else he would take himself out of the running for the Supreme Court. If Kavanaugh is being honest with himself, he would understand that his past actions constituted a felony and were physically, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually harmful to a fellow human being. Of course he would also have to acknowledge that Christine is a human being worthy of respect, which his denial of the importance of this revelation indicates he does not. He is allowing the darkness to dictate his actions, giving into the lie that when a crime isn't reported then there isn't a victim.

But there is a victim, and she is brave enough to come forward to talk about the injustice perpetrated against her. It's the least the senate judiciary committee could do is to let her speak her piece without unwarranted criticisms and slanderous commentary. It's the least they could do to investigate the incident and not take Kavanaugh's dismissal of it as the only evidence they need to place him on the highest court. Revealing the truth is where victims can at last exert some measure of power over their attackers and begin to heal.

To deny the truth doesn't mean the false reality where "boys will be boys" automatically becomes the accepted norm for the majority. Most Americans feel that a rapist is a rapist no matter what term you use to describe this sort of individual. He forces himself on another without pity and enjoys silencing his victim through fear and intimidation that can last a lifetime. If denying climate change doesn't stop the destructive hurricanes and flooding, then why should denying the crime of a man in the running for a high office change the horrendous nature of that crime?

But why Kavanaugh? It seems our current sexual predator/liar-in-chief desires a person possessing a similar outlook on the worth of women sitting on the bench. When push comes to shove, one "good ol' boy sexual predator" will gladly cover for another, won't he? A woman's right to safe and legal abortion, her right to equal pay, her right to feel safe from uncalled for advances from people in a position of power over her--both Kavanaugh and Trump express contempt for these rights. They both seem to enjoy forcing  women into a "helpless" position, making them dependent upon the "help" of men in order to maintain a decent standard of living for themselves and their children.

If you want to know more about "Why Kavanaugh?" please click through to read my article A Matter of Control that I wrote a few weeks ago. It's a control game, all right. The truth-deniers are spinning the narrative on the mainstream media even now. The dirt-diggers will continue flinging mud on Christine Blasey Ford and other women who  come forward to expose the predators in positions of power who hurt them. We can't let these evil-doers get us down. We must continue to believe in the truth and support truth-speakers, because as it is written, "The truth will set you free." (John 8:32)

We need to free ourselves from the lies, hatred and division of our cynical society before it enslaves us all. We need to protect the truth and believe in justice now more than ever.

Related articles:

Christine Blasey Ford agrees to testify before Congress
https://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/52441-christine-blasey-ford-agrees-to-testify-before-congress-next-week

Second woman accuses Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/24/supreme-court-nominee-kavanaugh-faces-new-sexual-misconduct-claim.html

Lessons never learned--45 years after the All in the Family Episode where Gloria was almost raped
https://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/52443-rsn-lessons-never-learned

Brett Kavanaugh faces unprecedented opposition
https://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/52422-poll-brett-kavanaugh-faces-unprecedented-opposition-to-supreme-court-confirmation

Patti Davis (Ronald Reagan's daughter): I was sexually assaulted...
https://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/52423-i-was-sexually-assaulted-heres-why-i-dont-remember-many-of-the-details

The Kavanaugh confirmation battle is about to explode
https://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/52426-focus-is-the-kavanaugh-confirmation-battle-about-to-explode

Another example of how women are "put in their place" and silenced by our corrupt system:  The Real News Network interviews Green Party candidate for governor, Constance Gadell-Newton, on her platform after being barred from participating in the Ohio governor debates.
https://youtu.be/mWlqsNzrfPI

***

Press Release: Ohio Supreme Court Ignores Rights, Blocks Citizen Initiative Protecting Lake Erie - Voting rights and Lake Erie disregarded as justices dispute technicalities
 https://celdf.org/2018/09/press-release-ohio-supreme-court-ignores-rights-blocks-citizen-initiative-protecting-lake-erie/

TOLEDO, OH: On Friday, the Ohio Supreme Court blocked from the November ballot a Toledo citizen’s initiative. The Lake Erie Bill of Rights (LEBOR) would have recognized the right of Lake Erie to be healthy and free from pollution that today is killing the Lake and depriving surrounding communities of safe water.

