#475. Chief Liar Like 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

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#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

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#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

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#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

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#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

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#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

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#469. The Truth Solstice. Thanks 01/06 Committee.

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 #469: Thank you, January 6th Committee, for shedding light on America’s darkest day. December 21, 2022 will be the day a full report from the Committee is released.  In addition to December 21 being known as the Winter Solstice, it should be known as the “Truth Solstice.”

Every U.S. citizen, regardless of political preference, should be grateful the Committee has been shining light on events leading up to the January 6th insurrection and shining light on who was leading the charge. Shining light on truth is not a political issue but critical for a democracy to function long term.

If you are a diehard Trump supporter, imagine the same actions leading up to the 01/06 insurrection, but rather than actions being led by Trump, the actions were led by a Democratic president. Would you still want the investigation suppressed?  We know the answer, and the answer is, “No!”

We, all US citizens, should be eternally grateful for the fortitude and sacrifices of members of the January 6th Committee in providing this country with the “Truth Solstice.” END ENTRY #469

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#468. Backassward Logic. Columbus Wasn’t the Bad Guy.

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 #468: Recently, there was an article about a court in Philadelphia that ordered removal of a plywood box covering a 10 foot statue of Christopher Columbus. The statue was a gift to the city of Philadelphia in 1876.

The statue was covered with plywood following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Protesters in Philadelphia demanded the statue be taken down, or at least covered, because somehow Christopher Columbus was linked to the forced removal of the indigenous people from their native areas, and was somehow further linked to suppression of blacks, which led to the death of George Floyd by a rogue cop. Whew!

How do people end up making these links? Start with Christopher Columbus. He was sponsored by Queen Isabella of Spain in a quest to find a western passage to India and, in the process “discovered” America. (If you ever wondered why Native Americans are called Indians now you know.)

Columbus, an Italian explorer, reported back to the Queen about discovering this new land.  As a result of his efforts, Columbus got funded for a total of four (4) trips to North America.

What did Columbus do on those trips?  Did Columbus lead any invasion? No. Did Columbus directly cause any significant harm to Native Americans? No. Was Columbus involved in the slave trade? No.

Columbus was an explorer sponsored by the queen of Spain. Upon returning to Spain in 1493, Columbus was a “messenger” informing the queen there was a new land west of Europe.

What did Columbus do that was so bad a statue needed to be covered in plywood? Maybe the ire and frustration of the people who demanded the statue of Columbus be removed (the court order was to cover in plywood) should direct their ire at the true culprits – the Spanish, who invaded much of North America; the English, who established the colonies; and the Dutch (among others), who transported blacks from Africa. And while we’re pointing fingers, let’s not forget the chiefs of various African tribes, who sold members of other tribes to the Dutch.

Where were Columbus and the Italians during this activity? Columbus died about 1506, more than 100 years before the Mayflower.  And other Italians?  They remained in the Mediterranean.

Please tell me again, then, why Columbus should be linked to the death of George Floyd?  Applying the “Columbus-logic” to other situations can lead to some bizarre conclusions.

For example, using the “Columbus-is-the-cause” logic would justify prohibiting blacks from driving a German car – Mercedes, BMW or VW. Why? Because early on in the civil rights movement in the US, Jews were the first white group to support more freedom for blacks, often marching with blacks in protest and often suffering the same mistreatment from police in southern cities. During the period Jews also provided logistics and financial support to the effort.

During the 1930s and 1940s, Jews were persecuted and killed en masse by the Germans. The auto companies making Mercedes, BMW and VW were all part of the German war machine in WWII.

Therefore, by driving a Mercedes, BMW, or VW, blacks are demonstrating support for the actions of the Third Reich and the extermination of 6 million Jews. Now, you see what I mean by convoluted logic?

Folks, time to step back and view issues from a rational, less ideological perspective.  Columbus was an explorer who was looking for a different passage to India. Along the way he “discovered” North America.  He returned three more times.  In any of those trips did Columbus make an effort to invade America?  No. 

