Bush Founded ISIS; Trump is Their MVP Recruiter
Now that I've gotten that little piece of reality off my chest...
Greetings, fellow Dot Calm Readers, Freedom Fighters, and Truth Crusaders!
The title of this post may be snarky, but it is no joke. And, unlike Trump, I can back it up with facts.
Bush's invasion of Iraq fueled the expansion of the group that became ISIS before Obama even became president.
Trump has indeed been featured in ISIS recruitment videos according to Politifact. And Newsweek posted a searing headline in late March of this year: "Trump Is a 'Recruiting Sergeant' for ISIS: Ex-CIA Chief."
Srsly, when Trump has a giant redwood in his eye, he has no bidnith accusing clear-eyed people of having microscopic grains of dust in their eyes. It's not even a case of pot-meet-kettle because Trump is so far off reality that he's not even wrong.
Cheez.
I hope Hillary shreds Trump's pasty orange ass over this...over the Newsweek article on Trump's many business failings (posted on the blog here)...over his repeated incitement of his minions to violence...over the consumer scam and fraud that was TrumPEW...over his standard business practice of not paying workers and contractors...over his tax returns...over his boasts that inflate his wealth, which is apparently even smaller than his teeny shriveled weenie...!
I wanna see the puffy bloated orange crybaby squirm.
Don't forget to read Dot Calm's shadow's favorite independent sources of news and information:
Daily Kos
AlterNet
Peas, friends. We've all survived to see another weekend, so I guess that's something.
- Dot Calm's shadow
Consider the preemptive Blogger phuqued-up phormatting disclaimer to be in effect. Grrr.
-- Dot Calm's shadow
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Many people are saying
that Trump blames Obama
for the Jewish holocaust
in Nazi Germany.
-- Dot Calm's shadow
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Vox: Trump's "Obama founded ISIS" comments are outrageous. They're also deeply ignorant.
In short, not only did Trump pull his "facts" out of his ass as usual, but he continues to undermine foreign and domestic confidence in American institutions, like the voting process and our government. He literally satisfies the criteria for "all enemies foreign and domestic," my friends. He literally gives aid and comfort to the enemy. But people like my Tea Party Christian friend are so deluded that they think he's great--a great businessman, a great patriot, and a great (if you're drinking something, swallow it now...you have been warned!) intellect. (If you just sprayed your computer/keyboard, don't say I didn't warn ya.)
Slate: These Lawyers Caught Trump Lying 30 Times. His Responses are Glorious.
Vox: Donald Trump has no problem with lying but plenty of problems with the truth
Vox: Donald Trump gets upset when people take his words seriously. Good quality for a president.
Vox: Trump said he gave his staff child care, but the programs were actually for his hotel guests
Vox: A federal judge smacked down John Kasich's attempt to defund Planned Parenthood in Ohio
Vox: "Diagnosing" Donald Trump is sham psychology and bad politics
...alrighty then. So I won't call him a narcissist, but he sure ACTS like one!
Vox: Donald Trump's supporters are LESS likely to be affected by trade and immigration, not more
Vox: New study: it would be cheap to retrain coal workers for solar jobs
Vox: I got Zika. The US health care system had no idea what to do with me.
Vox: I'm a doctor who lost a tooth because I didn't floss enough. We should all keep flossing.
Vox: NBC's coverage of the Olympics is atrocious. There's a simple reason why.
Thanks for noticing, Vox. I thought I was just being pissy.
Vox: Simone Manuel's Olympic gold is also a victory over swimming's racist history
Vox: Handstands, explained
...for those of you who like to get your physics geek on
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Mailbag
Dr. James Hansen for The Natural History Museum
I’m reaching out today because my fellow scientists and I need your help.I am the former Director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and currently an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University’s Earth Institute, where I direct a program in Climate Science, Awareness, and Solutions. I was among many scientists who raised early awareness of the reality of global warming and the threats it poses, but who are now distressed by the absence of an adequate policy response.
I am also a proud member of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the largest association of Earth scientists in the world. The AGU is a well-respected institution that works to advance public understanding of science and holds a strong position on the urgency of climate action.
The AGU is a forum for thousands of climate scientists, whose work has helped alert the world to the dangers of climate change. The bad news? To our amazement, the AGU stubbornly continues to accept funding from Exxon Mobil, one of the world’s leading funders of climate change denial.
