dailykos--2020-09-01--Fear Never Builds The Future, But Hope Does - Tuesday GNR

Good Day , Newsies .
It ’ s a new month and we are now just over two months to Election Day .
A lot will happen between now and November 3 and quite a bit of it is likely to be unpleasant .
We are getting down to the wire and — as we have known from the beginning — now that the end is nearing , this unfit , mentally unstable , vicious man and his coterie of co-conspirators will do everything they can to hang on to power .
You know it , so be ready and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so that you can keep your eyes on the prize and keep working your heart out to GOTV and defeat this monster and all his enablers up and down the ballot .
“ Fear never builds the future , but hope does.
” Joe Biden , August 31 , 2020 .
Our most dangerous opponent over the coming weeks will be fear : fear of the unknown , of course , and also the fear that will be evoked in us quite naturally when dumpy and his minions commit worse and worse outrages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cow us and dissuade us from voting .
So gird your loins and screw up your courage — we need to hold fast and keep each other strong .
The reason they are doing everything they can to prevent people from voting or to persuade people that the vote will not be fair/safe/counted is because it is still the thing that will defeat them !
They know it and are desperate to prevent turnout .
In particular , paper ballots will be undeniable .
But if you live in a place where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only option , then vote on the damn thing anyway and do not be dissuaded !
There are tens of thousands of people working on the elections who want it to go well .
They want to feel proud of a fair and well-managed election , so have faith that there is at least as much energy going into making the voting secure and accessible as there is working against that goal .
And you are one of the millions of Americans who will support the first group .
We are stronger together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this election — no matter what .
Check your voter registration , and then check it again in the days leading up to your planned voting day .
Vote early if you can do so , by mail as soon as possible if you have that option .
Vote — however you can , as early and safely as you can , accompanied by as many family and friends as you can gather .
GOTV !
Try to limit your time watching cable news , reading social media and inadvertently soaking in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You know this shit is happening , and there ’ s no better way to inoculate yourself from it than by limiting your exposure .
Instead , get busy in whatever way you work best — writing postcards , phone banking , texting to voters , organizing your neighborhood and/or getting your family and friends to commit to voting .
As Teri Kanefield points out in her blog , the antidote to the very understandable despair that we all experience from time to time throughout this nightmare is doing something about it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be experts to make a difference in our democracy — just willing to use whatever skills we have and whatever time we can spare and do whatever we can .
As someone very wise once said , Nobody can do everything , but everybody can do something .
Find your something and get to work !
You will feel stronger and more hopeful !
And that kind of hopeful strength makes good things happen !
Yale Professor Timothy Snyder offers insight about despair .
He says : “ shock is pre-helpless.
” First @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with helplessness .
This generally happens when people think : “ This is entirely new !
Nothing like this has ever happened.
” If it ’ s never before happened , we see no way out .
But we ’ ve been here before , and we ’ ve gotten out before .
If you think we have never been here before , imagine being African American in the year 1850 .
Or a woman .
Or both .
Yeah , it ’ s been worse for a lot of people .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to own our democracy and take constructive steps to strengthen the institutions that are currently being battered by the human wrecking ball in the White House and the major political party supporting him .
The Antidote to darkness is light , truth and decency And now for some news !
1 : A huge development — donny is losing the support of active-duty Military Trump ’ s popularity slips in latest Military Times poll — and more troops say they ’ ll vote for Biden , Leo Shane lll , Military Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Donny is losing support in the conservative Midwest WIneRev pointed to this excellent article in yesterday ’ s comments ( thanks WIneRev ! )
and it suggests that not all is going to be smooth sailing for Donny and the Pubs in the Midwest , either .
( DK diarist dewtx wrote about it from the perspective of one Iowa-raised farmboy , and his point of view adds great context here ) : Trump must win the Midwest .
But out here his breezy reelection gambit falls flat , Art Cullen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
3 : EVen Evangelical women are cooling towards Donny Trump has gone so far as to brag about his plans , accomplishments and unholy actions toward the marginalized communities I saw my grandfather love and serve .
I now see , through the silence of church leaders , that these communities are no longer valued by individuals claiming to uphold the values my grandfather taught.✄ At a recent large family event , I was pulled aside by many female family members thanking me for speaking out against an administration with which they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With tears in their eyes , they used a hushed tone , out of fear that they were alone or at risk of undeserved retribution.✄ I chose to listen to my spirit to speak out .
Not because doing so feels comfortable , but because it feels like the right way to leverage the voice God has empowered me with .
Now I am asking all of you who feel as I do , to embrace your inner tug , and allow it to lead you to use the power of your God-given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this country for another four years .
And these two Georgia voters — still lukewarm on Joe , but waking up to the reality of the donald : We are evangelical Christians not voting for Donald Trump this time , Ryan Hurlburt and Katharine Hurlburt , The Hill , August 31 , 2020 .
And even the usually right-leaning , Pub-friendly U.S. Chamber of Commerce is having serious second thoughts about trumpism : Turmoil consumes Chamber of Commerce as it backs Democrats , Alex Isenstadt , Politico , August 27 , 2020 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ AND CLIMATE BOOSTS JOE BIDEN IN PENNSYLVANIA , Global Strategy Group , August 27 , 2020 .
Companies across the US pledge to give workers time off to vote , ABC News , August 31 , 2020 .
🍑 This is Just Peachy , Georgia !
🍑 Appeals court denies Michael Flynn and Justice Department 's effort to end his case , Katelyn Polantz , CNN News , August 31 , 2020 .
This woman is going to be Rachel Maddow ’ s Interview tonight on TRMS : ‘ It ’ s Taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Working With Prosecutors On Inauguration Probe , Cristina Cabrera , Talking Points Memo , August 31 , 2020 .
Bill to decriminalize marijuana at federal level up for House vote next month , Meredith Deliso , ABC News , August 30 , 2020 .
⚡ Yer Wonkette : Joe Biden Helpfully Reminds Donald Trump Who 's President , What Day It Is , Which One Is 'Camel ' , Stephen Robinson , Wonkette , August 31 , 2020 .
⚡ Everything you need to know !
The Best Way to Vote in Every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stern , Slate , August 31 , 2020 .
⚡ Let ’ s go !
Democrats Are Winning Their Fight for the States , Joan Walsh , The Nation , September 2020 .
⚡ Ooh !
Let ’ s hope so !
Ohio Republicans are embroiled in scandal .
Could they lose the election for Trump ?
Gary Abernathy , Washington Post , August 31 , 2020 .
⚡ Read about amazing Dem women !
A Guide To All The Women Who Could Help Flip The Senate Blue In 2020 , Madison Feller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 .
⚡ Thanks to Ice Blue for this excellent article : How to talk to conspiracy theorists—and still be kind , Tanya Basu , MIT Technology Review , July 15 , 2020 .
⚡ University of Illinois !
One university may have the best COVID testing operation in the U.S.—and tests students twice a week , Lee Clifford , Fortune , August 29 , 2020 .
⚡Well , well , well : Liberty announces investigation into Falwell ’ s tenure , Sarah Rankin and Elana Schor , AP News , August 31 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not strategy , it ’ s pathology : Donald Trump 's hunger for violence is n't just about politics — it 's fuel for his bloated ego , Amanda Marcotte , Salon , August 31 , 2020 .
⚡ Another psychology perspective : Why Are Dems Nervous ?
Because They ’ re Dems .
Josh Marshall , Talking Points Memo , August 31 , 2020 .
⚡ There is “ transformational potential ” in this moment : The NBA Wildcat Strike Is How a Revolution Starts , Lester Spence , August 29 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of links to help you stay involved from home : Act Blue — fundraising for Democratic candidates in one easy site .
Postcards to Voters — Our own gnusie , Progressive Muse posts most days with information about PtV and updates on current campaigns and progress .
This is the ideal “ do it at home ” contribution especially suited to those who enjoy getting a little creative and connecting with fellow voters around the country .
Vote Forward — whether organizing an effort to encourage voter registration , including providing addressees with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the BIG SEND ( millions of letters to voters arriving in mailboxes in late October ) , this is one of several “ do it at home ” projects through which many of us can really make a difference .
Voter to voter initiatives have a track record of increasing voter turnout .
The Vote Forward letter system is ideal for those who want to contribute but can ’ t write too much .
The letter templates are provided and all you do is put in a line or two of your own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the voters on your list !
