dailykos--2020-07-19--Anti-Capitalist Meetup -- Far-Left Fascism: The Non-Existent Disorder ...

“ One of their political weapons is `` Cancel Culture '' - driving people from their jobs , shaming dissenters , and demanding total submission from anyone who disagrees .
This is the very definition of totalitarianism , and it is completely alien to our culture and our values , and it has absolutely no place in the United States of America .
This attack on our liberty , our magnificent liberty , must be stopped , and it will be stopped very quickly .
We will expose this dangerous movement , protect our nation 's children , end this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American way of life .
In our schools , our newsrooms , even our corporate boardrooms , there is a new far-left fascism that demands absolute allegiance .
If you do not speak its language , perform its rituals , recite its mantras , and follow its commandments , then you will be censored , banished , blacklisted , persecuted , and punished .
It 's not going to happen to us .
This left-wing cultural revolution is designed to overthrow the American Revolution .
In so doing , they would destroy the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , disease , violence , and hunger , and that lifted humanity to new heights of achievement , discovery , and progress.
” Donald Trump ’ s speech at Mount Rushmore ; 4th of July 2020 As I watched the coronavirus pandemic spread globally and the resulting global economic crisis my only thoughts were that Trump would run his re-election campaign based on divide and rule and trying to create a white-backlash – it was an obvious deduction and I claim no powers of divination ( think of that as a good thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the worst thing that can happen while praying to non-existent gods that hopefully I am wrong ) .
While granting the peculiarities of some of the far-right in the US in their abhorrence of the idea of a central government ; there is as much need to debunk the idea of far-left fascism as there is to debunk the existence of unicorns that fart rainbows .
Unfortunately , there was little else left for Trump to run his campaign on and to keep “ his base ” happy ; his use of racist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and throughout his Presidency were constant .
In many situations , the dog whistles were jettisoned for clear unabashed racism .
With all other avenues rapidly closing , the racism , misogyny , homophobia and transphobia that have characterised his political life are the only thing he has left in his toolbox that he can use to try to win re-election .
Whilst he also absurdly still has been touting his amazing handling of the pandemic ( he has saved millions of lives in his mind ) , he and his sycophants are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; even worse his idiotic insistence of trying to make wearing masks part of a political struggle against the evil forces trying to bring down the great American democracy ( and both he and his supporters complete lack of understanding of their constitutional rights – no offense but there is a notion of social responsibility built into the Bill of Rights ) has enabled a virus whose only raison d'être is to find host bodies to keep on spreading .
Trump ’ s other fantasy that the global economic crisis would be rapidly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we bounce right back ) if only the economy was allowed to re-open is yet another pipe dream which is rapidly collapsing in the face of the further spread of the virus brought on by far too early opening of the economy in many states .
The protest movement of “ really good people who were just angry ” who opposed wearing masks and protested with neither masks nor social distancing ( but of course they were armed with various types of weaponry ) was not only encouraged by Trump but they also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were opposed to opening up the economy for fears of spreading the pandemic .
Making wearing masks a form of political protest essentially served his agenda of trying to get the various state economies opened up in the hope of perhaps an amazing revival of his political fortunes .
The irresponsibility of some state governors and officials who have happily marched in line with Trump has not only endangered the people that actually reside in the states they “ govern ; ” given that the phrase “ shelter at home ” seems to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has also meant that community spread has crossed into other states as well .
It seems that some basic lessons have still not been learned and rather than worry about a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in the autumn we are now facing the reality of the first wave continuing to slam its way through the US .
Trump is not just some cynical politician trying to whip up racism as a divide and rule tactic ; Trump is a racist and that has both created and , is maintaining , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
From his early days of his comments calling for the execution of the Central Park 5 in a rape case to his demands to see President Obama ’ s birth certificate , he has clearly gone beyond racist dog-whistles favoured by many mainstream politicians trying to create divisions .
These are clear racist positions with strong undertones – including the idea that blacks are violent rapists and that Obama could not have been born in the US as he has a Muslim name ( and hence he can not be an American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could not be President if born outside of the US ) , this was beyond that trying to create an idea of a white supremacist America where black Americans can not be President .
Moreover , Trump is part of a global revival of the far right that is happening around the world ; so unfortunately Trump has a lot of company spreading hatred and division .
He is a great fan of right-wing and religious nationalists and authoritarian right-wing leaders – from Modi ( India ) to Duerte Philippines ) , from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hungary ) , Duda ( Poland ) and Netanyahu ( Israel ) ; his allies include those in power and those who share his ideology ( e.g.
, Farage and Salvini ) .
His hatred of the “ other ” which underlies his racism is perhaps the only form of equality he favours often comparing those that he considers “ others ” to rats and vermin .
In his first Presidential campaign and during his presidency he has accused Mexicans of being rapists ( that is a favourite of white supremacists ) and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people coming to the US from Muslim majority countries , he has attacked both immigrants and migrants as vermin and tried to prevent their coming to the US — his administration has separated children from their parents — this is despite international obligations towards refugees ( and the US historical and current role in making their countries unsafe in the first place ) .
Being born in the US does not protect you from Trump ’ s attacks .
This is because if you do not fit into his narrow idea of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you are fair game ; Native Americans , Blacks , Latinx , Muslims and Jews have all been the subjects of his tirades .
The rapid responses to antisemitic and other racists attacks was a wonderful demonstration of solidarity across religions , cultures , and ethnicities and the defense of refugees and migrants under threat has threatened Trump ’ s attacks on the oppressed ; there is nothing more frightening to right-wing racists than solidarity between people .
Not all of these people are on the left by any means ; many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rule and actually support the elimination of oppression as part of the tenets of their religions and ethical beliefs – they believe that the actions of the US should actually match its ideology .
The Revival of the Left The revival of the American left preceded Donald Trump by several years , think of the Occupy movement and the first BLM protests ; but when those occupations folded the left did not disappear .
The global ecological crisis united young people around the world ( and while much of that is apolitical ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that movement as a threat ) .
BLM and M4BL have been organising at the grass-roots level from 2014 and have done an amazing job building the anti-racist movement – their reach extends beyond communities as well and has produced a fantastic amount of educational and political literature .
The prison abolition movement has also been incredibly influential for BLM – it is from the abolition movement that calls for defund , disband , and dismantle the police arise ; “ criminal justice ” policies of punitive justice and incarceration in which racial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police departments in which disproportionately large numbers of black people have become the victims of the school to prison pipeline .
Black Lives Matter protests have spread across the country and internationally and have been continuing since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis MN .
But , in many senses Trump ’ s actions while in office have furthered the rise of the left ; it has not come out of nowhere and oppressed minorities and younger people have responded to a rising right-wing threat both in the US ( and internationally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent focus on the left to his list of un-American Americans who are threatening to undermine American democracy .
Trump has form against the left ; his insistence in his comment on the protests at Charlottesville that “ there are many fine people on both sides ” was not only a defense of fascists and white supremacists ; it was an equation between them and anti-fascist ( antifa ) protesters .
This theme of “ very fine people ” describing fascists and far-right protesters was also used to defend the armed anti-mask protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Democratic governors .
Several times at his campaign stops he has attempted to place the left as those responsible for the BLM protests and the attack against American values .
What is underlying these statements is what is important ; a Black-led movement fighting against systemic racism with support of allies has been “ hijacked by the left.
” This is important as it assumes that young people of all ethnicities can not work to transform the societies we live in because they actually believe that white supremacy and the criminal justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no , it is because left-wing infiltrators have subverted or are behind this movement .
This denies the agency of people in this movement and is essentially fundamentally racist .
This places ( or revives ) the idea that the left itself is not of American society they are “ other ” ( while , of course , the far right and fascists are good Americans ) .
His attacks against anti-racists and anti-fascists have enabled and given succour to both rising fascist and white supremacist movements in the US .
When Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history ” and that he will protect and preserve it ; what he is actually referring to is American white supremacy , he is referring to its history of racism : both slavery and genocide .
In his July 4th speech at Mount Rushmore , Trump unleashed a broad attack on the left .
We should be grateful that he did not use the favoured fascist phrase Cultural Marxism as the cause behind the threat to our country ; but this still underlies much of his comments .
The threat against “ our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and let ’ s not forget the indoctrination of our innocent young people is an almost classic far-right screed and has been the defining basis of attacks by the far-right on the left — read this , if you want , as a two-fold attack : on the one hand , he defines American history as “ sacred ” and secondly it accuses anyone holding a position against that as closet Marxists and anarchists and do not forget “ un-Americans.
” This is nothing less than a revival of the cold war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of evil and hidden Marxists combined with the sacredness of “ American history ” ; this is nothing less than extolling the exceptional eternal history of the US .
What is fascinating is that throughout the speech at Mt Rushmore , he discusses the contributions of black Americans to American society and history .
The shift in the nature of his campaign is important as he has now put the blame for all the protests on un-American leftists rather than acknowledging that black people ( and their allies ) have had more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting away with the murder of black people , the disproportionate incarceration of black Americans and the systemic racism that pervades the economic , social and political conditions of the US – instead he is saying that all the BLM protesters all over the US ( and internationally for that matter ) are dupes of a dangerous ( external in the sense of American ideology ) left-wing agenda trying the destroy the most exceptional nation on earth .
This is one more trick of divide and rule which he hopes will work by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Anarchists — who are of course “ far-left fascists ” who are behind the attack on America .
While we have long become used to Trump calling opponents what he is ( e.g.
, calling people of colour racists when they criticise him ) this one actually makes no sense unless you are living in a country which has no idea of what fascism and fascists are ( but knows that they are bad because we fought them in WWII so they must be the bad guys but who knows perhaps they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Franco were fascists ) .
He continued this theme at his Salute to America 4th of July speech at the White House and this time not only alludes to a “ cultural revolution ” ( that ’ s how we know he didn ’ t write the speech at Mount Rushmore , it is doubtful he knows what the “ cultural revolution ” actually was ) but explicitly states that they are “ the radical left , Marxists , anarchists , agitators ” and of course … “ the looters ” : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July , Trump threatened action against the spread of this evil group and its ideology which is trying to destroy America itself .
The question that obviously now needs to be asked is who is the biggest threat to American democracy and America itself ?
In this instance ( hopefully ) , Trump wins by a landslide .
What we are seeing in Portland Oregon where protests have been continuing since the murder of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin of the Minneapolis police on the 25th of May is the fulfillment of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of July .
What we are seeing is in many senses the beginning salvo against the left that Trump promised in both speeches .
That these are the actions of a dictator not the President of a country in which freedom of protest and assembly is enshrined in its “ sacred ” constitution tells us exactly where the threat to the US is coming from and it is not the anti-racist protesters .
Trump ( with the help of temporary secretary of the Dept .
of Homeland Security Chad Wolfe and AG Barr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Agents to Portland including Customs and Border Control dispatched from the Mexican Border ( who are wearing camouflage with full face coverings and operating without identifying insignia ) , the Federal Protection Service , the US Marshal service and those wearing uniforms of Homeland Security to ostensibly “ Protect Federal Property ” in Portland .
Protesters have been attacked with teargas , federal agents are driving unmarked vehicles and protesters have been seized off the street and arrested and held without probable cause and due process , on the 11th July , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a member of the US Marshal ’ s service using a less-lethal round ( he was critically injured ) .
The reality ( and deep concern ) that the Portland police are working with the federal agents ( and they have already been extremely violent against protesters before the Federal agents entered the picture ) is creating additional problems and exacerbating the situation along with violating the civil rights ( guaranteed in his beloved constitution ) of protesters .
The Governor of Oregon Kate Brown and the Mayor of Portland Ted Wheeler have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Portland ( or Wheeler added “ kept inside Federal Buildings ” ) ; the Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum has said she will file a lawsuit in Federal court against these Federal agencies for violation of the civil rights of Oregonians for detention without probable cause .
Defeating Trump is essential as the threat against our civil rights that we have been waiting for is here ; his attempt to revive the accusations of the cold war that the left is a foreign influence on the US is as dangerous as it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ send all the American right-wing ( in all its manifestations ) back to the caves from which they escaped requires solidarity and unity in the face of this threat – we must stand together to oppose the spread of hate and division .
Only solidarity can stop this threat !
We have now reached the point where sitting on the fence hoping that the nightmare just disappears simply means that you have abandoned everyone facing repression and fighting against oppression to fight their own battles while denying that it is also your battle @ @ @ @ @