Stand with us scientists in telling the AGU: Stop accepting funding from Exxon Mobil, a company that misleads the public about climate change and is under investigation for doing so.
AGU members study our planet in so many different ways, yet we are all united by our quest for truth -- a value ingrained in AGU’s own sponsorship policy, which expressly forbids AGU from accepting funding from any organization that supports science misinformation. This policy was put in place for good reason, and the AGU must start abiding by it -- starting with Exxon.
Exxon has been deceiving the public about the science of climate change for decades -- to the tune of $33 million in funding to climate denial since 1998 -- and this deception continues to this day. As I write this, Exxon is funding climate- denying think tanks (like the American Enterprise Institute), trade associations (like the American Legislative Exchange Council), and more than one hundred climate- denying politicians.
Energy companies like Exxon should turn to large investments in clean energies. Instead, they financially support climate change denial and major public advertising campaigns designed to keep the world hooked on fossil fuels - even though the science shows that fossil fuel emissions must be phased out rapidly for the sake of young people and future generations.
That’s why I’ve joined with 300 of my fellow Earth scientists, including Kerry Emanuel, Charles Greene, Michael Mann, Nathan Phillips, and Bob Ward, on an open letter calling on the AGU to reject sponsorship from Exxon once and for all. Today, we’re asking you to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us scientists by adding your name.
Despite our pleas so far, AGU’s Board decided at their last meeting to continue accepting funding from Exxon. In response, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Representative Ted Lieu backed us up with a letter of their own, finally prompting the AGU Board to vow to once again “review and discuss the information” at its next meeting this September. But nothing has changed yet. So, as we approach this September’s board meeting, we now need your support.
We’re working with The Natural History Museum and ClimateTruth.org to invite you, the public, to add your weight behind us. Join us in this collaborative effort between scientists and citizens. Help us remind one of our world’s great bastions of science that its leadership matters to us all. This September, as AGU’s Board decides if it will stand or falter in the face of attacks on its own science and scientists, the eyes of the world will be watching.
Please sign our petition to tell the AGU to drop Exxon sponsorship once and for all.
Our science shows that the inertia of the climate system, especially of the ocean and the great ice sheets, is not our friend. We risk handing young people and future generations a climate system with built-in change so advanced that unacceptable consequences are practically out of their control. We have no time to waste -- least of all on lending the social license of our scientific institutions to those who undermine our science.
Thank you for helping us hold the AGU accountable and for standing up for science - today and every day.
Sincerely,
Dr. James Hansen
Director, Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions program in the Columbia Earth Institute; Adjunct Professor, Columbia University Earth Institute; and Former Director, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
MORE INFORMATION:
“Scientists to AGU: Drop Exxon Sponsorship.” The Natural History Museum. 05-06-2016.
http://
“Climate experts urge leading scientists' association: reject Exxon sponsorship.” The Guardian. 02-22-2016.
https://www.theguardian.com/
“Exxon's Donations and Ties to American Geophysical Union Are Larger and Deeper Than Previously Recognized,” InsideClimate News. 06-26-2016.
https://insideclimatenews.org/
“Organizational Support Policy.” American Geophysical Union. 04-2016.
http://about.agu.org/files/
The Natural History Museum is a mobile and pop-up museum that champions bold climate action. It is an independent museum that does not take money from the fossil fuel industry or corporate polluters. We rely on individual donations from people just like you. Please consider making a donation to support our work: http://
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| Republican cowards need to disavow Trump | |
| Tell Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan:
"Take a meaningful stand against Donald Trump’s violent rhetoric, racism and xenophobia by withdrawing your support for his candidacy."
Add your name:
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From Daily Kos--Sign this if you're sick of letting the banks rig the system to rake in profits at your expense
In a surprise move, both Democrats and Republicans included reinstating the Glass-Steagall Act in their official party platforms.
Sign the petition: Demand that congressional leaders rein in Wall Street greed and allow a vote on the bipartisan 21st Century Glass-Steagall Act after the election.
The Glass-Steagall Act separated commercial banking from investment banking, making it much harder for banks to swell into "too big to fail" behemoths. Now, both major parties want to reinstate it.
Congress must quickly back this up with action, as working people are still hurting from the 2008 financial crisis. Many lost their homes and jobs, and are still struggling to make ends meet for their families.
