Socialism is an evil thing ...

Truth! pic.twitter.com/7pKvn93jtv

— Sherry❤️Justice 🟨🟦 (@SherryBath) September 29, 2024

Trump Talks Policy! (No, not really.)

The question is: What actions will you take to ensure that our jobs stay in America so we can continue to build the best cars in the world here in Michigan? This TikTok clip is fine as far as it goes, but it should have shown more. Perhaps Trump went on to give an answer to the question? Well, um, no. He babbled on for two or three minutes about how they have to stop foreign companies from taking American jobs -- without giving any suggestions about what he would do to accomplish this -- and then winds up with (paraphrasing): "You know what you have to do? You ony have to do one thing: Vote for Trump!" And the crowd goes wild, and the moderator moves on to the next question.

The loathsome piece of shit was asked what action he's going to take to keep jobs in America. The nonsensical answer Trump gives is what happens when a 78-year-old malignant narcissist is slipping in and out of episodic dementia. 😳👇 pic.twitter.com/LPMMlozE8p

— Bill Madden (@maddenifico) September 28, 2024

The Shot!

Caitlin Clark with a buzzer-beater to defeat Indiana, 85-86; Kate Martin inbounds the ball with 1.5 seconds to go, when Iowa is down 85-83. Last game of the season; Iowa ranked 6th, Indiana 2nd.

Does he know everything? Or not?

This is brilliantly done. Nobody knows lying better than DJT. #USDemocracy pic.twitter.com/bdAGQxIycc

— MAGA Cult Slayer🦅🇺🇸 (@MAGACult2) September 25, 2024

The 10 -- no, 75 -- worst things about the Trump presidency

Robert Reich started this clip by setting out to name the ten worst things about the Trump presidency -- but when he got to 10 he kept on going, ending up with 75. A pretty comprehensive list of the worst things about the Trump presidency, that the MAGA crew have conveniently forgotten when they say things were wonderful under Trump:




Know someone who is still considering voting for Trump in November? Show them this. pic.twitter.com/yt3yNTSFrM

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) September 22, 2024

Teach civics in high school!

People need to learn how government functions and  why it is so important in all of our lives.

This is an article by Daniel Miller, published in the Pennsylvania Capital-Star on November 7, 2019, entitled "America needs to go back to school on civics education":

Donald Trump recently proclaimed “You people with this phony Emoluments Clause” while defending his already abandoned decision to hold next year’s G-7 summit at his Doral golf club.

Well, what shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone, the Emoluments Clause is not fake. It is located in our very real Constitution, in Article I Section 9 to be precise.

The problem is, of course, that Americans are as ignorant about the Constitution as he is. In fact, our collective ignorance about our foundational documents and American history is one main reason we ended up with Trump as president to begin with and why much of the country has been led down the dark path of authoritarianism. You see, as politically divided as this country is, a main cause of our present crisis is a failure in civics education.

We are a country divided. Geographically: Rural versus urban. The heartland versus the coasts. Socially and culturally: on abortion, gun rights, and immigration reform; and policy issues from healthcare to taxes. But no matter how much we disagree on these things, we should agree on one thing.

We don’t practice autocracy or oligarchy here. We believe in the principles and virtues of democracy or at least we’re supposed to. And we cannot support a leader who does not believe as well.

This shared belief in democratic principles should protect our people when confronted with a figure like Donald Trump. However, no matter how much we say we believe in democracy (a number which is actually declining), we have no real understanding of what our democracy looks like and so many of us don’t recognize when Trump attacks it.

To be sure, Americans are increasingly aware that our elections themselves are under attack through foreign election interference, voter suppression, and gerrymandering. However, our democracy is far more than just elections.

Indeed, the genius of our Constitution was creating a system that would protect our popular sovereignty from the abuses of concentrated power. And Americans are largely ignorant of that system.

For example, according to the 2017 Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey, only 26 percent of respondents could name all three branches of government. And according to the same survey, only 14 percent of respondents knew that freedom of the press was a right guaranteed by the First Amendment. This is a problem.

Indeed, if the people don’t know what the three branches of government are, it’s doubtful they understand the importance of separation of powers and checks and balances as mechanisms to divide up power and make sure that power stays divided.

If the people don’t know that the First Amendment guarantees freedom of the press, it’s doubtful they understand that the press serves as the people’s eyes and ears to reveal government corruption and abuse of power.

And can you imagine if the Survey had polled Americans’ knowledge of the different Articles of the Constitution, including basic concepts like enumerated powers and the powers of the executive. I shudder at what we would have found. And our ignorance extends far beyond the Constitution.

According to a survey by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation “a majority of Americans in every state except Vermont would fail a test based on the questions in the U.S. citizenship test …”

This lack of civics knowledge represents a profound crisis to our democracy.

