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.

 

Voter Suppression By Any Other Name

What they don't want you to vote for...

Voter Suppression By Any Other Name

by C.A. Matthews

It stinks. There's no other name for this vile action except "voter suppression."  No matter how the "Democratic" Party tries to put a spin on it, taking a candidate's name off the ballot--a person whose political party has already submitted the required signatures, paid the fees and jump through the hoops, mind you--for political reasons right before a major election is nothing short of voter suppression.

Sure, the GOP have become experts in de-registering voters and shutting down both the number and locations of voting polls in poorer, multicultural areas. You could even claim they've raised the quality of their nefarious gerrymandering activities to a true art form. But this time the Dems have decided to bail out the establishment candidates' lackluster performances by removing Howie Hawkins of the Green Party from the Pennsylvania and Wisconsin 2020 presidential election ballots.

Did the Greens fight back in court? Yes, they did, and it was an extremely expensive endeavor for a grassroots party that accepts no corporate or Super PAC money. The money spent appealing these decisions--which the Greens did and were successful until the Dems forced the decision back into a court with a more " cooperative"  judge --could have been used for promotion and travel expenses for Howie and Angela Walker, his V.P. running mate.

Once again, the big "red/blue" bullies have shown their true colors. They have become green with envy over the growing popularity the Green Party has with voters!

There's a lot to be envious about. The Green Party is the only American political party that has consistently advocated for universal health care that covers all Americans, regardless of income, disability or job status. The Greens are the only party that has been on the record for supporting free education, pre-kindergarten through college, and for student loan debt forgiveness. 

The Greens support peaceful and diplomatic initiatives to put an end to all wars and military conflict worldwide, so there's no fear of your son or daughter being drafted into the army to defend oil rigs in the Middle East once again. And, of course, the Green Party were the creators of the original "Green New Deal" and are supporters of green energy implementation to put an end to the coal-fired plant pollution that is causing Americans to suffer from asthma more than ever before.

When you have two establishment candidates who don't offer much of a platform to run on, let alone inspire voters who are still registered to turn out and vote, these kinds of underhanded shenanigans are to be expected.  Both Trump and Biden have declared that they don't support Medicare for All. Their parties both continually vote for obscenely large military budgets and support military interventions overseas and back home by providing military-grade equipment to municipal police departments. (Yes, the Dems voted for the latest huge defense budget, too. They have gone along with every Republican ask for more money to build weapons of war, so blood is on their hands.).

You can't help but see see why the establishment candidates are so desperate to keep Americans (mostly young, poor, black and brown ones) from going to the polls.  They'll do anything to prevent the voters from having one positive presidential choice on the ballot, up to and including kicking off other viable candidates who support programs that could help ordinary people.

One of the accusations I get on a regular basis.

Surveys show that voters who support the Green Party do not automatically vote Democratic or Republican for president when they don't have a Green option on the ballot. Most Greens will simply leave that spot blank or write in their preferred candidate's name--this time Howie Hawkins for president. While some complain that "third parties" have no business running a presidential candidate (let alone such a compassionate and intelligent one as Hawkins), these people seem to forget that this is how our electoral system is set up.  Small "alternative parties" (as I call them) have to run a presidential candidate on the national ballot in order to run their candidates on state and local ballots.

There's no way around these draconian rules, so the Greens knuckle down and do their best. These tactics give more evidence to how the establishment (consisting of the strange union of the GOP and the Dems) make life harder for other parties and take away choice from the voters at all levels.

I could go on and on about how the so-called "presidential debates" are no longer run by the "unbiased" League of Women Voters (they are actually run by a private corporation owned by the DNC and RNC), but I think I'll stop there. I'll let the following videos featuring the candidate taken off the ballot in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin speak for themselves. And the good news is, at the end of the day, voters will be allowed to write in the names of "Howie Hawkins and Angela Walker" on their ballots for president and vice president if they so desire in those two states. Not all states allow write-ins, so this is fortunate.

It seems that running an honest campaign, aimed at helping the people and not corporations, makes the Green Party  come out the "winners" after all.