Add your name: We need a renewed Glass-Steagall Act. Tell congressional leaders stand up to Wall Street now.
While families struggle, Wall Street executives have made billions and big banks have gotten even bigger. They've continued with their risky behavior that caused the 2008 crisis. The rules are rigged in favor of Wall Street. But it doesn't have to be that way.
Before the Glass-Steagall Act was rolled back in the 1990s, it helped protect our financial system for over 60 years, by separating conventional commercial banking from the Wall Street casino.
Momentum is growing to pass a modern Glass-Steagall Act. A huge majority of working people support the idea of reinstating the Act and a bipartisan bill - introduced by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and supported by Sen. John McCain - has already been introduced in the Senate that would put in place a modern version of the Glass-Steagall Act.
There's no excuse for Senate Republicans to drag their feet on taking action on this important issue.
Sign the petition now to demand congressional leaders rein in Wall Street greed and allow a vote on the bipartisan 21st Century Glass-Steagall Act after the election.
Keep fighting,
Irna Landrum, Daily Kos
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From Change.org--medical marijuana is MEDICINE!
Dot Calm would have benefited so much from medical marijuana. She lived in constant pain that the pills just don't help after you've been on them for a few years...and the side effects and liver, heart, and kidney damage are nothing to sneeze at.
-- Dot Calm's shadow
(missing Dot Calm very much at the moment, thank you very much)
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Millions of hardworking minimum
wage earners in our country feel like they’re working harder than ever
while seeing their paychecks count for less and less.
Unfortunately, they’re right.
Since 1968, the real value of the minimum wage has fallen by 50%, while
labor productivity more than doubled.
It’s gotten to the point where a
full time minimum wage employee with a family of three earns 21% below
the Federal poverty line.
No one who works full time should live in poverty.
Raising the minimum wage to $15 would provide much needed relief for 53 million Americans. We can make a difference together.
Thank you,
Keith Ellison
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From Daily Kos--help overturn Citizens United
Citizens United is a huge threat to our democracy. The Supreme Court decision opened the floodgates for billionaires and corporate interests to buy our elections.
Citizens United treats corporate donations to elections as diligently protected free speech, giving big monied interests more power than ever before to influence and corrupt the government.
Sign the petition: Overturn Citizens United.
Hillary Clinton has pledged to tackle Citizens United in her first 30 days in office as President. She will call on Congress to pass a constitutional amendment overturning the decision. And she'll need strong allies in Congress to do it.
Let's start working to make that happen.
Sign the petition from Daily Kos and several Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate calling on Congress to overturn Citizens United.
Keep fighting,
Irna Landrum, Daily Kos
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From Gabby Giffords--Donate to Hillary to help stop the NRA
When I heard Donald Trump say that “Second Amendment people” can do something about it if they don’t like Hillary’s judicial appointments, I knew his allies in the gun lobby would stand by him. In reality, they did him one better:
The NRA went on Twitter to defend Trump’s remarks -- then they announced that they’re launching a new attack ad spreading lies and calling Hillary vicious names. They’re spending $3 million to show it to voters in pivotal states.
I have no intention of letting the gun lobby decide the outcome of this election -- if 59 people from Herndon chip in today, that will be a great start toward getting the funds Hillary needs to fight back. Can you help with $5? The gun lobby has deep pockets, and they’ll spend whatever it takes to keep their Republican allies in control of Congress. Donald Trump has made it clear he’ll do whatever they say -- so they’re going to spend millions and millions of dollars to try to help him win.
Hillary isn’t afraid of the NRA. She’s courageous, and if she’s president, she’ll take on the gun lobby in Washington, just like she has her entire career. That’s why I’m fighting for my friend Hillary -- I’m so glad you are, too.
The NRA doesn’t decide the future of our country -- we do. Chip in $5 right now, and let’s show the NRA that however hard they fight for Donald Trump, we’ll fight back even harder for Hillary:
Thank you,
Gabby
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You could be eating, drinking and breathing glyphosate -- the main active ingredient in one of the most widely used poisons in the world, Monsanto's RoundUp.
It's estimated over 1.4 billion pounds of this poison is applied annually, from commercial agriculture to private lawns, yet we know nothing about our exposure to it.1
Tell the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to test for glyphosate residue on our food. We have the right to know if we're eating Monsanto's RoundUp.
