#479. Economics 101 for Republicans in Congress

Welcome to a discussion about the upcoming 5th Revolution in the US, which I’ve titled the “Revenge Revolution.” For more about the Revenge Revolution and the author, Entry #1 Periodically I write a “sense check” to assess whether a revolution in the US is possible or whether the entire exercise is based on a statistical aberration — i.e., a roughly 50-year cycle between major upheavals in the US Entry #476 was the most recent “sense check.”

BEGIN #479. The recent Republican rants in the House of Representatives about not raising the federal debt ceiling has stimulated other Republican supporters to make equally ill-informed and often comical comments about taxes and the economy. Many of these Republicans claim economics is nothing more than common sense and policies should be developed accordingly.

True, some aspects of economics are common sense.  But many are not.  Now, if the Republican zealots only applied common sense to many of their claims about how the economy works.

The following is a list of some of the more obvious uneducated, politically motivated statements about the economy. The list is in no particular order of importance.

#1 Claim.  Everyone should pay taxes. Many people pay no tax at all, and that’s not fair!

#1 Response.  Yes, some people pay no income tax, including a surprising number of wealthy people.  Most of the wealthy who pay no income tax are likely Republican – e.g., Donald J Trump who paid no income tax for many years.  Further, many corporations pay no income tax either, even those making substantial profits.

The claim that people don’t pay tax assumes income tax is the only form of tax. Apparently, Republicans have forgotten that sales taxes, usage fees, excise taxes, property taxes, et al are real taxes.  Taxes other than income taxes are generally highly regressive.  Since lower-income people spent a much higher percentage of their income, sales taxes become a greater proportion of income than high-income earners.  Same with property taxes.  While technically not a tax, lower-income earners also pay a higher percentage of income for FICA and Medicare. 

#2 Claim.  The US needs to cut back on payments for Social Security and Medicare.  The programs are nothing but handouts.

#2 Response.  The claim implies payments for Social Security and Medicare are not linked to any contribution by participants.  Social Security and Medicare are insurance programs. One can argue whether the premiums charged are adequate and possibly should be increased for some groups – extending FICA contributions to all wages, for example.  However, the programs are not without funding from the recipients.

When hard-core Republicans face possible economic consequences from tax changes, they seem to squeal like little piggies.  When Trump was declared the winner in the 2016 presidential election, a longtime friend, and ardent Trump supporter, immediately sent out an email encouraging  everyone to write their representatives in Congress and remind them to not reduce any payments for Social Security and Medicare.  Let’s see if I get this right.  Vote for Trump, a candidate who wanted to cut Social Security and Medicare, then immediately write House Reps and Senators to not Implement a major policy because their personal finances would be affected.  What class in Logic 101 did I miss?

#3 Claim.  The US can’t afford all the debt. We’re going to become like Venezuela.

#3 Response.  Obviously, the Fox News talking heads have been the source of this information. For Republicans, the US debt only matters when a Democrat is in office.  No Republicans squawked when Trump proposed a huge tax cut that every credible economic forecaster predicted would increase the deficit.  I guess the cat got Republicans’ tongues.  And the forecasters were right.  Just four years of the Trump administration generated about 25% of the total national debt.  The effect of the Trump tax cut continues to increase the deficit. 

When reviewing the debt, one should look at total debt as a percentage of income and ideally as a percentage of wealth.  For the US, at a minimum view debt as a % of GDP. 

When you ask one of the “no-debt” zealots if they ever bought a house, most reply, “of course.“  Follow that question with, “Did you ever take out a mortgage?” The response is again, “Of course. Otherwise, I couldn’t afford to buy the house.”  The final question, “What was the amount of the mortgage compared to your annual income?”  The response is usually along the lines of, “Probably three times or more than my income. What’s the issue?” 

Well, zealot, your debt, i.e., your mortgage, was far greater than your annual income. Why are you so concerned that the US government, which has a much lower debt relative to its annual income, is going to go broke?  You’re the one who says the country should be run like a private household. 

Also, mmm, zealot, why did debt as a % of GDP balloon under Trump?  Did I miss another class in Logic 101?

#4 Claim.  The tax rate is too high! The wealthy people pay all the taxes. There should be a flat tax.

#4 Response.  What do you think the effective tax rate is by income group?  What percentage of income is paid in taxes for lower-income groups, middle and higher-income groups?  The tax burden is not just income tax but all taxes – sales tax, property taxes, etc.  And don’t claim that renters don’t pay property taxes.  Landlords pass the tax on to renters and likely more.

Gee, zealot, looking at tax burden by group indicates that the tax rate is surprisingly flat across all groups. Lower-income people pay a disproportionate amount of sales and property taxes as a percentage of income. The total for lower-income groups is almost 20% of income.  The highest groups are about 30%.  And these calculations were before the Trump tax cut which lowered taxes on the wealthy.

