June 11, 2021

There is some crazy stuff going on out there. Tom Brady’s something or other gets sold for over $3MM. NFT’s, whatever they are, are going for millions. Bitcoin millionaires abound. Billionaires are going to the moon while not paying any taxes. Corporations continue to book billions in profits in off-shore locations. The net worth of the richest amongst us went up substantially during the pandemic while everyone else’s income languished. At the same time, Republicans in Congress refuse to ask those who can afford it to pay for a reasonable infrastructure plan, which is sorely needed. Infrastructure week is really infrastructure weak. The new oligarchy complains that people don’t want to work. The people don’t want to eat the crumbs left by the swells. They want to eat cake, yet the wealthy won’t even let them eat cake. Unless there is a realization that something needs to be done, we will continue to be heading in the wrong direction.

June 5, 2021

Republicans have been very effective at smearing Democrats with claims that Democrats want to defund the police and put us on the road to Socialism. As Karl Marx famously said, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” but I fail to see how the road the Republicans are taking is anything but destructive. They know their claims are based on anecdotal evidence at best and are patently false at worse. The question becomes how do the Democrats fight back.

Fortunately, Democrats don’t have to make up fake arguments. All they have to do is attack Republicans with the truth. Republicans may not want to defund the police, but they certainly don’t want to defend the police either. They rejected the January 6th commission, which would have looked into how an insurrectionist mob attacked police, which lead to the death of at least one police officer. Capitol police are devastated that Republican politicians won’t defend them. A Democratic slogan could be “Don’t defund the police, defend the police.”

Most people have no idea what socialism really is, but I do think most people know what authoritarianism is. Merriam-Webster defines it as “relating to, or favoring a concentration of power in a leader or an elite not constitutionally responsible to the people.” Synonyms like despotism and dictatorship come to mind. Trump attempted an authoritarian takeover of the Presidency. Trump and his Republicans are running roughshod over the Constitution in almost every state in the country as they try to rollback access to the ballot box. Rather than expanding voter participation, they seek to limit it under the guise of the “big lie.” They have no intention of being responsible to the people, who did not vote for them. The Democratic slogan could be “All votes matter.”

Sadly, the Republican Party has become the anti-party, the party of antipathy.

June 3, 2021

Racism doesn’t exist anymore according to the Supreme Court when it ruled to essentially overturn the Voting Rights Acts of 1965. People today object to critical race theory because it has the potential of pitting white students against black students when no problem exists. One line of reasoning goes that children today don’t see color so why are we making such a big deal of it. Tim Scott, a black Republican Senator from South Carolina, said we are not a racist country, and Vice President Kamala Harris echoed those sentiments. Problem solved. How many times have we said or heard someone say, “I am not a racist.”

To be clear, I believe that most people are not racist, but I do believe there is a difference between being actively racist and passively racist. How does one be a passive racist? You vote for someone, who will do the dirty work for you. You vote for someone who will denigrate Muslims, attack Congressional women of color, accuse a sitting black President of being unAmerican, and encourage the disenfranchisement of millions of black voters. You vote for someone who throws paper towels at Puerto Ricans, separates migrant families at the border, and refers to African nations as sh@#hole countries. You vote for someone who discriminated against blacks in equal housing, and said there are good people on both sides. You vote for someone, who encouraged insurrectionists holding Confederate flags to storm the Capitol building. You continue to support that person and would probably vote for him again if he were to run. Fortunately, voting for someone doesn’t make you an active racist.

May 30, 2021

Like many Americans, I have received my vaccinations, and am ready to move on with life. It will be nice to get back to the place where normalcy seems normal. I am still a little suspicious and wary of those who choose not get vaccinated, but no investigation is needed. President Biden has authorized an investigation into the origins of the Coronavirus. Did it come from a Chinese wet market or did it come from a Wuhan lab? Was it human error or was it malicious. Was there a cover up? I guess we need to know, but the answers will not change my life. It will help, however, in dealing with China and future pandemics. Clearly, a lot of people are not ready to move on until we get answers, which is the appropriate public policy.