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The Defense Department notified Congress August 8 of a proposed sale
of 153 tanks and 20 armored vehicles to Saudi Arabia. Since March 2015,
Saudi Arabia has led a U.S.-backed coalition fighting to restore
Yemen’s ousted president Hadi to power and to destroy military forces
loyal to the Houthi movement and former president Saleh. The UN
estimates that more than 3,500 civilians have been killed
since March 2015, and almost twice as many wounded; the U.S.-backed
coalition has been responsible for roughly 75% of all civilian
casualties. Saudi Arabia has enforced a blockade, cutting off supplies of food, fuel, and medicine.
A year and a half into the war, the health system has largely broken
down, and much of the country is on the brink of starvation.
This proposed arms transfer would signal to actors in Yemen that the U.S. seeks to escalate the war rather than seek a negotiated resolution to the conflict. Congress has a 30-day period during which it can block or modify the sale.
Urge Members of Congress to block the sale by signing our petition at MoveOn.
Thanks for all you do to help make U.S. foreign policy more just,
Robert Naiman, Avram Reisman, and Sarah Burns
Just Foreign Policy
Help support our work!
If you think our work is important, support us with a $15 donation.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.
This proposed arms transfer would signal to actors in Yemen that the U.S. seeks to escalate the war rather than seek a negotiated resolution to the conflict. Congress has a 30-day period during which it can block or modify the sale.
Urge Members of Congress to block the sale by signing our petition at MoveOn.
Thanks for all you do to help make U.S. foreign policy more just,
Robert Naiman, Avram Reisman, and Sarah Burns
Just Foreign Policy
Help support our work!
If you think our work is important, support us with a $15 donation.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.
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From Daily Kos--don't let mass incarceration take a chunk out of our democracy through prison gerrymandering
Mass incarceration has led to many issues affecting our democracy. Most people know that prisoners and formerly incarcerated people often lose their right to vote.
There is another unjust practice that is less well-known and has powerful implications on our democracy--Prison-based gerrymandering which transfers political power from communities of color.
The U.S. Census is required to count everyone within the borders every 10 years, but incarcerated people aren't allowed to be counted at their permanent address.
Over 2 million incarcerated people will be misrepresented in districts they have no connection to. Incarcerated people are being counted in the wrong places--the place of their detainment at the time of the census, rather than their permanent address. This causes a distortion of political representation.
Right now, we have the opportunity to pressure the Census Bureau to change this practice. They are accepting public comment on their practices until Sept. 1. Unfortunately, they are not planning to implement this change--we need to show public support for this change.
Please click here to sign and send a message to the U.S. Census Bureau urging them to accurately count incarcerated people at their permanent addresses--the communities they will return to after their sentence, instead of the place of their temporary interment.
Prison gerrymandering deprives home districts, typically urban centers, and neighborhoods with a large population of people of color, of vital representation and gives areas where prisons are housed, typically rural and white, disproportionate representation. See the case of Anamosa, Iowa, New York state, and Wyoming for some of the most egregious examples.
Incarcerated people are often housed in prisons and jails temporarily and moved around often. Most people in prison are serving short sentences--many less than three years spread across multiple facilities. In New York state, the median time served in a facility is less than seven months. In Georgia,the average person has been transferred four times and the median time spent at the current facility is nine months. While their locations change often, incarcerated people are always required to report a permanent address. This is where they should be counted--much the way that temporary residents are counted.
It's a violation of equal representation, plain and simple.
Please click here to contact the Census Bureau and urge them to rectify this injustice. We have pre-written statements and plenty of information for you to add so that we can push the Census Bureau to do the right thing.
Keep fighting,
Rachel Colyer, Daily Kos
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If you care about your dogs...not to mention wildlife...please sign this!
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| Tell the EPA: Ban the use of toxic atrazine | |
| Tell the EPA:
“Ban the use of the herbicide atrazine in the United States.”
Add your name:
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The political revolution was never just about electing a president.
It's a movement of millions of Americans uniting to upend the status quo
and transform our country. That's why we're coming together around
dozens of strong candidates — from school board to Senate — to win
important victories on November 8th.