Krystal Ball: Dem War On Green Party Exposes Voter Suppression Hypocrisy  https://youtu.be/Jw4sOLfeHng

The following is an excellent interview with a great indie journalist who asks Howie Hawkins smart questions about how the Green Party  would work to help Americans with school lunches, the climate catastrophe, the massive wildfires out west, the handling of the pandemic, and other issues. (Ignore the video's cover image--it's pretty lame.)

 https://youtu.be/t6Nr8xSggwQ

 Jordan Chariton  interviewed Howie Hawkins on the day the decisions to kick Howie off the ballot were announced. Here's a brief snippet taken from a longer interview available on the Status Coup You Tube page.

https://youtu.be/NDchtsxrtsE

In classic Jimmy Dore epic rant style, Jimmy breaks down the hypocrisy of claiming that Americans live in a "democracy" if we as voters aren't even given the chance of voting for a candidate that isn't sanctioned by the establishment oligarchy. He makes some very insightful remarks, so hold onto your hats and listen all the way through to the end. You could discover something about our electoral system that you never realized we were missing.

https://youtu.be/zPhk16CsxEk   Related articles:   Pennsylvania Counties To Print, Send Ballots...Following State Supreme Court Decision to Remove Green Party's Presidential Candidate Howie Hawkins https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2020/09/17/howie-hawkins-green-party-pennsylvania-ballots-vote-state-supreme-court-decision-remove-presidential-candidate/   Voters May Not Lean Biden Now That Green Party Is Off Wisconsin Ballot  https://wkow.com/2020/09/15/expert-voters-may-not-lean-biden-now-that-green-party-is-off-wisconsin-ballot     *** With Toledo City Council Introduction, #EssentialOhio Campaign Poised to Pass Essential Workers Bills of Rights Across Ohio

Toledo - The Glass City is the first in the nation to take up a resolution supporting an Essential Workers Bill of Rights as part of a new national campaign to deliver better treatment and pay to all “essential workers.” Mónica Ramírez, Founder & President of Justice for Migrant Women, announced Essential Ohio (#EssentialOH), the Ohio arm of this national campaign, today at the City Club of Cleveland and at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute 2020 Leadership Conference.  Ramírez said: “The Essential Workers Bill of Rights is a commitment to honor those we have lost to COVID-19 and to fight for the working people who truly are essential to our communities. Workers in the food supply chain, medical, and care-giving sectors, as well those who serve other vital functions that keep our nation in operation are often paid poorly and forced to work in grueling and even dangerous conditions. They are putting their health and safety on the line to care for us. The least we can do is ensure that their rights and contributions are cared for, too.” The resolution was introduced yesterday at a Toledo City Council meeting by Council Member Theresa Gadus. Eugenio Mollo, an Attorney at Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE), presented in favor of the resolution. A vote is expected in October. Council Member Gadus said: “The pandemic has pulled back the curtain and reminded many people of the importance of essential workers to a strong, robust economy. These courageous workers have stood on the frontlines, risking their health, their families, and their lives. Many essential workers have made the hard decisions to separate from their families in order to serve their communities; to provide financial stability for their families and support our economy. They deserve the dignity that comes from equity, security, protections, and benefits for their labor and for their labor to take place in a safe environment that values their contributions. I am proud to present this resolution before the Council of the City of Toledo and to support the National Essential Workers Campaign.” “Toledo is the perfect city to launch this national campaign,” Ramírez added. “Recognizing the dignity of work is a Toledo value. We applaud Council Member Gadus for taking this first step, and look forward to celebrating the resolution’s passage in October.”  By passing the Essential Workers Bill of Rights, municipalities commit to transforming their laws and standards to “ensure equity, security, and benefits for workers that are worthy of their labor and their dignity,” regardless of the workers’ status. Local governing bodies also commit to advocating for Federal and State improvements.  The Essential Ohio campaign is calling on cities across the state to follow Toledo’s lead, and introduce ordinances in their own city councils and county boards. Read the full draft of the Toledo ordinance here: http://bit.ly/EssentialToledo.  “#EssentialOH is part of a broader national push to ensure that workers who have always been essential, but are now being recognized as such, have the rights they are owed, and are treated with respect, both during the pandemic and beyond,” Mollo said. “It’s a robust set of commitments to workers, and it’s the only right thing to do. These workers have our backs, and we have to have theirs,” he added. The Essential Ohio campaign is supported by Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE), Justice for Migrant Women, the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, Cleveland Jobs with Justice, La Conexión, and Chicago & Midwest Regional Joint Board of Workers United, Local 10. We welcome others to join the efforts.  The national campaign is anchored by National Domestic Workers Alliance, Jobs with Justice, Justice for Migrant Women, and other organizations. For more information and a full list of national partners, see https://honoressentialworkers.com/. ###

