The Trump Baby Blimp Rules!

The Trump Baby Blimp Rules! 

Over a quarter-million protesters marched in London alone to voice their displeasure in Donald Trump's trip to the UK.  They protested his insulting of their queen, their government and their commonsense through the use of humor in the form of a giant angry-baby Trump blimp--complete with a cell phone to tweet from in his tiny hand. Pure genius, don't you think?

Enjoy some aerial footage and great memes from a German comedy show as you read this week's article on the importance of political humor. Remember, without it there is no freedom of speech. 

Making fun of those in authority is our duty and our right. So get out there and make fun of a tyrant today!

Alas, Poor Yorick! The Passing of the Court Jester?

by Coast Watcher

The recent firing of Rob Rogers, former editorial cartoonist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, rang alarm bells in some quarters. The majority of Americans who heard the news couldn’t understand why a cartoonist should be fired for, well, simply doing his job. Nick Anderson, a Pulitzer-prize winning cartoonist, was laid off from the Houston Chronicle last year. They are but two political cartoonists of hundreds laid off by various publications across the United States within the last thirty years. A once thriving pool of over one hundred and eighty editorial cartoonists has dwindled to a few dozen, all of whom are looking nervously over their shoulders lest they be next for the chop.

What’s going on?

It’s an old adage that the best way to destroy tyranny is to laugh at it. Making a tyrant seem ridiculous in any way, shape or form diminishes him in the eyes of the general population and so weakens his power. A shining example from history is editorial cartoonist Thomas Nast. Nast is credited with bringing down Boss Tweed’s corrupt New York Tammany Hall political machine in the late nineteenth century. (Tammany Hall became a byword for political corruption on an epic scale, a tradition the Democratic Party seems determined to uphold.)

The other function of the jester, or fool, comes through literature where he or she is seen as the symbol of common sense and honesty. The court jester is a character used for insight and advice, a person able to take advantage of his ancient right to mock and speak freely in order to highlight folly on the part of the tyrant and generally give sage advice. The jester can do this where a person of more exalted birth would find themselves in the tyrant’s potentially lethal disfavor.

Shakespearean fools are usually clever peasants or commoners that use their wits to outdo people of higher social standing. Even autocratic rulers had to tolerate their jests and japes or be seen as humorless and intolerant. In this day and age of faceless corporate power, the jester has a more difficult life. 

The modern world isn’t kind to the jester’s artistic descendant. Witness the Charlie Hebdo killings in Paris in regard to the controversial Mohammed cartoon in a Danish newspaper. Perhaps nowadays the establishment doesn’t care for the idea of being the butt of righteous satire or humor. Since the majority of cartoonists are employed by newspapers owned by a tiny handful of plutocrats, they become a juicy target for  tyrants wishing to suppress dissent. A word in the right ear will see a cartoonist being told the clear his or her desk the next day.

Performance jesters are under attack nowadays as well. One only has to look at comedian Lee Camp's You Tube videos to see how the establishment is attempting to marginalize his progressive insights and his sharing of vital information that is seldom disseminated on mainstream media outlets. The establishment feels so threatened by Lee's humor (as well as others, such as Jimmy Dore's) that they regularly block sharing of his videos and even made You Tube post a nonsensical "warning" under them to scare viewers off. If anything, their attempts have only grown Lee's audience and solidified his followers in their support for him and his message. The joke's on the establishment!

When the establishment fights back and uses dirty tactics, it doesn’t mean we can’t employ humor against the establishment and those who embody it. The American president, a boorish, ill-educated man who practically begs ordinary people to poke fun at his pomposity and foolishness, is on record as hating the Trump Baby blimp that flew over the mass protests against his visit to Great Britain. The humor worked--it got the point across as intended. We the people are not happy with his performance.  

Nick Anderson suggests newspaper readers should tell the editor of the publication how much they appreciate the cartoonist, or if the paper doesn’t have one on staff, suggest they hire one. People power does have considerable sway, even in these days of wholly-owned, Sinclair-Tribune media conglomerates. After all, if the buying public doesn’t buy their product even the arch plutocrat is helpless.   

This means we must support the political cartoonist and the comedian and the creative protester and all  like them in every way we can. Remember, humor is one weapon the tyrannical can't defend against. Arm yourself with a good sense of humor and fight back!

