A New Year – Same Chaos Courtesy Of Right Wing Extremists

As you have all probably guessed, I took a sabbatical for a while. I decided to clear my head and just observe for a while as to what is going on in our country. But, with 2024 in full swing, and this being an election year, I decided it is time to dust off the keyboard again. We need to keep abreast of what is happening and speak out against the lies and total bullshit coming from the other side of the aisle.

In the last few months, we have heard the GOP’s plan for our country. According to them, we are to “do as you are told by us”. It has become obvious that the GOP is terrified of a democracy and want us to be terrified by it also. There are lots of examples of this terror and we should at least take a look at what it is.

In Ohio, the state voters passed two measures. The first was the legalization of abortion and the other was the legalization of marijuana. The State Legislature, who is controlled by Republicans have rejected those election results. They are actually looking at ways to keep them from becoming the law of the land in Ohio simply because they oppose them. 

Their first target was the abortion measure. They argue that it does not “allow abortion” outside of the law they passed basically banning it. In fact IT DOES. There are Republicans in the State Legislature who are actually looking at trying to pass laws that would remove this measure from the State Constitution. Despite the fact that over 60 percent of the electorate voted for the measure. The voters be damned.

The abortion fight is raging in Texas. There the law makes it almost impossible for a woman to get an abortion even if her life is in danger. We are all aware of the recent case where even the Texas Supreme Court ruled against a woman who could have died without an abortion. In Texas, the life of a woman means absolutely nothing to Republicans. If a pregnancy is going to kill the woman, they believe it is her problem and she should just accept her fate and die. Their conservative Supreme Court agrees with that concept. 

We have heard the front runner for the Republican nomination to become president state very clearly that he would be a “dictator”. He openly said that if reelected “I would be a dictator on day one”. He tried to claim it would be for “only one day” but we all know that isn’t how it works. Once he throws out the Constitution for “one day” it is gone forever.

The number four leader of Republicans in the House of Representatives is already claiming the 2024 election is “being stolen”. She claims that she will not state specifically if she would vote to certify the election. She claims it depends on the “Constitutionality” of the election. In other words, she is saying that if her candidate wins, it is constitutional but if he loses it isn’t. Hell, the election is still 10 months away and she is already, along with several other members of the Republican Party claiming that it is being stolen.

In just a week or so, we face a partial shutdown of our government. In less than a month, we face as total shutdown of our government. The Speaker of the House and the leader of the Senate have agreed on terms for a new budget. But, the right wing of the Republicans in the House are already preparing to sabotage that agreement because they don’t get “everything we want”. I believe that if this agreement is passed and a real budget is signed into law in terms of this agreement, we will see another attempt by Republican wackos to remove Johnson from being Speaker.

Ever since Barak Obama was elected as President back in 2008, we have heard Republicans cry about “they are coming for our rights”. But, in reality, is they who are “coming for our rights”. They have banned abortion everywhere they could because they believe it will solidify the Evangelical vote for themselves. They have banned treatment for transgender minors. They claim that minors are “being mutilated” with surgery. That is total bullshit. No one conducts gender altering surgery on minors. The fact is they just hate the LGBTQ community and they want them to die out.

We keep hearing them cry about the border crisis. But, the only thing they want is a Berlin Wall built on the border. They offer no solutions to the real problems that have caused this problem in the first place. They refuse to acknowledge they were the ones who refused to pass a bipartisan Immigration Reform bill under the Obama administration that would have put in place measures to fight against this problem. All they do is cry in their beer and offer no solutions.

The current crop of Republicans trying to unseat the last moron from gaining the nomination have all said that they would “pardon” the last moron if they were elected. They have also pledged to “support him” even if he is convicted of any of the 91 charges pending against him. How is that for “supporting the Constitution”?

Their leader, in an attempt to intimidate Democrats and anyone else he doesn’t like from voting said his supporters should ensure “those bags of crap” don’t get to vote. He is suggesting his supporters go to places they don’t live in order to intimidate voters who just may vote against him. The party gives its approval with their silence over this intimidation attempt.

One hundred years ago, there was an attempted coup in Bavaria by a group called the National Socialist Workers Party, also known as the Nazi party. That party was led by one Adolph Hitler who later became the leader of Germany and unleashed the worst world war in mankind’s history. When he took power, one of the first things he did was build a memorial to those who supported him and were killed in the attempted violent overthrow of the Bavarian government.

Today, we have the leader of one party and all of his supporters claiming those who have been convicted of their crimes during the Jan. 6 insurrection as being “J6 hostages”.  That same leader is using Hitler terminology to define his political opponents and immigrants. He call immigrants “slime” and “vermin” just like Hitler did. 

He wants to “round up illegals” and “punish his opponents” just like Hitler did. He wants to shut down our free press and jail anyone who writes anything he doesn’t like about him. Just like Hitler did. And, just like the supporters of Hitler, his supporters are claiming he has “been sent by god” to save us from decency apparently.

This is what today’s Republican Party has become. Hell, in Michigan, the head of the Republican party there was supposedly voted out of her position by her own party, but refuses to leave or accept the vote as “legitimate”. I think that says all we need to know about how Republicans look at what democracy is supposed to be.

In my opinion we are in very dangerous times for our nation. We have one party hellbent on eliminating rights of the citizenry. But, only the “rights” that the Republicans don’t like. There is a serious attack on our rights over voting, abortion, health care, LGBTQ rights, education and freedom of speech. 

This party has waged a war against these rights in order to dictate how we are to live. What we can believe. Even who has the “right” to live. They are trying to establish a new “order” in our country. Their plan is to take over the government and then never relinquish power regardless of the vote by the people. Hell, I doubt if there would even be another vote if this clown is reelected.

I believe this year we have a very serious choice. We can vote to keep our nation and our way of life with guaranteed rights, or we can vote to march down the path to total dictatorship. History has shown us what happens to nation’s who follow the path of dictatorship. 

The real issue to consider when you head to the polls is to remember, if a dictatorship does happen here, even YOU will not be immune from the dangers it will possess. In a total dictatorship no one is safe from the dangers of being “removed” from society. Even Hitler destroyed the SA who were the ones who put him in power. He was terrified they might turn on him. So, even if you declare to be MAGA, it won’t protect you from retribution if your leader considers you a threat to his power. He has already shown his willingness to turn on his own supporters if helps him stay out of jail.