Toledo residents are among eleven million people dependent on Lake Erie for drinking water. Following a 2014 algae bloom that deprived Toledoans of water for three days, community members formed Toledoans for Safe Water. The group requested the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF) assist in drafting a bill of rights for Lake Erie as a means to legally protect it. Decades of government regulation have failed to do so. Community members gathered nearly 11,000 signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot.

Over the last 18 months, in addition to blocking the Toledo initiative, the Ohio Supreme Court justices have ruled to keep a number of rights-based initiatives off the ballot that would have protected communities from shale gas drilling and fracking activities. In addition to those justices dissenting from the majority, the remaining justices are disagreeing how to rationalize blocking the people’s right to vote on their own measures.

In Friday’s ruling, a majority made clear the court had made errors in previous decisions regarding these initiatives. Justice Sharon Kennedy concluded, “The public is not under the illusion that we are infallible. There is little harm in admitting that we made a mistake. But recognizing an error in a prior decision is only the first step; sooner or later, we have to rectify it.”

In all of the justices’ machinations, there is but one mention of Lake Erie in a background paragraph. Markie Miller, an organizer with Toledoans for Safe Water, stated, “We the people put in hundreds of volunteer hours collecting nearly 11,000 signatures because we’re alarmed about Lake Erie’s deterioration. We’re apprehensive about the safety of our drinking water. We’re worried about our survival. Our Ohio Supreme Court justices make no mention of any of that in their decision. It is as if Lake Erie and the people are invisible to the court.”

Crystal Jankowski, another organizer with LEBOR, added, “It was devastating to be without water for 3 days in 2014. This is worse. To know that the Lake and my children are at risk because it is legal for the polluters to pollute us, while our own government makes it illegal for us to propose a law to protect the Lake and our children, is beyond devastating. It is the realization that we not only have a water crisis, but we also have a democracy crisis.”

Terry Lodge is a CELDF-affiliated attorney representing the community group. Lodge stated, “There seems to be a ‘ruling class’ divide in the court, yet they all miss the point that the people have the right to directly legislate by initiative. They ignore their own long-standing precedent, which has always been to allow initiatives on the ballot, regardless of constitutionality. No one can interfere with the city council or the state legislature voting on an illegal or unconstitutional bill. It should be the same for the people of the state. It’s clear that our government is afraid to let the people legislate by initiative.”

CELDF is filing a Motion to Reconsider on behalf of community members today, based on a federal judge ruling in Schmitt vs. Husted, Case No. 2:cv-18-966, on September 19th. In that case, two marijuana initiatives kept off the November ballot by the Portage County Board of Elections were ordered on the ballot.

***

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Power to the people and not the corporations!  

 ***

From the National Domestic Workers Alliance:

I can't stop thinking about Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who courageously came forward to share her story of being sexually assaulted by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. As a survivor, I know how difficult it is to come forward. I believe her. That's why I decided to add my voice to this video.

Watch the video, and co-sign our letter: #DearProfessorFord, we believe you, and we honor your strength.

This nomination process cannot go forward without a full and fair FBI investigation into the case.

The #MeToo movement has given us the courage to demand that survivors be heard and supported. And no matter how powerful -- even those nominated to the highest court in the land -- those who are accused of abuse should be fully investigated.

It's hard to overstate the stakes with this nomination: it's a lifetime appointment that could affect everything we care about: Workers' Rights, Marriage Equality, DACA, Citizens United, Roe vs Wade -- many court cases that have a profound impact on our lives.

Please, watch this video, share it -- and support Dr. Blasey Ford.

Sincerely,

Ai-jen Poo
Director
National Domestic Workers Alliance

 ***

Can you imagine your home is no longer safe because of the horrors of bombs, blockades, or floods? And you’re forced to flee with your family, across land and water, not knowing what’s ahead? That when you finally arrive, you’re ordered to “go back where you came from.” You’re told you are criminal, a burden, unwelcome.

This heartbreaking story is an everyday refugee story in our world. And Trump is making it even worse.