More to come. End #479.

Other Topics. Interested in more info about climate change, what’s required to electrify a fleet of cars/trucks, what it was like to work day-to-day with Lee Iacocca and an array of other topics? Visit another page of this website, https://usrevolution5.com/jrd-thought-comments/

Advertisement

#478 The Democracy Gods Were Working This Week

Welcome to a discussion about the upcoming 5th Revolution in the US, which I’ve titled the “Revenge Revolution.” For more about the Revenge Revolution and the author, Entry #1 Periodically I write a “sense check” to assess whether a revolution in the US is possible or whether the entire exercise is based on a statistical aberration — i.e., a roughly 50-year cycle between major upheavals in the US Entry #476 was the most recent “sense check.”

BEGIN ENTRY #478: Well, well. The democracy gods were working this week. In no particular order:

  1. Trump’s legal defense against the special counsel Jack Smith lost ground.  BTW, have Trump’s lawyers won any arguments in court lately?
  2. Former Trump Administration VP Mike Pence testified to the January 6 grand jury for most of Thursday (04/27). Transcripts were sealed but apparently Pence answered many questions.
  3. E. Jean Carroll’s rape suit against Trump proceeded in Manhattan courtroom. The Donald was not present for Carroll’s testimony.  Wonder what the jury will think about the defendant being absent during the trial. Gee Donald, cat got your tongue? Or maybe Trump’s counsel was afraid of a typical tirade from the Donald when the questioning got tough.
  4. Fani Willis, Fulton County (Georgia) DA sent a letter to the county sheriff about beefing up security in and around the courthouse from early July through mid-September. Maybe an indictment is on its way? 
  5. Tucker, Carlson, Fox News’ most profitable talking head, was fired. Apparently, the termination had nothing to do with Carlson’s repeated lies on the air. Rather, the termination followed the Murdoch family becoming aware of Carlson’s texts that were derogatory to family members. Where were Fox’s lawyers in all of this? The texts had been available for months as part of the discovery process in the Dominion suit. Seems that Fox’s counsel never bothered to review the unredacted versions other than a day or two before the trial was to start.
  6. While likely there won’t be any repercussions, we learned of another example of unethical behavior by a conservative Supreme Court justice. Associate Justice Gorsuch did not report selling property to a law firm that frequently argues before SCOTUS. Oh well, you know those disclosure rules are for less-important people and besides, such rules are an inconvenience. Besides, Clarence Thomas told me no disclosure was required.
  7. Mickey Mouse roared at Ron DeSantis.  The Walt Disney Company filed a lawsuit against Florida Governor DeSantis about shenanigans DeSantis took to strip Disney of long-held rights to manage development on its property in Orlando.  Why?  Little Ronnie doesn’t like Disney’s personnel policies that provide protection for everyone — youknow, those people. 

The hard right did have its moments this week.  For example, the Montana House, dominated by Republicans, banished a transgender member from being allowed in the chamber. The trans representative now must work in the hall. Why?  She spoke in support of LGBTQ people.  Can you imagine how disruptive that was to the legislative process?  Guys, pick an issue that matters. Who cares if the person is trans?  Wait until one of your family members comes out.  Banish them too?

Enough for now.  Yes, a week of progress on the rational front! END #478

Other Topics. Interested in more info about climate change, what’s required to electrify a fleet of cars/trucks, what it was like to work day-to-day with Lee Iacocca and an array of other topics? Visit another page of this website, https://usrevolution5.com/jrd-thought-comments/

#477. Dominion’s Dumb Decision Damages Democracy

Welcome to a discussion about the upcoming 5th Revolution in the US, which I’ve titled the “Revenge Revolution.” For more about the Revenge Revolution and the author, Entry #1 Periodically I write a “sense check” to assess whether a revolution in the US is possible or whether the entire exercise is based on a statistical aberration — i.e., a roughly 50-year cycle between major upheavals in the US Entry #476 was the most recent “sense check.”

BEGIN ENTRY #477: A few days ago, Dominion Voting Systems agreed to an out-of-court settlement with Fox News. News Corporation, Fox’s parent, agreed to pay Dominion $787 million as part of the settlement for a libel suit brought by Dominion.  In addition, Fox had to admit, somewhat tepidly, that it had made false statements, aka lies, on the air about the credibility of Dominion’s voting machines.

By settling out of court, Fox avoided having testify in court CEO, Rupert Murdoch, and several high-profile talking heads.  Dominion had evidence that would have forced Murdoch and the talking heads to admit they lied on the air about Dominion as well as lied about the credibility of Trump’s claims the 2020 election was somehow “stolen.”