We have ten months to make up our minds what we are to be. Use that time wisely or we will fail just like democracy in Germany failed 100 years ago.

Dear America – At One Point Your Ancestors “Poisoned The Blood” Of Our Nation According To Today’s Republican Party

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Throughout my life, the Christmas season has been a time of happiness and good cheer. However, this year we are seeing the MAGA crowd and the
Republican Party engage in fear and hate. This is really getting out of hand because too many people are actually swallowing this bullshit being spewed out of the mouths of fascists.

Yes, this is the start of an election year and there is always controversial comments made during elections. But, the comments coming out of the mouth of trump and his avid supporters go way beyond the pale. And, it is actually getting worse and worse each passing day.

We have heard all about his invoking Hitlerism with his “poisoning the blood” or our nation. And, there are all sorts of people, almost exclusively white, who are cheering these horrible and divisive words. But, maybe it is time for them to remember history and our immigration polices of the past.

Any0ne who is of, as an example, Irish, Polish, German or Italian descent must take a step back and remember their ancestors and what they faced as immigrants in our country. The term “poisoning our blood” was used to define these immigrants as well as many others.

Long before the influx of these white immigrants, we must remember the “Chinese exclusion act” which barred Chinese from immigrating to our nation. They were used almost exclusively by the railroad companies to build the nation’s railroad system, especially when explosives were used. But, so many were brought here to do that dangerous job, there was actually a bill passed that barred anymore Chinese from entering the country.

When the potato famine struck Ireland and thousands of Irish began pouring into our country, there was huge backlash against them. The main reason for this backlash was because they were mostly Catholic. The white protestants didn’t want a huge influx of Catholics into the country. These Irish immigrants faced major discrimination when they first arrived.

As a matter of fact, many Irish were met at the piers as they got off the boats and were promised citizenship if they joined the Army. Many did just that in hopes of becoming U.S. citizens. However, it was an empty promise and most were never granted that citizenship. Plus, because they were Catholic, they were denied promotions and especially Officer status because of their “religion” and no other reason. They were told they were “poisoning the blood” of our nation.

Italians faced the same discrimination as well. This discrimination was also because of the Mafia. It was considered that all Italians were part of the crime syndicate and therefore should not be allowed into the country. Couple that with the fact they were also Catholic, that was just more reason for them to be kept out because they would “poison the blood” of the nation.

Poles faced the same discrimination for their religion as well. Growing up Polish jokes were common and always made them out to be totally stupid and incapable of anything. They were “poisoning the blood” of our nation.

The list of those discriminated against and told they were “poisoning the blood” of our nation goes on and on. Most of this discrimination came from either being non-white or being Catholic. 

Today, the victims of this hate have changed. Instead of Irish the Latinos are being targeted. Instead of Catholics being the scourge of the world, Muslims are now considered the scourge of the world and must be kept out. 

I have written many times that hate never sleeps. Hate moves from one target to another until it finally comes to y0u. Hate needs someone to blame for their own failures. Instead of doing something to help improve their own lot, they blame immigrants who are “different” from themselves and make them the scapegoat for their own miserableness.

We have seen this hate towards all sorts of people. We have seen it against Italians, Irish, Poles, Hungarians and many, many others. Hate is hate and it must be able to flourish by blaming others. If you are a Republican, remember your family immigrated here from somewhere else. And, in those days, the immigration to our nation was far easier than it is today. During most of the immigration influx, visa’s weren’t even needed to gain entry. All you needed to do was afford passage and show up. According to today’s standards all of those immigrants could be classified as “illegal”.

We need to understand that the words being used by trump and his Republican faithful are not mere words. They have meaning and they are hateful and divisive. They are intended to drive a wedge between our people. They point to those “others” and blame them for everything. They want you to hate others because they themselves offer nothing else.

The signs of authoritarianism in the Republican party are all around us. We even know who will be “next” on trump’s list of those to get rid of after immigrants. He keeps talking about mental institutions and how people should be locked up in them. He even mentions his enemies as those who should be locked up in mental institutions like Jack Smith who is prosecuting him.

That is exactly what authoritarians from fascists to marxist did and still do. They consider anyone who voices any opposition to their rule as “mentally unstable” and lock them up in institutions in order to silence them. That is exactly what trump and his Republican cronies are suggesting for our nation should he become president again.

So, during this time of Christmas, a time for peace and love, the Republican Party led by their crooked leader is instead spreading fear and hate. The so-called “Christian Nationalists” are ignoring the celebration of Christmas and spreading vile hate and inhumanity. Two things that their “savior” preached against.

If you really look at the disgusting language coming out of the Republican Party of today is saying, how can anyone believe they are “Christian”. How can anyone really believe they believe in our Constitution. 

During this previously “happy time of the year” they are too busy spreading hate and divisiveness. That proves to anyone who wants to see, they are not Christians, they are only fascists interested in ruling and destroying our nation.

Instead of saying “merry Christmas” or “happy Holidays” they are talking about locking up people and how immigrants are “poisoning our blood”. Please take note of that. That is exactly what white protestants said about your ancestors when they first arrived. You are actually the product of those who “poisoned our blood” as a nation. How can you now cheer those words?

The Meaning Of GOP – Gaggle Of The Pathetic – Today’s Republican Party

There is a bunch of crap facing us as a nation today. The government still hasn’t been fully funded for the 2024 fiscal year. There are wars in Israel and Ukraine. And, maybe some tougher immigration reforms that Republicans always punt down the road.

So, yesterday the Republicans passed two HUGE measures to “help America”. The first was the kangaroo court action voting to formally hold “impeachment inquiries” into the President. The second was all about “milk”. 

Now, you may be wondering just what milk has to do with Congress and that is a reasonable question. For decades, the USDA has issued a guideline that school lunch programs serve low fat or fat free milk. There is nothing lost in nutrients or proteins or anything else in low fat milk. Low fat milk does not have the saturated fats that are present in whole milk. It is the saturated fats that help cause heart and other problems.

But, that is not important to our Republican friends. No, they need something to complain and bitch about, so milk has now come to the forefront of their utter stupidity. I guess Virginia Foxx (R-NC) showed the stupidity of their problem with low fat milk.

In her rant she said Santa Claus needs to drink whole milk “to travel the whole globe in one night,” perhaps confusing the effects of dairy with amphetamines. “Protein helps build and repair Santa’s muscles. Hoisting heavy sacks of gifts up and down the chimney is no easy task.”