Last night, the Trump administration further dismantled the Refugee Admissions Program by announcing an all-time record low admissions cap of 30,000 for fiscal year 2019. This is WAY below even a bare minimum needed for the program to survive. 

This is unacceptable. And what’s worse is that Trump is required to consult with Congress before setting this cap —but he didn’t. That’s illegal.
I’ll be really blunt: Congress has to grow a spine and step in to stop Trump’s hateful and illegal anti-refugee agenda. But our elected officials will only act if we make them. So that’s where we come in.

Tell Congress: Act immediately to stop Trump from slamming the doors shut on refugees for good. 

The U.S. should be opening our doors to refugees. After all, our failed violence-first foreign policies drive displacement around the globe, from war to climate change. Yet, instead, Trump is barricading our borders to those our own policies harm.

Congress MUST stand with the American people and honor our nation’s aspiration to be a refuge for those in need. If our elected representatives stay silent now, they will enable Donald Trump in slamming shut our nation’s doors for decades to come. And we need to make very sure they know it.

Tell Congress to act immediately and stop Trump from dismantling the life-saving refugee resettlement program.

Refugee and migrant solidarity is one of the biggest anti-war issues of our time. Refugees already face insurmountable obstacles in fleeing the frontlines of war, climate catastrophes, and social and economic inequalities in pursuit of sanctuary and dignity. We must not make this pursuit impossible.

Thank you for working for peace,
Mariam, Tara, Cassandra, and the Win Without War team

***

From the Sierra Club:

We have less than two weeks to stop the anti-environmental provisions of the House Farm Bill in final negotiations with the Senate, which will shape the next five years of food, farming, agricultural and environmental policy.  
 

Tell your Members of Congress to urge House and Senate Conferees to pass a Farm Bill free of anti-environmental riders. With increasing assaults on federal environmental protections from the Trump administration, time is of the essence and we cannot afford to lose bedrock environmental safeguards that regulate toxics and ensure clean, safe food, and drinking water!

A clean bill would promote sustainable agriculture, and support local communities, without making egregious cuts to funding for local food systems, weakening the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP) designed to curb hunger, and trampling state and county rights -- including the right to regulate pesticides!

The House Farm Bill is full of anti-environmental provisions that would even gut the Clean Water Act, log away our national forests, harm conservation policies and launch a total attack on the Endangered Species Act.
 

Tell Congress to keep toxic, anti-environmental riders out of the Farm Bill now! We need legislation that puts local farms, communities, and environment first.

Thanks,

Kirin Kennedy

Associate Director for Legislative and Administrative Advocacy

Lands and Wildlife, Sierra Club

***

From RootsAction:

The Trump administration continues to keep children locked up whom it has torn away from their parents.

And the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement routinely denies or limits journalists access to child "detention centers," arguing that it needs to protect the privacy of children.

But professional journalists are capable of reporting on children responsibly, and the government could easily negotiate with them on ways to do so.

If reporters are locked out, the public is denied its right to freedom of the press and the ability to engage in self-governance.

Click here to join RootsAction and a huge coalition in demanding access to these child jails so that the U.S. public can see what is being done with our money and in our name.

Our Message to Office of Refugee Resettlement:

Since May of 2017, the number of migrant children in custody has jumped from 2,400 to 12,800 as of September. The administration’s recent investment in “tent cities,” which provide harsh living conditions for children, is horrifying and unacceptable. The Office of Refugee Resettlement routinely denies or limits journalists access to child detention centers, arguing the need to protect the privacy of children. But professional journalists are capable of reporting on children responsibly. We demand that journalists be given immediate increased access to detention centers―to honor our constitutional right of freedom of the press and to ensure government transparency and accountability. Only through our free press will we begin to understand and be able to address the humanitarian crisis at our southern border.

Add your name now by clicking here.

After signing the petition, please use the tools on the next webpage to share it with your friends.

Please Stand By--Fake Outrage Is Next!

Our good friend Bern Notice returns to the blogosphere with an excellent piece this week. I'll admit that I don't keep up too well with the news on the Trump front because some days it's just too painful, and I've got much better things to do, like fighting for democracy and The Lake Erie Bill of Rights (update below).