Powered By People — Beto O ’ Rourke ’ s virtual phone bank center for flipping Texas BLUE !
( h/t to Slideman ) Fair Fight — Stacey Abrams ’ initiative which has already made a difference in several elections !
Find out how you can help out at this link .
Spread the Vote — wonderful organization which works hard to help eligible voters obtain valid ID so they can register and vote .
⭐ And finally , for one-stop all-purpose voter information ( check your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to know to vote — Vote.org — This site covers everything any eligible voter needs to know , from how to register , how to check that you are still registered , how to obtain an absentee ballot and what to do if your right to vote is challenged or you are stopped from voting .
The Best Way to Vote in Every State That ’ s it from me for this week !
Curlygirl has been asleep on the floor for the past hour and just got up and put herself to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cue to wrap up my tapping and typing and go to bed myself .
It ’ s always an honor to write these GNRs and I hope they are as helpful to you to read as they are to me to write !
As always , I encourage you to take good care of yourself and those you love .
Try to limit exposure to gloom and doom , “ news ” and disinformation .
Eat nutritious food , try to get enough rest and try to get outdoors every day for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all , try to do something every day to further the goal of electing Joe Biden , Kamala Harris and Democrats up and down the ballot in November .
There is a new day coming and we are going to make that beautiful , hopeful dawn happen .
In November , we will be able to rest after we watch the great Democratic blue wave wash over the country .
I am so glad I am working on this great American project with all of you !
To close today ’ s GNR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the internet™ commences ! )
, here ’ s a little Jupiter positivity for you .
Go forth and save your country !
🎶 Yes , “ I Vow to Thee , My Country ” 🎶

Good Day, Newsies. It’s a new month and we are now just over two months to Election Day. A lot will happen between now and November 3 and quite a bit of it is likely to be unpleasant. We are getting down to the wire and — as we have known from the beginning — now that the end is nearing, this unfit, mentally unstable, vicious man and his coterie of co-conspirators will do everything they can to hang on to power. You know it, so be ready and do all you can to prepare emotionally so that you can keep your eyes on the prize and keep working your heart out to GOTV and defeat this monster and all his enablers up and down the ballot.
“Fear never builds the future, but hope does.” Joe Biden, August 31, 2020.
Our most dangerous opponent over the coming weeks will be fear: fear of the unknown, of course, and also the fear that will be evoked in us quite naturally when dumpy and his minions commit worse and worse outrages. The purpose of spreading fear is to cow us and dissuade us from voting. So gird your loins and screw up your courage — we need to hold fast and keep each other strong. The reason they are doing everything they can to prevent people from voting or to persuade people that the vote will not be fair/safe/counted is because it is still the thing that will defeat them! They know it and are desperate to prevent turnout. In particular, paper ballots will be undeniable. But if you live in a place where machine voting/touch screen or whatever is your only option, then vote on the damn thing anyway and do not be dissuaded!
There are tens of thousands of people working on the elections who want it to go well. They want to feel proud of a fair and well-managed election, so have faith that there is at least as much energy going into making the voting secure and accessible as there is working against that goal. And you are one of the millions of Americans who will support the first group. We are stronger together and together we will follow through with this election — no matter what. Check your voter registration, and then check it again in the days leading up to your planned voting day. Vote early if you can do so, by mail as soon as possible if you have that option. Vote — however you can, as early and safely as you can, accompanied by as many family and friends as you can gather. GOTV!
Try to limit your time watching cable news, reading social media and inadvertently soaking in the panic and the trolling and the disinformation. You know this shit is happening, and there’s no better way to inoculate yourself from it than by limiting your exposure. Instead, get busy in whatever way you work best — writing postcards, phone banking, texting to voters, organizing your neighborhood and/or getting your family and friends to commit to voting. As Teri Kanefield points out in her blog, the antidote to the very understandable despair that we all experience from time to time throughout this nightmare is doing something about it. We don’t need to be experts to make a difference in our democracy — just willing to use whatever skills we have and whatever time we can spare and do whatever we can. As someone very wise once said, Nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something. Find your something and get to work! You will feel stronger and more hopeful! And that kind of hopeful strength makes good things happen!
THE ANTIDOTE TO DESPAIR, Teri Kanefield, August 2020.
Yale Professor Timothy Snyder offers insight about despair. He says: “shock is pre-helpless.” First we’re shocked. Then paralyzed with helplessness. This generally happens when people think: “This is entirely new! Nothing like this has ever happened.” If it’s never before happened, we see no way out. But we’ve been here before, and we’ve gotten out before. If you think we have never been here before, imagine being African American in the year 1850. Or a woman. Or both. Yeah, it’s been worse for a lot of people. To make a lasting change, we all need to own our democracy and take constructive steps to strengthen the institutions that are currently being battered by the human wrecking ball in the White House and the major political party supporting him. (follow the link and read on for excellent PRACTICAL and doable suggestions to get busy and take constructive steps using your talents and skills to save our democracy)
The Antidote to darkness is light, truth and decency
(See comments for the highlights of his text — thanks to hpg!)
And now for some news!
⓷ 3 Must-Win Demographics 45 Might Not Win ⓷
1: A huge development — donny is losing the support of active-duty Military
Trump’s popularity slips in latest Military Times poll — and more troops say they’ll vote for Biden, Leo Shane lll, Military Times, August 31, 2020.
July/August 2020 poll of active-duty military troops. The latest Military Times poll shows a continued decline in active-duty service members’ views of President Donald Trump and a slight but significant preference for former Vice President Joe Biden in the upcoming November election among troops surveyed.✄ In the latest results — based on 1,018 active-duty troops surveyed in late July and early August — nearly half of respondents (49.9 percent) had an unfavorable view of the president, compared to about 38 percent who had a favorable view. Questions in the poll had a margin of error of up to 2 percent. Among all survey participants, 42 percent said they “strongly” disapprove of Trump’s time in office. ✄ “It’s fair to say that Trump is not as popular as Republican nominees have been in the past among this group,” said Peter Feaver, a White House adviser to former President George W. Bush who now works as a political science professor at Duke University. “The bottom line is that in 2020, Trump can’t be claiming to have overwhelming support in the military.”
2: Donny is losing support in the conservative Midwest
WIneRev pointed to this excellent article in yesterday’s comments (thanks WIneRev!) and it suggests that not all is going to be smooth sailing for Donny and the Pubs in the Midwest, either. (DK diarist dewtx wrote about it from the perspective of one Iowa-raised farmboy, and his point of view adds great context here):
Trump must win the Midwest. But out here his breezy reelection gambit falls flat, Art Cullen, the Guardian, August 29, 2020.
It’s shouting distance of Labor Day, when people normally start fixing on the elections. Labor is restless. John Deere laid off Davenport and Waterloo workers last fall and this spring. Deere reported strong profits last week as a result, despite slumping sales from the Trump Trade Wars. There’s the disconnect between the stock market and Main Street – the Dow rises while enhanced unemployment benefits expire. Atop all this – a pandemic, a climate crisis inspiring a mega-drought and derecho, rotten farm prices and incompetent government – another unarmed black man was shot, this time in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Not so far from Minneapolis, where George Floyd became a household name. Now it’s Jacob Blake, whose mother Julia Jackson pleaded for prayer and healing on national TV, for her son, for the police, for this nation. The Bucks and Brewers refused to play. ✄ Farmers are anxious. Latinos are afraid. Unemployed machinists are frustrated. That prized demographic, suburban women in Urbandale next to Des Moines, are encouraging the school board to sue the governor over her in-person school orders. They said their older folks who never saw a reason before have finally found one. Even some of those farmers are wondering about Trump as they dig into a harvest so meager that wraps up as they vote. An ill wind blows for incumbents.
3: EVen Evangelical women are cooling towards Donny
I'm Billy Graham's granddaughter. Evangelical support for Donald Trump insults his legacy. Jerushah Duford, USA Today, August 25, 2020.
Trump has gone so far as to brag about his plans, accomplishments and unholy actions toward the marginalized communities I saw my grandfather love and serve. I now see, through the silence of church leaders, that these communities are no longer valued by individuals claiming to uphold the values my grandfather taught.✄ At a recent large family event, I was pulled aside by many female family members thanking me for speaking out against an administration with which they, too, had been uncomfortable. With tears in their eyes, they used a hushed tone, out of fear that they were alone or at risk of undeserved retribution.✄ I chose to listen to my spirit to speak out. Not because doing so feels comfortable, but because it feels like the right way to leverage the voice God has empowered me with. Now I am asking all of you who feel as I do, to embrace your inner tug, and allow it to lead you to use the power of your God-given voice and not allow Trump to lead this country for another four years.
