#democracy in peril

[republicansaredomesticterrorists]

[lenbryant]

From a month or two ago but scary enough to repeat for Halloween time.

[kp777]

Voters’ mail-in ballot requests cancelled as Florida passes new voting restrictions

[porterdavis]

Last call for democracy

Paul Krugman issues a warning:

"...even if we get a reprieve this week, the fact remains that democracy is in deep danger from the authoritarian right. America as we know it is not yet lost, but it’s on the edge."

[fashionfotorecccluse]

"Now, you KNOW!"

[missladybirdhill]

[bwobgames]

I am getting followers from griangotchi development time to reblog the beebo propaganda

[carolinemillerbooks]

New Post has been published on Books by Caroline Miller

New Post has been published on https://www.booksbycarolinemiller.com/musings/thoughts-on-altered-states/

Thoughts On Altered States

Sitting down to lunch with my broker, his conversation turned to an old worry. “The national debt keeps growing.  Congress has to reign it in.” “What’s your solution?” I asked before taking a sip of coffee. “Should children of low-income families go without lunch?  Should we put an end to healthcare for the indigent?” My companion’s cheeks grew red.  “I’m not proposing that.  But if we don’t cut costs somewhere, we’ll all go down. Raising taxes harms the economy.” “Let’s close tax loopholes, instead,” I replied.  “Corporations and the superrich should pay their fair share.” The man opposite me dropped his gaze to the menu as he uttered a sigh. “I think we should order.” By now, our skirmishes over the economy had become a ritual, like an old Kabuki dance. Neither of us expected to convince the other. Still, over time, an idea formed in my head. I saw that neither of us had grappled with the essence of the problem: the way money flows in our society. Sorting ourselves into camps of right or left persuasion was pointless. The mess society finds itself in is the result of human enterprise. Scientific or technological achievements both benefit and imperil us, whether they lie in harnessing atomic energy, extending human life, or advancing knowledge through artificial intelligence (AI). Yet each time we reach a crossroads for change, entrepreneurs gallop ahead, though they are no more far-sighted about the outcome than the average citizen. Even so, those of us who remain silent are responsible for the consequences. By enjoying the fruits of relentless industrialization, we have made climate change possible.     We have granted entrepreneurs another indulgence, one also detrimental to society: the right to accumulate vast sums of money. The result is economic inequality that endows the few with power over the many.  Elan Musk, for example, imagines his entrepreneurship gives him the right to decide the outcome of warring armies.  Hail Caesar! Do these oligarchs of innovation set out to degrade our democracy? I doubt it.  Generally, they are inspired by an idea they believe will benefit the public and themselves. If they are successful, money and influence follow.  Call it the unwritten law of greed, but the more they gain, the more reluctant they are to share.   They cannot help themselves.  A plethora of studies show that unlimited access to money and power physically alters the brain and changes its thought processes.  One historian likens the aberration to a tumor that destroys human sympathy. Doug Rushkoff, a media theorist, describes the outcome of this affliction on society.  …a whole bunch of billionaires [have] left a whole lot of really poor and unhappy people.  (“The Defector” by Malcolm Harris, Wired, Sept. 23, 2023, pg. 28) Entrepreneurship is a poor tool for defending a democracy.  Its objective, according to economist Glen Weyl, isn’t to spread equality but to end competition.  Should we be surprised when entrepreneurs prove unresponsive to the needs of others?  Psychologist Timothy Leary didn’t think so.  He once described them as psycho-sexually immature white men who want all the benefit[s] of being sealed up in their perfectly controlled and responsive environments without ever having to face the messy, harsh reality of the real world.  (“The Defector,” by Malcomb Harris, Wired, Sept. 23, 2023, pg. 68)  Leary singles out white men for criticism but history provides no evidence that women and minorities, given the same privileges, would behave differently. Self-love is a condition of being human.  Take the example of one newly minted entrepreneur.  He avows the goal of his startup is to make technology safe for humanity. (“Transformers,” by Steven Levy, Wired, October 2023, pg. 37.)  Even so, success has brought a change.  No longer an open-source organization that shares its creativity, his company, having grown to almost $30 billion, has gone private. (Ibid, pg. 37.)  It’s a progression all too familiar.  This sense of history brings me to the role the elderly should play in modern society. After retiring, many return to the workplace bringing with them a different perspective than their younger coworkers. Most importantly, they tend to humanize the environment, displaying more patience on the job than their younger colleagues.  Says one manager, we find that retirees are really great at interacting with clients and showing empathy. (“How We Are Changing America,”pg. 7) In their new role, the old blanch to learn that among the young are those who show an alarming willingness to question democracy’s value.  The latter even dare to ask, “Would it be a bad thing to build a machine that CHANGES HUMAN LIFE AS WE KNOW IT, (“Future Tense,” by Nick Bilton, Wired, October 2023, pg. 77-81) Given what’s at stake, seniors may be forgiven for worrying about the future of their children and their children’s children. Experience has taught them that it’s easier to destroy a civilization than to build one.  Frankly, as someone old, I grow weary of complaints about Joe Biden’s age. The number of candles on a cake has nothing to do with leadership.  What matters is vigor coupled with wisdom born from practice.  These the President has. What is aging, after all, but one of several altered states in a life? Is one period in time truer than the one before or after it?  We can only know what we know at a given point in life.  Someone young looks to the future and sees a road not taken.  Someone old pauses, remembering where the minefields are. No one either young or old, rich or poor, poet or scientist sees the whole of existence. It takes a village for us to prosper.  Simply put, we need each other.