Indeed, if we really understood our democratic system of government would we support a leader that attacks the free press as the enemy of the people and threatens to change the very defamation laws that allow the press to report without fear of government reprisal?

Would we support a leader that pronounces that he can fire those investigating him and even pardon himself, a threat to the core tenets of the Rule of Law?

Would we support a leader that threatens to withdraw funding from “sanctuary cities,” a threat to the principle of federalism?

Would we support a leader that vows to fight “all the subpoenas,” claims Article II gives him the right to do whatever he wants, and calls the impeachment inquiry a “coup,” a fundamental threat to separation of powers?

Donald Trump’s candidacy should have ended the moment we understood his aversion to the Constitution, which was obvious during the campaign. Some of us surely saw this and didn’t care. But many others didn’t see him for who he is, and they still don’t. This is a function of many things, but one is a failure in civics education.

No matter how bad things are now, and they may get worse, America will emerge from this present crisis. What’s less clear is if we will be able to overcome our next brush with authoritarianism when the leader, from either the right or the left, is just as charismatic as Donald Trump, but competent and far more calculating.

One way we can prepare for this challenge is to recommit ourselves to civics education.

Banality of evil?

This is a Twitter thread by Daniel Miller, @DanielMillerEsq:

"Because of what’s happening in my own country, I feel inexorably drawn to the history of the Third Reich. It’s not because I think Trump is Hitler. He’s not. It’s because that period (1933-1945) taught us so many important lessons about human nature that are relevant today.

"You can only learn about human nature when people are put to the test. And that time period put people to the test like no other. I’m no expert, but one thing that strikes me about the Nazis is just how much of their evil seemingly happened because of non-evil people.

"There were the Himmlers and Goebbels, of course, and the sadistic monsters who tortured and killed people at Auschwitz and other concentration camps, but the vast majority of Germans weren’t part of the extermination process.

"Many bureaucrats in the various ministries weren’t particularly ideological, but they wanted a promotion or just a job, so they went along. The citizens who saw their neighbors boarded onto trains. They could have warned others, but that would be too much of a risk...

"Many people in Nazi Germany just went along. Not because they were evil, but because it was not in their short-term interest to do anything about the madness happening around them. The uncomfortable truth is that most people, when put to the test, fail the test. 

"You might think we’re different. That YOU’RE different. Thing is, it’s really easy to rationalize NOT doing the right thing, to just go along about your life, going on vacation, falling in love, watching sports. Yes, these things even happen when there’s no democracy.

"You’ll say to yourself, 'Why should I speak out or go to that protest or put my neck on the line? What difference can one person make? I know there are terrible things happening, but I need to take care of my family.' When everyone says this, that is when we are truly lost.

"I pray that we’re never put to the test; that we avoid such a fate. But part of me thinks that maybe our test is already happening. Right now. Well, far too many of us are just going along. Thinking to ourselves, 'What difference can I make? I’m just one person.'”    

An explanation of the Electoral College by Heather Cox Richardson

Harvard Law School Professor Laurence Tribe, a left-wing progressive luminary, tweeted about HCR's September 20, 2024, entry in her Substack diary, Letters from an American, as follows:

Today’s @HC_Richardson letter is the best brief primer on the history and significance of the Electoral College I can recall ever reading. It’s a keeper!

HCR replied:

Thank you, @tribelaw. Bizarre that it’s still how we elect a president.

 Click here for the letter. (It's complicated, but stick with it!)

Are betting sites the best predicters of elections?

Click here for an article at Yahoo/Finance by Shawn Tully entitled "Could there be a Kamala Harris landslide in November? The data scientist who correctly called the last election is betting yes.

The data scientist in question is Thomas Miller, of Northwestern University, who predicted the results in recent elections with pinpoint accuracy, and he derives much of his data from betting sites. 

For the 2024 presidential race, Miller is once again relying on PredictIt [a betting site]. He praises the site for "having a more stable group of investors" than the populations screened by pollsters. "You have tens of thousands of people betting on the site at all times of the day," he says. "The maximum contract is $850, and 37,000 'shares' are traded on average every day." Put simply, Miller regards PredictIt as a highly liquid market resembling an exchange for, say small-cap stocks or high yield bonds that gathers huge numbers of buyers and sellers. "Financial markets are forward-looking, and incorporate information instantaneously, and PredictIt provides the same benefits," says Miller.

Trump makes up stories

Click here for an article at cnn.com by Daniel Dale, Trump fact-checker extraordinaire, entitled "Fact check: 12 completely fictional stories Trump has told in the last month." Trump is beefing up his rally performances with vivid stories that are completely untrue.