Following the announcement settlement, a number of lawyers, particularly on cable, began slobbering all over themselves about the unprecedented amount of payment and that other portions of the settlement would put guardrails on Fox’s behavior.

My view? Fox was the winner, not the loser.  Dominion was the loser. While the $787 million settlement was unprecedented for a libel case, the $787 million represents a minor hiccup to Fox’s earning stream.  Fox will still have a profit for FY2023 and possibly a profit for the quarter in which the settlement is booked. In addition, Fox is likely to slightly increase 30-second ad rates to cover the expense.

The settlement will have virtually no effect on Fox’s audience.  Fox viewers are likely to remain loyal.  Most will discount any terms of the settlement and many viewers may be unaware of most of the terms, given the limited coverage on Fox.

As far as the settlement controlling lies by Fox’s talking heads – Carlson, Hannity et al – don’t count on it. The Fox staff will train the talking heads to reframe lies as questions or claim in the commentary that they are merely “reporting” on what others have said.

The likelihood of Fox encountering another successful libel suit is very small.  The threshold for such suits is very high and Dominion was lucky to have had access to a trove of emails, texts and voice recordings proving Fox was lying.  As such, there is no incentive for Fox to change. Per chance, if Fox is facing another lawsuit, bring out the checkbook and buy your way out.

Why did Dominion settle?  By not settling, Dominion could have increased its market share.  Granted, no “self-respecting” election official in a Republican-dominated district would ever buy a Dominion voting machine.  I suspect many Republican-dominated state legislators will introduce legislation to ban any district in the state from purchasing Dominion voting machines.  If the Donald says “no” then the legislators must say “no.”

By not settling, Dominion could have gained market share in more Democratically controlled states. Officials in those states could have leaned toward Dominion’s system because the system is credible, and Dominion stood up to Fox and Trump.  Now those officials have less incentive to support Dominion.  For many of those officials, Dominion’s decision to grab the money and effectively cave into Fox is a reason not to buy Dominion machines. 

So, one more time, why did Dominion settle when they had Fox by the short hairs?  Even the presiding judge said Fox was not credible.  Oh, yes, follow the money.  The decision by Dominion may not have been made by Dominion executives, but guess who?  Yes, you guessed right – the paragons of ethical behavior.  A private equity firm that purchased a portion of Dominion a few years ago. 

So, in the end,  the private equity firm’s greed forced Dominion management to push aside ethics and principles. While the PE firm got cash and a huge ROI multiple for caving to Fox, the public got nothing. Fox bought its way out on the cheap and also bought the right to continue distorting the truth with no guardrails and little fear of repercussion.  Another dagger in the heart of democracy.

As for the future of Dominion, the PE firm will take the money and run, leaving Dominion a wounded player.  Let’s hope Dominion recovers.  However, don’t be surprised if in the next couple of years Dominion Voting Systems declares Cha11 bankruptcy or ends up being purchased by another company.  In the meantime, the members of the private equity firm will probably be watching Fox News. 

Other Topics. Interested in more info about climate change, what’s required to electrify a fleet of cars/trucks, what it was like to work day-to-day with Lee Iacocca and an array of other topics? Visit another page of this website, https://usrevolution5.com/jrd-thought-comments/


					

#476. Sense Check: Is Revolution V on Track?

I started this blog in 2013 after accidentally discovering a pattern that “revolutions” occur in the US about every 50 years. Some of the revolutions were armed – Civil War, for example – and some were cultural – changes following significant immigration in the early 20th Century. The revolution occurring in the late 1960s/early 1970s was a bit of both. 

Based on the 50-year cycle, Revolution V should begin roughly between 2020–2025. Are we on track? (For more about the revolutions and the author, Entry #1.)

I haven’t written for a couple of weeks awaiting information from events that seemingly would help answer the question.  In addition to the anticipated events, there were some surprises.  In no particular order, the following is a partial list of events that should help determine if Revolution V, aka the Revenge Revolution, is on track .