“One of their political weapons is "Cancel Culture" - driving people from their jobs, shaming dissenters, and demanding total submission from anyone who disagrees. This is the very definition of totalitarianism, and it is completely alien to our culture and our values, and it has absolutely no place in the United States of America. This attack on our liberty, our magnificent liberty, must be stopped, and it will be stopped very quickly. We will expose this dangerous movement, protect our nation's children, end this radical assault, and preserve our beloved American way of life. In our schools, our newsrooms, even our corporate boardrooms, there is a new far-left fascism that demands absolute allegiance. If you do not speak its language, perform its rituals, recite its mantras, and follow its commandments, then you will be censored, banished, blacklisted, persecuted, and punished. It's not going to happen to us. This left-wing cultural revolution is designed to overthrow the American Revolution. In so doing, they would destroy the very civilization that rescued billions from poverty, disease, violence, and hunger, and that lifted humanity to new heights of achievement, discovery, and progress.”
Donald Trump’s speech at Mount Rushmore; 4th of July 2020
As I watched the coronavirus pandemic spread globally and the resulting global economic crisis my only thoughts were that Trump would run his re-election campaign based on divide and rule and trying to create a white-backlash – it was an obvious deduction and I claim no powers of divination (think of that as a good thing as I often sit postulating what is the worst thing that can happen while praying to non-existent gods that hopefully I am wrong).
While granting the peculiarities of some of the far-right in the US in their abhorrence of the idea of a central government; there is as much need to debunk the idea of far-left fascism as there is to debunk the existence of unicorns that fart rainbows.
Unfortunately, there was little else left for Trump to run his campaign on and to keep “his base” happy; his use of racist dog-whistles throughout his initial candidacy for President and throughout his Presidency were constant. In many situations, the dog whistles were jettisoned for clear unabashed racism. With all other avenues rapidly closing, the racism, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia that have characterised his political life are the only thing he has left in his toolbox that he can use to try to win re-election.
Whilst he also absurdly still has been touting his amazing handling of the pandemic (he has saved millions of lives in his mind), he and his sycophants are the only people that may believe that; even worse his idiotic insistence of trying to make wearing masks part of a political struggle against the evil forces trying to bring down the great American democracy (and both he and his supporters complete lack of understanding of their constitutional rights – no offense but there is a notion of social responsibility built into the Bill of Rights) has enabled a virus whose only raison d'être is to find host bodies to keep on spreading.
Trump’s other fantasy that the global economic crisis would be rapidly overcome (that famous v-shaped curve where we bounce right back) if only the economy was allowed to re-open is yet another pipe dream which is rapidly collapsing in the face of the further spread of the virus brought on by far too early opening of the economy in many states.
The protest movement of “really good people who were just angry” who opposed wearing masks and protested with neither masks nor social distancing (but of course they were armed with various types of weaponry) was not only encouraged by Trump but they also were used to pressurise democratic governors who were opposed to opening up the economy for fears of spreading the pandemic.
Making wearing masks a form of political protest essentially served his agenda of trying to get the various state economies opened up in the hope of perhaps an amazing revival of his political fortunes. The irresponsibility of some state governors and officials who have happily marched in line with Trump has not only endangered the people that actually reside in the states they “govern;” given that the phrase “shelter at home” seems to be beyond the ken of many people it has also meant that community spread has crossed into other states as well. It seems that some basic lessons have still not been learned and rather than worry about a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in the autumn we are now facing the reality of the first wave continuing to slam its way through the US.
Trump is not just some cynical politician trying to whip up racism as a divide and rule tactic; Trump is a racist and that has both created and, is maintaining, an incredibly dangerous situation in the US. From his early days of his comments calling for the execution of the Central Park 5 in a rape case to his demands to see President Obama’s birth certificate, he has clearly gone beyond racist dog-whistles favoured by many mainstream politicians trying to create divisions. These are clear racist positions with strong undertones – including the idea that blacks are violent rapists and that Obama could not have been born in the US as he has a Muslim name (and hence he cannot be an American – it was not only that he could not be President if born outside of the US), this was beyond that trying to create an idea of a white supremacist America where black Americans cannot be President.
Moreover, Trump is part of a global revival of the far right that is happening around the world; so unfortunately Trump has a lot of company spreading hatred and division. He is a great fan of right-wing and religious nationalists and authoritarian right-wing leaders – from Modi (India) to Duerte Philippines), from Bolsonaro (Brazil), Orbán (Hungary), Duda (Poland)and Netanyahu (Israel) ;his allies include those in power and those who share his ideology (e.g., Farage and Salvini).
His hatred of the “other” which underlies his racism is perhaps the only form of equality he favours often comparing those that he considers “others” to rats and vermin. In his first Presidential campaign and during his presidency he has accused Mexicans of being rapists (that is a favourite of white supremacists) and criminals, he has tried to ban people coming to the US from Muslim majority countries, he has attacked both immigrants and migrants as vermin and tried to prevent their coming to the US — his administration has separated children from their parents — this is despite international obligations towards refugees (and the US historical and current role in making their countries unsafe in the first place). Being born in the US does not protect you from Trump’s attacks. This is because if you do not fit into his narrow idea of what a “good” American is then you are fair game; Native Americans, Blacks, Latinx, Muslims and Jews have all been the subjects of his tirades.
The rapid responses to antisemitic and other racists attacks was a wonderful demonstration of solidarity across religions, cultures, and ethnicities and the defense of refugees and migrants under threat has threatened Trump’s attacks on the oppressed; there is nothing more frightening to right-wing racists than solidarity between people. Not all of these people are on the left by any means; many of them are people that oppose divide and rule and actually support the elimination of oppression as part of the tenets of their religions and ethical beliefs – they believe that the actions of the US should actually match its ideology.
The Revival of the Left
The revival of the American left preceded Donald Trump by several years, think of the Occupy movement and the first BLM protests; but when those occupations folded the left did not disappear. The global ecological crisis united young people around the world (and while much of that is apolitical; the powerful fossil fuel industry correctly views that movement as a threat). BLM and M4BL have been organising at the grass-roots level from 2014 and have done an amazing job building the anti-racist movement – their reach extends beyond communities as well and has produced a fantastic amount of educational and political literature. The prison abolition movement has also been incredibly influential for BLM – it is from the abolition movement that calls for defund, disband, and dismantle the police arise; “criminal justice” policies of punitive justice and incarceration in which racial profiling, police brutality and militarisation of police departments in which disproportionately large numbers of black people have become the victims of the school to prison pipeline. Black Lives Matter protests have spread across the country and internationally and have been continuing since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis MN.
But, in many senses Trump’s actions while in office have furthered the rise of the left; it has not come out of nowhere and oppressed minorities and younger people have responded to a rising right-wing threat both in the US (and internationally). This has led to the recent focus on the left to his list of un-American Americans who are threatening to undermine American democracy.
Trump has form against the left; his insistence in his comment on the protests at Charlottesville that “there are many fine people on both sides” was not only a defense of fascists and white supremacists; it was an equation between them and anti-fascist (antifa) protesters. This theme of “very fine people” describing fascists and far-right protesters was also used to defend the armed anti-mask protesters in several states in the US run by Democratic governors. Several times at his campaign stops he has attempted to place the left as those responsible for the BLM protests and the attack against American values. What is underlying these statements is what is important; a Black-led movement fighting against systemic racism with support of allies has been “hijacked by the left.”
This is important as it assumes that young people of all ethnicities cannot work to transform the societies we live in because they actually believe that white supremacy and the criminal justice is systemically racist on their own; no, it is because left-wing infiltrators have subverted or are behind this movement. This denies the agency of people in this movement and is essentially fundamentally racist. This places (or revives) the idea that the left itself is not of American society they are “other” (while, of course, the far right and fascists are good Americans). His attacks against anti-racists and anti-fascists have enabled and given succour to both rising fascist and white supremacist movements in the US. When Trump talks about the “glories of American history” and that he will protect and preserve it; what he is actually referring to is American white supremacy, he is referring to its history of racism: both slavery and genocide.
In his July 4th speech at Mount Rushmore, Trump unleashed a broad attack on the left. We should be grateful that he did not use the favoured fascist phrase Cultural Marxism as the cause behind the threat to our country; but this still underlies much of his comments. The threat against “our history, our heroes, our values” and let’s not forget the indoctrination of our innocent young people is an almost classic far-right screed and has been the defining basis of attacks by the far-right on the left — read this, if you want, as a two-fold attack: on the one hand, he defines American history as “sacred” and secondly it accuses anyone holding a position against that as closet Marxists and anarchists and do not forget “un-Americans.”
This is nothing less than a revival of the cold war “Red Scares” ideology describing hoards of evil and hidden Marxists combined with the sacredness of “American history”; this is nothing less than extolling the exceptional eternal history of the US. What is fascinating is that throughout the speech at Mt Rushmore, he discusses the contributions of black Americans to American society and history. The shift in the nature of his campaign is important as he has now put the blame for all the protests on un-American leftists rather than acknowledging that black people (and their allies) have had more than enough of police brutality, police literally getting away with the murder of black people, the disproportionate incarceration of black Americans and the systemic racism that pervades the economic, social and political conditions of the US – instead he is saying that all the BLM protesters all over the US (and internationally for that matter) are dupes of a dangerous (external in the sense of American ideology) left-wing agenda trying the destroy the most exceptional nation on earth.
This is one more trick of divide and rule which he hopes will work by uniting everyone against the evil hidden Marxists and Anarchists — who are of course “far-left fascists” who are behind the attack on America. While we have long become used to Trump calling opponents what he is (e.g., calling people of colour racists when they criticise him) this one actually makes no sense unless you are living in a country which has no idea of what fascism and fascists are (but knows that they are bad because we fought them in WWII so they must be the bad guys but who knows perhaps they no longer teach that Hitler, Mussolini and Franco were fascists).
“Our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children. […] Angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our Founders, deface our most sacred memorials, and unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities. Many of these people have no idea why they are doing this, but some know exactly what they are doing. They think the American people are weak and soft and submissive. But no, the American people are strong and proud, and they will not allow our country, and all of its values, history, and culture, to be taken from them.” Donald Trump’s speech at Mount Rushmore; 4th of July 2020
He continued this theme at his Salute to America 4th of July speech at the White House and this time not only alludes to a “cultural revolution” (that’s how we know he didn’t write the speech at Mount Rushmore, it is doubtful he knows what the “cultural revolution” actually was) but explicitly states that they are “the radical left, Marxists ,anarchists, agitators” and of course … “the looters”:
“We are now in the process of defeating the radical left, the Marxists, the anarchists, the agitators, the looters, and people who, in many instances, have absolutely no clue what they are doing.”
In his speeches on the 4th of July, Trump threatened action against the spread of this evil group and its ideology which is trying to destroy America itself. The question that obviously now needs to be asked is who is the biggest threat to American democracy and America itself? In this instance (hopefully), Trump wins by a landslide.
Portland, Oregon
What we are seeing in Portland Oregon where protests have been continuing since the murder of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin of the Minneapolis police on the 25th of May is the fulfillment of his threat in the speeches on the 4th of July. What we are seeing is in many senses the beginning salvo against the left that Trump promised in both speeches. That these are the actions of a dictator not the President of a country in which freedom of protest and assembly is enshrined in its “sacred”constitution tells us exactly where the threat to the US is coming from and it is not the anti-racist protesters.
Trump (with the help of temporary secretary of the Dept. of Homeland Security Chad Wolfe and AG Barr) has dispatched several groups of Federal Agents to Portland including Customs and Border Control dispatched from the Mexican Border (who are wearing camouflage with full face coverings and operating without identifying insignia), the Federal Protection Service, the US Marshal service and those wearing uniforms of Homeland Security to ostensibly “Protect Federal Property” in Portland. Protesters have been attacked with teargas, federal agents are driving unmarked vehicles and protesters have been seized off the street and arrested and held without probable cause and due process, on the 11th July, one protester was wounded in the head by a member of the US Marshal’s service using a less-lethal round (he was critically injured). The reality (and deep concern) that the Portland police are working with the federal agents (and they have already been extremely violent against protesters before the Federal agents entered the picture) is creating additional problems and exacerbating the situation along with violating the civil rights (guaranteed in his beloved constitution) of protesters.
The Governor of Oregon Kate Brown and the Mayor of Portland Ted Wheeler have demanded that the federal officers be removed from Portland (or Wheeler added “kept inside Federal Buildings”); the Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum has said she will file a lawsuit in Federal court against these Federal agencies for violation of the civil rights of Oregonians for detention without probable cause.
Defeating Trump is essential as the threat against our civil rights that we have been waiting for is here; his attempt to revive the accusations of the cold war that the left is a foreign influence on the US is as dangerous as it is fallacious. To defeat Trump and send all the American right-wing (in all its manifestations) back to the caves from which they escaped requires solidarity and unity in the face of this threat – we must stand together to oppose the spread of hate and division. Only solidarity can stop this threat! We have now reached the point where sitting on the fence hoping that the nightmare just disappears simply means that you have abandoned everyone facing repression and fighting against oppression to fight their own battles while denying that it is also your battle. Silence is complicity!