From Friends of the Earth: Fires are blazing across California, Oregon, and Washington. The news is filled with images of orange haze and a post-apocalyptic landscape. Trees torched, buildings burned to the ground, and air so thick you can barely see through it. Take action to stop fossil fuel extraction from adding to the climate crisis. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to offer thousands of acres of land in Kern Co. California for oil and gas drilling. This will only add to climate chaos. We can’t let the BLM get away with handing over more of California’s public lands to Big Oil. C.A., will you help stop it? Tell the Bureau of Land Management: Stop exploiting public lands for Big Oil profit! Sign Now The devastating wildfires made California's hazardous smoke front page news across the country. But toxic air pollution is not a new story for San Joaquin Valley residents, who already breathe some of the most polluted air in the country. Kern County is regularly subjected to drinking water with illegal levels of toxic chemicals like arsenic, and we know more fracking will further aggravate the problem. Low-income and communities of color in California already contend with dirtier air and water due to existing pollution from the oil and gas industry. The BLM's fracking blitz is making environmental racism worse. Demand the Bureau of Land Management protect people and our planet from further climate devastation. Sign Now The wildfire smoke is causing the entire West Coast to experience the worst air quality in the world. The air is filled with hazardous levels of particulate matter that exacerbate heart and lung problems. The air is now highly dangerous to breathe.  Ash is raining down on cities, blowing into cracks of windows, doors, and other surfaces. Residents have been warned to avoid outdoor activities and remain indoors. Local lawmakers have also had to open air respite centers to aid vulnerable unhoused residents. Our country is on fire. Our planet is screaming, in bright orange hues, that we need to keep fossil fuels in the ground. The BLM owes it to the people of California to stop leasing public lands to Big Oil -- but it won’t listen without the voices of people like you. Demand the Bureau of Land Management stop the California Kern County lease sale. Sign Now Standing with you, Nicole Ghio, Senior fossil fuels program manager, Friends of the Earth

A History of Fascism in America

A History of Fascism in America

by Coast Watcher 

Somewhere in and around the city there is a beat-up old car held together with duct tape and baling wire. It’s not an unusual sight in the impoverished city where damaged vehicles are a dime a dozen, but plastered over the surface of this particular vehicle (and probably helping to hold it together) is a range of pro-Trump propaganda and a portrait of George Washington. It was the latter image that made me think of this photo taken of the German-American Bund rally in Madison Square Gardens held on George Washington’s birthday on February 20, 1939.

The rally drew over 20,000 members of this American Nazi organization dedicated to promoting the rights of white gentiles, whom the literature described as “true patriots,” and to keeping the United States out of the war looming in Europe. The crowd booed President Franklin D. Roosevelt and chanted Heil Hitler. The overt use of Nazi symbols and terminology made no bones about where this organization’s loyalties lay.

The Turbulent Thirties

The Bund originated in the Friends of New Germany (FoNG), an organization founded in 1933 by Nazi party member and immigrant Heinz Spanknöbel with German Deputy Führer Rudolph Hess’ approval. Based out of New York City with a strong presence in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Chicago, members wore a uniform of white shirt and black pants for the men, white blouse and black skirts for women.

From the first the FoNG were openly pro-Nazi and sought to infiltrate and subvert the numerous non-political German groups throughout the US. It was responsible for a massive outpouring of Nazi literature and counter-attacks against Jewish, socialist and communist moves to warn the world of Hitler’s growing power and attempted boycotts of German goods.

Not long after its foundation the FoNG went through a spell of infighting on a smaller and less bloody scale to that which occurred in the German party when Himmler ousted SA leader Ernst Röhm. Spanknöbel was ejected from the FoNG and subsequently deported as an unregistered foreign agent. The FoNGs’ numbers were noisy but remained small, ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 until 1935, when Rudolph Hess ordered all German citizens to leave the group and the leadership to return to Germany.

The German-American Bund arose out of the FoNG in Buffalo, New York under the leadership of WWI veteran Fritz Julius Kuhn. At its height the organization had over 25,000 members—including an 8,000 strong Sturmabteilungen (SA Storm Detachment) brigade and ran summer camps modeled on the German Hitler Youth, one of which, Camp Hindenburg, was located in Grafton, Wisconsin. A photo exists of a 1937 Bund rally in Kenosha, Wisconsin, scene of recent protests against the fascist attitudes of the local police in regards to their shooting of Jacob Blake seven times in the back.

The Bund engaged in several bloody clashes with opposition groups, including Jewish WWI veterans in New York City, which mirrored those clashes occurring in Britain, notably the “Battle of Cable Street” in 1936.