  1. More mass shootings, including another killing at a grammar school.  This time in Nashville, Tennessee. Three students, all under age 10 and three staff members were killed.  The killer, a lady in her 20’s, entered by shooting open a door that had been locked, supposedly to protect students and staff. So much for safety measures.
  2. Tennessee House, led by Republicans, expelling two black legislators for…can you imagine this…joining a group of students who were demanding legislators enact gun safety legislation.  The temerity of those students! The Tennessee Speaker of the House claimed the two legislators joining the young protesters was worse than the actions of the insurrectionists who invaded the US Capitol January 6. I guess the speaker believes the South shall rise again!
  3. North Carolina legislators eliminating any restrictions on carrying concealed weapons and eliminating any requirements for training with a handgun. The NC Republicans claimed lifting the restrictions would help protect citizens, including those in situations similar to the Tennessee school shooting. Yes, if only those 2nd and 3rd graders had a pistol in their backpacks everything would have been OK.
  4. Federal judge in Texas ruling that the FDA had neither the authority to approve nor did it follow the proper protocol in approving a drug taken orally that terminates pregnancies. Just because the drug has been on the market for 26 years, has been tested worldwide, and there are more than 100 peer-reviewed clinical studies confirming safety, the Trump–appointed judge knows more than scientists in the field. Wanna bet he never got beyond high-school chemistry?  The judge was nice enough to incorporate in the formal ruling some of the plaintiff’s inflammatory and misleading language.   Great to see such a fair and impartial judge.  Fortunately, a judge in Washington State made a different ruling that likely will result in the case going before SCOTUS.
  5. Speaking of SCOTUS, Politico reported that for more than 20 years Justice Clarence Thomas has failed to report substantial gifts to him and/or his spouse.  At least one of these gifts had an estimated value of $500,000.  How many different people or groups provided gifts is not yet known.  At least one person who regularly provided substantial gifts is a major contributor to the Republican Party. In response to the report, Thomas claimed, but without any documentation, that other justices had told him reporting such gifts was not required. Really?  I guess Thomas can’t read because the law says otherwise. Such gifts are required.  BTW, Clarence, I’ve got this bridge for sale that goes between Brooklyn and Manhattan.  Attractive price. Wanna buy it?
  6. And, oh yes, the Donald. Trump must be honored to be the first US president indicted. A mere 34 felony counts charged by the Manhattan DA. Since the Donald loves publicity, there are many more charges coming. A different court case in New York City this week, which includes a possible rape charge.  Soon likely indictments from the New York State AG and a different set of charges from the Fulton County Georgia DA. All those cases are substantially broader than the Manhattan case. The Donald will get a lot of miles on the plane and oh, all that wonderful publicity.

Well, that’s the partial list. If you don’t think the US is in the beginning stages of Revolution V, not sure what is required to change your mind. More to come.

Other Topics. Interested in more info about climate change, what’s required to electrify a fleet of cars/trucks, what it was like to work day-to-day with Lee Iacocca and an array of other topics? Visit another page of this website, https://usrevolution5.com/jrd-thought-comments/

#475. Chief Liar Likes to Rail in the Fox Lair for Lira

Welcome to a discussion about the upcoming 5th Revolution in the US, which I’ve titled the “Revenge Revolution.” For more about the Revenge Revolution and the author, Entry #1 Periodically I write a “sense check” to assess whether a revolution in the US is possible or whether the entire exercise is based on a statistical aberration — i.e., a roughly 50-year cycle between major upheavals in the US. Entry #430 was the most recent “sense check.”

BEGIN ENTRY #475: After Entry #474, I had no intention of giving Fox any more ink. What changed? My mind was an article in the New York Times about remarks from the CEO of Fox News.

Lachlan Murdoch (son of Rupert Murdoch), while speaking during an investor conference, praised Suzanne Scott, the chief executive of Fox News Media (Fox seems as if they have a lot of executives with lofty titles but not much authority). “The brand is incredibly strong. The core business is incredibly strong,” Mr. Murdoch said.

Asked to comment on the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit, Mr. Murdoch again defended Fox News from its detractors. “A news organization has an obligation — and it is an obligation — to report news fulsomely, wholesomely and without fear or favor, and that’s what Fox News has always done and that’s what Fox News will always do,” Mr. Murdoch said.

Murdoch’s claim about the integrity of Fox News might be the most outrageous quote of the year. Anyone who claims Fox News is a credible news organization with a fair-and-balanced approach deserves the “Liar, liar pants on fire” award for 2023.

The court filings in the Dominion suit include quotes and texts from the primetime talking heads at Fox. Each of the talking heads admitted they knew they were lying to the audience. The icing on the cake was an admission by Rupert Murdoch, CEO of all the News Corp holdings, that he knew the talking heads were lying and did nothing to stop them.

So sunny boy Lachlan, if the CEO of the Murdoch empire – remember he’s your father — admitted the broadcast content was false, please tell me please why Fox should be considered a news organization, let alone a credible one? All those connected with the organization have admitted lying in the Fox lair for lira (ok dollars). I’ll await your response. (The title? How many times do you get to use the same four letters in four different words?). END ENTRY #475

Other Topics. Interested in more info about climate change, what’s required to electrify a fleet of cars/trucks, what it was like to work day-to-day with Lee Iacocca and an array of other topics? Visit another page of this website, https://usrevolution5.com/jrd-thought-comments/

#474: “That Mother Tucker Done Me Wrong”

Welcome to a discussion about the upcoming 5th Revolution in the US, which I’ve titled the “Revenge Revolution.” For more about the Revenge Revolution and the author, Entry #1 Periodically I write a “sense check” to assess whether a revolution in the US is possible or whether the entire exercise is based on a statistical aberration — i.e., a roughly 50-year cycle between major upheavals in the US. Entry #430 was the most recent “sense check.”