But Bern's excellent analysis of recent media happenings is something worth spending time on--and so is this short video below which sums up what is really happening in our society. Watch and learn a lot from Carly as she explains this tough topic that needs to be addressed before more lives are lost.

https://youtu.be/WEZ7qbeG_I8

Dog-Whistles, The Republican Party 

and Fake Outrage

by Bern Notice

https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/132394988/posts/1564

If you have followed recent news at all, you are likely aware of the death toll in Puerto Rico. (For those that somehow don’t know, it’s a US territory.) You're also familiar with Ron DeSantis’ “monkey this up” comment on Fox News, and how Republicans are exploiting the murder of Mollie Tibbetts.

If for some reason you don’t know, or you are pretending that you don’t know, see the links below:

References:
Donald Trump says gov’t did ‘fantastic job in Puerto Rico’ despite deaths of 3,000 people after Hurricane Maria

‘Don’t monkey this up’: Republican hopeful for Florida governor accused of using racial slur – video

Mollie Tibbetts Murder: Family Members Push Back on ‘Racist, False Narrative‘

Republicans using dog-whistles and trying to use a murder for their personal political gain is not new. The latter (exploiting tragedy) is also used by Democrats. What is rather odd is hearing right-leaning pundits, politicians and “journalists” acting as though this is a new phenomenon.

Let’s not kid each other--it isn’t. The dog-whistles of prejudice and manipulation of an event to push an “anti-other” policy has been around for a very long time. The only difference between now and twenty years ago is that the Republicans and the current POTUS are more blunt and upfront about where they stand and are less likely to care about the consequences of it.

The Right has long appealed to the angry white male as a key part of its base. Trump is a direct representative of that demographic. Fox News, for all intents and purposes, is their official “news” source. If you want a comparison of how true this is, compare their treatment of Donald Trump whom they vigorously defend against any and everything...

Reference:
Hannity says Trump criticism is fake, until Fox reports it

…vs. Barrack Obama whom they chastised for being a smoker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouKJixL--ms

The hypocrisy is quite plain to anyone who isn’t biased. And for what it’s worth, I was not Obama’s biggest fan. Nonetheless, the dog-whistles and outright persecution of any minute thing he did was clear to see.

The Mollie Tibbetts murder is also being exploited by Republicans to try to gin up the vote. They are doing so unabashedly, and without hesitation, to try to appeal to the anti-immigrant crowd and white nationalists. Trump is typically first in these forays: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcfCHl4jE7k

Chuck Grassley uses the opportunity to do exactly the same thing with a picture of her behind him, which he later moves to bring up charts about immigration and gang arrests: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WdzOrShXAA

In short, Mollie Tibbetts is killed by a Hispanic person who is here illegally, and the Republicans pounce with a policy to point to for “a solution." Yet, when it comes to repeated mass shootings in schools across America and  young lives being extinguished, it’s always too soon to broach the subject of gun control. How convenient is that?

Reference:
Marco Rubio: Now Not The Time to Talk Gun Control Because ‘People Don’t Know How This Happened’

We can even see it in voter suppression tactics used by Republicans. An example of it is what happened in Georgia this year where a predominantly black town was potentially going to lose seven of it’s nine polling stations under the guise of “not being disabled person friendly.” The logical means of fixing this problem is to hire contractors to bring it into compliance, but not close the polling station. That does not benefit Republicans, and again, it’s not new. Paul Weyrich explains why in 1980: https://youtu.be/pN7IB-d7Hfw

This tactic is still being deployed via voter ID. An example of this is this comment by Pennsylvania Republican House Leader Mike Turzai ahead of the 2012 election: https://youtu.be/EuOT1bRYdK8

Let’s think about a quote from Weyrich: “Our leverage in election goes up as the voting population goes down.” Why does this matter? Because the nation as a whole is becoming more diversified. According to Brookings, white people will make up less than fifty percent of the total population by 2045. If you separate women from that total, it’s even smaller. So if your mentality supports White Christian Male Dominance, this presents a real threat to you.

