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There Is No Scenario Worse than Trump Winning

The worst case in this election is not that it’s between a convicted criminal and an impaired president, but that we are up against a group that wants to dismantle everything that we as Democrats have fought for for the last 100 years. They want to destroy what we have built, and at least return to the Victorian Era, if not earlier. 

Look at the states that to this day only have the federal minimum wage of $7.25. Just about every one has recent red domination or is a red state (for the Wikipedia links, you can sort by going to the chart and clicking on the little arrows): 

en.wikipedia.org/…

Look at the states that have shortest lifespans. Almost all red:

en.wikipedia.org/...

Look at the states with the highest homicide rates. Almost all red: 

en.wikipedia.org/…

Look at the states that have the highest poverty rates. Almost all red:

en.wikipedia.org/…

Look at the states with the highest infant mortality rates. They are all red:

en.wikipedia.org/…

Look at the states with the lowest education levels. Most are red:

en.wikipedia.org/...

Look at the states that have the fewest doctors per capita. They are all red:

www.beckershospitalreview.com/…

The Republicans bash government to weaken the Democratic Party. Since at least Reagan, they force cuts in government programs so those programs would fail. Then they say government doesn’t work. They reinforce this by failing their own people in their own communities and blaming everyone but themselves. The proof of their lie is in their own states. Where Republicans rule, more people die. 

Now the right-wing Supreme Court is betting the house that Trump will win, telegraphing their own plans if the election is close. They are counting on good-government Democrats like Biden to pull an Al Gore and, for the so-called good of the country, not fight tooth and nail for the presidency. By creating an emperor-president, the Supreme Court is actually saying a President can do to his opponent what Putin did to Navalny. Given that the Republicans harmed their own communities and states for political gain, we can expect a Trump administration with an out-of-control Supreme Court to reject the checks and balances, including Congress, that are sacred to American democracy.

They have already taken away a woman’s right to choose, and are attacking trans people state by state. They are going after all minorities by changing public school curricula and effectively burning books. How long before Obamacare and Medicaid are eliminated? How long before gay marriage or even gay rights becomes illegal? How long before labor unions become illegal? How long before Social Security and Medicare go away? How long before the frequency of deportations becomes so common that we’ll see it with our own eyes? How long before clean air and water are luxuries for the wealthy? How long before we are left without a voice? 

Trump has built the Republican Party into his own personal army. It is overflowing with Trump loyalists who kiss his feet. It is not an ordinary Party reflecting a range of views. It is an army, and it will act as one if it gets more power. The Republican party is no longer republican.  It is no longer American.

The worst case is a Trump victory, and we all will have to come together through thick and thin to prevent that from happening. 

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The Degenerates

If Joe Biden is the nominee, he has my enthusiastic vote. He has been a far better president than expected. That said, the Democratic Party has become an embarrassment. 

The Democratic Party is supposedly the party of younger people, but it is headed by a gerontocracy that refuses to give up the throne. As a result, we have a leader who hobbles, has a thin voice. and doesn’t really inspire anybody, but instead generates sympathy among his supporters. Ruth Bader Ginsburg held on to her position too long and as a result did long-term damage to our democracy after doing so much good. Diane Feinstein is an embarrassment who is largely unable to work (or apparently think) and is too selfish step aside. Nancy Pelosi took forever to step down, and put in  her place a talented person who will never upstage her. Bernie Sanders, great as he is, has not worked to establish an heir apparent and with his recent endorsement of Biden has damaged his cause. 

Meanwhile, generations of great people, like Cory Booker, Amy Kobuchar, Gretchen Whitmer, Stacey Abrams, Pete Butegieg, Gavin Newsom, and others are expected to sit out this next election for fear that if they compete, it will help the Republicans. That’s bullshit. The Democratic Party isn’t generating any excitement anywhere. The raucous rallies and loud cheering comes from right, not the left, while the left appears less and less motivated, with even groups like BLM seeming to fade. And the moment you start to criticize Biden, you risk being accused of ageism, even as he does all he can to block women, people of color, and others from running against him. It’s a white man’s world. 

Meanwhile, the Repubican Party, while fascist and awful, has the youthful and diverse appearance of Hawley, DeSantis, Haley, Ramaswamy, and Scott among it’s candidates for President. Without exception, they are terrible people, but they represent a new generation of thinking. Where is our new generation? 