[applebottomclaudiajeans]

Okay I swear I will only post ONE US election-related thing today but it’s worth it.

Literally just two hours ago Wolf Blitzer tweeted this:

And now he’s on CNN looking like this:

Babygirl can’t so much as enjoy a refreshing summer beverage without democracy falling into peril.

[fashionfotorecccluse]

Fascist cult

[deadpresidents]

Joe Biden has been one of America's most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me. Today, we've also been reminded — again — that he's a patriot of the highest order. Sixteen years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I knew about Joe’s remarkable career in public service. But what I came to admire even more was his character — his deep empathy and hard-earned resilience; his fundamental decency and belief that everyone counts.

Since taking office, President Biden has displayed that character again and again. He helped end the pandemic, created millions of jobs, lowered the cost of prescription drugs, passed the first major piece of gun safety legislation in 30 years, made the biggest investment to address climate change in history, and fought to ensure the rights of working people to organize for fair wages and benefits. Internationally, he restored America’s standing in the world, revitalized NATO, and mobilized the world to stand up against Russian aggression in Ukraine.

More than that, President Biden pointed us away from the four years of chaos, falsehood, and division that had characterized Donald Trump’s administration. Through his policies and his example, Joe has reminded us of who we are at our best — a country committed to old-fashioned values like trust and honesty, kindness and hard work; a country that believes in democracy, rule of law, and accountability; a country that insists that everyone, no matter who they are, has a voice and deserves a chance at a better life.

This outstanding track record gave President Biden every right to run for re-election and finish the job he started. Joe understands better than anyone the stakes in this election — how everything he has fought for throughout his life, and everything that the Democratic Party stands for, will be at risk if we allow Donald Trump back in the White House and give Republicans control of Congress.

I also know Joe has never backed down from a fight. For him to look at the political landscape and decide that he should pass the torch to a new nominee is surely one of the toughest in his life. But I know he wouldn’t make this decision unless he believed it was right for America. It’s a testament to Joe Biden’s love of country — and a historic example of a genuine public servant once again putting the interests of the American people ahead of his own that future generations of leaders will do well to follow.

We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges. I believe that Joe Biden’s vision of a generous, prosperous, and united America that provides opportunity for everyone will be on full display at the Democratic Convention in August. And I expect that every single one of us are prepared to carry that message of hope and progress forward into November and beyond.