BEGIN ENTRY #474: The fiasco at Fox News would seem to be the foundation for a good C&W song, “That Mother Tucker Done Me Wrong.”  What’s going on at Fox? 

First, the evidence presented in the lawsuit by Dominion Voting Machines against Fox News proves unequivocally what many people already knew – Fox is anything but a news network. I’m not sure if Fox even qualifies as a credible entertainment network. 

Fox betrayed its friends.  In your real life, do you stay friends with someone who betrays you?  You might if they apologize and change their behavior.  If those are the criteria, then staying friends with someone who doesn’t apologize and continues to betray you – i.e., Fox management and talking heads – seems to be consistent with the old saying, “stupid is as stupid does.“ 

The only people who might be surprised at the behavior of Fox are hard-core viewers. Well, will they ever wake up and finally acknowledge all the lies and deceit promulgated by the likes of Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham? Probably never.

The HIC trio – Hannity, Ingram, Carlson – went on the air regularly knowing what they were saying was a lie. The HIC trio lied to the hicks in the audience.

Why did they lie to the people who admire them the most? Simple greed!  Keep the hicks watching Fox and keep the equally unethical advertisers buying advertising time. 

Now that some of the hicks realize the lyrics to the song “That Mother Tucker Done Me Wrong” ring true, how do they feel?  Are they still so supportive of Trump and the Fox talking heads?  Maybe, just maybe he hicks might be thinking all those liberal elite snobs who stated that Trump was lying, and that Fox was lying aren’t such a-holes after all.

But admitting a mistake aside, where do Fox viewers turn next?  A long look in the mirror would be a good start.  Then following long look, get some coffee and carefully read the US Constitution and all the amendments.  You might be surprised at the actual wording of the amendments, especially the 2nd Amendment.

No one is suggesting that even though “That Mother Tucker Done Me Wrong” it means one must give up core values or concerns about issues. What others are asking – maybe “suggesting” is a more appropriate term – is to be honest in your approach to gathering information, analyzing problems and suggesting solutions.

Often there is more than one way to solve a problem.  Often the best solution includes input from different perspectives.

So, if you want to try and solve some serious problems facing the US, why not take the first step, quit Fox and start getting credible information. Continuing to watch Fox will not provide credible info. You might not like what you hear or read elsewhere but you will begin to get a more balanced picture.

Continuing to the same thing and expecting a different outcome is often considered a definition of insanity. I’d also add, continuing to consider Fox as a credible source of information is the definition of “stupid is as stupid does.“ END ENTRY #474

Other Topics. Interested in more info about climate change, what’s required to electrify a fleet of cars/trucks, what it was like to work day-to-day with Lee Iacocca and an array of other topics? Visit another page of this website, https://usrevolution5.com/jrd-thought-comments/

#473 Is Black History Month Perpetuating Discrimination?

Welcome to a discussion about the upcoming 5th Revolution in the US, which I’ve titled the “Revenge Revolution.” For more about the Revenge Revolution and the author, Entry #1 Periodically I write a “sense check” to assess whether a revolution in the US is possible or whether the entire exercise is based on a statistical aberration — i.e., a roughly 50-year cycle between major upheavals in the US. Entry #430 was the most recent “sense check.”

BEGIN ENTRY #473: For the past few years, I’ve been troubled by the following question. ”Is designating a month, February, as special for studying a particular race, in this case blacks, helping reduce discrimination or inadvertently perpetuating discrimination?“ Today is President Lincoln’s birthday, which seems an appropriate day to raise the question and provide some boundaries for the discussion.

The dilemma, at least from my perspective, seems to arise from what I think is a long-standing goal within the black community – assimilation. Assimilation in the sense of recognition as equals, not assimilation by eliminating blacks as a race.

The original intent of Black History Month seems noble – make US citizens more aware of accomplishments by blacks in the arts, science, humanities, and other areas. And the month seems to address some of those accomplishments.

The month also, intentionally or not, seems filled with articles and claims of “woe is me.”  Articles and commentary that delve into past discrimination, what’s wrong with society today, why blacks are being denied this or denied that.

Granted, I have not spent an immense amount of time digging deep into all the conversations. However, what seems to be missing from these conversations now – and over at least the last 10 years – is an honest, discussion by blacks of how they intend to help solve the problem.  What are blacks going to do to improve their own lot?

And the answer is not more busing to different schools.  More busing per se will not improve the education level for most blacks. Education requires a commitment to learn, not just getting on a bus and riding to a different school. 