Related articles: 

Cartoonists Matter
https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/23/opinions/rob-rogers-cartoonists-matter-anderson-opinion/index.html

Trump Says the 20-foot tall Angry-Baby Blimp Makes Him Feel "Unwelcome"
http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-baby-blimp-balloon-london-2018-7?utm_source=facebook&utm_content=top-bar&utm_term=desktop

BIO: Coast Watcher is very proud to be British. He salutes his countrymen for their creativity and humor and thinks the Baby Trump blimp is a bloody good idea. Don't hide in the bushes--poke fun at the establishment every chance you get! Knock them down a few notches in the political revolution, fellow humorists.

And now, a bit of political humor in the sing-along fashion...

 Oh, the humanity! (Or is that "trumpanity"?)

 My Donald Trump Balloon
sung to the tune of "Up, Up and Away in My Beautiful Balloon"
new lyrics by Still Bernin'

Would you like to fly my great Donald Trump balloon?
All across the "cloud" with my Baby Trump balloon?
We can tweet, grump and spout crass racist talk, you and I--
'Cause we can cry!

Up, up and away on my Donald Trump, my Baby Trump balloon!

Would you like to hate like a Donald Trump buffoon?
Anyone will do if you're a Baby Trump baboon!
Browns, blacks and Chinese have too big a piece of the pie--
So he will lie!

Up, up and away in my Donald Trump, my Baby Trump balloon!

My Donald Trump, my Baby Trump balloon
Created under a narcissistic streak
He'll rant for war and a chance to start one
If by some chance you find yourself hating him
Then find a crowd to join you, and keep this chant beside you

The world's a hate-filled place with our Baby Trump balloon
It wears a sadder face with a Donald Trump buffoon
We can march the streets and shout it high up to the skies
He can die!

Up, up and away in my Donald Trump, my Baby Trump balloon!

(With my sincerest apologies to the Fifth Dimension for using their great tune.)

BIO: Still Bernin' keeps things in perspective through the use of biting humor. It's better than sitting and crying all day long, right? "Don't let the haters get you down! Use satire as a weapon against them. You'll be glad you did."

*** 

  

It's no laughing matter--

independent journalists need your help!

The Revolution Continues has set up an easy way to donate to the cause of keeping it ad-free. Three years without obnoxious ads (that many news sites have to cover costs) has been great, but the editor does have to pay for internet, electricity, etc., out of her own pocket, and she would like to be able to pay her contributors in the future. Please consider donating a buck, $5, $10 or $100--any amount you can share with us to keep this progressive site going without those awful ads is appreciated. 

Help us become a strong alternative voice protesting against the corrupt establishment and its puppet journalists. Give to TRC today. Thank you.

You can donate via Paypal at http://paypal.me/camatthews 

Power to the people and not the corporations! 

 ***

Another strong independent voice that needs your support:

---

A “Free Press” Cannot Be Free

The moment the news is presented to you as free, you have already paid the price. At that moment, your right to know has taken a back seat to the interests of whoever, or whatever, is sponsoring the presentation. 

If they are not paying to inform you (and they’re not), what are they paying for?

When the community takes an ownership stake, the priorities change. 

For your consideration.

Marc Ash
Founder, Reader Supported News

Sure, I'll make a donation!

---

If you would prefer to send a check:
Reader Supported News
PO Box 2043
Citrus Hts, CA 95611

*** 

Freedom from election fraud is as important as our exercising our freedom of speech... More on the 2016 recount fight.

As we approach the 2018 midterms, the fight for elections we can trust continues. We’re happy to share with you this latest summary of the successes and ongoing struggles in the continuing recount fight for election protection and voting justice. Thank you for your support that has made this fight possible.

It’s in our hands!
Jill Stein

WithMidterms Approaching, the Recount Fight Continues for Elections We CanTrust

From the start, the 2016 Presidential recount was not simply a call to retabulate the vote. It was a demand for elections we can trust, that are accurate, secure and just, and free from the scourge of Jim Crow. While there’s been progress since then towards greater cybersecurity, our votes remain vulnerable to a spectrum of cyber threats. But that’s not all. On multiple fronts, our right to vote itself is under attack, along with other basic rights at the foundation of our democracy, including our rights of protest, privacy, freedom of the press and more. With democracy increasingly under fire, trustworthy elections are more critical than ever. For all these reasons, the recount fight continues as a battle for election protection and voting justice, a fight being waged in both the court of law and the court of public opinion.

The past year and a half has seen both mounting threats and important progress, including notable successes in ongoing recount-related efforts. This includes the adoption of crucial reforms the recount helped shine a spotlight on, and hard-fought legal progress towards much-needed scrutiny of secret, privately-controlled voting software.

Read More

***

The water in the faucet runs orange. But kids are expected to drink it.  