This entry is not intended to diminish the plight of Native Americans or blacks.  But, if you feel compelled to blame someone for the plight of blacks or Native Americans, blame one or more of the groups responsible.  Just don’t blame Columbus.  He wasn’t even looking for America.  He was looking for another way to India. END ENTRY #468

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#467 SCOTUS “Can’t Get No Respect”

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 #467: The Supreme Court wonders why. in the words of Rodney Dangerfield, “it can’t get no respect.”  Based on SCOTUS‘ behavior, it’s likely Rodney Dangerfield would garner more respect than many of the sitting  justices.

The track record of SCOTUS the last few years demonstrates no respect for individual rights and protections offered by the Constitution.  Some examples of incredibly bizarre rulings include Citizens United, Hobby Lobby, and overturning Roe v. Wade.  This week, however, SCOTUS hit a new low in the 303 Creative case by: (i) agreeing to rule on a hypothetical case in which no one had been affected, and therefore, no one had standing; (ii) asking some of the dumbest questions one can imagine during oral arguments. Another even lower bar might be set as SCOTUS hears arguments 12/07 that state legislatures should be able to overturn elections.

I’m not a lawyer, and I’ve never played one on TV. Nonetheless, anyone with a modicum of intelligence, which appears to be lacking among the three Trump justices, as well as with Clarence Thomas, who has long demonstrated illogical thinking and appears to be the handmaid of the far-right Ginny Thomas, could see through the absolute charade in the questioning during the case before the court – 303 Creative.  (NYT article about the arguments.)

A reasonable interpretation of questions and comments from the far-right justices suggests that anyone  whose work is “expressive“ can’t discriminate since the “expression” is linked to their 1st Amendment rights of free speech.  Forget the plaintiff has not opened the business, or that, if she does, she could merely say to prospective clients, “I don’t think I’m the right person for you. Why don’t you try person X.“  Or, that she could even offer  a time schedule to complete the project that would not fit the client’s needs.

No, according to SCOTUS, such simple solutions are not possible.  According to SCOTUS, being “expressive” in your work allows you to be exempt from certain state and Federal laws.  Why?  Well, uh well, well because your allegedly religious beliefs take precedence over Federal and state laws – but only if your work is “expressive.”

Given where SCOTUS is headed, I think I’ll open a clothing store.  Because clothing inventory in the store will be an expression of my taste, then I’ll be able to ignore any Federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination.

Wanna guess what happens if I decide to discriminate against fundamentalist Christians? The uproar from the right will be deafening.

The ineptness of SCOTUS is what occurs when Congress – i.e., Republicans in the Senate – approve candidates to the Federal courts who are ideologues. The Trump appointees are best described as clowns, especially Kavanaugh and Barrett.  There are even more Trump clowns in the lower courts, or the 303 Creative case never would have reached the Supreme Court.

If SCOTUS “can’t get no respect,” then what we have is a country without laws. Trump, consistent with his usual dumbass comments and egotistical logic, announced this past weekend that the US Constitution should be abolished, and Trump should be appointed president. Any strong response from Republicans in Congress to Trump’s comments? Of course not.

Given the actions of SCOTUS and cowardly Republicans, any wonder why I think a 5th US Revolution, the Revenge Revolution, is likely?  The way the far-right is acting, and the way apparently brainless Republicans are kowtowing, the 5th US Revolution will be led by the people with some integrity and some understanding of the principles on which the US was founded.  Those leading the Revolution, the true patriots, are likely to round up and jail the insurrectionist, including a number of members of Congress and the former president. With the incarceration, we could begin to repair the country. END #467

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#466. What’s Ahead for the US?

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 #466: It is Thanksgiving weekend 2022. I started this blog entry over a week ago after having waited a couple of weeks after the mid-term elections. So, what I have I learned by waiting?

The results of the midterms were a bit of a relief, at least temporarily. While there has been a lot of ink about the results of the 2022 midterms, my take is rational Republicans and Democrats took charge and the American public should be generally pleased by the outcomes.