And these two Georgia voters — still lukewarm on Joe, but waking up to the reality of the donald: We are evangelical Christians not voting for Donald Trump this time, Ryan Hurlburt and Katharine Hurlburt, The Hill, August 31, 2020.
🎶 A Musical Break 🎶
💲 It’s Still the Economy, Smarty! 💲
And even the usually right-leaning, Pub-friendly U.S. Chamber of Commerce is having serious second thoughts about trumpism:
Turmoil consumes Chamber of Commerce as it backs Democrats, Alex Isenstadt, Politico, August 27, 2020.
Or in this case...the smarter thing to do. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is poised to endorse nearly two dozen freshmen House Democrats for reelection, triggering a revolt within the right-leaning organization and drawing fierce pushback from the group’s powerful GOP donors. The decision represents a sharp departure for the traditionally conservative Chamber, which has spent over $100 million backing Republican candidates during the past decade, and it threatens to further complicate the party’s prospects in the November election while driving a split in the business community. ✄ The clash also provides a window into a growing rift in the business community over its place in the Donald Trump-dominated Republican Party, which has at times embraced policies the corporate world opposes. While the Chamber has almost exclusively endorsed Republicans over the past decade, it has collided with the president over everything from tariffs to immigration.
🌍 And It’s About Climate Change 🌎
NEW POLLING: A DEBATE OVER FRACKING AND CLIMATE BOOSTS JOE BIDEN IN PENNSYLVANIA, Global Strategy Group, August 27, 2020.
Pennsylvania voters believe that climate change is a serious problem and look unkindly at lawmakers who oppose action: an overwhelming majority of voters in the state think climate change is a serious problem (83%) with a plurality saying it is very serious (46%). Pennsylvania voters also do not look kindly upon elected officials who disagree: voters are strongly unfavorable to both lawmakers who deny that climate change is a threat (21% favorable / 70% unfavorable) and lawmakers who oppose strong action to combat climate change (25% favorable / 58% unfavorable). Voters in the state also strongly support pro-climate policies, including “the U.S. government taking bold action to combat climate change” (73% support / 20% oppose), plans to move the U.S. to 100% clean electricity by 2035 (74% / 17%) and a 100% clean energy economy by 2050 (73% / 20%), and investing $2 trillion over the next four years to build clean energy infrastructure (71% / 21%). Pennsylvania voters’ support for bold action on climate translates to the ballot box: voters would vote for a Democrat who supports taking bold action on climate over a Republican who does not by 19 points – outpacing the standard generic ballot (+7) by 12 points. Democrats gain ground on this exercise in both the Philadelphia market (+8 points net gain) and in the Pittsburgh market (+12 points net gain). x 4/ Biden starts out +8 (50-42), but after hearing both pro and con messaging about fracking his lead grows to +12 (53-41), and it expands even more to +15 (55-40) after further pro/con messaging on climate change. Biden's favorability also grows, as does voter intensity. — Josh Dorner (@JoshDorner) August 31, 2020
More Good Election News
Companies across the US pledge to give workers time off to vote, ABC News, August 31, 2020.
Starbucks said Thursday it will give its 200,000 U.S. employees flexibility on Election Day, encouraging them to plan ahead with managers and schedule time to vote or volunteer at polling places. The Starbucks app will also help customers learn how to register to vote, the company said.
Walmart says it will give its 1.5 million U.S. workers up to three hours paid time off to vote. Apple is giving workers four hours off. Coca-Cola, Twitter, Cisco and Uber are giving employees the day off. The idea isn't entirely new. General Motors, Ford and FiatChrysler have given employees the day off to vote since 1999, when they agreed to the change in a contract with the United Auto Workers union. Patagonia gave its workers the day off starting in 2016.But this year, the idea is gaining steam. Six hundred companies, including Lyft, Airbnb and Paramount, have signed on to ElectionDay.org, which asks companies to give employees time off to vote or distribute information on voting, including how to obtain main-in ballots. It is not clear how many of those 600 are allowing time off versus distributing voting information. x Walmart says it will give its 1.5 million U.S. workers up to three hours paid time off to vote. Apple is giving workers four hours off. Coca-Cola, Twitter, Cisco and Uber are giving employees the day off.https://t.co/Uu6E2lryQs — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 28, 2020
🍑 This is Just Peachy, Georgia! 🍑
Judge Extends Georgia's Absentee Ballot Deadline For November Election, Stephen Fowler, GPB (NPR/PBS), August 31, 2020.
A federal judge has ruled Georgia elections officials must count absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day and received by 7 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2020, potentially allowing thousands more votes to count in an election likely to shatter turnout records. Judge Eleanor Ross ruled Monday that "extending the deadline would ensure that voters who receive their ballots shortly before Election Day are able to mail their ballots without fear that their vote will not count" in her 70-page order. Currently, Georgia voters can request an absentee ballot as late as the Friday before the election, creating a narrow window for voters to return an absentee ballot through the mail in time for the current 7 p.m. Election Day deadline. x BREAKING: A federal judge has extended Georgia's absentee ballot deadline, ruling that any absentee ballot POSTMARKED by election day counts if it is RECEIVED by 7 p.m. three days after the election. #gapol
Story to come.
Full order: https://t.co/bpGFPogfnE pic.twitter.com/j2dWoWZ3ut — stephen fowler (@stphnfwlr) August 31, 2020
🎶 Musical Break in Honor of Georgia 🎶
⚖ Justice ⚖
Shoulda Taken that plea Deal, Mike
Appeals court denies Michael Flynn and Justice Department's effort to end his case, Katelyn Polantz, CNN News, August 31, 2020.
A federal appeals court ruled Monday against Michael Flynn and the Justice Department in their request to quickly shut down his criminal case. The 8-2 decision restores power to a judge to question the Justice Department's moves in the politically divisive case, when Attorney General William Barr dropped charges against President Donald Trump's former national security adviser earlier this year despite twice pleading guilty to lying under oath to lying to the FBI. Flynn had fought District Judge Emmet Sullivan's decision to ask a third-party lawyer to argue against the Justice Department's dismissal in the case, and his plans to hold a hearing, which has not yet happened. (Reminder ->)
SHoulda Mailed Those DOcs, DeJoy
Oversight panel set to subpoena DeJoy amid clash over Postal Service, Kyle Cheney, Politico, August 31, 2020.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)
Chairwoman, House Oversight Committee The House Oversight Committee is preparing to issue a subpoena for Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, accusing him of ignoring the panel’s demand for documents related to Postal Service mail delays and contacts with White House officials or the Trump campaign. Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) indicated Monday that DeJoy had refused to comply with a request for documents she issued during his testimony to the committee last week, when she first made her subpoena threat. ✄ “The subpoena clarifies a number of previous requests based on information obtained to date in order to ensure that it captures all documents within the requested categories, and it also makes clear as a legal matter that the production of these documents is mandatory,” Maloney said. The committee is also issuing a document request to USPS board chairman Robert Duncan about materials it says Duncan is withholding by citing a Justice Department legal opinion. Maloney intends to issue a subpoena for those documents as well if Duncan doesn’t comply, according to committee aides.
WIth friends like trumps...
This woman is going to be Rachel Maddow’s Interview tonight on TRMS:
‘It’s Taken Over My Life’: Ex-Melania Friend Working With Prosecutors On Inauguration Probe, Cristina Cabrera, Talking Points Memo, August 31, 2020.
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former close friend to first lady Melania Trump, claimed on Monday that she is working with three prosecutors in their investigations into the Trump inaugural committee. “I’m working with three different prosecutors, and it’s taken over my life,” she told ABC News in a pre-taped interview. Those would be the U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, along with the attorneys general in New Jersey and Washington, D.C. Winston Wolkoff was an adviser to the inaugural committee, which spent a jaw-dropping $104 million on the event after raising more than $107 million. Her ABC News interview is part of her media tour to promote her tell-all book, “Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady.”
It’s About Time
Bill to decriminalize marijuana at federal level up for House vote next month, Meredith Deliso, ABC News, August 30, 2020.