“You see, it’s not just the magic of the season that helps Santa deliver presents worldwide. It’s also the fortifying nutrients of whole milk,” Foxx continued. “Reflecting on Christmas traditions this year begs the question, ‘If whole milk is a good option to fuel Santa’s extraordinary Christmas Eve journey, then why isn’t it an option for American schoolchildren in their lunchrooms?’”

Wow! I never knew that “whole milk” is the reason that Santa can travel the world in one night and pass out all of those presents. I only have one question for her, do you have any of whatever you are taking left? That is a really doozy and really stupid comment. 

With all of the real problems we face, Republicans decided to “make a stand in favor of whole milk”. I can personally say that low fat milk does not harm you and is better for your health. I drink 1% milk all of the time. I used to drink whole milk, but I had to stop. When I was stationed on Guam, I could not drink the local milk because it contained coconut. I am allergic to coconut. When we came back, I ordered a glass of whole milk and couldn’t finish it. It was like drinking liquid cement after not having it for two years. 

The second major vote was to formally hold impeachment inquiries against the President. This “inquiry” has been going on for about a year because McCarthy, the former Speaker, decided he did not need a vote to hold them. During that time, nothing has come up to show that the President did anything even remotely impeachable. But, this is an election year and Republicans decided holding “formal” impeachment hearings will “hurt Biden’s” election chances.

But all you need to do to figure this as a political stunt and nothing more is to listen to the two leading figures trying to make this stick. One is Gym Jordan and the other is James Comer. The major reason for this vote is because Republicans think it will “force” everyone they subpoena to be forced to testify. Jordan said “when Congress asks you to come testify, you are supposed to come testify”.

This is the same Gym Jordan who was subpoenaed by the Jan. 6 Committee and refused to submit to that subpoena. He also voted against holding Steve Bannon and Mark Meadows in contempt of Congress for refusing to submit to questioning under subpoenas issued to them. Now he claims that if you receive a subpoena from Congress “you must come and testify”. Can you say hypocrisy?

Now this is all in light of the two wanting to hold Hunter Biden in contempt for not submitting to their subpoena. Hunter Biden did show up in Washington and said he would gladly testify before the committee but only in a “public hearing”. Comer refuses to hold a public hearing for his testimony. Just what is he afraid is going to happen? If you want testimony and “transparency” in this case, then why not let him testify in a public hearing?

The answer is obvious. They don’t want transparency. They want secret testimony so they can pick out the parts they like and leak them to the press to make both Hunter and his father look bad. Plus, they don’t want the American people to hear the questions Democrats on the committee might ask and the answers they would get.

Comer has been running around talking on right-wing media to explain why he doesn’t want Hunter Biden testifying in a public hearing. He keeps saying that he “doesn’t want Democrats being able to engage in questioning in public hearings”. How is that for transparency and democracy?

The fact is that trump wants an impeachment of Biden in “revenge” for his two impeachments while President. He has called for this inquiry for years because he wants revenge. Republicans have produced not one piece of reasonable evidence that President Biden did anything wrong, illegal or impeachable. Even their own “key witnesses” have said the same thing in hearings. Yet, they are willing to do their “dear leaders” bidding. As Republica Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas), simply said “Donald J. Trump 2024 baby” when a reporter asked about the vote on Wednesday. That is the only reason for this vote and these hearings.

As you can see Republicans still have no plans for the American people. They still have no policies they can sell to us to make us vote for them. They are not interested in the country or its people. They are only interested in running to right wing media to complain and bitch and make everyone else to blame for any problems. They have proven beyond a reasonable doubt that they are NOT interested in governing. Just more reasons why these morons must be voted out of office from the top to the bottom of every ticket in the country next year.

As you can see, today’s Republican party has redefined the term GOP from meaning the Grand ole Party to the Gaggle Of the Pathetic. 

Authoritarianism Can Happen Here – Look At Florida And Texas For Proof

Two states are leading the way to authoritarianism and what that would mean for our country. Those states are Florida and Texas. In both states, heavily controlled by Republicans, liberties and freedoms are being stripped away in the name of “liberty” and white supremacy. That is a simple fact.

Florida has led the charge to authoritarianism since the Ayatollah DeSantis took power and the state was gerrymandered to ensure a Republican legislature. We have seen them pass the “don’t say gay” bill. We have watched them lead the fight to ban and burn books. We watched them attack a private company simply because that company spoke out against the “don’t say gay bill”.

We must also take into account the troubles for the current head of the GOP in Florida. We learned that he is being investigated for rape. But the story doesn’t end there. It has also been revealed that the woman he is accused of raping is a “friend” of the man and his wife. It was also revealed that this head of the GOP and his wife had a “three way sex session” with this woman a year before the rape allegation was made. Even his wife has said that was true.

Now, I don’t give a shit about their sex lives. Except there is a big “but” to that statement. The man’s wife is the founder of the group “Moms for Liberty” and they are supposedly solid “Christians”. They claim to be “protecting” children by banning books. I wonder if they want to ban books that include three way sex scenes as well since they seem to like that. Additionally, the leader of Moms for Liberty in Philadelphia is also a known and registered sex offender.

So much for “protecting children” from those nasty LGBTQ books they are so afraid children might be reading. And, the story gets better. The Attorney General of Florida said that the Sunshine State’s public schools, including its libraries, do not exist to promote the free exchange of ideas, but rather, to “convey the government’s message.”

Now we know exactly why the Ayatollah has declared that teaching “Black History” has no educational value. He doesn’t believe that teaching real history is in the “best interest of the state’s message”. That message is straight out of the authoritarian’s playbook. The only things children need to know is what the state wants them to know even if it is wrong. As long as it goes along with the state’s views, then that is what is taught.

Ken Paulson, the director of the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University told the Tallahassee Democrat: “There’s considerable irony in that those who seek to limit access to books in school libraries often say they’re fighting for parental rights. If government speech determines what books can be in the library, the government is essentially saying your children can only see the ideas that the government has approved. That’s not parental rights.”

Then we have the other authoritarian state of Texas. On Saturday, leaders of the Republican Party of Texas voted down a resolution barring members from associating with anyone “known to espouse or tolerate antisemitism, pro-Nazi sympathies or Holocaust denial.”  For most reasonable people with any morals that would not be so controversial. But, this is Texas and we know they have no morals in the Republican party there.