And the answer is not more black coaches in the National Football League.  What more black coaches or black quarterbacks in the NFL have to do with improving the economic well-being of blacks in general is beyond me. And even more of a waste of time is whining when a black coach gets fired.  Outside of a handful of coaches in NFL history, all coaches are fired at some point.

I’ve made this observation in the past blog entries, but it seems worth repeating.  And the observation seems so basic. If every other ethnic group entering the US has managed to become assimilated in two generations – three at the most – why haven’t blacks?

All other ethnic groups were discriminated against and, some still are.  If you don’t think so, read some history of the early 20th Century and then some stories of discrimination of these groups as recently as last week. Do you hear any of these ethnic groups whining about discrimination? Not that I know of.

What has been the formula for these groups? A commitment to education. Not a commitment to football or basketball or the music. No, a widespread to commitment to general education. Where did that start? At the very local level, ideally with the family.

So why aren’t blacks leaders learning from these other ethnic groups and pushing for education starting at the family level? Ignore Ron DeSantis and his efforts in Florida to remove an advanced placement course in black history. Expending any effort on DeSantis is a waste of time because what he says might be annoying, but it cannot stop a legitimate effort to improve.

Instead, think about how to get children and young adults focused on education.  The education doesn’t have to be in college – skilled trades are needed and offer good paying jobs. And while you’re focusing on education, ask Congress to rename Black History Month to Black Education Month.  Focusing the conversation and efforts on education will pay dividends for members of the black community and gain much more support from the rest of society. END ENTRY #473

Other Topics. Interested in more info about climate change, what’s required to electrify a fleet of cars/trucks, what it was like to work day-to-day with Lee Iacocca and an array of other topics? Visit another page of this website, https://usrevolution5.com/jrd-thought-comments/

#472. Is There a Black Elephant in the Room?

Welcome to a discussion about the upcoming 5th Revolution in the US, which I’ve titled the “Revenge Revolution.” For more about the Revenge Revolution and the author, Entry #1 Periodically I write a “sense check” to assess whether a revolution in the US is possible or whether the entire exercise is based on a statistical aberration — i.e., a roughly 50-year cycle between major upheavals in the US. Entry #430 was the most recent “sense check.”

BEGIN ENTRY #472: The beating and eventual death of Tyre Nichols by Memphis police was a tragedy. Nothing about the police behavior seems rational.

Since Mr. Nichols death numerous people have expressed outrage, and rightfully so. My question is where should the outrage be directed?  Change is obviously needed, but where should we start?

In previous deaths by police of seemingly innocent black men, George Floyd, for example, the rage, especially in the black community, was directed at white police officers. The solution, many suggested, was more diversity throughout the police force, from senior officers to cops on the beat.

Such suggestions seemed perfectly rational. More black officers would better understand issues affecting the black community. More black officers also would help white officers better understand the issues.

The City of Memphis adopted many of these recommendations. Memphis installed a black, female chief of police and hired a substantial number of black police officers.

So, who was directly involved with the beating of Mr. Nichols? Black police officers. Not one or two officers, but five black officers.

 When the inevitable blame game started, who did the “talking heads” in the black community cite as the cause of Mr. Nichols death? The cause was not the five black officers, who were later terminated, but the cause was always something else.  Causes cited ranged from systematic racism by the police force, even though those directly involved were black, to the “boys in blue” are always unfair to the black community, even if the boys in blue are black, to as one high-profile columnist wrote, “America has failed the black community again.”

Huh?  Explain this to me, please.  Five black officers were part of a special unit established by the black chief of police to address excessive crime in a predominantly black area of Memphis. Part of that area is where Mr. McNichols lived. One the problems the special unit was to address included excessive speed on neighborhood streets. The police officers were directed to get tough on violators.

Well, based on the police videos taken when Mr. Nichols was pulled over, the police were way out of line given the possible infraction.  So, rather than automatically blaming someone, some system or some systemic attitude for Mr. Nichols death, maybe it’s time to look in the mirror and ask, “what’s the real problem here? Is there a black elephant in the room we don’t want to talk about? How much of that problem is being caused or being aggravated by members of the black community?”

The City of Memphis seems to have done virtually all of what black leaders previously asked of the police departments. More black managers, and more black officers. From all the evidence, Mr. Nichols did nothing outlandishly wrong, and did not resist. Yet five, yes five black officers savagely beat him. Does a blue uniform make one automatically racist? I think not, although to be fair I talked to a long-time black friend today who claimed the white police trained the black officers to be racist.  I let that comment slide and went on with the conversation.

Maybe it’s time to quit blaming others for many of the problems in the black community and for blacks to start taking more responsibility for making changes.  One thing is for certain.  Continuing to blame others for seemingly every ill in the black community is a surefire way to end up losing support of many outside the community trying to help. END ENTRY #472

Other Topics. Interested in more info about climate change, what’s required to electrify a fleet of cars/trucks, what it was like to work day-to-day with Lee Iacocca and an array of other topics? Visit another page of this website, https://usrevolution5.com/jrd-thought-comments/

#471. One Simple Step toward Ensuring Progress. Hang Up the Spikes.