A landmark bill that would decriminalize marijuana use at the federal level is up for vote soon. The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on the legislation in September, according to an email sent out on Friday by Majority Whip James Clyburn. Politico first reported on the pending vote. The "Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019" -- also called the MORE Act -- would officially remove cannabis from the list of federally controlled substances. It would also expunge federal marijuana convictions and arrests, and approve the allocation of resources for communities affected by the war on drugs, according to the bill's text.
Thankfully
x New: A DC federal judge granted a prelim. injunction blocking a Trump admin. policy that delegated authority to Customs and Border Protection agents to do credible fear interviews for asylum seekers — judge found it likely violates US immigration law https://t.co/hKMHMPYnxw pic.twitter.com/VblRpj59F4 — Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) August 31, 2020
🎶 Music For This Moment 🎶
⚡ Lightning RoundUp ⚡
⚡ Yer Wonkette: Joe Biden Helpfully Reminds Donald Trump Who's President, What Day It Is, Which One Is 'Camel', Stephen Robinson, Wonkette, August 31, 2020.
⚡ Everything you need to know! The Best Way to Vote in Every State, Molly Olmstead and Mark Joseph Stern, Slate, August 31, 2020.
⚡ Let’s go! Democrats Are Winning Their Fight for the States, Joan Walsh, The Nation, September 2020.
⚡ Ooh! Let’s hope so! Ohio Republicans are embroiled in scandal. Could they lose the election for Trump? Gary Abernathy, Washington Post, August 31, 2020.
⚡ Read about amazing Dem women! A Guide To All The Women Who Could Help Flip The Senate Blue In 2020, Madison Feller, Elle Magazine, August 31, 2020.
⚡ Thanks to Ice Blue for this excellent article: How to talk to conspiracy theorists—and still be kind, Tanya Basu, MIT Technology Review, July 15, 2020.
⚡ University of Illinois! One university may have the best COVID testing operation in the U.S.—and tests students twice a week, Lee Clifford, Fortune, August 29, 2020.
⚡Well, well, well: Liberty announces investigation into Falwell’s tenure, Sarah Rankin and Elana Schor, AP News, August 31, 2020.
⚡ A righteous indictment: “America First” is a Lie, Brian Stewart, The Bulwark, August 29, 2020.
⚡ It’s not strategy, it’s pathology: Donald Trump's hunger for violence isn't just about politics — it's fuel for his bloated ego, Amanda Marcotte, Salon, August 31, 2020.
⚡ Another psychology perspective: Why Are Dems Nervous? Because They’re Dems. Josh Marshall, Talking Points Memo, August 31, 2020.
⚡ There is “transformational potential” in this moment: The NBA Wildcat Strike Is How a Revolution Starts, Lester Spence, August 29, 2020.
⚡ Remember: Good people are everywhere 😍:
x Guy’s security camera catches kid tearing it up on his driveway almost every day, so he decides to do something about it. pic.twitter.com/ZDVb7zLgZo — Mike Sington (@MikeSington) August 27, 2020
🔗 Helpful Links 🔗
Here’s a bunch of links to help you stay involved from home:
Joe Biden’s Action Website
Act Blue — fundraising for Democratic candidates in one easy site.
Ramping up the writing to voters effort!
Postcards to Voters — Our own gnusie, Progressive Muse posts most days with information about PtV and updates on current campaigns and progress. This is the ideal “do it at home” contribution especially suited to those who enjoy getting a little creative and connecting with fellow voters around the country.
Vote Forward — whether organizing an effort to encourage voter registration, including providing addressees with voter registration forms — or working toward the BIG SEND (millions of letters to voters arriving in mailboxes in late October), this is one of several “do it at home” projects through which many of us can really make a difference. Voter to voter initiatives have a track record of increasing voter turnout. The Vote Forward letter system is ideal for those who want to contribute but can’t write too much. The letter templates are provided and all you do is put in a line or two of your own and make sure the letters get to the voters on your list!
Powered By People — Beto O’Rourke’s virtual phone bank center for flipping Texas BLUE! (h/t to Slideman)
Fair Fight — Stacey Abrams’ initiative which has already made a difference in several elections! Find out how you can help out at this link.
Spread the Vote — wonderful organization which works hard to help eligible voters obtain valid ID so they can register and vote.
⭐ And finally, for one-stop all-purpose voter information (check your registration!):
Everything you need to know to vote — Vote.org — This site covers everything any eligible voter needs to know, from how to register, how to check that you are still registered, how to obtain an absentee ballot and what to do if your right to vote is challenged or you are stopped from voting.
The Best Way to Vote in Every State
💙 RoundUp WindDown 💙
That’s it from me for this week! Curlygirl has been asleep on the floor for the past hour and just got up and put herself to bed. LOL That’s my cue to wrap up my tapping and typing and go to bed myself.
Too...much...tapping...too...much….typing...Zzzzzz!
It’s always an honor to write these GNRs and I hope they are as helpful to you to read as they are to me to write!
As always, I encourage you to take good care of yourself and those you love. Try to limit exposure to gloom and doom, “news” and disinformation. Eat nutritious food, try to get enough rest and try to get outdoors every day for a little while if you can.
Above all, try to do something every day to further the goal of electing Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Democrats up and down the ballot in November.
There is a new day coming and we are going to make that beautiful, hopeful dawn happen. In November, we will be able to rest after we watch the great Democratic blue wave wash over the country. I am so glad I am working on this great American project with all of you!
To close today’s GNR (until the best comment section on the internet™ commences!), here’s a little Jupiter positivity for you. Go forth and save your country!
🎶 Yes, “I Vow to Thee, My Country” 🎶
Happy Tuesday, Gnusies!


dailykos--2020-09-01--Presidential Capture: the battle for the Presidency.

Foreward : Presidential capture is a form of government failure that occurs when the office of the Presidency , created to act in the public interest , instead advances the commercial or political concerns of the President himself , his associates and special interest groups supportive of the President .
When Presidential capture occurs , the interests of private individuals , corporations or political groups are prioritized over the interests of the public , leading to a net loss to society as a whole .
By its nature Presidential capture abrogates national sovereignty .
Repeated claims to be acting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ captured President should be examined carefully .
Today there are very large and powerful industries ( e.g .
energy , banking , private military contractors ) that have captured the office of the Presidency and are now using that power to advance their interests while simultaneously blocking policies at the federal , state or provincial level that many voters desire .
Such actions are profoundly undemocratic and if unchecked , may result in the unplanned loss of blood , soil and material wealth .
The unprecedented consolidation of Presidential power during the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Box of political manipulation and intrigue .
Although it may appear that the Presidency reflects the power and prestige of one man , political insiders know that the truth is a lot more complicated .
This is a story about who controls the Presidency and why .
Donald Trump ’ s White House crowns six decades of regulatory capture .
The long term interference in the creation and application of government regulations by private industry has created a perversely inverted system of political influence in which government agencies have become entirely subservient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to regulate .
By exploiting their position within the regulatory framework of the government , and society at large , the men and women of private industry confer power and privilege upon themselves , while simultaneously undercutting traditionally democratic processes of public debate and open elections .
Power begets more power .
Historically many of the deals struck by Presidential aspirants and their supporters provoke little backlash .
In fact , the spoils system of political patronage has been a feature of American governance since the country ’ s birth in 1776 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ government regularly assume the leadership of many agencies with little or no ill effect .
On most occasions , the inertia of the agency , reflected in its culture and carried out by its staff , can mask even the most inept appointee .
For example ; President George Bush ’ s appointment of Michael Brown to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency was a classic spoils system reward for Brown ’ s political patronage during the Presidential primaries .
Brown went on to successfully lead FEMA for two and a half years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ managerial incompetence .
Before leading FEMA , Brown had been the Judges and Stewards Commissioner for the International Arabian Horse Association .
Others with some government experience , but no familiarity with the agency ’ s mission , can pose a far more serious threat to the political health and function of the nation ’ s governmental agencies .
President Trump ’ s choice of Ben Carson , a retired neurosurgeon , to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development is a prime example of a more nefarious application of the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long standing ties to the real estate and housing markets make this type of appointment troubling for its apparent desire to place an unqualified person in a position to benefit the man appointing him .
This action reflects a blatant disregard for HUD ’ s historical mission to serve those in need of housing .
Appointees should never serve at the behest of another seeking to profit from the arrangement .