This entire situation started in October when it was revealed that Jonathan Stickland, a former state representative and current leader of the Defend Texas Liberty PAC, held a 7-hour meeting with some of the most repugnant people in American society, including Nick Fuentes, a loudmouthed Hitler apologist who has called for “holy war” on Jews and declared, “all I want is revenge against my enemies and a total Aryan victory.” 

Surprisingly, Republican Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan declared that this was no “casual misstep” but a sign “of the moral, political rot that has been festering in a certain segment of our party.”  That led to trouble for Phelan not the Nazi loving members of his party.

Dan Patrick, while claiming to oppose Fuentes, nonetheless saved his real anger for Phelan, calling on the speaker to resign after revealing this bold “no Nazis” stance. Other leaders, including Rinaldi head of the GOP in Texas, decided they would rather have a semantic debate of terms like “tolerate” and “antisemitism” than face the uncomfortable question of why one needs to take 7-hour meetings with a Holocaust denier. Besides that Republicans saw leftist plots in even being asked to ponder the question.

The Texas Tribune reported: “In at-times tense debate on Saturday, members argued that words like “tolerate” or “antisemitism” were too vague or subjective. The ban, some argued, was akin to “Marxist” and “leftist” tactics, and would create guilt by association that could be problematic for the party, its leaders and candidates”.

Why so much of an uproar for trying to distance themselves from Nazis? Well, many of the biggest financial supporters of Texas Republicans are also Nazis or authoritarians. These include figures like Faris Wilks and Harlan Crow who is proud of his Nazi collection.

If you are wondering, Farris Wilks has been recorded arguing for the destruction of “the secular religion of man” and instead calling for Americans to “submit to Elohim, who has the right to give us laws and commandments to follow since he is the one who created us.” He’s viciously homophobic, as well, claiming, “this lifestyle is a predatorial lifestyle in that they need your children and straight people having kids to fulfill their sexual habits.” He’s described modern society as “not a sexual revolution particular to our own enlightened age, but it’s a return to pre-Christian pagan sexual immorality or perversion,” and argued that “our country died that Tuesday night” that Barack Obama was elected president. 

We already know about Harlan Crow buying the loyalty of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. It is people like these that give huge contributions to Texas Republicans including people like Sen. Ted Cruz. The reason the 32 Republican leaders voted against this measure is because a lot of the billionaires they look to for funding and support have some troubling views and intellectual fascinations of their own that might be challenging under the proposed bar on those who “espouse or tolerate antisemitism, pro-Nazi sympathies or Holocaust denial.”

We keep hearing Republicans nationwide complaining about how arguing for a ceasefire in the Israeli war against Hamas is somehow being antisemitic. Yet, the Texas Republican Party is clearly joined at the hip with antisemites and don’t want anyone to tell them that is a bad idea. Instead they take the money from these authoritarians and complain that words like “tolerate” and “antisemite” are “too vague” to be used in a measure like this one.

If you really want to know what America would look like under trump and his authoritarian ideas, just look at Florida and Texas. They are showing us what that would mean to the rest of us. It means no civil rights, no freedoms and no America as we know it. I believe it won’t be long before Florida school children are compelled to pledge allegiance to the Ayatollah DeSantis. If trump is elected, you can expect that pledge in every school across America to him.

This isn’t fantasy. This is open authoritarianism on full display for everyone to see. If you believe that “it can’t happen here” you are wrong. It is already happening in places like Florida and Texas. The American Authoritarians have taken complete control of the GOP. That is your choice next year. Democracy or Authoritarianism.

I will vote for democracy. I hope you will join me in this fight between right and wrong.

The Former Guy Finally Tells America The Truth

We have heard all the lies, attacks on innocent civilians and hatred towards our country from the former guy for several years now. We have watched him attack a court clerk, anyone who opposes him and every Democrat over that time. He hates anyone who is not considered a true MAGA member and hates anyone who is not white.

But, during one of his speeches in Iowa last week, we finally heard the actual truth come spewing out of his mouth. The problem is that no one is really paying attention to this truth. In his speech he said and this is a direct quote:

“We’ve been waging an all-out war on American democracy”.

That is the exact thing that his followers and the Republican Party have been doing since he joined their ranks and ran for President back in 2016. They have constantly railed against the Constitution and have enshrined white-supremacy as the official platform of the GOP.

Many people, including myself, have been warning the public that you need to listen to what he says. The man is totally incapable of continuing his lies from one sentence to another and if you pay attention, his true feelings and plans will be revealed by his own mouth.

Now some say that he “misread” his teleprompter. Well, I don’t believe that view. I believe that he said exactly what he meant. He is totally against American democracy and will do everything in his power to destroy our nation if he is elected next year.

Plus, if Biden made such a “misread” the Republicans would be screaming that it proves he is “too old” and “too far gone mentally” to be president. Joe Biden is only three years older than the former guy, and he makes fewer blunders and mistakes when speaking than the other guy.

Liz Cheney has been outspoken about this moron and her party. In an interview the other day she said that she hopes that Democrats take control of the House of Representatives because the GOP has turned its back on the Constitution in favor of the former guy. She said “you cannot support the Constitution and trump at the same time. You need to make a choice”. She also warned that “America is sleepwalking into a dictatorship”.

The so-called “blunder” from the former guy shows us just how true her statements are. If Republicans keep control of the House and the moron wins the election, you can count on the end of American democracy. You don’t have to take my word for it, for once you can take his own words as undeniable fact that he wants to destroy our democracy in favor of him becoming dictator.

It is time that Democrats start using this clown’s own words against him. It is time for the American people to wake up to the true danger our nation faces. We have been that “shining city on a hill” that the rest of the free world wants to be like. If this fascist wins the election and Republicans control the House and/or Senate, that shining city on a hill will become just another slum run by self-enriching fascists.

Those “rights” that the right-wing claim are so important will simply vanish into thin air. Once the fascists take power, you can bet your precious “right to bear arms” will be abolished because fascists fear an armed citizenry and even more so an educated citizenry.

The truth has been spoken. The one thing that the former moron has been doing is “waging an all-0ut war on American democracy”. It is time for you to listen to his hate and realize what he is. An un-American, hate-filled clown who doesn’t give a rat’s ass about you or our nation. He is only interested in power.

Is there anything else that needs to be said?

What Does “Christian Nationalist” Really Mean?