They're eating the cats!

https://t.co/rTQs7NYQRr

— StenoCommander (@Stenocommander) September 18, 2024

PoliticsGirl explains: "a radical left Marxist communist fascist"

PoliticsGirl with a quick explanation of socialism, Marxism, communism, and fascism. "Fascism? That's a real possibility. It's just not Kamala Harris who will be bringing it to you."

From her kitchen, PoliticsGirl provides the best content on this hellscape. https://t.co/PU1pH8aQsf

— Scottacular (@Scottcrates) September 18, 2024

Excellent interview with Mark Cuban

Mark Cuban is one of the best billionaires -- in fact, maybe THE BEST billionaire. Click here for a 44-minute YouTube interview. He has some interesting things to say about Trump and Elon Musk.

That'll do, Pig.

Work of a sheepdog
pic.twitter.com/faU0gzty4Q

— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) September 16, 2024

Ali Velshi's Father's Heart Surgery in Toronto

.@AliVelshi's father recently had heart surgery in Canada.

The only thing he paid for?

Parking. pic.twitter.com/5HHa6IWh9u

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) September 15, 2024

Trump will bring water to Los Angeles

He really believes this bullshit https://t.co/cXbR5Ts36T

— digby (@digby56) September 13, 2024

Great New Recipe!

Serve with fava beans and a nice chianti.

You only need two ingredients for this nutritious midday snack! Follow me for more quick and easy recipes.
pic.twitter.com/ZcTnuyHMkr

— Hamish Mitchell (@H_MitchellPhoto) September 11, 2024

America's soaring inequality and shameful tax system

Click here for a Robert Reich article on Substack entitled "What will Kamala Harris do about America's soaring inequality and shameful tax system?" He uses the Warren Buffett example:

Consider Warren Buffett. Several years ago, Buffett made a claim that would become famous. He said that he paid a lower tax rate than his secretary, thanks to the many loopholes and deductions that benefit the wealthy.

The 400 wealthiest Americans today still pay a lower total tax rate — spanning federal, state, and local taxes — than any other income group, according to newly released data.

According to Forbes, Buffett now has $149.9 billion in wealth. On the conservative assumption that the rate of return on his wealth is 5 percent, Buffett’s real pre-tax income last year — his share of his company Berkshire Hathaway’s profits — was roughly $7.5 billion. Yet Buffet paid an effective income tax rate of less than 1 percent.

An increase in Buffett's -- or Zuckerberg's, or Bezos's, or Musk's -- marginal tax rate would have almost no effect, since they have very little income -- their wealth appreciates because of capital gains. That's why the capital gains tax -- currently 23.8% -- must be raised.

But Biden has proposed a tax on unrealized capital gains, which would get at some of these billionaires' accumulated wealth.

A renewed political demand calls for progressive taxation to reverse these trends—to achieve greater tax justice, raise revenue to pay for important public goods, and curb the rise of inequality. 

Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick - Relaxin'

36 years with my love @kyrasedgwick. Here’s to forever of relaxin’ with you. pic.twitter.com/u4pQRvJZ5A

— Kevin Bacon (@kevinbacon) September 4, 2024

Celebrating a 3!

Wow -- she gets a LOT of air!

Jumping in joy like a kid after cooking this stepback 3 🤩🤩🔥 pic.twitter.com/I7CpxZCFTi

— Ashwin (@Sudharsan_ak) September 3, 2024

Lee Atwater's Deathbed Repentance

Click here for a January 13, 1991, article in The New York Times entitled "Gravely Ill, Atwater Offers Apology.

In a detailed and candid article about his career and his fight against an inoperable brain tumor, Lee Atwater has apologized to Michael S. Dukakis for the "naked cruelty" of a remark he made about the Democratic Presidential nominee in the 1988 campaign.

Atwater apologized for more of his political skulduggery: "While I didn't invent negative politics," he said, "I am one of its most ardent practitioners." 

Click here for Atwater's Wikipedia entry.

The way we got in this situation ...

An excellent explanation of the phenomenon of low-information Republican voters.

THIS! https://t.co/nBb4W22WpB

— 🕉🇺🇦🟦Stevie Van Zandt☮️💙 (@StevieVanZandt) September 3, 2024

Hail To The Great One!

Her poise and maturity, for someone who's just turned 22, are astonishing. Imagine the pressure she's been under! The whole basketball world is talking about Caitlin Clark.

"When you talk about greats in this game...they are putting her in that category."

Caitlin Clark's rookie campaign will go down as one of the greatest in @WNBA history. Hear from our staff, team & our rookie of the year in this episode of Fever All-Access pres. by @AnthemBCBS. pic.twitter.com/2kfi8kq3lr

— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) September 2, 2024

Great play - unguardable!

this cc - kels - lyss play was just beautiful basketball 😭 pic.twitter.com/M8jzUoQW6B

— vi ✰ (@ccloveoml) September 1, 2024