Contribute $25
Contribute
We need to elect a wave of progressive candidates all over this country
who will fight for the values we share, and that's why I'm asking you
today to support three people who have long stood with our political
revolution:
These candidates endorsed Bernie's campaign for president because they
believe in our political revolution. They had the guts to take on the
establishment when it wasn't necessarily going to be easy and we know
they will be strong and consistent allies in the fight for economic,
social, environmental and racial justice in the House of
Representatives.
Zephyr Teachout (New York): Zephyr is running in a
swing district, but she's running on a progressive agenda that will win
working people on both sides of the aisle. Zephyr wrote a book on
political corruption because she understands deeply how wealthy campaign
contributors are buying our politicians and rigging our economy. In
Congress, she'll fight to ban fracking and rein in Wall Street. This
won't be an easy race and she needs your financial support.
Rick Nolan (Minnesota): Rick represents one of the
most competitive congressional districts in the country, but he's been a
strong fighter for enacting single-payer health care, overturning
Citizens United and ending offshore tax havens. He's running against a
multimillionaire CEO who thinks he can pour millions into television
ads, win himself a congressional seat, and then cast votes to cut taxes
on the ultra-rich.
Pramila Jayapal (Washington): Pramila was a leader in
the fight for paid sick leave and a $15 minimum wage in Seattle. She's
been taking on the ruling class in Washington state for years, and now
we need to make sure she gets past a tough general election so that she
can be one of our strongest allies in Congress.
I believe that when future historians look back and describe how our
country moved forward and created a government which represents all
people and not just the few, they will note that, to a significant
degree, that effort began with the political revolution of 2016 and the
tidal wave of strong leaders we elected all over the country.
Thank you for all you're doing to power our movement. Let's keep it going.
In solidarity,
Shannon Jackson
Executive Director
Our Revolution
Executive Director
Our Revolution
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Democracy Now!
The media are looking to unseal Trump's divorce records to see if he really did rape Ivana. Per the Vox article above re Trump's supporters, his base includes not the poor but the more well-to-do among the uneducated and blue collar workers--not to mention the extremely rich. So Hillary is telling the truth in the headline below. If you get a chance, check out the lead story in todaze DN!--it promises to be veddy intedestink, and I'll check it out when I get a chance.
-- Dot Calm's shadow
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Well, dear ones, there's a glimmer of hope in the shoot-fest culture that is America's police force. Baltimore has been investigated by the Justice Department and proven to be rife with systemic racism that disproportionately stops, injures, and kills Blacks--we all knew it was a fuck ton more than a "bad apple" here or there, but the Powers that Be and the NRA and the Republican white supremacists refused to face the music. I'm hoping that B'more is just the first domino in the shit stack to fall under honest, thorough scrutiny. Then, perhaps, our police departments can purge themselves of the killer cops and institute better training for the good cops who remain. And then, perhaps, we as a society can start the slow process of reintegrating and healing.
-- Dot Calm's shadow
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Daily Kos
Republicans love to whinge about the estate tax, which they call the "death tax." Did you know that it only affects people making over $5M per year ($10M if married)? Only a greedy-ass prik like Donald Trump would demand its elimination at the expense of social programs...because I have a bridge to sell ya if ya think Trump would really cut taxes for the rich without paying for it by skinning the middle class and poor.
-- Dot Calm's shadow
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Go to CCC, linked above, for the original FB
post you can click through on and read.
Turtle-face needs to go back
to the swamp he was born in
to the swamp he was born in
and crawl back under his rock
and retire there.
What does it say about Mitch the sonofabitch
that his "proudest moment"
was obstructing our democracy?!??
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AlterNet
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Here's how Trump really feels
about our national anthem...
and our country, by extension
...but that's OK, folks:
I'm sure my Tea Party Christian friend,
who's Trumpkin cum apologist,
can think up lots of lovely excuses!
(Don't look too closely at the photo, Trumpkins...
Trump's facial expression says it all...
including exactly what he thinks of YOU.)
including exactly what he thinks of YOU.)
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Movies!
Can you tell I'm too saturated with news to screen the usual current events videos? Either that, or I'm having a case of binge-watch OCD with Mr. Deity...ah, well....
Lololol!!!
Wonderful!!
'Til next time, check out these great channels:
...or, if you just want something mindless and fun, try Tested
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Stay t00ned to the blawg, friends--
I'm planning something funny
for this slot next time!
Hehe!
-- Dot Calm's shadow
posted by Dot Calm @ 6:13 PM
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