As the far right tries to convince us that we are a “Christian” nation and that they are “Christian Nationalists” we need to look at just what they mean and what they want. It is never too early to educate yourselves since we have a major election next year that will decide the future of our nation and the lives of you and your children.

As you can see above, the idea of “Christian Nationalism” is nothing new. Authoritarians all over the world have used religion as a hammer to gain power and rule instead of governing. They try to appeal to religious zealots in order to gain their vote and support.

We have seen the former guy use wording directly from Hitler in his most recent rants and cries of victimization. He has used words like “vermin” to describe anyone who opposes him. He has called for “the government to come down hard on MSNBC” and accuses them of being anti-trump. He forgets to mention Fox News who according to his own definition does the same thing to President Biden.

The hate and vitriol that comes out of his mouth can be found in the same language that Hitler used in order to gain power. He is not fooling anyone except his own base that doesn’t even want us to be a democracy. He is only interested in being the “Dear Leader” as his counterpart Kim Jung Un.

Then we have the most outspoken so-called “Christian Nationalist” the wacko woman from Georgia, MTG. In a recent post trying to keep Republicans from voting for military aid to Ukraine, she used a known Russian propaganda outlet as her reason not to vote for the aid. She posted an article from a Russian Propaganda source that has been named such by our government.

Yet, she proudly posts this lie in order to gain headlines and help her other hero Putin. Remember, she gave a speech to a far-right wing white supremacist gathering this year to chants of “Putin, Putin”. She praised the Russian leader as being a “great man” and a “great leader”. Similar words used by the former guy more than a thousand times.

The real danger in all of this talk is the very loud silence from other Republicans, especially those in Congress. The only bill MTG is interested is an attempt to impeach the current President. Of course, they always fail to mention that THEIR OWN WITNESS who testified in the House Oversight Committee on the subject said “there is no sufficient evident for impeachment”.

The year they have been trying to find proof of Biden’s “wrong doings” and have shown nothing. There has been nothing that suggests that Biden in his long career has done anything wrong. This week his son Hunter agreed to testify before the committee but only if it is public. The Chair of the committee refused that request because he only wants the testimony behind closed doors.

The reason for that is so he can twist the testimony to look nefarious just like that botched “proof” of a check from Biden’s brother to pay back a loan that the President gave him when he was NOT in office. I guess if a Democrat pays back a loan that is controversial. Of course Republicans not paying back loans is not so controversial.

As I wrote the other day, that tragic traffic accident at the border near Niagra Falls was quickly reported by Fox News as a terrorist attack. Several member of the Republican party echoed that claim in order to foster more hate against Muslims. The report was false and Fox knew it before it went on air.

We are hearing the former guy talk about “rounding up people” and putting them in “camps” before they are deported. We keep hearing him preach that the only truth is the bullshit coming out of his mouth. He wants to “destroy” his enemies anyway he can. He has named names who he believes should be put in jail just because they don’t support him. He has threatened to use our military to do his dirty work.

As all of this hate speech is spewing forth from his, MTG’s and other’s mouths, Republicans say nothing in condemnation. They are actually “lapping” it up and cheering it on by their silence. Somehow they believe that if they win and the authoritarian government emerges, they will be safe from their dear leader. They are wrong.

If we get that authoritarian government, you can bet that Congress will become a puppet of their dear leader. If anyone in Congress dares to go against that leader, they will most likely be imprisoned just like his other “enemies”. That is how authoritarianism works.

This is exactly what these so-called “Christian Nationalists” want our country to become. They want to follow their dear leader to the total destruction of our nation. You hear it coming out the mouths of every Republican today. All that talk about Democrats being all “communists, marxists, liberals” etc is just mimicking authoritarianists to demonize anyone who is not on their side.

Let’s be honest. There are only three forms of government in the world. There is authoritarian governments, monarchies, and democracies. Any label placed on people are simple words trying to separate authoritarians from their enemies. Communism is a authoritarian form of government. Countries like Russia with only one party rule is an authoritarian form of government. The Theocracy of Iran is an authoritarian form of government.

It is this that Christian Nationalists are trying to make our nation. Instead of Islam as the ruling religion, they want to use their phony Christianity as their ruling religion. I say phony because that is exactly what they are trying to sell to you. Hitler started using the phrase “Christian Nation”, but then quickly turned to old pagan religions to justify his rise to power. Hell he even created his own religion and demanded everyone follow it.

Christian Nationalists are no more Christian than the Ayatollah in Iran. They use the term to get gullible people in the Evangelical movement to follow them. But, Evangelicals who oppose their dear leader will be persecuted just like others will.

Their leader has made it clear that if he wins next year’s election, he plans to remove us from NATO and form an alliance with Russia and North Korea. He thinks this will give him the help he needs to eliminate China and Iran. He fails to realize that China and Iran are the biggest supporters of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia will never go after their current backers.

In summary, Christian Nationalism is nothing but Authoritarianism. It is a front used for talking points in order to gain power. Once that power is achieved, no one is safe from its evil tendencies. They use the “blame game” to scare you. They play “victim” to gain your sympathy. They use religion to gain your support.

But, if you seriously look at what they are saying, they prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they are not Christian. They are anti-religion, anti-democracy and anti-American. This cult is trying to take power for their own personal profit and do not care about you, your children or our nation.

In my view, Christian Nationalism is no better than Naziism. The language used by trump and his followers comes straight out of Hitler’s mouth. There is no way to deny it anymore.

Why Do Conservatives Hate Christmas So Much?

Now that Thanksgiving is over, we turn our attention to celebrating Christmas. However, even though conservatives want us to celebrate “traditional” Christmas, they are preaching it to be another celebration of hate, divisiveness and bigotry. And, they are ramping up their fabled “war on Christmas”. Except, the only “war on Christmas” is being conducted by them.

If you are a Christian, you celebrate this day as the birthday of Jesus. It has always been a time for love and peace. Even during nasty wars, there were agreements of not waging war on Christmas. Hell, in World War I, the Germans and English played a soccer game in the “no-man’s” land between the trenches. It was only allowed once, but you get the point.

During Christmas season, we always heard about the brotherhood of man and the celebration of peace and love. It was a time when people opened their wallets and purses and helped the poor have a better Christmas. That tradition continues with charities like “Toys for Tots” and other organizations that help make Christmas merrier for the less privileged.

However, several years ago, the right-wing tried to make Christmas another political talking point. They tried to use Christmas as a means to divide us even more than we already are. And, that trend is getting worse every year. The leader of this madness is none other than Fox News. And, they are quickly ramping up their complaints about how Christmas is not supposed to be about inclusiveness or even love of your neighbor.