dailykos--2020-07-20--Debbie Mayfield has no ideas of her own.

So far in my campaign for State Senate District 17 in Florida , I haven ’ t really had the opportunity to engage in any way with my opponent Senator Mayfield outside of the occasional Tweet or Facebook message responding to what few policy actions she has taken recently .
Yesterday my campaign showed me a clip of Senator Mayfield at a speaking engagement on July 3rd for the Republican Liberty Caucus ( in the middle of a pandemic I might add ) .
In this particular clip the senator talks about a “ Nasty general election ” with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on “ The Twitter ” .
I went through several thoughts while listening to this… Have I been nasty ?
I said from the very beginning I didn ’ t want to play a dirty campaign against my opponent ; no direct personal blasts , just highlighting differences in policies ; I am not about running against someone , I am trying to highlight what I am running for… Then it hit me ; she isn ’ t running for anything , she has no issues .
Has no one really questioned her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
If you haven ’ t had the pleasure , I suggest taking a look at her website .
Under the issues heading , she has 9 headings with roughly three or less sentences describing her “ issues ” ...
Frankly , some of them we agree on , like stopping common core and saving our lagoons .
Noble causes to be sure , but when you read her issues you come to realize they have no substance ; what are you specifically going to do ?
Most of these issues aren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talking points .
In fact , other than the above comments , the only other mention of politics she made were “ If Donald Trump isn ’ t reelected I am fearful for our country ” .
I ’ m sorry Senator , but your preferred Presidential candidate isn ’ t policy .
Donald J. Trump being president is not going to dramatically alter the problems faced by our community here at home .
I finally saw it , Senator Mayfield is merely running as a “ Republican ” , much like Governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highlighted his connection to the president .
I researched issues the have a profound effect on Florida , Senator Mayfield says “ vote for me , I am a Replublican ” .
It ’ s time to elect a candidate who is of the people and for the people , not beholden to party nonsense .
It ’ s time to elect a candidate who has sound , specific policy points trying to improve the lives of all floridians , not someone who resorts to name-calls because she can ’ t defend her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Choose Progress , and the first step is on November 3rd .
The choice seems pretty clear to me .
Was that too Nasty ?