I believe if someone effective primaries Biden, there will a groundswell of support for this person, and that person will be put the Republicans into relief in a way that Biden can’t, because right now Presidential politics seems to be between between two very different, but nonetheless degenerate candidates. I think many of us are starved for new and exciting leadership, and we wouldn’t mind seeing a Democratic primary that reflects the diverse beauty of our Party. 

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How can we create $2 trillion out of thin air, but cannot afford Build Back Better?

Cryptocurrency is estimated to be worth at least $2 trillion. That’s $2 trillion created out of thin air. The owners of crypto use it to shop, buy dollars, or as collateral for goods and services. That’s up to $2 trillion towards inflation.

Yet our Congress claims we can’t afford to improve the quality of life for those who have not hit the jackpot, but have been burdened by inflation, Covid, climate change, gun violence, and an array of other problems in these troubled times.

People like Manchin and Sinema claim Build Back Better will increase inflation, but the net effect of their claim is to put the burden of inflation squarely on the backs of those who are most hurt by it! If inflation is a problem, then lets address the inflationary effects of cryptocurrency; investigate the corporations that use inflation as cover for exaggerated price increases; restrict investment in housing that will not be rented or used; increase taxes on luxury goods; and so on.

If we can create $2 trillion out of thin air that benefits only a small number of people, then we can do the same to broadly improve the quality of life for all Americans. 

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Democrats, protect the children!

Now that abortion is illegal for millions of women, let’s at least make sure that families get the help they need — ensure that they have good medical, emotional, and economic support so that can raise and nurture a child that they may have difficulty caring for. Let’s make sure these families  get decent housing in safe neighborhoods, good medical care, healthy food, access to good education, and effective supports to give them the best chance of happiness. 

Let’s invest heavily in this. When Ronald Reagan was president, he both called for an end to abortion and made up stories about “welfare queens,” who had kids just so they could collect more child support. His lies successfully led to the reduction of federal aid to help poor kids. (He even tried to declare ketchup a vegetable to reduce federal expenditures on school lunches.) He fought to bring children into this world without giving them a chance to live.

For now we are stuck with a terrible circumstance — that women are being forced to give birth — and until their basic rights are restored, we need to invest in struggling families so that their children can thrive. This will not only help the victims of the horrific ruling by the Supreme Court, it will further expose how the Republican leadership pushes a moral code as long as it doesn’t affect the  tax rates of their wealthy donors. 

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The Gerontocracy is Failing Us

Pelosi, Biden, Sanders, and even Warren and Schumer are failing us. Despite their thousand years of experience and despite the Democratic Party’s control of Congress and the White House, the right wing continues to make strides. The defeat of reproductive rights is only the latest defeat. 

There have been no significant prosecutions of the key players in the insurrection (Donald Trump is as free as ever), voting rights are being trampled on, states are starting introduce homophobic and transphobic policies into school systems (even book banning), and climate change continues unabated. Now, the corrupt Clarence Thomas wants to erode gay rights and perhaps even contraception. 

The sad fact is is that many of the Republican leaders are relatively young and in some ways more connected to the younger generations, at least in terms of style. They are making inroads not only with young people, but people of color as well. As they use their power to refine their tactics, the Democrats are burdened with a gerontocracy that refuses to give up the reins and doesn’t know what it’s doing. 

Our aged leaders continue to hog the limelight, and have largely pushed potential proteges like AOC aside. 

If we’re to reverse the fascist trends, we need a new set of leaders, leaders who aren’t afraid to disrupt the status quo, who get what’s going on in this new age when younger people are struggling more than their parents and are embracing new thinking that involves crypto, gaming, social media, nonbinary lifestyles, and so on. 

The Democratic Party Gerontocracy is failing us, and if they don’t hand the mantel over, then it is up to the young to take it even if that struggle sets up back further. 

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Vote Against the Insurrection in the Midterms

The Democrats should make this next election about the insurrection. There is no other message that unites all of us — all the other messages are muddled by the different wings of the Democratic Party and the ability of the Republicans and their media to exploit our differences.

Today, with the release of a three hour video of the insurrection by the Justice Department, we see how close our government came to being overthrown and how determined the anti-democratic forces actually are. These extremists do not believe in our democracy, our elections, our courts, or our representatives. They tried to overthrow the United States.