Welcome to a discussion about the upcoming 5th Revolution in the US, which I’ve titled the “Revenge Revolution.” For more about the Revenge Revolution and the author, Entry #1 Periodically I write a “sense check” to assess whether a revolution in the US is possible or whether the entire exercise is based on a statistical aberration — i.e., a roughly 50-year cycle between major upheavals in the US. Entry #430 was the most recent “sense check.”

ENTRY #471 BEGINS: What a week! The right-wing wackos were out in full force.  As Republicans took control of the House,  spineless Kevin McCarthy capitulated to the wackos on every demand. I mean, it only took McCarthy 15 votes to be named Speaker, which gave him plenty of time to give away the store.  Doesn’t every baseball team want a key hitter with a .066 (1/15) batting average? 

Then to demonstrate their wackiness further, the right-wing House members refused to put on their big-boy pants and address real societal problems. Instead, they charged ahead by establishing a select committee to study and then overturn supposed tactics used by the Biden administration to weaponize the Federal government agencies.

Excuse me, little boys, but who weaponized the Federal agencies?  Try the Donald.  Oh, I forgot that in Trump world everything is backwards. Up is down; good is bad; bad is good.  Little boys, start your investigation with Trump.  He and his cronies managed to weaponize the agencies. After you objectively investigate Trump and recommend appropriate charges to DOJ, then you can start on the Biden administration.

To add a scoop of ice cream to the Republican-revenge cake, the House voted to defund the IRS, because…well, because the IRS was trying to collect taxes under laws passed by Congress.  The alleged “expansion” of the IRS claimed by Republicans was no expansion but designed to: (i) hire replacements for retiring employees over the next 10 years; (ii) return staffing to about the 1990 level.  In Trump world, I guess telling the truth is a sin. 

Public support for Republican extreme hyperbole and silliness seems to be turning away from the right wing.  Apparently, the hard-right Republicans learned nothing from the results of the midterms, when Republicans gained far fewer House seats than expected – and elected Mr. Tell-No-Lies, George Santos. At the same time, one can sense some moderate Republicans at least trying to become more rational.

Ah, but just when it appeared that sanity might prevail, yet another setback. DOJ, then the White House, confirmed a press report that a small cache of classified documents – apparently about a dozen – had been found in a locked closet in an office Biden used between being VP and president.  The documents were from the VP days. A second cache, apparently six (6) documents, was found in his locked garage in the Biden’s house in Delaware.

Even though Biden’s lawyers found the documents, then immediately notified the National Archives, and returned the documents, none of that seemed to matter to Republicans, especially the hard right. In the hard-right world of false equivalency, Biden having the documents was exactly the same as, if not worse, than Trump’s cache at Mar-a-Lago.  Therefore, in Trump world, the investigation of Trump should be stopped, and Trump fully exonerated.

Attorney General Garland, likely sensing a political problem, appointed a special counsel rather than using internal DOJ personnel to investigate how Biden came to hold the documents. Unlike Trump and the AG Barr, who always appointed Republicans to investigate Republicans, Garland appointed a Republican to investigate Trump and to investigate Biden. Of course, going overboard to be fair didn’t matter to the hard right, even though the special counsel had been a Trump appointee.  The appointee was now considered biased and will soon be labeled as a traitor.

With any kind of luck, the hyperbole over the documents will settle down as the cases proceed.  Settle down except for the constant stream of unsubstantiated claims by Jim Jordan and company, who seem to support every conspiracy theory. But what do you expect from Jordan?  He’s been trying to thwart an investigation of his seemingly unethical behavior while a wrestling coach at Ohio State.  Keep trying to divert attention Jim.

The head scratcher for Democrats is, “Joe, why did you have the documents?  And why wasn’t the disclosure made before?  The drip, drip, drip of disclosure is killing your credibility.“

One more twist to the plot. One explanation I heard from a friend with a long history with inside-the-Beltway media is the documents could’ve been planted. The contact was a bit embarrassed about buying into a conspiracy.  However, given the history of Republican dirty tricks, and the given the grade-school adage of “those who smelt it, dealt it,“ the possibility of the documents being planted makes sense…well sort of.  Republicans who scream the loudest about being framed or persecuted are usually ones who are guilty.

Let’s end this entry with a suggestion that may help most of the country start to move on.  Hard-right Republicans are going to scream and make false claims no matter what, so it is time to ignore them.

The recommendation is simple. Joe, announce you are hanging up your spikes. You’re not going to seek re-election and you’re going to step down after one term.  You’ve done an excellent job.  Quit while you’re ahead and quit while your physical and mental health are OK.