In 1934 it became the subject of a special Congressional inquiry headed by Congressman Samuel Dickstein which concluded the Friends were a branch of Hitler’s Nazi party. Another inquiry in 1939 confirmed the findings. Dickstein had reason to investigate and turn the screws on the Bund. Not only was he a Jewish immigrant (born the son of a Rabbi in Vilna, Russia in 1885), a subsequent release of Soviet-era documentation showed Dickstein worked as an agent of the NKVD, predecessor to the KGB.

The decline and fall of the Bund came quickly. A New York State tax investigation found Kuhn had embezzled $14,000 from the Bund’s coffers. The party declined to press charges, holding that the leadership had absolute power in the party and could do as they wished. Nevertheless, the New York DA pressed charges in an effort to cripple the Bund and succeeded in jailing Kuhn for tax fraud. The Bund replaced Kuhn as leader, but the writing was on the wall.

Congress enacted a peacetime draft in September 1940, which led to the Bund ordering members of draft age to avoid conscription—a criminal offense which carried a jail sentence of up to five years and a $10,000 fine. By 1941 membership of the Bund had waned. When the United States actively entered the war in December 1941 the Bund was officially outlawed. 

The Present Day

Neo-Nazi groups like the so-called “Proud Boys” are widespread across America. Whether their membership numbers are anywhere like what they claim is debatable. I suspect that, like their predecessor organizations the FoNG and German-American Bund, the number of actual members is in the thousands, but those who tacitly support their far-right aims are far greater. Social media is a powerful vector for spreading such hatreds, something the current demagogue president quickly picked up on.

It certainly works in the case of the poor individual driving around town in that beat-up vehicle plastered with Trump propaganda. Does he and those poor Americans who share his far-right mindset really believe Trump gives a damn about them and their plight? Do they really believe Trump will “Make America Great Again” (or even “Make America Great Again Again” – as Vice President Pence said at a recent rally.) I suspect they either don’t know or don’t care, being content merely to spread hatred and division when the ordinary people of America should be uniting against the oppressive oligarchy.

BIO: Coast Watcher keeps a close eye on the present as he researches the past. The parallels between the German-American Bund and modern-day white supremacists groups are too close--and downright scary--to ignore. We can't afford to let history repeat itself.  We must be vigilant and take out the fascists as our (great) grandparents did.

Related articles:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_American_Bund

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/german-american-bund

http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v07/v07p419_Peel.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Dickstein

http://www.cablestreet.uk/ 

Other excellent articles to read:
Chris Hedges: American Bloodlands
https://scheerpost.com/2020/09/08/chris-hedges-american-bloodlands/

Democracy Dies In Obfuscation
https://fair.org/home/democracy-dies-in-obfuscation/

From Facebook:

Here's why I don't talk about you know who and why I don't bother trying to change his supporters minds about him. I just read this on a friend’s page.

The question was posed, "Why do people continue supporting Trump no matter what he does?" A lady named Bev answered it this way:

“You all don't get it. I live in Trump country, in the Ozarks in southern Missouri, one of the last places where the KKK still has a relatively strong established presence. They don't give a shit what he does. He's just something to rally around and hate liberals, that's it, period. He absolutely realizes that and plays it up. They love it. He knows they love it. The fact that people act like it's anything other than that proves to them that liberals are idiots, all the more reason for high fives all around.

If you keep getting caught up in "why do they not realize this problem" and "how can they still back Trump after this scandal," then you do not understand what the underlying motivating factor of his support is. It's f*ck liberals, that's pretty much it.

Have you noticed he can do pretty much anything imaginable, and they'll explain some way that rationalizes it that makes zero logical sense? Because they're not even keeping track of any coherent narrative, it's irrelevant. Fuck liberals is the only relevant thing. Trust me; I know firsthand what I'm talking about. 

That's why they just laugh at it all because you all don't even realize they truly don't give a f*ck about whatever the conversation is about. It's just a side mission story that doesn't matter anyway. That's all just trivial details - the economy, health care, whatever.

F*ck liberals.

Look at the issue with not wearing the masks. I can tell you what that's about. It's about exposing fear. They're playing chicken with nature, and whoever flinches just moved down their internal pecking order, one step closer to being a liberal.

You've got to understand the one core value that they hold above all others is hatred for what they consider weakness because that's what they believe strength is, hatred of weakness. And I mean passionate, sadistic hatred. And I'm not exaggerating. Believe me. 

Sadistic, passionate hatred, and that's what proves they're strong, their passionate hatred for weakness. Sometimes they will lump vulnerability in with weakness. They do that because people tend to start humbling themselves when they're in some compromising or overwhelming circumstance, and to them, that's an obvious sign of weakness.