Government agencies chaired by individuals antagonistic to the agency itself are even more concerning .
Trump ’ s appointment of Scott Pruitt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example .
Pruitt was a self-described “ leading advocate against the EPA ’ s activist agenda ” when Trump tapped him to head the agency .
Unsurprisingly , Pruitt ’ s short tenure at the EPA was marked by significant regression of environmental protections , political unrest and staff attrition .
Finally , the President ’ s own antagonism toward the government , often derogatorily referenced as the “ Deep State ” in his speeches and dialogues with private business leaders , is a further extension of this disturbing paradigm .
In this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desired in order to decrease regulation , lower taxes , and ultimately increase profit realized by the President , his family , and his business associates .
Along with this growth has come a steady decline in the number of active duty servicemen and women in the U.S. armed forces .
In Eisenhower ’ s day there were 2.5 million active duty personnel in the military .
Today there are 1.5 million — a 40 % drop .
So why does our military cost so much ?
The military-industrial-complex has been getting rich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Defense spending , as foreshadowed by Eisenhower nearly 60 years ago , quickly grew during the Vietnam War , declined following the U.S. withdrawal from Southeast Asia , and then ticked up again during President Reagan ’ s essentially conflict free military build up during the 1980s .
The only substantive military conflict during Reagan ’ s entire two term Presidency was a three day invasion of Grenada in October , 1983 .
President George H. W. Bush , our 41st President , briefly boosted defense spending during the second year of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a coalition of 35 other countries , pushed back against Saddam Hussein ’ s violent incursion into Kuwait .
The resulting Gulf War raged from August 2 , 1990 to January 17 , 1991 .
It was a short , but violent display of American military might .
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in late 1991 , U.S. military spending cooled significantly .
When adjusted for inflation , the yearly U.S. military budget shrunk by nearly 100 billion dollars .
Today , this five year spending trough remains the lowest point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ era .
When President Clinton took control of the White House in 1992 , this defense spending decrease was transformed into a “ peace dividend ” that served to accelerate the development of new and emerging technologies like mobile communications , personal computing , and creation of the Internet .
The terrorist attacks of September 11 , 2001 put an end to the socioeconomic windfall born by the end of the Cold War .
It also heralded a paradigm shift in the development and use of America ’ s emerging technologies .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collection were quickly weaponized and used to form the backbone of a U.S. military intent upon surveilling the entire world .
As a result , the last two decades of American military spending skyrocketed .
Today , this spending growth has nearly matched the level of U.S. defense spending during the height of WWII .
This is an astonishing expense when compared to the massive deployment of U.S. forces during the Second World War .
Also notable is the duration of this modern day spending spree .
The War on Terror , initiated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has far surpassed the length of U.S. involvement in the Second World War by a factor of five .
The costs are staggering .
Current estimates place the outlay of U.S. tax dollars during this period at five to six trillion dollars .
Even more troubling is the expansiveness of the operation .
What began as a targeted response against Afghanistan , the country believed to hosting Osama bin Laden , the mastermind of the attacks , quickly metastasized to include Iraq , Pakistan , Syria , Yemen , Northern Africa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Philippines .
Critics charge that the length and breadth of the war has been fueled by it ’ s very existence .
For those profiting from the War on Terror this is good news .
How did this come about ?
In many respects , the five largest military contractors in the world ; Lockheed Martin , Boeing , Northrup Grumman , Raytheon Technologies , and General Dynamics have exercised four decades of unprecedented influence in American politics .
Prior to WWII , defense spending had primarily been defined and characterized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tiny , isolated financial eruption when viewed in the context of American military expenditure spanning the last 120 years .
Following WWII , defense spending increased its yearly baseline expenditure from less than 30 billion dollars a year to over 125 billion .
Instead of drawing down spending , as the U.S. had done after WWI , defense spending continued to command a significant portion of GDP relative to pre-war spending after the end of WWII .
This growth in spending heralded the creation of the military-industrial-complex that Eisenhower warned America to contain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States military-industrial-complex has sought and engaged in a series of elective wars that have been immensely profitable for military contractors and ruinously destructive to America ’ s international reputation and its financial health .
The Korean War , Vietnam , Grenada , the Gulf War , the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan comprise a series of conflicts that have left the United States without a single war-free decade since 1950 .
The last two wars , Iraq and Afghanistan , have run concurrently for nearly two decades !
Despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s nearly unanimous belief that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq should be ended , they are still ongoing .
Why is that ?
The U.S. leads the world in defense spending , much of it attributed to the export and support of weaponry sold to third parties like Saudi Arabia , Israel and Turkey .
The U.S. has also been involved in countless other minor skirmishes and firefights throughout the past six decades .
In this scenario , proliferation begets more proliferation .
Eisenhower ’ s admonition has been thoroughly scorned .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ depravity , has been welcomed and extensively rewarded within the halls of Washington ’ s power elite .
How does Presidential capture relate to the military-industrial- complex ?
The concentration of power vested in the Presidency offers a tantalizing avenue of monopolistic control .
This is further underscored when viewed in the light of the military ’ s already out sized influence on the governance and balance sheet of the nation as a whole .
Eisenhower warned Americans to be vigilant and protect the nation from the undue influence of misplaced power born @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He cautioned that only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry could compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our professed desire to engage in peaceful methods and goals of international diplomacy .
However , should the Office of the Presidency and the military-industrial-complex choose to cloak personal and private gain under the auspices of defense , intelligence gathering , and the deployment of military personnel and mercenaries to protect foreign investments abroad , then we may have very well passed the tipping point .
Patriotic sloganeering and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and liberate the American public is a clear betrayal of Eisenhower ’ s admonition to create a neutral space that would allow security and liberty to prosper together .
Since September 11 , 2001 , the black hole of military expenditure has grown exponentially .
In an effort to curb some of the spending , which is indicative of an awareness of the high costs associated with this growth , some of the high cost of our military has been off-loaded to private firms and sub-contractors .
These outfits , deemed by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efficient than the military itself , are now the unseen , and barely regulated , face of our government ’ s most enduring obligation to its citizens ; their defense .
However , instead of performing functions vital to the defense of the homeland , private military contractors are primarily engaged in protecting natural resources like oil fields and refineries in foreign countries .
They also provide security for large , overseas corporate development projects , and look after local government officials and their business affiliates .
This blatant form of protection has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and everything to do with outsourcing expensive corporate security measures to the U.S. tax payer .
Although Eisenhower may not have foreseen this exact amalgamation of private and public coordination , the combination accurately reflects his concern that the untrammeled growth of this symbiotic relationship would pose a grave threat to the union .
Non-combat defense spending also plays a large role in the privatization of the U.S. military .
Vehicle fleet management , food preparation , logistics/relocation services and waste disposal are just a few of the many responsibilities the U.S. military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All companies must profit from the arrangement or face bankruptcy .
The tail now wags the dog .
Democracy serves the military-industrial-complex .
Eisenhower was right .
Privatization and profit has ruined everything .
Under the watch of the Trump administration , the military-industrial-complex continues to expand aggressively .
Its foundation still lies with private military contractors and large energy companies like Exxon-Mobil , but it has also made extensive use of the entertainment and creative industries .
Also incorporated into this tangled web of public agencies and military branches are private venture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency , In-Q-Tel is responsible for finding and funding private intelligence and data mining firms like Palantir Technologies and Recorded Future .
Social media monitoring and analysis figures prominently in this novel intersection of national security and private enterprise .
According to Christopher Wylie , employees from Palantir Technologies assisted in the development of data-based psychographic models used by Cambridge Analytica to plumb the minds of Facebook users in an apparent effort to influence the 2016 American Presidential election .
This convoluted and complex intersection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ form of political money laundering that most Americans have not even begun to wrap their heads around .
Taxpayer dollars have been used to fund a not-for-profit venture capital firm ( In-Q-Tel ) that has seeded the creation and growth of a private intelligence agency ( Palantir ) that has collaborated with another privately owned company ( Cambridge Analytica ) to harvest the data of yet another private company ( Facebook ) to influence the 2016 Presidential election .
To further hammer the point home ; both private companies are owned by billionaires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Presidency of the United States .
Peter Thiel , the owner of Palantir , and Robert Mercer , the owner of Cambridge Analytica , may not have openly conspired to subvert the electoral process but the effect has been then same .