For now, Michelle and I just want to express our love and gratitude to Joe and Jill for leading us so ably and courageously during these perilous times — and for their commitment to the ideals of freedom and equality that this country was founded on.

-- Former President Barack Obama's statement on President Biden's announcement, July 21, 2024.

[geritsel]

Robert De Niro Talks trump

Robert de Niro turns 81 this year. He still is everything Donald Trump is not; talented, intelligent, compassionate and – as far as I know – a man of a man of impeccable integrity.

Here’s Robert De Niro’s full statement about how Donald Trump should NEVER be president again:

“I’ve spent a lot of time studying bad men. I’ve examined their characteristics, their mannerisms, the utter banality of their cruelty.

Yet there’s something different about Donald Trump. When I look at him, I don’t see a bad man. Truly.

I see an evil one.

Over the years, I’ve met gangsters here and there. This guy tries to be one, but he can’t quite pull it off. There’s such a thing as “honor among thieves.” Yes, even criminals usually have a sense of right and wrong.

Whether they do the right thing or not is a different story — but — they have a moral code, however warped.

Donald Trump does not. He’s a wannabe tough guy with no morals or ethics. No sense of right or wrong. No regard for anyone but himself — not the people he was supposed to lead and protect, not the people he does business with, not the people who follow him, blindly and loyally, not even the people who consider themselves his “friends.” He has contempt for all of them.

We New Yorkers got to know him over the years that he poisoned the atmosphere and littered our city with monuments to his ego. We knew first hand that this was someone who should never be considered for leadership. We tried to warn the world in 2016.

The repercussions of his turbulent presidency divided America and rattled New York City beyond imagination. Remember how we were jolted by crisis in early 2020, as a virus swept the world.

We lived with Donald Trump’s bombastic behavior every day on the national stage, and we suffered as we saw our neighbors piling up in body bags.

The man who was supposed to protect this country put it in peril, because of his recklessness and impulsiveness. It was like an abusive father ruling the family by fear and violent behavior. That was the consequence of New York’s warning getting ignored. Next time, we know it will be worse.

Make no mistake: the twice-impeached, 4-time indicted Donald Trump is still a fool. But we can’t let our fellow Americans write him off like one. Evil thrives in the shadow of dismissive mockery, which is why we must take the danger of Donald Trump very seriously.

So today we issue another warning. From this place where Abraham Lincoln spoke — right here in the beating heart of New York — to the rest of America: This is our last chance.

Democracy won’t survive the return of a wannabe dictator. And it won’t overcome evil if we are divided.

So what do we do about it? I know I’m preaching to the choir here. What we’re doing today is valuable, but we have to take today into tomorrow – take it outside these walls. We have to reach out to the half of our country who have ignored the hazards of Trump and, for whatever reason, support elevating him back into the White House.

They’re not stupid, and we must not condemn them for making a stupid choice. Our future doesn’t just depend on us. It depends on them.

Let’s reach out to Trump’s followers with respect. Let’s not talk about “democracy.” “Democracy” may be our holy grail, but to others it is just a word, a concept, and in their embrace of Trump, they’ve already turned their backs on it.

Let’s talk about right and wrong. Let’s talk about humanity.

Let’s talk about kindness. Security for our world.

Safety for our families.

Decency.

Let’s welcome them back.

We won’t get them all, but we can get enough to end the nightmare of Trump, and fulfill the mission of this “Stop Trump Summit.”

For many Robert de Niro may be far too rich and far too Hollywood, but i consider this as straight from the heart. I love this man.

BTW... I have high regards for followers on Tumblr, some I consider as friends without ever having met them, but I completely understand those who get fed up with my political in betweens. I wish you all the best!

Regards,

Geritsel (Let Donald Trump never ever become president again.)

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Promises Kept.

January 5, 2024

ROBERT B. HUBBELL

When Joe Biden declared his candidacy for president in 2019, the nation was bruised, battered, and divided by three years of Trump's unrelenting chaos and carnage. During Biden’s year-long campaign, Trump plunged America into darker waters as he tried to extort Ukraine into fabricating lies about Joe Biden and his son. Trump then engaged in gross dereliction of duty by mishandling the nation’s response to Covid, ultimately resorting to lies and quackery as the death toll mounted.