In Fayetteville, West Virginia, the water at school has been discolored for years. No one knows what’s in it and there is no plan to clean it up.

Headwater Defense, a local grassroots group, has been donating bottled water to the school since 2016. When they tried to speak out against the school’s neglect, they were threatened. The school told them they’d stop accepting bottled water if the group publicized the issue.

The safety of kids is at risk. Congress must do something about it. Call (202) 224-3121 now to be connected to your Senator.
 
Schools can get away with potentially toxic water because, shockingly, Public Water Systems are not required to test water in schools.

The Get the Lead Out of Schools Act (S.1401) would make sure that water in schools is tested and that parents and teachers find out when there is a problem right away.  It also creates a grant program to help fund the improvement of water.

This law could have identified and stopped disasters like that in Flint, Michigan, where a whole generation of kids is being poisoned. Right this second, children are at risk for developmental delays, anemia, hypertension, and even death.

No child should come home from school poisoned. Call your senator at (202) 224-3121 to protect children from dangerous drinking water. Whole generations of kids are depending on us.
 
Lois Gibbs
Center for Health, Environment, and Justice and People’s Action
 
P.S. Use the following script to tell your Senator exactly why they need to support this bill. 

Please support the Get the Lead Out of Schools Act (S. 1401), a critical bill that will protect children from the devastating impact of lead poisoning.  No level of lead exposure is safe and children are particularly at risk to the detrimental effects of lead exposure. Prolonged exposure can cause developmental delays in children, anemia, hypertension, organ failure and death.

S. 1401 would protect America’s school children from lead by requiring that the Public Water Systems test all water that flows into school systems. This act also requires  results of the water testing to be shared with the school community, because everyone has the right to know what they are drinking. The act also provides grants to help schools address their water contamination issue and protect the health of their students.
 
I strongly believe this bill must be passed and encourage you to co-sponsor the legislation.

Bernie is My Super Hero

Bernie is My Super Hero

words and photos by Randy Leavitt

Last night, as dusk approached, I walked down Church Street in Burlington, Vermont, toward the Flynn Theater where Donald Trump was holding a campaign rally, and where I expected a to find a large crowd of protesters.  I was not disappointed.  I was wearing my excellent Superman costume and carrying a sign that said, “Bernie is my Super Hero.”    

By the time I got halfway down Church Street, I already had people laughing at the costume and giving me high fives and asking to take my picture.  As I neared the City Park an elderly woman approached and asked me if I was going to the rally and if she could join me.  Then, as we walked, she explained she was a Muslim and she was afraid to go to the rally alone, but she said she couldn’t stay home either.  She told me about recent harassment she has encountered and said she just wanted to live her life, like anyone else would.  

 I think, all kidding aside, she felt safe with me -- with Superman.  It is a funny costume, and, really, as powerful a figure as Superman is, in real life, with me wearing his suit with the plastic muscles and the bold primary colored tights and underwear worn on the outside… I can be quite charming -- and disarming. 

So, she joined me and we entered the park together to find a small but growing crowd. Main Street was closed; barricades were set up to keep people off the street.  On the far side of the street, in front of the Flynn theater, more barricades were set up, these to funnel those waiting in line who wanted to hear Trump speak -- or to protest him and his message -- into the theater.

The people in the Trump line itself, those still eager to enter what must have been a nearly full building, stretched around the corner from the Flynn Theater away from the lights and the sounds of Main Street for at least two blocks to where it disappeared into the darkness.  I tried to get a better view of how far the line stretched, but as I approached the line I could feel the anger rising from the people along with the steam from their breath in the cold.  

 I heard later that Trump told the crowd inside that there were 20,000 of his supporters waiting outside.  A lie.  I think it was more like 1,000 and just as many Bernie supporters in the city park across the street.  I spent nearly all my time mingling with the crowd in the park.  I must have had a hundred great conversations; I was interviewed by five different news organizations including Al Jazeera, Seven Days and the New York Times.   

I had my picture taken so many times I can’t even say.  Sometimes there were ten or more people taking my picture at once.  I posed with kids and men and women and groups and with a man in a clown suit whose sign said, “It's not funny,” which was funny.   

I had a great time all night, and I was so glad to have been there.  My message was clear but delivered with a lightheartedness that is, again, disarming.  For me, at least, this method works well, and I have found using humor is a good way to move though the world. 

Somewhere, early on in the evening, I lost my new Muslim friend.  Last I saw her she was enjoying the fair-like atmosphere in the park. People were handing out candles, there were fun signs and t-shirts for sale. A pizza place around the corner was handing out free pizza, and a woman gave us some snacks for free because she said it was cold out and she needed to do something.  There were just lots of very nice, interesting, outgoing people.   