By: Scot Fretwell
Candidate for State Senate Florida District 17
So far in my campaign for State Senate District 17 in Florida, I haven’t really had the opportunity to engage in any way with my opponent Senator Mayfield outside of the occasional Tweet or Facebook message responding to what few policy actions she has taken recently.
Yesterday my campaign showed me a clip of Senator Mayfield at a speaking engagement on July 3rd for the Republican Liberty Caucus (in the middle of a pandemic I might add). In this particular clip the senator talks about a “Nasty general election” with a “Democrat running a Nasy campaign” on “The Twitter”.
I went through several thoughts while listening to this… Have I been nasty? I said from the very beginning I didn’t want to play a dirty campaign against my opponent; no direct personal blasts, just highlighting differences in policies; I am not about running against someone, I am trying to highlight what I am running for…
Then it hit me; she isn’t running for anything, she has no issues. Has no one really questioned her or her campaign for her policy failures? If you haven’t had the pleasure, I suggest taking a look at her website. Under the issues heading, she has 9 headings with roughly three or less sentences describing her “issues”... Frankly, some of them we agree on, like stopping common core and saving our lagoons. Noble causes to be sure, but when you read her issues you come to realize they have no substance; what are you specifically going to do? Most of these issues aren’t even really issues, just Republican talking points.
In fact, other than the above comments, the only other mention of politics she made were “If Donald Trump isn’t reelected I am fearful for our country”. I’m sorry Senator, but your preferred Presidential candidate isn’t policy. Donald J. Trump being president is not going to dramatically alter the problems faced by our community here at home.
I finally saw it, Senator Mayfield is merely running as a “Republican”, much like Governor Ron DeSantis ran a campaign that only highlighted his connection to the president. I researched issues the have a profound effect on Florida, Senator Mayfield says “vote for me, I am a Replublican”.
It’s time to elect a candidate who is of the people and for the people, not beholden to party nonsense. It’s time to elect a candidate who has sound, specific policy points trying to improve the lives of all floridians , not someone who resorts to name-calls because she can’t defend her track record.
It’s time to Choose Progress, and the first step is on November 3rd. The choice seems pretty clear to me.
Was that too Nasty?


dailykos--2020-07-19--I Know What 'Law and Order'Means

I Know What 'Law and Order'Means

’ d gone a few weeks without being too furious at Donald Trump .
Because he ’ d recently shown himself to be wholly unfit for the office he currently holds , his campaign for reelection — exemplified by his failure to draw a crowd for a campaign rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma — was flailing , and the very conservative Supreme Court had upheld DACA ( Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ) and protected abortion rights for women in Louisiana .
Donald Trump and his administration were on an epic losing streak .
It is becoming clear to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an ineffectual loser , and a cankerous sore on the undercarriage of the country .
This perspective is currently being reflected in recent polls , which show his support collapsing beneath the weight of his myriad number of failures .
Additional polls also showed him trailing badly in head-to-head matchups with former Vice President Joe Biden .
As we approached the third week of July , 2020 , I was bathing in schadenfreude as I watched the bumbling and clueless Trump , the future one term and worst ever president , fail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And with less than four months left remaining until the national election , possessed with the knowledge that Donald Trump could not do any better — the man is incapable of learning from his mistakes — I was infused with new hope and anticipation of his ultimate defeat .
We just need to survive the next few months and then he ’ ll finally be gone .
I was looking forward to the advent of the weekend .
Then Trump launched another attack against our country on a late Friday afternoon .
Through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commute the prison sentence of one of his favorite henchmen , Roger Stone .
I felt my eyes bulge through their sockets as I scrolled and read through the dozens of the hastily written breaking news articles about a true American villain .
Roger Stone , a Trump lobbyist and political aid , had been convicted of seven counts of felonious crimes by a jury of his peers .
Those crimes were witness tampering , obstruction of an official proceeding , and making false statements .
Stone was set to begin a three-year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last minute to save his homeboy .
I tossed my cell phone onto the floor after I ’ d absorbed my fill of articles about Trump and Roger Stone for the night .
Because even though I knew Trump to be a laughing stock , a pariah , and an abject failure of a human being , he was still the president .
He was still the most powerful man on earth .
He was still very dangerous .
He still garnered the support of a full forty percent of registered American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind reverted back to the first time I watched George Floyd , a black man , struggle for breath while pinned beneath the knee of Minneapolis police officer , Derek Chauvin .
My mouth hung open as Floyd , sensing his own life being slowly drained away , begged for mercy with his last few breaths , exclaiming “ I can ’ t breathe , ” over and over again .
Floyd kept fighting for air .
Horrified bystanders pleaded for the attending officers to advance mercy onto George .
However , Chauvin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , disregarded Floyd ’ s entreaties .
Floyd called out for his mother before ultimately succumbing to the unrelenting pressure being impressed upon him by Chauvin .
Why did George Floyd die ?
Apparently , he tried to pass a counterfeit twenty-dollar bill at a convenient store .
Later on that morning , I thought about humans being housed in deplorable places for the simple crime of seeking an escape from violence and death .
Thousands of these humans — most of them Latino — are squeezed into cages like sardines in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nor allowed to bathe , sleep on unforgiving floors at night , and are fed rancid food and toilet water .
Some were separated from their children — many were babies — at the southern border .
During lunch time I was chewing my food with more force than usual , as images of Donald Trump ’ s forceful defense of white nationalist groups filtered themselves into my brain .
A week after Trump bragged about his scandalous Stone commutation , I ’ ve come across shocking reports which detail instances of federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in unmarked cars to kidnap peaceful protestors .
The governor of Oregon and the Mayor of Portland did not sanction these scurrilous kidnappings , but Trump and Attorney General William Barr don ’ t seem to care .
First it was Washington D.C. , where at the behest of Trump and his attorney general , peaceful protestors and news reporters were attacked by armored police in favor of a photo opportunity for Trump .
And now Trump is given his secret police a trial run in the great northwestern section of America .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
They were/are marching in opposition of the systematic racism that plagues the United States of America .
Just recently , I woke up very early to watch cable news .
A clip of Trump ’ s outdoor press conference was playing .
I wiped the crust from my eyes , reached for my glasses , and settled in to absorb the next outrage .
Trump stepped behind the lectern to speak before a group of journalists .
I didn ’ t feel the urge to hurl or throw things at the screen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , but I am able to watch Donald Trump now .
In addition to answering questions from the press during the conference , he spouted nonsense , accusing Vice President Biden of plotting to “ destroy ” the suburbs if he were elected .
“ Your home will go down in value and crime rates will rapidly rise , ” Trump said .
This was of course a blatant appeal to the sensibilities of white suburbanites , many of whom are deserting Trump for Biden because Trump has proven to be an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He was exhorting white suburban voters to hate their black and brown neighbors .
I snorted like a raging bull .
I know what Trump means when he says law and order .
Trump wants to be remembered as the man who turned back the clock .
He wants confererate flags to fly across the country .
He wants African Americans , Latinos , and Muslims to live in fear of reprisal from a corrupt government led by him .
He wants all women to completely abdicate their right to self-determination .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christian man would be limited in their life pursuits because they were born a certain color or gender .
He wants the brutal expulsion of every black and brown migrant and refugee from his country .
He wants those who oppose him and his agenda to feel his wrath through the arm of his police force .
That ’ s Trump ’ s idea of law .
That ’ s his idea of order .
I ’ m sure that most Trump supporters would agree with me .

’d gone a few weeks without being too furious at Donald Trump.
Because he’d recently shown himself to be wholly unfit for the office he currently holds, his campaign for reelection — exemplified by his failure to draw a crowd for a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma — was flailing, and the very conservative Supreme Court had upheld DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and protected abortion rights for women in Louisiana. Donald Trump and his administration were on an epic losing streak.
It is becoming clear to a strong majority of Americans that Donald Trump is an ineffectual loser, and a cankerous sore on the undercarriage of the country. This perspective is currently being reflected in recent polls, which show his support collapsing beneath the weight of his myriad number of failures. Additional polls also showed him trailing badly in head-to-head matchups with former Vice President Joe Biden.
As we approached the third week of July, 2020, I was bathing in schadenfreude as I watched the bumbling and clueless Trump, the future one term and worst ever president, fail over and over and over again. And with less than four months left remaining until the national election, possessed with the knowledge that Donald Trump could not do any better — the man is incapable of learning from his mistakes — I was infused with new hope and anticipation of his ultimate defeat. We just need to survive the next few months and then he’ll finally be gone. I was looking forward to the advent of the weekend.
Then Trump launched another attack against our country on a late Friday afternoon. Through Twitter, he announced his intention to commute the prison sentence of one of his favorite henchmen, Roger Stone.
I felt my eyes bulge through their sockets as I scrolled and read through the dozens of the hastily written breaking news articles about a true American villain. Roger Stone, a Trump lobbyist and political aid, had been convicted of seven counts of felonious crimes by a jury of his peers. Those crimes were witness tampering, obstruction of an official proceeding, and making false statements. Stone was set to begin a three-year prison term before Trump stepped in at the last minute to save his homeboy.
I tossed my cell phone onto the floor after I’d absorbed my fill of articles about Trump and Roger Stone for the night. Because even though I knew Trump to be a laughing stock, a pariah, and an abject failure of a human being, he was still the president. He was still the most powerful man on earth. He was still very dangerous. He still garnered the support of a full forty percent of registered American voters.
Early next morning, my mind reverted back to the first time I watched George Floyd, a black man, struggle for breath while pinned beneath the knee of Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin. My mouth hung open as Floyd, sensing his own life being slowly drained away, begged for mercy with his last few breaths, exclaiming “I can’t breathe,” over and over again. Floyd kept fighting for air. Horrified bystanders pleaded for the attending officers to advance mercy onto George. However, Chauvin, along with the three other officers, disregarded Floyd’s entreaties. Floyd called out for his mother before ultimately succumbing to the unrelenting pressure being impressed upon him by Chauvin. Why did George Floyd die? Apparently, he tried to pass a counterfeit twenty-dollar bill at a convenient store.
Later on that morning, I thought about humans being housed in deplorable places for the simple crime of seeking an escape from violence and death. Thousands of these humans — most of them Latino — are squeezed into cages like sardines in a can. They are not given toothbrushes nor allowed to bathe, sleep on unforgiving floors at night, and are fed rancid food and toilet water. Some were separated from their children — many were babies — at the southern border.
During lunch time I was chewing my food with more force than usual, as images of Donald Trump’s forceful defense of white nationalist groups filtered themselves into my brain.
***
A week after Trump bragged about his scandalous Stone commutation, I’ve come across shocking reports which detail instances of federal police driving throughout the city of Portland in unmarked cars to kidnap peaceful protestors. The governor of Oregon and the Mayor of Portland did not sanction these scurrilous kidnappings, but Trump and Attorney General William Barr don’t seem to care. First it was Washington D.C., where at the behest of Trump and his attorney general, peaceful protestors and news reporters were attacked by armored police in favor of a photo opportunity for Trump. And now Trump is given his secret police a trial run in the great northwestern section of America.
What do these protestors have in common? They were/are marching in opposition of the systematic racism that plagues the United States of America.
Just recently, I woke up very early to watch cable news. A clip of Trump’s outdoor press conference was playing. I wiped the crust from my eyes, reached for my glasses, and settled in to absorb the next outrage. Trump stepped behind the lectern to speak before a group of journalists. I didn’t feel the urge to hurl or throw things at the screen. It’s taken a long time, but I am able to watch Donald Trump now.
In addition to answering questions from the press during the conference, he spouted nonsense, accusing Vice President Biden of plotting to “destroy” the suburbs if he were elected. “Your home will go down in value and crime rates will rapidly rise,” Trump said. This was of course a blatant appeal to the sensibilities of white suburbanites, many of whom are deserting Trump for Biden because Trump has proven to be an incompetent loser, albeit a dangerous one. He was exhorting white suburban voters to hate their black and brown neighbors. I snorted like a raging bull.
I know what Trump means when he says law and order.
Trump wants to be remembered as the man who turned back the clock. He wants confererate flags to fly across the country. He wants African Americans, Latinos, and Muslims to live in fear of reprisal from a corrupt government led by him. He wants all women to completely abdicate their right to self-determination. Everyone who is not a white cisgender Christian man would be limited in their life pursuits because they were born a certain color or gender. He wants the brutal expulsion of every black and brown migrant and refugee from his country. He wants those who oppose him and his agenda to feel his wrath through the arm of his police force. That’s Trump’s idea of law. That’s his idea of order.
I’m sure that most Trump supporters would agree with me.