Reference: The US will become ‘minority white’ in 2045, Census projects

This is why it makes sense for Trump to deny people of Hispanic origin their citizenship. As I write this, Hispanic people who are American citizens and hold valid passports are being deported according to multiple news outlets.

References:
http://fortune.com/2018/08/30/trump-administration-passports-immigration/

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/08/trump-administration-questioning-citizenship-of-hispanics.html

https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/30/politics/us-denying-passports-to-american-citizens/index.html

Until 2017, Hispanics were the fastest growing demographic in America. The current fastest growing demographics are Asian and mixed race individuals. In any event, whether you perceive it to be racially motivated or not, the pattern of Republicans wanting to reduce the number of voters for their individual gain is as plain as the nose on your face.

It's mildly amusing to see people who call themselves “moderate conservative Republicans” act so shocked about all that is going on. This isn’t to say that the Democrats have never done it, so don’t bother with that argument. The Democrats are not in power. The Republicans are. The lack of desire to truly call out the antics of the “Alt-Right” are a direct result of playing a low-key version of the very same game for decades.

This is not the extreme right-wing. This is the right wing. It always has been. And until the Republican Party grows a spine and actually shows policy and the will to change who they cater to, you can spare us the apologies. Most importantly, understand that when the expected “blue wave” comes, it won’t be because everyone likes the Democrats necessarily. It’s because of Trumpism and the Republicans' outright refusal to truly fight it. It's the first nail in their political coffin.

BIO: Bern Notice's blog is appropriately titled Seeing through the B.S.  Please leave him a comment here or there and let him know how much you appreciate his fine political analysis. It's better than you'll get on any mainstream media outlet.

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www.lakeerieaction.org

On Thursday, August 30, Toledoans For Safe Water filed suit in the Ohio Supreme Court against the Lucas County Board of Elections for denying ?their initiative, the Lake Erie Bill of Rights, ballot access. The bipartisan board voted 4-0 to deny all Toledoans the right to vote on a proposed local law that would have empowered citizens to protect Lake Erie.

Petitioners gathered some 10,000 signatures, of which 6,438 were validated, 1,200 more than needed to satisfy the requirements to put the charter amendment before the voters in November. “The Board of Elections exceeded their authority in stripping away the rights of Toledo voters,” said John Michael Durback from Toledoans for Safe Water. He continued, “clearly we can no longer expect progress to come from the top down. The reactionary and illegal actions taken by the Board of Elections prove that the corporate powers, to which our government is beholden, are frightened and encourages me that we are on the right path to empowering Toledoans with direct democracy and protecting the Lake Erie Ecosystem.”

The complaint for a writ of mandamus was submitted by the group’s attorney, Terry Lodge, who observed, “The law is clear that boards of elections cannot deny an initiative from the ballot based on their opinion of its contents. Jon Husted’s ill-informed appointees are censoring public dialogue and stripping the people of their constitutional right to initiative.”

“It is eye opening to realize that it is ‘legal’ for polluters to continue to harm the Lake, but it is ‘illegal’ for the people to propose a law to protect the Lake. We’re not just facing a perpetual threat to our water; the board’s illegal veto is a threat to our democratic rights,” said Markie Miller of TSW. The Lake Erie Bill of Rights campaign will continue as planned in anticipation of rightful ballot access."

http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2018/08/31/Toledoans-for-Safe-Water-sues-Lucas-County-Board-of-Elections-in-Ohio-Supreme-Court/stories/20180831153 

SUPPORTERS OF THE LAKE ERIE BILL OF RIGHTS: We need your help!

1) Please make a donation in whatever amount you can afford to our campaign at www.paypal.me/safewatertoledo. We're a grassroots effort going up against big money, and we need every donation we can get to get the word out about the Lake Erie Bill of Rights.

2) Please join the Lake Erie Bill of Rights Volunteers! group on Facebook, where we will be coordinating support between now and election day - including phone calls, canvassing, fundraising, and other campaign efforts.

***

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Power to the people and not the corporations!   