Kindness = weakness. Honesty = weakness. Compromise = weakness.

They consider their very existence to be superior in every way to anyone who doesn't hate weakness as much as they do. They consider liberals to be weak people that are inferior, almost a different species, and the fact that liberals are so weak is why they have to unite in large numbers, which they find disgusting, but it's that disgust that is a true expression of their natural superiority.

Go ahead and try to have a logical, rational conversation with them. Just keep in mind what I said here and be forewarned.”

 ***

Newsbroke is back! Francesca explains the myths of American Individualism and the American Dream and why they're literally killing us during the COVID-19 pandemic. Worth watching and sharing.
https://youtu.be/rVxSfX_nCr8

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This week marks six months since Breonna Taylor was killed. Six months since Louisville police broke into her apartment while she slept. Six months since police fired multiple rounds of bullets into her apartment. Six months of millions calling for justice and taking to the streets to demand accountability. Six months of Kentucky officials like Attorney General Daniel Cameron staying silent. But the demands for justice for Breonna Taylor won’t stop. Not until the systemic failures that led to Breonna’s murder are addressed. More than 11 million people have taken action on a petition started by student Loralei HoJay to call for change in the wake of Breonna Taylor’s killing. Tonight, during the opening Sunday night game of the NFL season, two ads will run in Kentucky showing the power of this movement, and urging people to keep the pressure on Kentucky lawmakers to get justice. See the ad now.

Watch the ad and share it here

The deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Rayshard Brooks, along with the shooting of Jacob Blake and countless other acts of police violence have put the issue of police reform in the spotlight this summer. New powerful legislation – the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act – would help address this issue. Democrats and Republicans came together to propose the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. This law will ban discriminatory profiling, chokeholds, carotid holds and no-knock warrants in drug cases. It will require training, a national police misconduct registry and use of body cams. You can take a moment now to tell your members of Congress to support this. Add your name to this petition and demand your lawmakers support the passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Sign the petition.

Sign the petition and tell Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act

Millions of voices are demanding justice. Millions of voters want real, systemic police reform. And millions of Americans are going to keep saying Breonna Taylor’s name until there is accountability for her murder. Thank you for taking action, Mike Jones, Change.org *** Justice for Breonna Taylor Sign now with a click Breonna Taylor was an award-winning EMT and model citizen. She loved her family and community, working at two hospitals as an essential worker during the pandemic. Nearly four months ago, a division of the Louisville Police Department performed an illegal, unannounced drug raid on her home. Not a single officer announced themselves before ramming down her door and firing 22 shots, shooting Breonna 8 times, killing her. Not only were the police at the WRONG HOUSE, but the man they were looking for had already been arrested earlier that day.  1. Charges must be filed immediately. The officers involved, specifically John Mattingly, Brett Hankison, Myles Cosgrove, Joshua Jaynes, and any other law enforcement officer involved in the death and coverup of the death of Breonna Taylor must be fired, charged, and arrested immediately. There have been no charges thus far (it has been nearly 4 months). Their pensions must be revoked.  2. Her family must be paid in damages for wrongful death and the negligence of the LMPD.  3. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear must speak up on behalf of Breonna, and Governor Beshear or Attorney General Daniel Cameron must appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the Louisville Police Department immediately. An in-house investigation is unacceptable.  4. The "no-knock" warrant that police had used in Breonna’s murder completely violates the constitutional rights to reasonable search and seizure. By law, police must be legally obligated to announce themselves before breaking and entering into a home privately owned by American civilians. Legislation to federally ban no-knock warrants must be passed in Congress and signed by the President; what happened to Breonna was a complete violation of her constitutional rights, and threatens the rights of all American citizens. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has voiced similar concerns. A special session must be intervened by Congress to discuss the constitutionality of no-knock warrants immediately.  This has carried on for over four months. For weeks, the city treated Breonna like she was a criminal, calling her a “suspect” before finally admitting that she was an innocent, crimeless victim. She had no drugs. She committed no crime. Yet, she is dead, and the perpetrators are facing no charges.  She was not only an exemplary citizen, but an essential one. She was a daughter, a friend, an American hero, and most importantly, a person. She deserved to be treated as such.  Let’s get justice for Breonna. Say her name. PLEASE help me get the word out, and share this campaign on your social media platforms. Thank you to everyone who is helping in our fight to get justice for Breonna. Sign now with a click Visit petition page