According to conservatives, Christmas is supposed to be a sign of their superiority over everyone else and we are all to bow to their demands and their hatred of everything humane. They want us to believe that the season is meant to line their pockets with more money and to make sure that all non-Christians are punished somehow.

The level of hate in our country has risen to heights I have never seen before, and I am an old man. We are witnessing the dehumanization of several groups of people in our nation. We see the hatred towards women, LGBTQ, non-whites, immigrants, and anyone who doesn’t believe in the conservative view of what Christianity is. That view is “we are great, the rest of you are depraved sloughs with no meaning in life”.

One congressman from Wisconsin is all huffed up about a Christmas tree because it was decorated by a Satanic organization which does not “worship” Satan. Doesn’t this clown know that his beloved Christmas tree is pagan in it’s origin? The tree comes from pagan German beliefs. It only became real popular when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert put one up in their residence in England. By the way, they were both German.

Fox News is once again railing about Christmas decorations because they “have gone too far” in their inclusiveness. They have complained about a Nutcracker that has a rainbow hat and holds a rainbow flag. They complain that this is “sexualizing” our children to become gay.

They are ranting about a Santa Clause figurine that is not only black, but is in a wheelchair. They failed to mention there is also a white Santa figurine in a wheel chair. Apparently, the idea of a disabled Santa is totally disgusting to them and makes our “children” hate Christmas.

Naturally, this comes from the same network that hated the idea that people actually said “Happy Holidays” instead of Merry Christmas. That was their way of saying that other holidays celebrated in December are not to be acknowledged. Only Christmas can be celebrated during December. Sorry, Jews, but your Chanukah shouldn’t be celebrated in conjunction with Christmas according to conservatives in our nation.

The conservative movement is always looking for something to drive a wedge between our people. They are always looking for something to prove that only they are the true believers and celebrators of Christmas. If you are gay, you have no right to celebrate Christmas. If you are an immigrant you cannot celebrate Christmas according to your traditions. If you are a woman, make sure you slave in the kitchen to bake your masters cookies and a great Christmas meal.

The idea that Jesus came to save us all is foreign to conservatives. They believe that Jesus came to save only white straight men and make everyone else subject to their rule. Remember, according to these clowns, Jesus who was Jewish, wasn’t Jewish but a white man who came to save the Jews from themselves. Therefore, no one else matters but white men.

In the 70 plus years I have been on this earth, I have always loved Christmas. Not for any religious reasons, but because it was a celebration and reminder that we are all our brother’s keeper. That we are all part of the same race, the human race and that we are supposed to help each other.

Whether or not you wish to believe it, the holiday of Christmas in our country is a secular holiday. With the separation of church and state, we are not supposed to celebrate religious holidays. Christmas was made a secular holiday because it was celebrated by the vast majority of the people.

Over the years of my life, it has become more of a commercial holiday than anything else. I really don’t have a major problem with that, as long as people remember the real meaning of Christmas which is love and peace.

Growing up, as we walked down the street people would smile and give a holiday greeting. It didn’t matter if they said Merry Christmas or Happy Holiday. No one cared which phrase was used. It was a time of “good cheer” and humanity. Conservatives have stripped that “good cheer” from the holiday by making it another political battleground.

Conservatives claim that we are a “Christian nation”. So how come they have made the Christian holiday of Christmas so divisive? How come they can’t get into the spirit of Christmas and just accept that everyone is the same? Why do they have to put their hate forward and criticize anyone who doesn’t agree with their warped viewpoint?

Christianity is supposed to be an all-inclusive faith. Why do conservatives try to make it something different? Why do they use Christmas to divide us? Why do they throw their hatred out openly towards those people they think are inferior. The simple answer to these questions is that they are not Christians and they don’t give a shit about faith or Christianity. They actually hate Christianity because it teaches us that we are all fellow humans with the same and equal rights.

It is time to celebrate Christmas the way it used to be, a holiday of love and peace and the brotherhood of man. Not something to use to divide us among ourselves. Authoritarians want to divide us because they think that will help them conquer us. They use Christmas as another tool in their toolbox of hate to divide us.

Regardless of what your religious beliefs are, remember this is the time of the year to celebrate not only Christmas, but all the other holidays celebrated by non-Christians. It is a time for brotherly love, not hatred of our brothers.

I hope everyone has a very Happy Holiday this year. May you all celebrate whatever holiday you wish with family and friends. May you all be cheerful and loving. That is what Christmas is supposed to be all about.

Opinion: Needlessly Cutting Revenue Has Had Biggest Impact On Nation’s Deficits

There is a lot of stuff going on in our nation right now. We see demonstrations over the war in Israel. We have a former president on trial for fraud in New York and facing 91 indictments in four other cases. We have hate crimes rising everyday. We have an election today in several states over who controls those state’s legislatures. We have a national election in just one year.

But, all of that should be taking a back seat to one major hurdle we need to get over long before the outcomes of all of the above. That is funding our government. In just 10 days from today, if the Congress does not pass all of the funding bills or at least a continuing resolution, then the government will shut down.

Past experience with government shutdowns shows that is a very bad idea. Yet, members of the Republican party seem hell-bent on doing exactly that. After McCarthy completed a deal that raised the debt ceiling and placed spending limits on this years budget, the wacko squad in the Republican party ousted him from being speaker. They took THREE weeks to replace him all the while the government shutdown loomed.

Today, I haven’t seen very much news about funding bills being passed by the House. And, what has been introduced are dead on arrival in the Senate as Republicans keep piling on more and more controversial amendments to each of these bills.

In my opinion, the Republican Party is directly responsible for the national debt being where it is. When they are out of office, they complain about the debt, but once they gain power, they raise the national debt by trillions of dollars. In the last 40 years, the Republicans have raised the debt more than Democrats.

They love to complain about “spending”. They claim that Democratic spending is bankrupting our country. They say we need to cut spending and balance the budget. All of that sounds good on the surface. But, look at their past history and you will discover that it is all bullshit.

The only thing Republicans have cut in the last 40 years when they have control of the government is revenue. They always implement tax cuts mostly for the very wealthy and corporations. That cuts revenue from the government. They do not, and I repeat, do not cut any spending.