Taken together , these men and the groups they represent , comprise an off-shoot of the military-industrial-complex that is acting in concert to develop and perpetuate their control over every aspect of public life .
In doing so , the ideological , material and spiritual wealth of the Republic is expropriated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tyranny is evident throughout the Trump administration .
Rarely does an hour pass without a Trump tweet or an absurd proclamation designed to refocus the nation ’ s attention upon Trump .
This form of relentless self-promotion not only benefits Trump , but it serves to mask the massive military-industrial-complex hiding in his shadow .
The notion of a shining capital upon a hill has given way to a monolithic morass of military overreach .
Here lies the real swamp of American greatness and exceptionalism .
For some , Trump is predictably serving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not .
Indeed , his incessant tweets and meandering press conferences reflect a man bound by the tyranny of his own unbridled id .
For these observers , Trump is simply unfit for the office of the Presidency .
Conversely , Trump supporters posit that Trump is just being Trump .
This empty headed declaration , on par with the American expression , “ It is what it is ” , is precisely the type of uniformed discourse that has come to define American critical thought in recent years .
The Urban Dictionary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often used to convey a sense of helplessness .
Literally , it means “ fuck it ” .
This type of dismissive and imprecise thinking does not bode well for the country .
It does , however , offer a mental salve to the many users who feel decidedly impotent when confronting the twin specter of a Trump administration bound to the military-industrial-complex .
How did we get here and what do we do about it ?
It does not require a college degree to recognize the end stages of persistent regulatory capture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environmental destruction and severe social dislocation play prominent roles in every country where it exists .
George Stigler , esteemed economist and Nobel Prize recipient , makes the following argument in his 1971 book , The Theory of Economic Regulation .
“ … as a rule , regulation is acquired by the industry and is designed and operated primarily for its benefit… We propose the general hypothesis : every industry or occupation that has enough political power to utilize the state will seek to control entry .
In addition , the regulatory policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retard the rate of growth of new firms ” .
Essentially what Stigler describes is a monopoly validated by the state .
Given such a position , why would any organization , dependent upon the continued execution of present day business practices , ever wish to change course ?
Wikipedia sheds further light on the subject .
“ For public choice theorists , regulatory capture occurs because groups or individuals with a high-stakes interest in the outcome of policy or regulatory decisions can be expected to focus their resources and energies in attempting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while members of the public , each with only a tiny individual stake in the outcome , will ignore it altogether ” .
It ’ s hard not to conclude that the general public has been disenfranchised by highly organized special interest groups that are capable of spending vast amounts of money to see that their point of view defines the political conversation .
In this case “ public choice ” is a misnomer .
Instead , it reflects the similarly twisted linguistic pantheon of Republican concepts like the so-called “ right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down economics ” .
Individuals and publicly funded political organizations do not stand a chance against professionally financed corporate structures intent on furthering the means by which they already dominate a 24/7 political theater .
Corporate structures can afford to employ lobbyists , think tanks , research analysts , public relations firms and significant amounts of political advertising to magnify their voice .
Look no further than the obscene degree of political fundraising and unparalleled expenditure on advertising costs associated with the upcoming 2020 Presidential election .
The individual voter is at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she is simply drowned out by special interests capable of spending millions to promote their point of view .
Recent developments in data mining and the application of social engineering theories further the rich returns available to those with access to this data .
Most notably , privately owned corporations that manage and control these data rich platforms are being called to task for their apparent complicity in advancing Donald Trump ’ s Presidential aspirations .
Facebook and Cambridge Analytica stand duly charged .
Twitter is not much better .
It should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the private control of the power to shape and control the networks by which most individuals communicate is dangerous territory .
Serious debate , within the framework of a government unencumbered by corporate influence , otherwise known as regulatory capture , is desperately needed .
Public/private cooperation in the creation and development of businesses like In-Q-Tel and Palantir also needs to be addressed .
This arrangement , though beneficial to business interests , further blurs the lines of personal privacy and possesses inherent conflict of interest issues brought about by its structure .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. history , many Americans find themselves bereft of the tools needed for personal introspection and self-discovery .
Computer algorithms , designed to promote consumerism over critical thinking skills have been instrumental in this reorganization of American experience .
Instead , we have been forcibly led to believe that doubling down on the use of economic tools to deal with traditional problems of political science will succeed despite the division and social inequality it has fostered .
This is the false promise of “ public choice ” .
Not everyone wants to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stock market as the only measure of wealth .
There are alternatives to the so-called “ disturbing truth ” that political leaders , like Donald Trump , simply mirror the selfishness in all of us .
Indeed , it is the collective wish to enshrine our pluralistic democracy upon a shining hill that makes us a better nation .
Though merely a dream , this idea of a more perfect union based upon the acceptance of our differences has sustained our country throughout centuries of conflict and political unrest .
Clearly , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may indeed resemble a swamp at times , but this is not a reason to stop believing in the concept that binds all Americans to each other — pluralism .
The motto of E pluribus unam , Latin for “ Out of many , one ” , has defined our nation since its beginning .
We can not simply desire to be rich without consideration for those less fortunate .
We can not value some more than others .
It should be made clear to all Americans that the crooked timber of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be , the cornerstone of our ongoing political experiment .
We must not aim for perfection in everything we do but seek acceptance of all citizens as our own , unique form of perfection .
It is not okay to place blame on recent immigrants , victims of slavery , members of the LGBTQ community or any other defenseless minority , for our own failings .
We are all imperfect .
Instead , we must strive to reject complacency and the ease of taking solace in the comforts of an illusionary past .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention .
It is an act of selfless devotion , not an act of selfishness .
If we are to secure the future , we must stay involved in the development of our country by acquainting ourselves with the important issues of the day , by participating in the electoral system , by volunteering when called upon , and by reckoning with our shared past .
President Trump ’ s success hinges on the illusion of independence without any acknowledgement of the sacrifice undertaken by our forbears , our parents and the countless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best of their abilities .
Our success hinges upon understanding the difference , sharing in the work , and taking responsibility for our mistakes .
It is this action and the motivation behind it that inevitably brings us back around to addressing the implications wrought by the capture of the Presidency .
There is a very bold and clear line between believing in something and knowing something .
Simply believing in something without knowledge of how or why it exists is merely wishful thinking .
The truth is unequivocal .
The President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ examine the means by which the President of the United States has come to office and the means by which he perpetuates his control exhibits both the ignorance and greed belied by the President himself .

Foreward: Presidential capture is a form of government failure that occurs when the office of the Presidency, created to act in the public interest, instead advances the commercial or political concerns of the President himself, his associates and special interest groups supportive of the President. When Presidential capture occurs, the interests of private individuals, corporations or political groups are prioritized over the interests of the public, leading to a net loss to society as a whole. By its nature Presidential capture abrogates national sovereignty. Repeated claims to be acting in the name of national sovereignty by a captured President should be examined carefully. Today there are very large and powerful industries (e.g. energy, banking, private military contractors) that have captured the office of the Presidency and are now using that power to advance their interests while simultaneously blocking policies at the federal, state or provincial level that many voters desire. Such actions are profoundly undemocratic and if unchecked, may result in the unplanned loss of blood, soil and material wealth.
The President is a puppet.