I talked to a man who was a 'Nam vet who was homeless until Bernie became mayor of Burlington, and he said Bernie changed his life.  I talked to some women who stood in the Trump line and had entered the theater but were forced out when it became clear they were Bernie supporters.  For me being there with all these people was invigorating, and it did a lot to restore my hope.

Three times during the night, while the line of people waited to see if they could get in to hear Trump speak, even though the Flynn was already full, I approached the line to have a better look.  It felt truly dismal.  In the relative darkness down that street, it looked like a depression era lineup of hungry people looking for work at a slaughterhouse.  Their superhero, Trump, had abandoned them, allowing the ticket agents to give out ten-times more tickets than the Flynn has seats.  They were on their own.  Some had waited all day.  They couldn’t get in and there was nothing for them outside.  No community -- just abandoned.   

There was little color in the line -- okay due to the darkness perhaps, but it felt colorless and drab even more than it looked. Each time I approached the line, in my funny super-suit, I was assaulted with angry words. I was called a moron, a f*cking a**hole, a dipsh*t, a traitor and a queer. It was astonishing. Debilitating even. There were children in the line as well holding signs, the poor things. But what I didn’t feel or see in the Trump line was happiness.  None.   

I overheard many conversations, and they were all angry and filled with hate -- every one of them.  Take this with as much salt as you require, for I am a Bernie supporter and always have been, but each time I returned from that cold place where the Trump supporters waited down the block, I felt like I was leaving a cold, dark, cave, and returning to something warmer, brighter, safer, more creative, happier, more joyful really.   

When I came around the corner, the music in the park and cheerfulness of all those Bernie supporters chanting against Trump and his hateful message moved me.  It was rhythmic and soothing and comforting. The whole festival was filled with fun and engaging people who were dancing and cheering and laughing.  My people.  My community.  Yet, all the while, inside the theater, hate.

What I think -- Trump can’t win.  He only has hate to draw his supporters. He hasn’t a plan or the capability to lead.  He is a complainer, a blamer.  He assembles people around him who are vulnerable and eager to blame everyone else -- anyone who is different. He is a sad and sorry man.  He left all those supporters out in the dark and cold with not so much as a howdy-do.  They eventually were told that there was no room for them, and they disappeared into the night. 
 

I am glad that I went to the rally, and I am glad to have met all the people I met. And I am glad to have led the Muslim woman into the safe place we found in the city park.  

You won’t find this story on the evening news.

Bio: Randy Leavitt is Superman. Here's what he says about himself: "I am a seventh generation Vermonter, a longtime Bernie supporter, and I lived in Burlington shortly before Bernie was elected Mayor. My son went with me to the Burlington anti-Trump rally." He also states that he has two grand kids, is a veteran, a teacher, a fiddler, a home owner, a community organizer, a good person, and is 59 years old.

* * *

Congratulations, Bernie! You rocked Iowa last night!

The scene at Carol's in Sandusky, OH. We were yelling and cheering as we watched the results of the Iowa caucus on TV as well as online at Bernie2016TV. We know who the real winners were last night--us, the American people. Go Bernie!  New Hampshire is yours! #NotMeUs #CaucusForBernie #ShowTheVotes

 * * *

#BernieStrong in Toledo, Ohio 

 Photos by Cindy and Adrian Matthews

This past Saturday, about 300 people showed up for a last minute "official national organization" meet-up in Toledo. It was standing room only! Will E., who is traveling throughout the Midwest for the Bernie Sanders Campaign, fired us up and got us setting up phone bank events throughout the area. Rumor has it that we may be seeing Bernie in the Buckeye State in March before our primary on the 15th. Remember, you can go to http://map.berniesanders.com and sign up for a phone bank and/or other Bernie event today!

Standing room only in a wedding hall. Awesome last minute turn out and Will says we had more people than the Columbus area meet-up. Take that C-bus! The Glass City rocks!

Jamie made badges and brought them to distribute to other Berners. 
We raised $185 in donations to the campaign.

 

Will E. from the national organization inspired us to get out and phone bank for Bernie. About 90% of the people in the hall said this was their first time volunteering in a political campaign.

Dave signs up Don to a phone bank at his home, while Jordan looks on. He's hosting a phone bank at B.G.S.U. There are dozens of phone banks set up in Northwest Ohio now. The IBEW union hall and U.T. are leading the way in the Toledo area, hosting many phone banks over the next few weeks. Sign up for one or more today!