However, many of the same people who are not ready to move on from the Coronavirus are more than willing to move on from January 6th. The Senate refused to take up the matter even though six Republican Senators sided with the Democratic insurrectionists. In the Republicans’ defense, we already know what happened, and who is responsible much as we already knew what happened to get Donald Trump impeached twice. We don’t need an investigation. In the two impeachment cases, all we learned was that Republicans were more than willing to throw the truth under the bus. Regarding the attack on the Capitol, the issue is not that Republicans don’t want to know what happened. They already know what happened. With their acquiescence, Donald Trump fomented the “Big Lie” about a stolen election, and then ginned up his white terrorist base to attack the Capitol. That’s what an investigation is going to tell us. I am ready to move on once Republicans admit the truth.

May 23, 2021

“Life is old there, older than the trees.” As part of his “Make America Great Again” campaign, Donald Trump said he was going to bring the coal industry back to West Virginia. West Virginians bought the story, and voted for him in overwhelming numbers. Now they are voting with their feet, and leaving the state in droves. It has lost 3.2% of its population since the last census the biggest out migration of any state in the country, and a Congressional seat. It has lost 59% of its mining jobs since 2009, and its teachers are some of the worst paid anywhere. West Virginia needs help.

Yet, with only 1.8 million residents, about twice the size of western Massachusetts, it has two Senators, and the ability to block Congressional action that a majority of Americans want. In a 50-50 Senate, Democrats are getting frustrated trying to figure out what Joe Manchin wants. He wants to get re-elected like every other politician so Democratic priorities may have to get pared back or shelved altogether.

To make the electoral map more representative, we don’t need a Virginia and a West Virginia. We certainly don’t need a North and South Dakota. I would be open to one Carolina. On the other hand, North and South New York, Florida, and California would make sense given the size of their populations. I am not sure I could stand two Texas’. West Virginia, like many states, has an outsized influence on American politics. Progressive policies might hurt them in the short run, but could be a major benefit in the long run. In the meantime, the last one out the door needs to turn off the lights to save energy.

May 24, 2021

While rank and file Republicans spend time agonizing over the faux cancellation of Dr. Seuss, other Republicans think it is okay to stoke anti-semitism. As a general rule, you should never compare anyone to Hitler and any activity to the Holocaust. It is ignorant and counterproductive. However, I think it is okay to compare someone to the most heinous individuals from America’s past. Marjorie Taylor Greene can now take her place next to George Wallace and Joseph McCarthy as she travels the country with alleged sex trafficker Matt Gaetz, and compares wearing a mask to a mass extermination. Republican friends are rightly disgusted by this kind of rhetoric. .

Richard Nixon made the “silent majority” a campaign slogan. Today, Congressional Republicans are the “silent minority” as they sit by watching MTG egg on Democrats in Congress. Conservative pundit George Will calls Congressional Republicans cowards. For anyone who thinks that MTG is just “owning the libs,” ask yourself at what point is it just too much. For most of us, that line was crossed a long time ago.

The incredible insensitivity of using this kind of language as we have outbreaks of anti-Semitism around the country is breathtaking. Donald Trump gave license to this kind of language, and his followers have learned their lessons well. 53% of Republicans still think that Trump is the rightful President. If you still believe this and ascribe to MTG’s hateful comments, you may want to consider putting on a mask.

May 19, 2021

I am a single mom with two young children at home. I had it tough before the pandemic, and it has only gotten worse. Schools are not fully open, and day care is not available. I was released from my pre-pandemic job as an in-home, healthcare worker. It paid barely above minimum wage, and was no where near the $15 per hour that has been talked about. I cleaned homes on the weekends to try and make ends meet. I haven’t had the time or the resources to get vaccinated, and I am not sure how I feel about it anyway. I will eventually, but, regardless, I am reluctant to get back to work until I know that everyone has had their shots. I can’t afford to get sick because I have a preexisting condition.

I know that people think that I am sitting at home eating bonbons on the couch, and watching soap operas. Nothing could be farther from the truth. My workload at home has increased dramatically with Zoom-based education. I barely graduated from high school so I am struggling to help my child get through his schoolwork. I saw something on TV this morning that the average women’s workload has gone up 77% with the pandemic. That rings true with me. I want and have to get back to work, but I need a job that pays better than minimum wage, and includes benefits. The government checks have been a godsend, but they barely keep our heads above water. I know they will run out shortly.

I need childcare, open schools, food security, and job training. I don’t need your lectures.