They always raise defense spending. Our defense budget is nearing $1 trillion per year. How can you sustain that spending level if you keep cutting revenue? According to the Republican philosophy, if you cut revenue, you are cutting the deficit. Somehow in their warped brains, the less money you bring in the more you can spend on little projects like defense spending.

They have not made any meaningful cuts on any non-essential items in the federal budget. They continue to cut revenue and then complain that the deficit is too big. Even today, many of their proposals include tax cuts for the very rich and corporations. If they hate deficits so much, why do they keep cutting revenue so much?

I don’t have exact figures because it is hard to figure out just how much tax cuts have hurt revenue. But, just glancing at the last several tax cuts the Republicans have given the rich and corporations, I figure that over $10 Trillion has been cut from the revenue stream to fund the government. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that is a huge part of our deficit and national debt.

With the government shutdown looming, you don’t hear many Republicans saying we must do something to keep it from happening. The last shutdown cost the economy trillions of dollars. If it happens again, the economic growth that we have seen over the last two years will plumet especially if it lasts a long time. That isn’t guessing that is based on past government shutdowns.

And, it isn’t the rich that will get hurt by this economic downturn, it will be you and your families. The average person will face the possibility of being laid off because the economy will go down. That is a real possibility because all of the federal workers who will be furloughed won’t be able to pay their bills. The military personnel who protect us won’t be able to pay their bills because they will be forced to work without pay. And that is just the beginning.

All of that will have very negative impact on our economy. With inflation still higher than we would like to see, it will have an even worse impact on us than past shutdowns. Yet, Republicans are still going on Fox News and telling us that a government shutdown is in our best interest. They claim that shutting down the government will for Democrats to cut spending.

Well, when are they going to INCREASE revenue and stop giving away the store to the rich and corporations. When Bill Clinton was president, we actually had a balanced budget. In just two years, George W. Bush and his Republican collogues not only stopped having a balanced budget, they blew up the deficit by trillions of dollars.

Then without much fanfare, they totally crashed our economy and put is in the worst recession since the Great Depression. One of the reasons for that was they waged a war on the credit card while giving the rich and corporations huge tax cuts. Again, they raised spending and cut revenue.

Economics does tell us that if you lose revenue you need to cut spending. However, there is nothing I learned in economics classes that says you should deliberately cut revenue as a mans to cut spending. That would be like the average person taking a pay cut just because they think they are spending too much. How can they pay off their debt by cutting their wages?

The other day, Marjorie Taylor Greene said that Republicans have failed to “hold the government accountable”. Of course she never said what it should be held accountable for.

Well, I have a suggestion. Why not hold Republicans in Congress “accountable” for raising the deficit by reducing revenue when it isn’t necessary. Why not hold them accountable for failing to do their jobs and ensuring our government functions properly by funding it as required in the Constitution. Why not hold them accountable for being the “do nothing” party. All they do is bitch, complain, make false accusations and try to divide us as a nation.

Yes MTG, it is time to hold you and your party accountable for being most dangerous and reckless and useless party in our nation’s history. Do your job and uphold the deal you already made and stop lying to the country. If the government does shut down again, the only blame will fall on Republicans and that hopefully will be the last straw and they will suffer a horrible defeat at the polls.

Here Lies The Republican Party 1854 – 2023 – May It Rest In Peace

In 1854 a group of people met in Massachusetts and started the Republican Party. This party was formed as an abolitionist party. Their principle goals was to abolish slavery and create a nation of equal rights for everyone. The first President of this new party was Abraham Lincoln.

Since its founding it has been Republicans who have championed civil rights. It was Republicans who sent in troops to protect students when schools were desegregated. It was Republicans who helped get the Civil Rights Bill and the Voting Rights Bill passed through Congress.

However, that soon changed after these legislations passed. Richard Nixon started his “southern strategy” to gain the White House. This strategy was intended to bring the bigots and haters into the Republican Party to ensure more votes and more power.

Today we see what this unholy alliance between white supremacists and the Republican Party has become. Over the last 50 years or so, it has been the Republican Party that wants to return to the “good ole days” of segregation and hatred.

We have watched as the former guy stoked hatred and fear in the members of the party. We watched as his followers tried to overthrow the government on Jan. 6. We watched as his morons threw Kevin McCarthy from the Speakership of the House for the horrible and treasonous act of “working with Democrats” to keep the government open.

Yesterday, the final nail in the coffin of the real Republican party was hammered in when they voted to elect MAGA superstar Mike Johnson as the new Speaker of the House. This is a man who has spent his entire career trying to remove civil rights from women, blacks, Latinos, LGBTQ and anyone who does not share his “religious beliefs”.

He is against same-sex marriage and wants the government to ban it again. He sponsored and authored a national abortion ban that was voted down. He was an architect of the attempt to overthrow the 2020 election and authored a lot of the false accusations about the election and he voted to overturn the election by denying your votes from being counted.

In the three weeks leading up to this vote, so-called moderates in the Republican party kept Gym Jordan from becoming speaker. Rep. Buck said that one reason he would not vote for Jordan was that he would not admit that the election was not stolen. Yet, yesterday, he cast his vote for someone who will not admit the election was stolen. In other words, Buck like most Republicans lied and buckled into the trump base ignoring his conscience.

Johnson said yesterday that he “wants to work with Hakeem Jefferies” to keep the government open and “do the people’s business”. I will believe that when I see it. Republicans have no interest in keeping the government open. They actually want it to shut down. They want chaos to reign in our country because they believe it will help the indicted moron to win the election.

They don’t care about your jobs. They don’t care if you can feed your family or pay your bills. They don’t care if our military personnel are forced to put their lives in jeopardy while their families are starving back home because they aren’t getting paid. All they care about is power and nothing more.

It is not just at the federal level either. In Florida the Ayatollah has made another move to strip his opponents their civil rights. He has decided that the pro-Palestine group known as SJP be shut down on Florida campuses. The only reason given is they support Palestinian rights. Of course that means to his tiny little non-functioning brain they support terrorists. Just another example that “freedom of speech” only pertains to Republicans and no one else!

This Republican has changed education and made it illegal to actually teach real American history in favor of a more white supremacist viewpoint. He leads the state with the most antisemitic groups and most white nationalist groups who all support him for office. He has systematically tried to “void out” the LGBTQ community by making such harmless things like drag shows illegal or talking about a child’s two fathers or two mothers in schools. He has taken away a woman’s right to choose and got between doctors and their patients if that patient is a transgender youth seeking treatment with their parent’s permission. Only the Ayatollah knows what is best for them. And, of course, he bans books he doesn’t like.