  *** 

It’s been eight months since Donald Trump signed his tax scam into law. Since then, corporate profits have skyrocketed while working people have actually seen a decline in their wages (after accounting for inflation).  Nowhere have we found evidence of this mythical $4,000 pay raise that Trump promised working families. In fact, Americans for Tax Fairness research shows that corporations are spending 100 times more on stock buybacks, which benefit CEOs and wealthy shareholders, than they’re spending on pay increases for their employees. [1] A new report from our friends at the Economic Policy Institute shows that CEO pay at the 350 largest U.S. firms is 312 times more than the average worker―$19 million vs. $62,000. [2] On this Labor Day, we’re shining a spotlight on the inequalities resulting from Donald Trump’s tax scam for the rich and corporations.  Senator Bernie Sanders just produced this new video with ATF Executive Director Frank Clemente, which shows how the tax scam is benefiting CEOs and wealthy corporations at the expense of working people. Click here to watch this video and share it on Facebook. This video is part of ATF’s campaign demanding answers from members of Congress. We demand to know how corporations are using their tax-cut windfall. Are these newfound profits trickling down to working people or padding the pockets of CEOs and wealthy shareholders? Thank you for standing with working people as we demand an economy and a tax system that works for everyone, not just the wealthy few.  In solidarity, Craig Johnson Digital Director Americans for Tax Fairness [1] ATF, “How Corporations Are Spending Their Trump Tax Cuts,” Aug. 29, 2018 [2] "CEO compensation surged in 2017," by Lawrence Mishel and Jessica Schieder, Aug. 16, 2018 ***

From the League of Conservation Voters:

Trump and the Republican leadership are attempting to take over the Supreme Court, and the outcome could affect our country for generations.
Trump’s pick, Brett Kavanaugh, is an extremist who has consistently voted against the EPA and basic public health protections. If confirmed, he could radicalize our nation’s high court to the far right for a generation. With him on the Supreme Court, our most basic environmental, health, and civil rights protections could come under siege.

Even worse, the vast majority of Kavanaugh’s records during his years working in the Bush administration have not been released. The people deserve to know his complete history. That’s why we’re giving this fight all we’ve got. There’s a clear path ahead of us — if enough senators take a stand against Brett Kavanaugh, we can save the Court. But we all have to speak out -- and we have to do it now.

We cannot let Trump take over the Supreme Court. A century of environmental and civil rights progress is on the line. Tell your senators to reject Brett Kavanaugh before 9/4 »

We can’t overstate this: There has never been a more serious threat to our environment, public health, and civil rights. Trump is attempting to weaponize the Supreme Court to undo fundamental protections that we have fought so hard to establish.

Brett Kavanaugh’s record shows he will side with the wealthy and powerful over the public interest. In just the past six years, Kavanaugh has:

• Rejected the EPA's authority to regulate any air pollutant
• Put thousands at risk for health problems linked to dirtier air
• Chose polluters' bottom lines over public health and safety
• Voted to allow mining companies to pollute our waterways
• Ordered the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to move forward with storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain
• Upheld a restrictive voting law that disenfranchised tens of thousands of people of color.

These are more than enough reasons to keep Kavanaugh off the bench. But also take into account that since he took office, Trump and his administration have waged a war on public health. Now, there are dozens of active court cases challenging the legality of Trump's moves to dismantle protections for clean air and clean water. Many of these cases may end up before the Supreme Court. If Kavanaugh is confirmed to the Court, our ability to protect the health of future generations will be at risk.

We should all be deeply concerned that another Trump Supreme Court justice could codify this administration’s attacks on our health, our welfare, and our democratic system for decades to come. That’s why we cannot afford to sit idly by during this process. The Senate CAN block this extreme nominee, but only if they hear from enough of their constituents now. We need you to stand up for a Supreme Court that will uphold our laws and values. Will you speak out today?

Make sure your senators hear from you. Please, take action today for the Supreme Court before it's too late »

This is no time to feel defeated. There is so much that's worth fighting for — and so much of it depends on the Supreme Court. Please, take action today.

Thank you,

Brooke Still
Director of Digital Strategy
League of Conservation Voters