May 16, 2021

Republicans have met the enemy, and it is us. The enemy is not white supremacists, or domestic terrorists, which is redundant. The enemy is not Russia, and it’s hack attacks on our infrastructure. The enemy isn’t even Jewish space lasers. As it turns out, the enemy is poll watchers. Republicans are signing into law heavy fines, felony charges and jail sentences for poll workers, who make errors or violate the rules. Poll workers may find themselves sharing a jail cell with drug dealers, and pedophiles like Matt Gaetz. The situation is so dire that Republicans will have to arm themselves with AK-47’s to protect the rest of us from the Democratic, AntiFa, Communist poll watchers of the radical left. I for one will sleep better at night knowing that Republicans are standing at the gate, protecting our right to free and fair elections.

No good deed goes unpunished. Poll workers are community-minder volunteers, who just want to help out. They are often senior citizens looking for something productive to do. Now they are being vilified as if they had been plotting their entire lives to throw the electoral process into chaos. Republicans, get real. They only thing we have to fear is fear itself…and you.

May 12, 2021

Republicans are quickly being escorted by Donald Trump into the inferno as they descend down the nine circles of hell.

Limbo: Limbo is reserved for those poor souls who were not yet baptized by the demagoguery of Donald Trump, and voted for him in 2016. They can still be saved, but, as time passes, it looks a lot less likely.

Lust: This circle is populated with porn stars, politicians who paid off porn stars, and politicians who thought it was okay to grab women by the genitals. If you look around, you will see Jeffrey Epstein, Matt Gaetz, Roy Moore, Bill Clinton, and more. You will also see Evangelicals, who looked the other way while this was happening.

Gluttony: Here reside the selfish and the self-absorbed. They sacrificed the common good for personal self-interest and satisfaction. They sated themselves at their private clubs while others suffered.

Greed: The fourth circle of hell is filled with those obsessed with wealth. Those who favored tax cuts over all else. They used their increased wealth to pay lobbyists, who, in turn, secured more tax cuts. Also, those born into great wealth and then squandered it suffer here as well.

Wrath: Politicians, driven by hate and anger, are doomed here. They include those who rail against the “crooked” media, the “deep state,” gold star families, Muslims, immigrants, women, blacks, and anyone else who disagrees with them. They get to spend eternity fighting amongst themselves.

Heresy: Here we find Republicans who refused to disavow the claim that the election was stolen.They drove out all others who refused to be complicit in the “Big Lie,” and branded them heretics.

Violence: The seventh ring of hell is reserved for mass murderers, and those who make it easier for mass murderers to get guns. Also, space is reserved for those who choose to do violence against nature by not protecting it.

Fraud: People who claim fraud with no evidence are frauds themselves, and deserving of the fires of hell. “Fraud is worse than violence because it uses uniquely human abilities for evil purposes.” They will be required forever to look for fraud where no fraud exists.

Treachery: Here we find the white supremacists and avowed racists, who were willing to attack the U.S. Capitol to overturn an election. Traitors earn the worst fate of all because treachery “betrays a sacred bond of trust.”

May 5, 2021

For the record, I am not on Facebook because I found it to be a colossal waste of time. I found that Facebook wasn’t a tool. I was Facebook’s tool. Regardless, I think that Facebook’s decision to not reinstate Donald Trump to be very Trumpian. Essentially what they said is that it is something they will continue to look at, and they will have an announcement in the future. Stay tuned. In true Trump style, I suspect nothing will happen, and they will continue to kick the can down the road. Think healthcare and infrastructure.

I cannot conceive of any scenario or philosophical argument that would justify giving him his platform back. Facebook is not a public utility. It is not a right enshrined in the Constitution. As someone once said, “It is what it is.” If his comments and actions don’t warrant permanent banning from the website, the question becomes, as it was during the impeachment hearings, what does? Hate speech, a torrent of lies and disinformation, and incitement to violence seems like a pretty clear case to me. The burden of proof should not be on Facebook to let him back. The burden of proof should be on Trump to demonstrate by word and deed that he deserves to be allowed back. He has to disavow white supremacy, and the “Big Lie.” He needs to be subject to the “Bobby Knight, zero tolerance” policy. The first time Trump throws a chair at the referees or attacks a student, he has to move to Texas. That should teach him.