He has led the nation in hate speech, next to trump of course, and many Republican states are quickly following suit. The Republican Party has morphed into a real fascist party hell-bent on making us a dictatorship rather than a democracy. In a democracy, they actually might have to do some work which they hate and actually convince people to vote for them.

In another Republican state with lax gun laws, we have another mass shooting that has killed around 20 people and injured dozens more. And of course, all we get from Republicans is their phony “thoughts and prayers”. I say Republicans can take their thoughts and prayers and SHOVE THEM UP YOUR ASS! Stop with your lies and bullshit and DO something about gun safety in our country.

169 years ago the Republican party was formed. They fought for civil rights for most of its existence. In 1968 it caught a deadly disease called hate. Since then, the most haters of the group have slowly taken control of this once proud political party and stabbed it in the back over and over again. They also stabbed our nation in the back over and over in the name of power.

Yesterday, the political party known as the Republican Party was officially declared dead. The autopsy declared the cause of death as “hatred, bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, islamophobia, and pure stupidity”.

Funeral arrangements have not been announced yet. They are probably waiting to announce the death of American democracy and burry the two together. The Republican Party, once a true American party intent on creating a more perfect union, has been assassinated from within. As usual, the American people are the losers in this tragedy.

The Republican Party Has Turned Away From Our Constitution And Embraced “Authoritarianism”

Constitution

I have been recommending that the next election should result in the biggest defeat by any political party in history. That party is the Republican Party. This is not because I wish to see a one-party system, it is because the Republican Party has lost all of their values and true beliefs. They have turned away from Constitutional law and favor an authoritarian system.

This has not been a result of the former guy and his rages and lies. It has been happening for years and we have just sat back and watched and did nothing to stop it. We are now seeing the fruits of that lackadaisical behavior towards our democracy.

Although there were goofballs before, the major shift by Republicans started with the election of Barak Obama, the first black President. That election started what was called the Tea Party movement. That was the real beginning of the fall of the Republican Party into authoritarianism.

Since that election, Republican controlled states have passed laws making it harder to vote, they passed voter ID laws, they passed voting district maps that take way representation from those groups that are “different”. They have systematically stripped away civil rights from many different groups of people.

When the Affordable Care Act was passed they shouted and screamed about it. They promised to “repeal and replace” the act with their own because the “government shouldn’t get between you and your doctor”. We are now 12 years later and they still haven’t done anything except bitch about it. They made the unholy alliance with the far right radical Evangelicals over abortion. The Supreme Court which Mitch McConnell deliberately “stacked” with far right conservatives overturned Roe v. Wade.

In 2016 we saw the rise of the former guy in the party. His hole campaign was all about bitching, complaining and victimization not about policy. He said “only I can fix the country”. But, when given the chance, he failed miserably except in giving himself and other very wealthy people a massive tax cut that is making our national debt explode.

He lost in 2020 and is still trying to convince us the election was stolen. The problem is that too many Republicans in Congress are echoing that sentiment. They still refuse to acknowledge that he lost. These are the very same people that have now shut down the House of Representatives because they can’t keep a Speaker of the House or elect a new one. On a personal note, I believe this whole mess over the Speaker is just a ploy by Republicans to ensure the government shuts down next month which is what they really want.

But the problem isn’t just in Congress. It is in state houses and local governments all across the nation. We have Republican controlled states banning abortion. They are passing massive gerrymandered voting maps to “take away Democrat seats”. They are passing laws that place themselves between doctors and their patients passing those anti-transgender medical laws.

This week, Lubick, TX just passed a law that makes it “illegal for anyone traveling through the area to get to another state for the purpose of obtaining an abortion to use ‘their’ highways”. Idaho passed a law earlier that made it illegal for anyone to “drive anyone who wishes to obtain an abortion across the state”. They couldn’t pass a law making it illegal to cross the state line, so they made it illegal to “transport” an abortion seeker in the state of Idaho.

These are just two examples of the horrific laws being passed by Republican controlled states. On one hand they claim to be “pro-life” but then pass laws that reduce food stamps, WIC, Medicaid and other social safety nets needed by poor people to actually raise these children. They only care about “life” when it is in the womb. After that, they say f*ck it.

The majority of the party is supporting a man who has been indicted in four different jurisdictions on 91 felony counts of criminal behavior. They claim it is just a witch hunt. They also claim they have “mountains of evidence” of President Biden’s criminal activity. Yet, when they present it, there is no evidence and they are openly lying just to get revenge against Democrats.

In a real case of unbelievable irony, MTG claims she will bring a motion to censure Rep. Tlaib for her comments about the war in Israel. MTG claims Tlaib is supporting “terrorists” against the Jews. Yet, this is a woman who has openly and knowingly spoken at and attended white supremacist and antisemitic gatherings.

What this really is the total difference between Republican views of free speech and what the Constitution says it is. In their view, if you say anything they don’t like, you should be censured. If you incite an insurrection against the very government y0u are supposed to support, you are just using your right to free speech.

Violent rhetoric has risen horribly in the last seven years. It is not uncommon for Republicans, led by the former guy, to encourage violence against political opponents. It has become second nature to make threats against Judges, Lawyers, Jurors, the FBI, Witnesses and anyone who disagrees with Republican authoritarianism or are considered “Democrats”.

The Republican Party has thrown off any concept of democracy. They have revolted against our nation, our way of life and our Constitution. It is THEY who wish to establish a one-party system led by a dictator. Then that one party can rubber stamp everything their “dear leader” says should be passed and not really have to work.

If you take just 10 seconds of each day, you can see the authoritarian trend of the Republican Party. You can see the encouragement of violence against their opponents. You can see your civil rights being stripped away from you one state at a time and one right at a time.

The Republican Party has become America’s “Authoritarian Party” that is intent on ruling over us and not governing. They have no desire to worry about you the people or do anything to protect the rights under the Constitution. They want to be able to dictate which rights are for which people. If you are not “one of them” you don’t deserve any rights.

This authoritarian trend is not just at the federal level. You can see it all the way down to County and local levels. If this trend continues and we the people fail to stop it at the polls, then I fear for our country and our democracy. I served my country for 20 years to prevent this madness from taking hold here at home. Please join me in voting these thugs out of office next year. If we can last that long.