dailykos--2020-07-20--Check out THE CON 8/5
The truth behind the largest criminal conspiracy in American History. #TheCon

Abramorama will use ABCinemaNOW for a live-streaming premiere on Aug. 5 .
Abramorama is set to give the five-part financial crime documentary series The Con a virtual premiere and a global digital release .
ABCinemaNOW will host the virtual premiere on Aug. 5 of the series ' first episode about the human cost of the 2008 financial crisis .
That will be followed by a two-week exclusive streaming run in North America from Aug. 7 and a targeted digital rental release on Aug. 21 .
The Con , which has dropped its first look trailer , chronicles Wall Street greed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first-world countries .
The docseries will also expand to multiple platforms in October .
`` The tragic story of 91-year old African American Addie Polk puts a human face on the grotesque theft of property and dignity perpetrated at the highest levels of the financial industry .
Finally , The Con is here to name names , '' Abramorama principals Richard Abramowitz and Karol Martesko-Fenster said in a statement .
The five-parter comes from writer/director Eric Vaughan , producer Patrick Lovell and executive producer Adam Bronfman as it exposes fraudulent practices like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ card debt , student loans and auto loans ; and the revolving door between finance and government that colored the 2008 crisis .
That financial meltdown just over a decade ago continues to resonate in U.S. politics for the billions of dollars in government bailouts that were handed out to companies deemed `` too big to fail , '' including insurance giant American International Group Inc and automaker General Motors .
“ We went into this expecting to create an in-depth feature documentary about the causes and effects of 2008 , but once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became apparent that the story was far too big for one ninety-minute feature .
The Con is a culmination of six years of work putting together the entire true story of the Great Financial Crisis and how the corrosive energy of the forces at work imperil us to this very day , '' Vaughan and Lovell said in their own statement .
The Con is a Mighty Bum , The Adventure Core Productions and Red Point Digital production .

THE CON FACE BOOK PAGE
Abramorama will use ABCinemaNOW for a live-streaming premiere on Aug. 5.
Abramorama is set to give the five-part financial crime documentary series The Con a virtual premiere and a global digital release.
ABCinemaNOW will host the virtual premiere on Aug. 5 of the series' first episode about the human cost of the 2008 financial crisis. That will be followed by a two-week exclusive streaming run in North America from Aug. 7 and a targeted digital rental release on Aug. 21.
The Con, which has dropped its first look trailer, chronicles Wall Street greed that nearly took down the economy of first-world countries. The docseries will also expand to multiple platforms in October.
"The tragic story of 91-year old African American Addie Polk puts a human face on the grotesque theft of property and dignity perpetrated at the highest levels of the financial industry. Finally, The Con is here to name names," Abramorama principals Richard Abramowitz and Karol Martesko-Fenster said in a statement.
The five-parter comes from writer/director Eric Vaughan, producer Patrick Lovell and executive producer Adam Bronfman as it exposes fraudulent practices like the home loan mortgage crisis; massive credit card debt, student loans and auto loans; and the revolving door between finance and government that colored the 2008 crisis.
That financial meltdown just over a decade ago continues to resonate in U.S. politics for the billions of dollars in government bailouts that were handed out to companies deemed "too big to fail," including insurance giant American International Group Inc and automaker General Motors.
“We went into this expecting to create an in-depth feature documentary about the causes and effects of 2008, but once we started piecing the story together it became apparent that the story was far too big for one ninety-minute feature. The Con is a culmination of six years of work putting together the entire true story of the Great Financial Crisis and how the corrosive energy of the forces at work imperil us to this very day," Vaughan and Lovell said in their own statement.
The Con is a Mighty Bum, The Adventure Core Productions and Red Point Digital production.


dailykos--2020-07-20--The Return of the Covid Daily Briefing Sideshow

Trump announced he will restart his daily coronavirus briefings with the following statement : “ We had very successful briefings .
I was doing them , and we had a lot of people watching , record numbers watching .
In the history of cable television , there ’ s never been anything like it.
” “ We had very successful briefings .
I was doing them , and we had a lot of people watching , record numbers watching .
In the history of cable television , there ’ s never been anything like it.
” “ We had very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and we had a lot of people watching , record numbers watching .
In the history of cable television , there ’ s never been anything like it.
” For Trump it 's not about the people who are sick , or dying , or the 140,000+ dead Americans .
It 's not about the millions who are out of work .
It 's about his TV ratings .
He acts like the Presidency is another season of The Apprentice .
How anyone can support this troll is beyond my understanding .

Trump announced he will restart his daily coronavirus briefings with the following statement:
“We had very successful briefings. I was doing them, and we had a lot of people watching, record numbers watching. In the history of cable television, there’s never been anything like it.”
“We had very successful briefings. I was doing them, and we had a lot of people watching, record numbers watching. In the history of cable television, there’s never been anything like it.”
“We had very successful briefings. I was doing them, and we had a lot of people watching, record numbers watching. In the history of cable television, there’s never been anything like it.”
For Trump it's not about the people who are sick, or dying, or the 140,000+ dead Americans. It's not about the millions who are out of work.
.
It's about his TV ratings. He acts like the Presidency is another season of The Apprentice.
.


dailykos--2020-07-21--The $60 Million Dollar Corruption Scandal in Ohio

Have you been wondering why Ohio ’ s legislature does not represent the people of Ohio ?
Wonder no more .
Ohio ’ s Republican Speaker of the House , Larry Householder , was raided today by the FBI .
We are watching a $ 60 million bribery scandal unfold in front of our eyes .
Last year First Energy went to the legislature here in Ohio and asked for a $ 1 billion bailout , they got this bailout in the form of House Bill 6 .
Unions were in support of HB6 to save important jobs in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( First Energy ) was funneling $ 60 million to Generation Now , which is described in the complaint as `` a 501 ( c ) ( 4 ) entity secretly controlled by Householder '' in order to buy the votes for passage .
My opponent , Theresa Gavarone , voted to pass HB 6 and passed along the $ 1 billion bill to Ohio ’ s electricity users , including both families and manufacturers .
That is the real middle-class tax .
$ 1 billion to protect corporate investors at the expense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the side to defend jobs in our community .
We know my opponent received at least $ 5,500 directly from First Energy .
The larger question now is , how much did she benefit from their $ 60 million payout to the Republican Party ?
$ 60 million goes a long way in state politics .
With $ 60 million , legislators like Theresa Gavarone can be installed in House District 3 ( appointed in 2016 ) .
She can receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in dark money to defend the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promoted to the State Senate in District 2 ( appointed in 2019 ) , with plenty of dark money left to make sure she can hold the seat .
She does not have to respond to the needs of our community because she has never had to answer to voters .
After being granted two separate legislative positions , she was then given unlimited money to smear her opponents .
We don ’ t yet know the depth of this scandal , but we ’ re all following the money now .