Biden stepped into the breach, promising “to restore the soul, honor, dignity, and decency” of America. In word and deed, Biden has kept those promises—despite virulent and violent opposition by MAGA extremists who sought to prevent the peaceful transfer of power—and who still seek to destroy our democracy today.

Historians may view Biden’s greatest success as the restoration of normalcy, decency, and rationality to the executive branch of the US government. Biden’s legislative accomplishments are historic and will be an enduring legacy standing alone.

Identifying Biden’s legislative successes is easy; identifying the depth and breadth of Biden’s restoration of decency and rationality is more difficult—because living in a normal frame of reference is subtle and ineffable. It infuses every aspect of democracy and political discourse. It is the absence of chaos, it is not waking up every morning thinking, “Oh, God. What has he tweeted now?”, and it is not hearing every governmental action re-interpreted through Trump's lenses of narcissism, delusion, and insecurity.

Joe Biden acts within a rational political framework. His policies can be praised or criticized because they exist (in writing) and reflect the reasoned judgment of Biden and his staff after a period of reflection and debate. They are not made up “on the fly” in response to reporters’ questions shouted over the noise of helicopter rotors.

The return to normalcy, decency, and dignity is neither sexy, compelling, nor “made for TV.” But it was precisely what the nation needed after the chaos of Trump's tenure as president. Joe Biden kept his promises. For that, we owe him a debt of gratitude that we must repay in 2024.

On the eve of the third anniversary of January 6, Biden is launching his 2024 campaign in earnest. In a political ad previewed on MSNBC, Biden said that he is making “the preservation of democracy” the centerpiece of his campaign. In the ad, Biden says, in part,

All of us are being asked, “What will we do to maintain our democracy?” History is watching. The world is watching. Most importantly, our children and grandchildren will hold us responsible . . . .

A campaign theme of “preserving democracy” is neither sexy, compelling, nor “made for TV.” But it is precisely what the nation needs as it stares into the abyss of a second Trump term as president.

I have heard from dozens of readers this week who are disappointed with Biden’s responses regarding immigration and the war in Gaza. Some have suggested that they will not vote or will vote for a third-party candidate. Both of those options are the functional equivalent of voting for Trump.

The freedom to criticize the president is a privilege of our democracy guaranteed in the Constitution. We can debate presidential policies only if we have a democratic frame of reference within which to hold those debates.

That democratic frame of reference will exist under a second Biden term. Under Trump, the democratic frame of reference will be replaced by a simple test: Does speech praise Trump? If not, the speaker will act at their peril. Trump’s vigilantes will threaten the speaker, and state and federal agencies will pretend the threats are harmless jokes or over-exuberant expressions of loyalty to Trump.

The threat of vigilantism to punish speech is not hyperbole. As we approach the third anniversary of January 6, elected officials who criticize Trump or apply the law to his unlawful conduct are being deluged with death threats. They are being “swatted” by sick individuals who call 9-1-1 to make false reports of crimes in progress—resulting in the deployment of armed emergency responders to the elected officials’ homes.

Like Joe Biden, Trump has made promises. He has promised his followers that, if re-elected, “I will be your retribution.” He has also promised that he will be a dictator “on day one” if he is elected to a second term.

Joe Biden has kept his promise “to restore the soul, honor, dignity, and decency” of America. We should take Biden at his word that he will work to preserve democracy if re-elected in 2024.

As with Biden, we should take Trump at his word: He will exact retribution and act as a dictator on day one of his second term.

The competing promises of Trump and Biden tell us everything we need to know about the choice we face in the 2024 election.

Concluding Thoughts.

The choice between presidential candidates in 2024 could not be starker. There is no ambiguity, nuance, or grey area. We must help Joe Biden communicate that fundamental difference and help people understand that the choice in 2024 is not about policies or the economy. It is about democracy—and whether we are for it or against it.