We know that many leading Republicans in and out of Congress are not cooperating with the investigation, so if the Republicans win control, this assault on our democracy will go unpunished and unaddressed. That will send a message to all extremists that the violent overthrow of the United States is allowed.  

If the Democratic Party asks people to support the rule of law, the US Constitution, and democracy, they can unite a majority of Americans. I think even Americans who don’t particularly like the Democrats could come around for that message.

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Cities Are Better than Rural Areas

For all the charm small town America offers -- with its beautiful scenery, clean air, friendly villages, and slow paced lifestyle -- give me a city over the country any day. 

People live longer in cities. Unintended death is just as high in rural areas as in urban areas, but in rural areas, you're more likely to die because of Republican values that result in lack of access to services. Thus, a car accident, a fall, a machine accident, etc. are more likely to kill you than in a city. In cities you’re more likely to get killed by a bullet, so if you prefer to die in a car fire than by a bullet, the rural areas are the place for you, but for most sane people neither one sounds appealing.

Even the CDC reports that the rates for the five leading causes of death — heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke — are higher among rural than urban Americans. Again, that’s because Republican values haven’t helped rural areas develop the kinds of services that Democratic areas have. On average, if you live in a city, you’ll live more than 2 years longer than if you live in the country (and the disparity is getting worse over time).

Democratic cities are vibrant places that for are so safe that almost no one carries a gun. Everything is at our finger tips. We walk to dozens of restaurants where there are Muslims, blacks, Hispanics, gays, as well as everyone else, and there’s never a problem. We go to great museums. When we’re sick, we go to the best doctors and hospitals. When we’re bored, we go out for drink, to a concert, to a movie, to a play, to a sporting event, or shopping. When we want to better ourselves, we can go to great colleges and universities, gyms, yoga classes, nutritionists, acupuncturists, chiropractors, churches of every faith, political cause, and so on. Even when we yearn for nature we go to some of the most beautiful, well kept parks and gardens, some big enough that they take more than a day to explore. Even now, during the pandemic, there’s a lot to do in the city.

When the right talks about the rioting and looting in the Democratic cities, they don’t know what they are talking about. Almost everyone is chill and civilized in the cities, and the typical protest is lots of friends and families hanging out and peaceful attendees listening to speeches or chanting slogans. Frankly, if the right wing would stay out of our gatherings like we stay out of their’s, there would be far fewer problems.

But, even with the problems, in cities you’re likely to have more opportunities and experiences, as well as live longer.

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BLM, American Patriots

Most successful social movements were about the ends justifying the means. Even the American Revolution is an example of that. At the extremes, the left did it with labor strikes that sometimes led to deaths, civil rights used riots, the anti-war movement engaged in radical left-wing politics, and gay rights used in-your-face shock. But those tactics played an important role in moving slow, intransigent institutions to act.

Today, the right is using the intimidation, showing up as manly as possible. I've seen a big pickup truck with a mean-looking white driver, confederate flags, and Trump stickers drive through liberal Harvard Square on occasion. And of course, we all know about those bozos showing up armed to the teeth at BLM rallies. But, hey, they are fighting for social change, too (just the wrong kind).

The scary thing right now is whether, with Trump’s help, this movement is strong enough to force our system of justice to completely pervert in the same way the right fears that BLM will turn us into a totalitarian social state.  And, while we may not know everything about these Trumpians, we can be certain they want to revert the trajectory of American history away from social justice and modernity.

BLM is the first fairly stable response to the rise of the far right since the 1980s, and BLM using anger to press for change, but overall has been channeling that anger in peaceful ways. It is a vital group right now. It’s a major threat to Trump’s re-election because BLM has many important aims from which we will all benefit and draws out the right-wing, shining a bright light on them. While BLM might not always look good, it is a huge movement made up of tens of thousands of good people.

When the far right, armed to the nines, comes to confront BLM, it’s important to remind them that we have just as many people as they have who can’t be intimidated by scowls or weapons, whether that’s Antifa or rioters. If the right wing would respect our negihborhoods as much as we respect there’s, the need for Antifa or temptation to riot would be greatly reduced.

BLM is made up of patriots fighting to preserve the soul of our great nation. 

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