Have you been wondering why Ohio’s legislature does not represent the people of Ohio? Wonder no more. Ohio’s Republican Speaker of the House, Larry Householder, was raided today by the FBI.
We are watching a $60 million bribery scandal unfold in front of our eyes. Last year First Energy went to the legislature here in Ohio and asked for a $1 billion bailout, they got this bailout in the form of House Bill 6. Unions were in support of HB6 to save important jobs in our community, however “Company A” (First Energy) was funneling $60 million to Generation Now, which is described in the complaint as "a 501(c)(4) entity secretly controlled by Householder" in order to buy the votes for passage. My opponent, Theresa Gavarone, voted to pass HB 6 and passed along the $1 billion bill to Ohio’s electricity users, including both families and manufacturers.
That is the real middle-class tax. $1 billion to protect corporate investors at the expense of Ohioans, with a few crumbs on the side to defend jobs in our community.
We know my opponent received at least $5,500 directly from First Energy. The larger question now is, how much did she benefit from their $60 million payout to the Republican Party? $60 million goes a long way in state politics.
With $60 million, legislators like Theresa Gavarone can be installed in House District 3 (appointed in 2016). She can receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in dark money to defend the seat, and then she can be promoted to the State Senate in District 2 (appointed in 2019), with plenty of dark money left to make sure she can hold the seat. She does not have to respond to the needs of our community because she has never had to answer to voters. After being granted two separate legislative positions, she was then given unlimited money to smear her opponents. We don’t yet know the depth of this scandal, but we’re all following the money now.
Let’s fix this: secure.actblue.com/...


dailykos--2020-07-21--We need to find a new word for "Orwellian."

Just a short note on Trump ’ s latest threat to veto a defense spending bill because it calls for renaming certain military bases named after generals .
The White House put out a statement defending the threat : Ugh .
Statement like this are often described as “ Orwellian.
” As I understand it , “ Orwellian ” refers to propaganda , disinformation and/or perversion of language to deceive and manipulate .
What Trump and Republicans have been doing for years is importantly different — their goals is only to deceive themselves , not the broader population .
Like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come up with a false talking point for themselves — and to wrap themselves in it — and the appeal to the non-committed seems beside the point .
The White House Press conferences are now entirely exercises in this kind of selective story-telling directed only to the Republican faction .
In the abstract , one might say “ who cares ” ?
but this is still deeply destructive when we only have two major political parties .
In any event , I think we need a new word other than “ Orwellian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ am not sure of the answer .
.
.
Republicellian does n't seem to work .
Suggest away if you have an idea .

Just a short note on Trump’s latest threat to veto a defense spending bill because it calls for renaming certain military bases named after Confederate Civil War generals. The White House put out a statement defending the threat:
“President Trump has been clear in his opposition to politically motivated attempts like this to rewrite history and to displace the enduring legacy of the American Revolution[.]”
Ugh. Statement like this are often described as “Orwellian.” As I understand it, “Orwellian” refers to propaganda, disinformation and/or perversion of language to deceive and manipulate the population generally . What Trump and Republicans have been doing for years is importantly different — their goals is only to deceive themselves, not the broader population. Like the example above, the important thing to come up with a false talking point for themselves — and to wrap themselves in it — and the appeal to the non-committed seems beside the point. The White House Press conferences are now entirely exercises in this kind of selective story-telling directed only to the Republican faction.
In the abstract, one might say “who cares”? but this is still deeply destructive when we only have two major political parties.
In any event, I think we need a new word other than “Orwellian” to describe this accurately. I am not sure of the answer . . . Republicellian doesn't seem to work. Suggest away if you have an idea.


dailykos--2020-07-21--Trump’s Ploy To Create Violent Election Chaos Runs In To The “Wall Of Moms”

Donald Trump is a stupid and desperate man .
A dangerous combination in any case , all the more so @ @ @ @ @ the military and the Justice Department .
A political decision has been made to try @ @ @ @ @ streets of major US cities in order to make it look like the “ radical @ @ @ @ @ control and he alone must step in and save us from the anarchy that could @ @ @ @ @ and gated golf course community .
As sinister a use of presidential power to try @ @ @ @ @ we have ever seen .
In Portland Trump ran up against the ultimate adversary , @ @ @ @ @ Even the most hardened ideology powered warrior was reluctant to take on a group of @ @ @ @ @ to protect protesters in Portland the last couple of nights .
Let ’ s hope @ @ @ @ @ , an army of mothers could be the most formidable force for positive change in @ @ @

Donald Trump is a stupid and desperate man. A dangerous combination in any case, all the more so because as President he controls the military and the Justice Department.
A political decision has been made to try and provoke confrontations in the streets of major US cities in order to make it look like the “radical left” is out of control and he alone must step in and save us from the anarchy that could possibly come to your city and gated golf course community. As sinister a use of presidential power to try to influence an election as we have ever seen.
In Portland Trump ran up against the ultimate adversary, a wall of moms. Even the most hardened ideology powered warrior was reluctant to take on a group of mothers locked arm in arm to protect protesters in Portland the last couple of nights. Let’s hope this is a national movement, an army of mothers could be the most formidable force for positive change in the world.


dailykos--2020-07-22--Biden Surges in the Polls but Trump doubles down on the economy to stop him

Trump ’ s refusing to use d federal rules to limit the pandemic ’ s spread , in order to open up our businesses again , is not gaining traction with the public .
A mid-July Washington Post-ABC News poll found that Biden leads Trump by double digits .
It was conducted by telephone among a random national sample of 1,006 adults , with 75 percent reached on cell phones and 25 percent on landlines .
Results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points .
In sum , Biden leads Trump 55 percent to 40 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 10-point lead in May and with only a two-point advantage in March .
Despite Trump repeatedly assuring the country that the pandemic is under control , his approval rates have gone south , as Covid-19 infections and deaths have dramatically spread .
However , the Washington Post analysis showed that the margins in the swing states presented a closer race than the national popularity gap between Trump and Biden reveals .
Trump does not need to beat Biden in the national polls , he only needs the votes in the swing states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump won the election through the electoral college by winning a total of 80,000 votes in three states .
There are two factors which must be taken into account , when looking at this poll and others that show Trump could be facing a likely defeat , if he doesn ’ t come up with a message that emphasizes his past and potentially future economic gains .
The first factor , as the Post ’ s reporters concluded , is the pandemic ’ s debilitating effect on Trump ’ s image as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 54 % to 34 % in the response to : Who do you trust more to handle the coronavirus outbreak ?
” Trump ’ s disapproval rating for handling the coronavirus outbreak was 60 % .
And when asked , “ Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president ?
” 57 % of the respondents disapproved of his job as president .
These high disapproval ratings would appear to doom Trump ’ s attempt at being re-elected .
But approval ratings are a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillary Clinton .
Trumps ’ unfavorable rating was 9 % above hers .
Twelve days before the election , Clinton RealClearPolitics polling-average showed Clinton leading Trump nationally by nearly six points , two points higher than what Barack Obama beat Mitt Romney in 2012 .
NBC news reported that the Trump campaign was telling reporters , based on their own analytics of Oct. 27 , they had just a 15 percent chance of winning .
This perspective reinforces the need for Democrats not to assume Trump ’ s low approval ratings translate into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump to divert attention from the pandemic to something else , like the economy .
The second factor underscores how approval rates can miss the intensity of a candidate ’ s supporters to actually turn out and vote .
The Post-ABC News poll showed Trump ’ s supporters far more enthusiastic for voting for him ( 69 % ) versus the level of enthusiastic support for voting for Biden ( 39 % ) .
This may or may not be a problem for Biden .
What is ironic is that CNN reported exit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillary Clinton ’ s supporters were more enthusiastic than Trump ’ s were for him .
Of the 28 % of voters who made up their mind who to vote for in the last month before the 2016 election , 49 % of Trump voters decided then , whereas only 40 % of Clinton supporters did .
That shows most Clinton voters were already enthused about her campaign .
However , as Clinton learned enthusiasm for your campaign is not enough to win .
In the 2020 election , the motivation to defeat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deciding factor .
While only 21 percent of those intending to vote for Trump say their motivation to vote is to defeat Biden , 67 percent of Biden supporters say it is most important to defeat the president .
This approach is being taken by the Lincoln Project , started and run by dedicated anti-Trump Republicans , who are running stinging media ads attacking Trump ’ s dangerous personality .
They hope to peel away independents and disenchanted Republicans to either sit out the election or even vote for Biden .
Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vice President running mate would be a smart strategic decision to assure that the Black vote does not slip back to what Clinton received as opposed to what Obama did in his two successful campaigns .
According to the Pew Research Center , of validated voters , 98 % of Black women voted for Clinton , but their numbers were down from the prior two presidential elections .
They not only have the potential to increase their own turnout but may also be able to increase the total Black turnout in November .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Trump must promote to counter Biden ’ s rise in the polls .
Trump has repeatedly mentioned his accomplishments in that arena at every press conference he holds , regardless of the apparent lead issue that he was to address .
Trump ’ s campaign is now being built around that mission .
The cross tabs of the most recent poll show that the majority of all voter ’ s support Trump over Biden in handling our economy , despite unemployment being at an historic high .
When asked : Do you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is handling the economy ?
Those approving his handling was at 50 % , not approving was at 47 % .
Even when pitted one-on-one with Biden , asking “ Who do you trust more to handle the four critical areas of : the economy , race relations , crime and safety , and the coronavirus outbreak , Trump came out on top only on the economy , but only by a 2 % margin .
Expect Trump and the Republican controlled Senate to push for something akin to Trump ’ s 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the swing voters will finally focus on the election .
His tax cut apparently did wonders for pumping up his support .
An April 2018 analysis by Chris Cillizza , CNN Editor-at-large , found that Trump ’ s approval rating jumped from 35 % to 42 % nationally , in one month .
The uptick was particularly evident among key constituent groups : Men voters went up 8 % , Young voters ( age 18 to 34 ) increased from 20 % to 30 % , Middle-aged voters ( 35 to 49 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ College graduates swung up 10 % .
Cillizza concluded that the Trump tax cut was the most likely explanation .
That positive bump occurred despite the Democrats and liberal media hollering from the rooftops that most of the benefits went to the richest people .
Unlike 2018 , the Democrats now control the house and they will not likely approve any kind of Trump tax cut .
However , even if they succeeded in stopping one , the Republicans would then blame the Democrats for not wanting to create jobs and save our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep the focus on their efforts to bolster our economy .
Their only hope to win in November is to distract the public from the devastating pandemic .
They need to frame Trump ’ s refusal to embrace decisive federal rules limiting the pandemic ’ s spread as a strategy to open up our businesses again .
Trump ’ s play is to redouble his efforts to convince his white , blue color voter base , most importantly in the swing states he won last time , that only he can revive the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this November is that the polls show the public is seriously doubting that message .
If the polls continue on a pro-Biden trajectory , those candidates may find themselves dragged down with Trump - and the Republican Senate could be no more .
Nick Licata is author of Becoming A Citizen Activist , and has served 5 terms on the Seattle City Council , named progressive municipal official of the year by The Nation , and is founding board chair of Local Progress , a national network of 1,000 progressive municipal officials .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Politics

