Have I told you how much I hate these people? - Mike Malloy. It is every thinking person’s responsibility not to side with his or her executioners. - Albert Camus. Popular democracy anywhere threatens fascism everywhere. - The Scallion. A fascist junta of neocons using George W. Bush as its shill has taken over America by bloodless coup. What will it take for us to stage a revolution and take our country back? - Dot Calm. Drive a hybrid. Leave a lighter footprint on the planet. - Dot Calm.
Like Granny D, I have watched my own beloved country change, and I am angry beyond words about what I see. I grew up seeing America as the equivalent of the movie good guy, the hero in the white hat who came to the rescue of those in need around the world. I have watched in silent horror as the corporations, the captains and the kings of industry, used a comparatively small outlay of cash to buy the Republicans to use as their shills. George W. Bush is the puppet cowboy-king of shills, the proverbial emperor with no clothes. Every day, I watch these evil men legalize, legitimize, and institutionalize robbing the poor to pay the rich. They are carving up America like a giant carcass and doling out choice chunks of its meat to themselves and their cronies. Since the Democrats have been sipping at the same corporate teat where the Republicans have been gorging for the past generation, the fascists are free to do their worst; there is no longer any opposition. There is no one left to stand up for the rights of the American people, the Constitution, or the democracy, which I fear will be replaced by a fascist dictatorship in my lifetime. Wake up, America: we need a REVOLUTION NOW!
Too much violence, too much bloodshed, too much death this week...these past few weeks.
Most recently, there are the Dallas police officers who were ambushed, leaving five dead and seven wounded--these officers did nothing wrong. They were protecting a peaceful protest. The shooter(s) pulled a real "biblegod"--punishing the innocent for the crimes of the guilty.
Before that, two young Black men--Alton Sterling and Philando Castile--were gunned down this week for the crime of driving while Black.
My dad mentioned another police shooting of a young Black man who was using a BB gun--I haven't heard anything about that, so it may have been something he saw in the local news.
And before all this violence, there has been slaughter in Baghdad and Fallujah...and there was the massacre at Ataturk Airport...
And, of course, the slaughter at the Pulse in Orlando.
Horrible.
Just horrible.
Please tell me that Steven Pinker is right and that world violence really is decreasing.
Please tell me that we as a species are not devolving.
If there is a silver lining in all this shit, it is that Paul Ryan and Newt Gingrich--perennial racists and racism deniers--have finally admitted that racism against Blacks that results in disproportionate deaths is a thing. Even Trumpty Drumpty made an attempt to sound even-handed in his recent tweets. Can't say I trust 'em, though. I'm taking bets: do ya think they really mean it this time and will make a serious attempt to address gun control before the election, or do ya think they'll turn around and take it all back and suck the NRA's shiny metal dick before we even change our underwear?
Don't forget to read Dot Calm's shadow's favorite independent sources of news and information:
Peas, friends, 'til Monday...I hope this weekend brings us some good fucking news for a change. Hug yourselves and each other for me--please and thank you!
This academic research changed my mind about China and trade policy--seriously, friends, read this. It's very straightforward, and it explains how permanent "normal trade relations" status allowed China to invest in selling us stuff while simultaneously allowing U.S. corporations to invest in solidifying their trade relationships with China.
Death by police--more than 500 people have been shot and killed by officers in America so far this year. We know, because the internet is counting.
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Mailbag
ColorOfChange.org--share the petition for justice for Alton Sterling and Philando Castile
Philando Castile's murder came less than 24 hours after the cops executed Alton Sterling.1 The
officer shot him four times after pulling him, his girlfriend, and his
daughter over for a broken taillight. Philando's girlfriend, Diamond
"Lavish" Reynolds, livestreamed the entire incident on Facebook--you can
hear the officer screaming at her while she tries to hold it
together and her four-year-old daughter says “It’s ok, Mommy. I’m right
here with you.”2 Then Diamond was arrested while the police took her child away.
Whether you "Feel the Bern" or have been proudly proclaiming "I'm
with Her" for months, we imagine you have some concerns about the role
of "superdelegates" in determining the Democratic presidential nominee.
We certainly do. Although one of us is a Hillary Clinton supporter and
the other is a Bernie Sanders supporter, we joined together two weeks
ago to demand that the Democratic Party end this thoroughly
un-democratic policy.(1)
Party leaders should never trump the will of the voters. Period.