Stepping down and letting someone younger carry the load will divert take much of the wind out of Republican sails and generate new energy for the country.  And, not running might, just might, encourage some moderate Republicans to join Democrats and get something meaningful done in the House.  ENTRY #471 ENDS

Other Topics. Interested in more info about climate change, what’s required to electrify a fleet of cars/trucks, what it was like to work day-to-day with Lee Iacocca and an array of other topics? Visit another page of this website, https://usrevolution5.com/jrd-thought-comments/

#470. Where’s There’s Smoke, There’s Hope.

Welcome to a discussion about the upcoming 5th Revolution in the US, which I’ve titled the “Revenge Revolution.” For more about the Revenge Revolution and the author, Entry #1 Periodically I write a “sense check” to assess whether a revolution in the US is possible or whether the entire exercise is based on a statistical aberration — i.e., a roughly 50-year cycle between major upheavals in the US. Entry #430 was the most recent “sense check.”

ENTRY #470 BEGINS: On the 2nd Anniversary of one of the worst days in American history, I thought it might be worthwhile to discuss why I believe, “When There’s Smoke, There’s Hope.” When someone or some group starts to burn down something, there is always smoke and that sickening feeling. Those who are standing by have an option of doing nothing and watching something be destroyed or taking action and try to save whatever has been torched.

2023 seems to be a turning point for the US populace, where parts of society are saying “no” to the hard-right Republican torch carriers who want to burn the foundations of government and beginning to take action to save societal and cultural foundations.

Let’s look at a couple of examples of what’s happening now and what’s likely to happen in the coming weeks. What will these activities mean for the US Revolution V, the Revenge Revolution? First, as noted in earlier blog entries, the Revenge Revolution has started, and the Revenge Revolution will continue. However, what is starting to occur now is a coalescence of groups to counter the forces promulgating the Revenge Revolution. 

The end result should be the good guys win. Like all revolutions, however, life post revolution will be different. Fortunately, post Revenge Revolution core societal values will remain intact.

What’s likely to happen near term? We the (American) people – in today’s political climate, “We the people” seems like an oxymoron – will begin to start working together rather pulling in opposite directions.  And while “We the people” might seem like an oxymoron, even thinking “We the people” will make progress might make me a moron. 

Regardless of progress, 2023 looks to be filled with lots of smoke. In the last four (4) days – 01/03/23 to 01/06/23, members of the House of Representatives have been voting to select a Speaker of the House.  To be elected Speaker requires a simple majority of votes from members.  After 3.5 days, and 12 votes, no speaker has been elected.  Republicans, who have a thin majority in the House, cannot decide who should be awarded the Speaker’s gavel. [Late afternoon 01/06, McCarthy was 0 for 13, although picked up some votes.]

Republicans have been so fractured, that until the 12th vote, a Democrat received more votes than any Republican.  Taking this long to elect the Speaker hasn’t happened since 1859, and we all know what came a few years later.

The Republican front-runner for Speaker, Kevin McCarthy, apparently has been willing to compromise on any issue in order to be elected. Such behavior does not bode well for governing. On the contrary, such behavior might bode well for getting the American public, particularly Republicans, to finally understand that both parties need to be reasonably rational in their approach.

Why does the ineptness of the Republican Party and the resulting chaos provide a ray of hope?  The ray of hope is a growing percentage of Republicans appear to be disgusted with the behavior and demands of the far-right Trump MAGAts.  Many of these Republicans seem to be rethinking how the Party should operate. How soon they will take action is another story since they’ve proved to be remarkably spineless the past six plus (6+) years.

Another ray of hope is the likely prosecution of Trump for an array of illegal activities while president. The January 6th Committee recently released numerous transcripts that added to the pile of evidence about criminal behavior by Trump and his family.

How many Republicans will finally admit Trump is a crook remains to be seen. But, the results of the midterm elections and the constant smoke from the January 6th committee is a hopeful sign.

OK, so you still think I’m a moron for being so optimistic. The Revenge Revolution, as noted in a couple of previous entries, effectively started when Trump was elected president. The Revenge Revolution has grown more insidious – the 01/06/21 insurrection is a good example – and now we have a Republican Party going at least 0 for 12 in being able to elect someone to hold the gavel to manage meetings.

An old saying suggests it is always darkest before dawn. The darkest part of the night is not yet over. However, at the beginning of 2023 we seem closer to dawn than we do to dusk — a positive sign. More to come. ENTRY #470 ENDS

Other Topics. Interested in more info about climate change, what’s required to electrify a fleet of cars/trucks, what it was like to work day-to-day with Lee Iacocca and an array of other topics? Visit another page of this website, https://usrevolution5.com/jrd-thought-comments/