Trump’s refusing to use d federal rules to limit the pandemic’s spread, in order to open up our businesses again, is not gaining traction with the public.
A mid-July Washington Post-ABC News poll found that Biden leads Trump by double digits. It was conducted by telephone among a random national sample of 1,006 adults, with 75 percent reached on cell phones and 25 percent on landlines. Results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
In sum, Biden leads Trump 55 percent to 40 percent among registered voters, rising from a 10-point lead in May and with only a two-point advantage in March. Despite Trump repeatedly assuring the country that the pandemic is under control, his approval rates have gone south, as Covid-19 infections and deaths have dramatically spread.
However, the Washington Post analysis showed that the margins in the swing states presented a closer race than the national popularity gap between Trump and Biden reveals. Trump does not need to beat Biden in the national polls, he only needs the votes in the swing states, and not that many. Remember, Trump won the election through the electoral college by winning a total of 80,000 votes in three states.
There are two factors which must be taken into account, when looking at this poll and others that show Trump could be facing a likely defeat, if he doesn’t come up with a message that emphasizes his past and potentially future economic gains.
The first factor, as the Post’s reporters concluded, is the pandemic’s debilitating effect on Trump’s image as a competent leader. Biden leads Trump by 54% to 34% in the response to: Who do you trust more to handle the coronavirus outbreak?” Trump’s disapproval rating for handling the coronavirus outbreak was 60%. And when asked, “Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president?” 57% of the respondents disapproved of his job as president.
These high disapproval ratings would appear to doom Trump’s attempt at being re-elected. But approval ratings are a slippery ledge to hold onto, ask Hillary Clinton. Trumps’ unfavorable rating was 9% above hers. Twelve days before the election, Clinton RealClearPolitics polling-average showed Clinton leading Trump nationally by nearly six points, two points higher than what Barack Obama beat Mitt Romney in 2012. NBC news reported that the Trump campaign was telling reporters, based on their own analytics of Oct. 27, they had just a 15 percent chance of winning. This perspective reinforces the need for Democrats not to assume Trump’s low approval ratings translate into Biden votes. But they do force Trump to divert attention from the pandemic to something else, like the economy.
The second factor underscores how approval rates can miss the intensity of a candidate’s supporters to actually turn out and vote. The Post-ABC News poll showed Trump’s supporters far more enthusiastic for voting for him (69%) versus the level of enthusiastic support for voting for Biden (39%). This may or may not be a problem for Biden. What is ironic is that CNN reported exit polls from the 2016 race showed that Hillary Clinton’s supporters were more enthusiastic than Trump’s were for him. Of the 28% of voters who made up their mind who to vote for in the last month before the 2016 election, 49% of Trump voters decided then, whereas only 40% of Clinton supporters did. That shows most Clinton voters were already enthused about her campaign. However, as Clinton learned enthusiasm for your campaign is not enough to win.
In the 2020 election, the motivation to defeat the other candidate may be a more deciding factor. While only 21 percent of those intending to vote for Trump say their motivation to vote is to defeat Biden, 67 percent of Biden supporters say it is most important to defeat the president. This approach is being taken by the Lincoln Project, started and run by dedicated anti-Trump Republicans, who are running stinging media ads attacking Trump’s dangerous personality. They hope to peel away independents and disenchanted Republicans to either sit out the election or even vote for Biden.
Biden’s possible selection of a black female Vice President running mate would be a smart strategic decision to assure that the Black vote does not slip back to what Clinton received as opposed to what Obama did in his two successful campaigns. According to the Pew Research Center, of validated voters, 98% of Black women voted for Clinton, but their numbers were down from the prior two presidential elections. They not only have the potential to increase their own turnout but may also be able to increase the total Black turnout in November.
That leaves the economy as the issue which Trump must promote to counter Biden’s rise in the polls. Trump has repeatedly mentioned his accomplishments in that arena at every press conference he holds, regardless of the apparent lead issue that he was to address. Trump’s campaign is now being built around that mission.
The cross tabs of the most recent poll show that the majority of all voter’s support Trump over Biden in handling our economy, despite unemployment being at an historic high. When asked: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Trump is handling the economy? Those approving his handling was at 50%, not approving was at 47%. Even when pitted one-on-one with Biden, asking “Who do you trust more to handle the four critical areas of: the economy, race relations, crime and safety, and the coronavirus outbreak, Trump came out on top only on the economy, but only by a 2% margin.
Expect Trump and the Republican controlled Senate to push for something akin to Trump’s 2018 Tax Cut Act after labor-day, when the swing voters will finally focus on the election. His tax cut apparently did wonders for pumping up his support. An April 2018 analysis by Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-large, found that Trump’s approval rating jumped from 35% to 42% nationally, in one month. The uptick was particularly evident among key constituent groups: Men voters went up 8%, Young voters (age 18 to 34) increased from 20% to 30%, Middle-aged voters (35 to 49 years old) up 9 points, and College graduates swung up 10%. Cillizza concluded that the Trump tax cut was the most likely explanation.
That positive bump occurred despite the Democrats and liberal media hollering from the rooftops that most of the benefits went to the richest people. Unlike 2018, the Democrats now control the house and they will not likely approve any kind of Trump tax cut. However, even if they succeeded in stopping one, the Republicans would then blame the Democrats for not wanting to create jobs and save our economy.
Trump and his party must keep the focus on their efforts to bolster our economy. Their only hope to win in November is to distract the public from the devastating pandemic. They need to frame Trump’s refusal to embrace decisive federal rules limiting the pandemic’s spread as a strategy to open up our businesses again.
Trump’s play is to redouble his efforts to convince his white, blue color voter base, most importantly in the swing states he won last time, that only he can revive the economy. The problem Republican candidates face this November is that the polls show the public is seriously doubting that message. If the polls continue on a pro-Biden trajectory, those candidates may find themselves dragged down with Trump - and the Republican Senate could be no more.
.
Nick Licata is author of Becoming A Citizen Activist, and
has served 5 terms on the Seattle City Council, named progressive municipal official of the year by The Nation, and is founding board chair of Local Progress, a national network of 1,000 progressive municipal officials.
Subscribe to Licata’s newsletter Urban Politics


dailykos--2020-07-22--Embracing The Radical Left Brand

Embracing The Radical Left Brand

I was in a phone conversation with a conservative acquaintance today and he was unaware of my liberal activism .
This person kept peppering his complaints about current events with references to “ radical leftists ” , so I ticked off a few times that the founding fathers were called radical or something similar when more conservative forces wanted to remain with England .
He is on Medicare and Social Security , so I asked him if he liked those programs and he said he did .
I told him that when Roosevelt was trying to get them passed he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communist .
I told him that I too was part of the radical left he hears so much about on Fox .
This shut him up pretty fast .
When I got off the phone , I began to think about all the great accomplishments made by movements that were considered radical throughout our American history .
I then created this post graphic for Instagram/Facebook with some of the greatest hits attributed to left of center radicals .
( Feel free to share it , or create your own version.I used a picture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to forward ) I believe we should not be defending ourselves for being radical , instead let ’ s embrace the long tradition of the word as a force for good in American history .
Let ’ s celebrate the brand .
It ’ s more a state of mind that embraces social justice than a political ideology .