The unprecedented consolidation of Presidential power during the last 50 years has opened a Pandora’s Box of political manipulation and intrigue. Although it may appear that the Presidency reflects the power and prestige of one man, political insiders know that the truth is a lot more complicated. This is a story about who controls the Presidency and why. Donald Trump’s White House crowns six decades of regulatory capture. The long term interference in the creation and application of government regulations by private industry has created a perversely inverted system of political influence in which government agencies have become entirely subservient to the industries that they are supposed to regulate. By exploiting their position within the regulatory framework of the government, and society at large, the men and women of private industry confer power and privilege upon themselves, while simultaneously undercutting traditionally democratic processes of public debate and open elections. Power begets more power. Historically many of the deals struck by Presidential aspirants and their supporters provoke little backlash. In fact, the spoils system of political patronage has been a feature of American governance since the country’s birth in 1776. Individuals with little or no experience in government regularly assume the leadership of many agencies with little or no ill effect. On most occasions, the inertia of the agency, reflected in its culture and carried out by its staff, can mask even the most inept appointee. For example; President George Bush’s appointment of Michael Brown to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency was a classic spoils system reward for Brown’s political patronage during the Presidential primaries. Brown went on to successfully lead FEMA for two and a half years before Hurricane Katrina exposed his inexperience and managerial incompetence. Before leading FEMA, Brown had been the Judges and Stewards Commissioner for the International Arabian Horse Association. Others with some government experience, but no familiarity with the agency’s mission, can pose a far more serious threat to the political health and function of the nation’s governmental agencies. President Trump’s choice of Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development is a prime example of a more nefarious application of the same patronage scheme. President Trump’s long standing ties to the real estate and housing markets make this type of appointment troubling for its apparent desire to place an unqualified person in a position to benefit the man appointing him. This action reflects a blatant disregard for HUD’s historical mission to serve those in need of housing. Appointees should never serve at the behest of another seeking to profit from the arrangement. Government agencies chaired by individuals antagonistic to the agency itself are even more concerning. Trump’s appointment of Scott Pruitt to head the EPA is a textbook example. Pruitt was a self-described “leading advocate against the EPA’s activist agenda” when Trump tapped him to head the agency. Unsurprisingly, Pruitt’s short tenure at the EPA was marked by significant regression of environmental protections, political unrest and staff attrition. Finally, the President’s own antagonism toward the government, often derogatorily referenced as the “Deep State” in his speeches and dialogues with private business leaders, is a further extension of this disturbing paradigm. In this instance, control of the state is desired in order to decrease regulation, lower taxes, and ultimately increase profit realized by the President, his family, and his business associates.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned Americans of this growing existential threat to our democracy in his farewell address on January 17, 1961. He believed that the amalgamation of military sub-contractors, and the politicians who directed the flow of funds to them, presented a clear and compelling risk to the health of the nation. Without vigilance there would be corruption and eventual political weakness. According to Eisenhower, the military-industrial-complex must never be allowed to enrich itself at the expense of democracy. As one of the most decorated Generals in American history, President Eisenhower knew what he was talking about. Unfortunately, few in Washington listened. Since 1961 the U.S. military budget has more than doubled, growing from approximately 300 billion dollars at the end of Truman’s Presidency to a whopping 721 billion for fiscal year 2020. This file made available under the Creative Commons Universal Public Domain.
Along with this growth has come a steady decline in the number of active duty servicemen and women in the U.S. armed forces. In Eisenhower’s day there were 2.5 million active duty personnel in the military. Today there are 1.5 million — a 40% drop. So why does our military cost so much?
This file made available under the Creative Commons Universal Public Domain.
The military-industrial-complex has been getting rich at the expense of our democracy. Defense spending, as foreshadowed by Eisenhower nearly 60 years ago, quickly grew during the Vietnam War, declined following the U.S. withdrawal from Southeast Asia, and then ticked up again during President Reagan’s essentially conflict free military build up during the 1980s. The only substantive military conflict during Reagan’s entire two term Presidency was a three day invasion of Grenada in October, 1983.
President George H. W. Bush, our 41st President, briefly boosted defense spending during the second year of his administration when the United States, and a coalition of 35 other countries, pushed back against Saddam Hussein’s violent incursion into Kuwait. The resulting Gulf War raged from August 2, 1990 to January 17, 1991. It was a short, but violent display of American military might.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in late 1991, U.S. military spending cooled significantly. When adjusted for inflation, the yearly U.S. military budget shrunk by nearly 100 billion dollars. Today, this five year spending trough remains the lowest point in defense spending history since the Reagan era. When President Clinton took control of the White House in 1992, this defense spending decrease was transformed into a “peace dividend” that served to accelerate the development of new and emerging technologies like mobile communications, personal computing, and creation of the Internet.
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 put an end to the socioeconomic windfall born by the end of the Cold War. It also heralded a paradigm shift in the development and use of America’s emerging technologies. The Internet, personal computing, and data collection were quickly weaponized and used to form the backbone of a U.S. military intent upon surveilling the entire world. As a result, the last two decades of American military spending skyrocketed.
Today, this spending growth has nearly matched the level of U.S. defense spending during the height of WWII. This is an astonishing expense when compared to the massive deployment of U.S. forces during the Second World War. Also notable is the duration of this modern day spending spree. The War on Terror, initiated in response to the attacks of 9/11, has far surpassed the length of U.S. involvement in the Second World War by a factor of five.
The costs are staggering. Current estimates place the outlay of U.S. tax dollars during this period at five to six trillion dollars. Even more troubling is the expansiveness of the operation. What began as a targeted response against Afghanistan, the country believed to hosting Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the attacks, quickly metastasized to include Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Yemen, Northern Africa, the Horn of Africa, Libya, and the Philippines. Critics charge that the length and breadth of the war has been fueled by it’s very existence. For those profiting from the War on Terror this is good news.
Chart comparing growth of top five military contractors with S&P 500.
Chart courtesy of the Financial Times.
How did this come about?
In many respects, the five largest military contractors in the world; Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrup Grumman, Raytheon Technologies, and General Dynamics have exercised four decades of unprecedented influence in American politics. Prior to WWII, defense spending had primarily been defined and characterized by its insignificance. WWI was a tiny, isolated financial eruption when viewed in the context of American military expenditure spanning the last 120 years. Following WWII, defense spending increased its yearly baseline expenditure from less than 30 billion dollars a year to over 125 billion. Instead of drawing down spending, as the U.S. had done after WWI, defense spending continued to command a significant portion of GDP relative to pre-war spending after the end of WWII. This growth in spending heralded the creation of the military-industrial-complex that Eisenhower warned America to contain.
Since the end of WWII, the United States military-industrial-complex has sought and engaged in a series of elective wars that have been immensely profitable for military contractors and ruinously destructive to America’s international reputation and its financial health. The Korean War, Vietnam, Grenada, the Gulf War, the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan comprise a series of conflicts that have left the United States without a single war-free decade since 1950. The last two wars, Iraq and Afghanistan, have run concurrently for nearly two decades! Despite countless polls reflecting the American public’s nearly unanimous belief that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq should be ended, they are still ongoing. Why is that?
The U.S. leads the world in defense spending, much of it attributed to the export and support of weaponry sold to third parties like Saudi Arabia, Israel and Turkey. The U.S. has also been involved in countless other minor skirmishes and firefights throughout the past six decades. In this scenario, proliferation begets more proliferation. Eisenhower’s admonition has been thoroughly scorned. Expansive sales growth, despite its moral depravity, has been welcomed and extensively rewarded within the halls of Washington’s power elite.
How does Presidential capture relate to the military-industrial- complex?
The concentration of power vested in the Presidency offers a tantalizing avenue of monopolistic control. This is further underscored when viewed in the light of the military’s already out sized influence on the governance and balance sheet of the nation as a whole. Eisenhower warned Americans to be vigilant and protect the nation from the undue influence of misplaced power born by the growth of the military-industrial-complex. He cautioned that only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry could compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our professed desire to engage in peaceful methods and goals of international diplomacy.
However, should the Office of the Presidency and the military-industrial-complex choose to cloak personal and private gain under the auspices of defense, intelligence gathering, and the deployment of military personnel and mercenaries to protect foreign investments abroad, then we may have very well passed the tipping point. Patriotic sloganeering and propaganda designed to deceive rather than educate and liberate the American public is a clear betrayal of Eisenhower’s admonition to create a neutral space that would allow security and liberty to prosper together.
Since September 11, 2001, the black hole of military expenditure has grown exponentially. In an effort to curb some of the spending, which is indicative of an awareness of the high costs associated with this growth, some of the high cost of our military has been off-loaded to private firms and sub-contractors. These outfits, deemed by the military to be better equipped and more efficient than the military itself, are now the unseen, and barely regulated, face of our government’s most enduring obligation to its citizens; their defense.
However, instead of performing functions vital to the defense of the homeland, private military contractors are primarily engaged in protecting natural resources like oil fields and refineries in foreign countries. They also provide security for large, overseas corporate development projects, and look after local government officials and their business affiliates.
This blatant form of protection has nothing to do with U.S. foreign policy and everything to do with outsourcing expensive corporate security measures to the U.S. tax payer. Although Eisenhower may not have foreseen this exact amalgamation of private and public coordination, the combination accurately reflects his concern that the untrammeled growth of this symbiotic relationship would pose a grave threat to the union.