Gallego for Arizona--demand common-sense gun control now!
POLITICO:
"House Republican infighting has forced GOP leaders to indefinitely
postpone a vote on an 'anti-terrorism package,' leaving Congress with no
legislative response to last month's massacre in Orlando."
DIY Roots Action--demand better qualified prison guards, tests for lead in our water
To Congress and Department of Corrections Commissioners Nationwide: Raise
the corrections officer qualifications nationwide. 1. Prison guards
should have at least some level of college education. 2. Prison guards
should be at least 25 years of age. 3. Prison guards should have yearly
background checks and psychological evaluations. Learn more and sign here.
-----
To Congress: Join New Jersey Congressman Donald M. Payne Jr. in
supporting his proposed TEST for Lead Act, which would ensure that
annual toxicity testing is conducted in public schools, nationwide.
Hundreds of thousands of students in Newark, N.J., Flint, Mich., and a
host of other cities are counting on you. Learn more and sign here.
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Tim Canova--Rick Scott and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, in bed with Big Sugar in Florida, are turning a blind eye to environmental destruction from fertilizer. Let's stop them.
While Republican Governors around the country are working hard to
disenfranchise voters before the upcoming elections, Democratic
Governors are doing the opposite--they are making it easier to vote.
The
Federal Reserve is the most powerful economic policymaking institution
in the country that is supposed to protect the economic well-being of
all Americans.
But has far too often the Fed has pursued policies that favor wealthy interests over working families.
There’s
a simple reason why: The big banks and financial institutions that the
Fed is supposed to oversee literally own the Federal Reserve System, and
dominate the Fed’s leadership.
This
week, the Democratic Party’s platform drafting committee is meeting to
finalize the Party’s platform for the next four years.
This
is our chance to make the Fed accountable to the public again and
ensure its policies actually support its mandate to foster full
employment for all.
Tell Fox Networks Group: Suspend Roger Ailes immediately, and conduct a thorough investigation into Fox News to guarantee all employees are safe from sexual harassment and retaliation.
In
Dallas, Texas, five police officers have been shot dead and six others
wounded. They were shot while patrolling a demonstration against the
recent police ... Read More →
The
shooting in Dallas that has so far left five police officers dead and
six other wounded was carried out by at least one sniper who began
shooting around 8:45 ... Read More →
In
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, protests and vigils are continuing for a fourth
day following the death of Alton Sterling, who was fatally shot by
police early Tuesday ... Read More →
On Thursday
in Minnesota, thousands of people attended vigils for Philando Castile.
A massive crowd gathered outside the Montessori school where Castile
... Read More →
Protests
against police brutality are spreading across the country in the wake
of the fatal police killings of African American men Alton Sterling in
Baton Rouge, ... Read More →
In
St. Paul, Minnesota, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the
governor’s mansion to protest the fatal police shooting of African
American man Philando ... Read More →
According
to the Washington Post, 505 people been killed by police across the
United States so far this year. African Americans — especially young
Black men — are ... Read More →
Hundreds
gathered for a vigil last night in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to honor
father of five Alton Sterling, who was fatally shot by police early Tuesday morning. ... Read More →
In
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a second video has surfaced showing the fatal
police shooting of father of five Alton Sterling, who was fatally shot
by police early Tuesday ... Read More →
He
kept claiming to fear for his life and said he was justified in pulling
his gun and threatening to shoot the crowd of unarmed protesters. READ MORE»
Women
make up nearly half of the workforce, yet old-fashioned policies keep
them unequal partners. To remedy this, we must first ensure basic
opportunities—like making sure girls can get to school. READ MORE»
Clinton
said the U.S. had to support the coup to continue sending aid, but
leading campaigners say the aid is directly tied to political
assassinations. READ MORE»
She
walked off set in 2012 after Brian Kilmeade said: “Women are
everywhere, we’re letting them play golf and tennis now. It’s out of
control.” READ MORE»
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Movies
The Young Turks: Trump might drop out...for a price. Reminds me of the Cracked video I posted here recently, in which the whole Trump campaign was presented an elaborate jokey joke.
Disabled teen with brain tumor beaten bloody by TSA at security checkpoint