I was in a phone conversation with a conservative acquaintance today and he was unaware of my liberal activism. This person kept peppering his complaints about current events with references to “radical leftists”, so I ticked off a few times that the founding fathers were called radical or something similar when more conservative forces wanted to remain with England. He is on Medicare and Social Security, so I asked him if he liked those programs and he said he did. I told him that when Roosevelt was trying to get them passed he was called a radical leftist and a communist. I told him that I too was part of the radical left he hears so much about on Fox. This shut him up pretty fast.
When I got off the phone, I began to think about all the great accomplishments made by movements that were considered radical throughout our American history. I then created this post graphic for Instagram/Facebook with some of the greatest hits attributed to left of center radicals. (Feel free to share it, or create your own version.I used a picture on Canva so it’s safe to forward)
I believe we should not be defending ourselves for being radical, instead let’s embrace the long tradition of the word as a force for good in American history. Let’s celebrate the brand. It’s more a state of mind that embraces social justice than a political ideology.
Radical leftist? Damn right I am!


dailykos--2020-07-22--History, and a look back at where things are now

Some of you might remember a post I wrote some time back ( and I ’ d be flattered if you did ) about how I hated the idea that the whole “ coming out ” process seemed to be a necessity .
I still believe that .
By the same token I also believe in protecting the privacy of anyone not wanting to be out because let face it , the choice should only belong to one person .
So now I find myself having gone to bed having a child who called himself male and waking up with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , how life likes to do this sort of thing .
I helps me keep from taking everything all too seriously .
It ’ s been a strange experience being the parent of a trans person .
I raised my oldest as my only son .
I didn ’ t grow up with any girls my age range so I was always grateful that my first child was a boy — I understand boys and how they grow up and it gave me the chance to learn how to be a father before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a girl .
My oldest was a boy .
He had friends who were boys .
He had a girlfriend in high school .
He grew a beard .
He went off to college .
When he came home from his junior year he came out to me .
He had come out to his mother long before and I have to admit that it hurt a little bit that he felt that I couldn ’ t be the first person he turned to .
I get why he did it — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have seen me post when angry and I ’ m not nice when I ’ m angry .
I work very hard to avoid it but I ’ ll admit it comes out sometimes .
It made perfect sense for him to come out to his family the way he did .
It still hurt — even his little sister knew before me .
I got over it .
This isn ’ t about me .
As a side note , I find it strange to use the words “ came out ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points out to me — she ’ s not gay .
I joked to him “ not yet ” and she replied “ it ’ s not like that dad.
” An up close and personal lesson to this straight white guy why the acronym keeps growing .
I can remember when it was “ G , L and B ” and not LGBTQIA and growing .
I also joke that we need new pronouns but the truth is that I need to learn how to better use them .
My child went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which we had planned so that he could see more of the world .
When he decided to start the transition he dropped out of school to be back home , in an environment much more friendly to a person going through the process .
I want her back in school but I understand the difficulties involved .
I wish her student loan lenders were as understanding — we weren ’ t ready to start paying them back and this isn ’ t accepted as a good medical reason by the lenders .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ So she ’ s back in her old room while she undergoes the changes , devoting a lengthy period of her life to becoming a butterfly .
We ’ re all supportive , and there ’ s nothing about this that could make me love my son… my daughter any less .
But we ’ ve all been quiet about it .
She told a few friends but beyond that we haven ’ t been public about anything .
Not really .
So what happened last night ?
Last night my oldest posted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is it .
THIS .
IS .
IT .
Either we CRUSH Trump , or America dies .
From those ashes wo n't rise a new beginning , but a return to hate that will threaten to consume the world .
I ai n't being poetic .
Whatever facade the current Republican party used to wear has been willingly shed .
They are all out in the light ready to step on every freedom we ever had in order to take control in the name of Righteousness .
I 'm done hiding .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world reaches for my throat to tear my voice out .
She posted much more but I think these are the most relevant passages .
My oldest rants just like I do .
She posted the picture above as well .
There was never even a question about being supportive of our child .
Not in my house .
Not in my heart .
I don ’ t understand any other possible reaction .
That fact that some people react in other ways makes me sad .
I have never understood the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself .
I have hated .
But it ’ s not something I ’ ve wanted to do .
It ’ s exhausting .
Hate has an end point — utter destruction .
You have to want that to hate and the fact that some people want you to hate means that they want destruction , even if they don ’ t realize it .
The Republican has embraced a man so full of hate that his entire message is based upon the idea that you have to hate to become better .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t a dumb man .
This is all intentional .
He hates .
He wants you to hate .
He wants you tired .
He wants to destroy .
America IS great — there ’ s no “ again ” that needs to be added .
It just sucks to be him .
No one gets better this way .
It just doesn ’ t happen .
It destroyed Germany in the 1930 ’ s and 40 ’ s .
It ’ s come close for us more than once but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where someone everyone trusts bursts the bubble .
An Edward R. Murrow .
A Walter Cronkite .
We don ’ t have those people anymore .
The floor level of the ambient noise in the world of information is too high for excellence to be all-encompassing .
Hate is destroying everything and everyone it touches and the Republican Party is spewing it out at every corner of the globe and at every person who isn ’ t one of them — and even many who are .
Ask Ted Cruz or Lindsey Graham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I consider Donald Trump to be an extinction level event .
I have asked for the generation following mine to be better than us .
They often are .
But my oldest child was more eloquent in a single sentence than I was in a 15 minute video .
I am proud of her , and MUST follow her example .
“ I 'm done lying to myself while the world reaches for my throat to tear my voice out.
” Bravo my child .
I love you more than I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world .
I ’ ll help if I can .

Some of you might remember a post I wrote some time back (and I’d be flattered if you did) about how I hated the idea that the whole “coming out” process seemed to be a necessity. I still believe that. By the same token I also believe in protecting the privacy of anyone not wanting to be out because let face it, the choice should only belong to one person. So now I find myself having gone to bed having a child who called himself male and waking up with one who called herself female.
Ah, how life likes to do this sort of thing. I helps me keep from taking everything all too seriously.
It’s been a strange experience being the parent of a trans person. I raised my oldest as my only son. I didn’t grow up with any girls my age range so I was always grateful that my first child was a boy — I understand boys and how they grow up and it gave me the chance to learn how to be a father before our second child came along, who is a girl. My oldest was a boy. He had friends who were boys. He had a girlfriend in high school. He grew a beard. He went off to college.
When he came home from his junior year he came out to me. He had come out to his mother long before and I have to admit that it hurt a little bit that he felt that I couldn’t be the first person he turned to. I get why he did it — I really do. Some people here have seen me post when angry and I’m not nice when I’m angry. I work very hard to avoid it but I’ll admit it comes out sometimes. It made perfect sense for him to come out to his family the way he did. It still hurt — even his little sister knew before me.
I got over it. This isn’t about me.
As a side note, I find it strange to use the words “came out” in this process. As she repeatedly points out to me — she’s not gay. I joked to him “not yet” and she replied “it’s not like that dad.” An up close and personal lesson to this straight white guy why the acronym keeps growing. I can remember when it was “G,L and B” and not LGBTQIA and growing. I also joke that we need new pronouns but the truth is that I need to learn how to better use them.
My child went to college 800 miles from home, which we had planned so that he could see more of the world. When he decided to start the transition he dropped out of school to be back home, in an environment much more friendly to a person going through the process. I want her back in school but I understand the difficulties involved. I wish her student loan lenders were as understanding — we weren’t ready to start paying them back and this isn’t accepted as a good medical reason by the lenders. That’s been a headache.
So she’s back in her old room while she undergoes the changes, devoting a lengthy period of her life to becoming a butterfly. We’re all supportive, and there’s nothing about this that could make me love my son… my daughter any less. But we’ve all been quiet about it. She told a few friends but beyond that we haven’t been public about anything. Not really.
So what happened last night?
Oh yeah.
Last night my oldest posted the following on social media:
This is it. THIS. IS. IT. Either we CRUSH Trump, or America dies. From those ashes won't rise a new beginning, but a return to hate that will threaten to consume the world. I ain't being poetic. ... Whatever facade the current Republican party used to wear has been willingly shed. They are all out in the light ready to step on every freedom we ever had in order to take control in the name of Righteousness. I'm done hiding. I'm done lying to myself while the world reaches for my throat to tear my voice out.
She posted much more but I think these are the most relevant passages. My oldest rants just like I do. She posted the picture above as well.
There was never even a question about being supportive of our child. Not in my house. Not in my heart. I don’t understand any other possible reaction. That fact that some people react in other ways makes me sad.
I have never understood the desire to hate. I understand hate itself. I have hated. But it’s not something I’ve wanted to do. It’s exhausting. Hate has an end point — utter destruction. You have to want that to hate and the fact that some people want you to hate means that they want destruction, even if they don’t realize it. The Republican has embraced a man so full of hate that his entire message is based upon the idea that you have to hate to become better. Trump, despite his innumerable flaws, isn’t a dumb man. This is all intentional. He hates. He wants you to hate. He wants you tired. He wants to destroy.
America IS great — there’s no “again” that needs to be added. It just sucks to be him.
No one gets better this way. It just doesn’t happen. It destroyed Germany in the 1930’s and 40’s. It’s come close for us more than once but we’ve always had a moment where someone everyone trusts bursts the bubble. An Edward R. Murrow. A Walter Cronkite.
We don’t have those people anymore. The floor level of the ambient noise in the world of information is too high for excellence to be all-encompassing. Hate is destroying everything and everyone it touches and the Republican Party is spewing it out at every corner of the globe and at every person who isn’t one of them — and even many who are. Ask Ted Cruz or Lindsey Graham.
I have said in previous diaries that I consider Donald Trump to be an extinction level event. I have asked for the generation following mine to be better than us. They often are. But my oldest child was more eloquent in a single sentence than I was in a 15 minute video. I am proud of her, and MUST follow her example.
“I'm done lying to myself while the world reaches for my throat to tear my voice out.”
Bravo my child. I love you more than I can adequately express. Love yourself. Change the world. I’ll help if I can.
Welcome.
July 22, 2016.