Non-combat defense spending also plays a large role in the privatization of the U.S. military. Vehicle fleet management, food preparation, logistics/relocation services and waste disposal are just a few of the many responsibilities the U.S. military has outsourced to third party vendors. All companies must profit from the arrangement or face bankruptcy. The tail now wags the dog. Democracy serves the military-industrial-complex. Eisenhower was right. Privatization and profit has ruined everything.
Under the watch of the Trump administration, the military-industrial-complex continues to expand aggressively. Its foundation still lies with private military contractors and large energy companies like Exxon-Mobil, but it has also made extensive use of the entertainment and creative industries. Also incorporated into this tangled web of public agencies and military branches are private venture capital firms like In-Q-Tel.
Funded by the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, In-Q-Tel is responsible for finding and funding private intelligence and data mining firms like Palantir Technologies and Recorded Future. Social media monitoring and analysis figures prominently in this novel intersection of national security and private enterprise. According to Christopher Wylie, employees from Palantir Technologies assisted in the development of data-based psychographic models used by Cambridge Analytica to plumb the minds of Facebook users in an apparent effort to influence the 2016 American Presidential election.
This convoluted and complex intersection of public and private industry betrays a form of political money laundering that most Americans have not even begun to wrap their heads around. Taxpayer dollars have been used to fund a not-for-profit venture capital firm (In-Q-Tel) that has seeded the creation and growth of a private intelligence agency (Palantir) that has collaborated with another privately owned company (Cambridge Analytica) to harvest the data of yet another private company (Facebook) to influence the 2016 Presidential election.
To further hammer the point home; both private companies are owned by billionaires who openly supported Donald Trump for the Presidency of the United States. Peter Thiel, the owner of Palantir, and Robert Mercer, the owner of Cambridge Analytica, may not have openly conspired to subvert the electoral process but the effect has been then same. Taken together, these men and the groups they represent, comprise an off-shoot of the military-industrial-complex that is acting in concert to develop and perpetuate their control over every aspect of public life. In doing so, the ideological, material and spiritual wealth of the Republic is expropriated and made to serve them.
This tyranny is evident throughout the Trump administration. Rarely does an hour pass without a Trump tweet or an absurd proclamation designed to refocus the nation’s attention upon Trump. This form of relentless self-promotion not only benefits Trump, but it serves to mask the massive military-industrial-complex hiding in his shadow. The notion of a shining capital upon a hill has given way to a monolithic morass of military overreach. Here lies the real swamp of American greatness and exceptionalism.
For some, Trump is predictably serving Trump, whether we like it or not. Indeed, his incessant tweets and meandering press conferences reflect a man bound by the tyranny of his own unbridled id. For these observers, Trump is simply unfit for the office of the Presidency. Conversely, Trump supporters posit that Trump is just being Trump.
This empty headed declaration, on par with the American expression, “It is what it is”, is precisely the type of uniformed discourse that has come to define American critical thought in recent years. The Urban Dictionary describes the phrase as a business term often used to convey a sense of helplessness. Literally, it means “fuck it”. This type of dismissive and imprecise thinking does not bode well for the country. It does, however, offer a mental salve to the many users who feel decidedly impotent when confronting the twin specter of a Trump administration bound to the military-industrial-complex.
How did we get here and what do we do about it?
It does not require a college degree to recognize the end stages of persistent regulatory capture. The unequal distribution of capital, environmental destruction and severe social dislocation play prominent roles in every country where it exists. George Stigler, esteemed economist and Nobel Prize recipient, makes the following argument in his 1971 book, The Theory of Economic Regulation.
“… as a rule, regulation is acquired by the industry and is designed and operated primarily for its benefit… We propose the general hypothesis: every industry or occupation that has enough political power to utilize the state will seek to control entry. In addition, the regulatory policy will often be so fashioned as to retard the rate of growth of new firms”.
Essentially what Stigler describes is a monopoly validated by the state. Given such a position, why would any organization, dependent upon the continued execution of present day business practices, ever wish to change course? Wikipedia sheds further light on the subject.
“For public choice theorists, regulatory capture occurs because groups or individuals with a high-stakes interest in the outcome of policy or regulatory decisions can be expected to focus their resources and energies in attempting to gain the policy outcomes they prefer, while members of the public, each with only a tiny individual stake in the outcome, will ignore it altogether”.
It’s hard not to conclude that the general public has been disenfranchised by highly organized special interest groups that are capable of spending vast amounts of money to see that their point of view defines the political conversation. In this case “public choice” is a misnomer. Instead, it reflects the similarly twisted linguistic pantheon of Republican concepts like the so-called “right to work law” and “trickle down economics”.
Individuals and publicly funded political organizations do not stand a chance against professionally financed corporate structures intent on furthering the means by which they already dominate a 24/7 political theater. Corporate structures can afford to employ lobbyists, think tanks, research analysts, public relations firms and significant amounts of political advertising to magnify their voice. Look no further than the obscene degree of political fundraising and unparalleled expenditure on advertising costs associated with the upcoming 2020 Presidential election.
The individual voter is at a disadvantage in every arena. He or she is simply drowned out by special interests capable of spending millions to promote their point of view. Recent developments in data mining and the application of social engineering theories further the rich returns available to those with access to this data. Most notably, privately owned corporations that manage and control these data rich platforms are being called to task for their apparent complicity in advancing Donald Trump’s Presidential aspirations. Facebook and Cambridge Analytica stand duly charged. Twitter is not much better.
It should be firmly impressed upon all U.S. citizens that the private control of the power to shape and control the networks by which most individuals communicate is dangerous territory. Serious debate, within the framework of a government unencumbered by corporate influence, otherwise known as regulatory capture, is desperately needed. Public/private cooperation in the creation and development of businesses like In-Q-Tel and Palantir also needs to be addressed. This arrangement, though beneficial to business interests, further blurs the lines of personal privacy and possesses inherent conflict of interest issues brought about by its structure.
Unfortunately, during this transformative time in U.S. history, many Americans find themselves bereft of the tools needed for personal introspection and self-discovery. Computer algorithms, designed to promote consumerism over critical thinking skills have been instrumental in this reorganization of American experience. Instead, we have been forcibly led to believe that doubling down on the use of economic tools to deal with traditional problems of political science will succeed despite the division and social inequality it has fostered. This is the false promise of “public choice”.
Not everyone wants to be fabulously wealthy. Not everyone sees the stock market as the only measure of wealth. There are alternatives to the so-called “disturbing truth” that political leaders, like Donald Trump, simply mirror the selfishness in all of us.
Indeed, it is the collective wish to enshrine our pluralistic democracy upon a shining hill that makes us a better nation. Though merely a dream, this idea of a more perfect union based upon the acceptance of our differences has sustained our country throughout centuries of conflict and political unrest. Clearly, not all politicians are angels, and Washington may indeed resemble a swamp at times, but this is not a reason to stop believing in the concept that binds all Americans to each other — pluralism. The motto of E pluribus unam, Latin for “Out of many, one”, has defined our nation since its beginning. We cannot simply desire to be rich without consideration for those less fortunate. We cannot value some more than others.
It should be made clear to all Americans that the crooked timber of our humanity has been, and will always be, the cornerstone of our ongoing political experiment. We must not aim for perfection in everything we do but seek acceptance of all citizens as our own, unique form of perfection. It is not okay to place blame on recent immigrants, victims of slavery, members of the LGBTQ community or any other defenseless minority, for our own failings. We are all imperfect. Instead, we must strive to reject complacency and the ease of taking solace in the comforts of an illusionary past.
The maintenance of our country requires constant attention. It is an act of selfless devotion, not an act of selfishness. If we are to secure the future, we must stay involved in the development of our country by acquainting ourselves with the important issues of the day, by participating in the electoral system, by volunteering when called upon, and by reckoning with our shared past.
President Trump’s success hinges on the illusion of independence without any acknowledgement of the sacrifice undertaken by our forbears, our parents and the countless civil servants who served our country to the best of their abilities. Our success hinges upon understanding the difference, sharing in the work, and taking responsibility for our mistakes.
It is this action and the motivation behind it that inevitably brings us back around to addressing the implications wrought by the capture of the Presidency. There is a very bold and clear line between believing in something and knowing something. Simply believing in something without knowledge of how or why it exists is merely wishful thinking. The truth is unequivocal. The President is a puppet. Failure to critically examine the means by which the President of the United States has come to office and the means by which he perpetuates his control exhibits both the ignorance and greed belied by the President himself.
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