Not to say all is rosy. Even though Republicans gained far fewer seats in the House of Representatives than expected, rational voters should be concerned the incoming House leadership will be a triumvirate of whackos – McCarthy, Green, and Jordan. The far-right trio will generate a lot of noise in the House, but fortunately, all the efforts will end up being for show and of little consequence. 

The brakes on the Trumpian trifecta will be by the Senate, where Democrats will retain at least 50 seats. In addition, based on voters’ expressions in the mid-terms, some Republicans from “purple” states are likely to join Democrats on key issues.

What may be most encouraging for the longer term is a majority of voters in more balanced purple states elected candidates committed to the Federal and state constitutions rather than the Trump autocracy.  Georgia, for example, reelected Republican Brad Raffensperger to Secretary of State by a significant margin.  Raffensperger, scorned by Trump, clearly drew some Democratic voters.  The election in Georgia was not unique.  Overall, most of the Trump-endorsed candidates were defeated. 

As of this writing, there is one major congressional race to be decided — the Georgia senate race. The runoff is in early December between a highly educated preacher, who is currently filling out a term, Ralph Warnock, and a former Heisman Trophy winner, who played at Georgia, but never bothered to graduate, Herschel Walker.

Why Republicans nominated Walker to run is a mystery. While Mr. Walker certainly had a stellar college football career, his academic accomplishments are what one would generously call “limited.”  As they say in the south, “bless his little heart.“

We shall see if Georgia voters continue to be reasonably rational and avoid electing a senator that can’t put two sentences together, Mr. Walker, or elect someone who is highly respected and understands voters, and how things need to work.

Where do the results of the mid-terms lead? From earlier blog entries, fair to say I think the 5th US Revolution, aka the Revenge Revolution, has started. The 5th Revolution started in earnest when Trump became president, and the cultural war has intensified since.

Much like the 4th US Revolution in the 1960s, early 1970s, this revolution will drag out for a while. And over time different factions will come to the fore to lead the insurrection.

Part of the revolution will continue to be mass killings. In the last two weeks there have been three high-profile mass shootings. One was at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs where five people were killed and 18 or more injured.

That same weekend and what received almost no press was the arrest of two far-right extremists at Penn Station. The individuals were armed and wore body armor, as well as swastika patches.  Apparently the two were headed to one or more synagogues in NYC.

The second high-profile shooting was at the University of Virginia where three football players were killed.  The third incident was at a Walmart, also in Virginia, where six employees were killed by a manager. 

Given the spate of incidents and the continued death threats against members of Congress, and other people in government – when did government doctors become the “enemy”? – what seems likely in the next few months is a successful assassination of a high-profile Democrat in Congress or a “liberal“ member of SCOTUS.

Even though Trump seems to be more and more marginalized by his own party and the right-wing media – Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post mocked his announcement about running in 2024 – Republicans in the House seem hell-bent on rallying Trump’s hard-core base, even if their actions pose a serious threat to democracy.

A surge of the far right is not a new phenomenon. In the 1930s, and even during World War II,  far-right supporters of Nazi Germany included high-profile Americans – Charles Lindbergh and Henry Ford I, for example.  In addition, at least 24 members of Congress were supporters of Nazi Germany.

The Nazi-supporting members of Congress were influential in thwarting investigations by the Department of Justice into who in Congress was involved in taking payments from Nazi Germany. (For a good introduction to the people involved and some activities of the far right in the late 1930s and early 1940s, listen to the podcast “Ultra,“ which is hosted by and partially written by Rachel Maddow.  Put aside your politics and listen to some straight-up history that you should not want repeated.)

Another bit of optimism why the length of the 5th US Revolution might be tempered.  After the far-right members of Congress were “outed” for their support of Nazi Germany, most were voted out of office in the next election.  Some supporters never were endorsed by their party, even those with decades of service in Congress. My hope is the public in the US will awaken and vote the supporters of the insurrection out of office. 

Defeat of the Trump MAGAts in the midterms might be an inkling of how fed up many voters are with members of Congress taking extreme positions, especially positions on the far right.  A further indication of frustration may become apparent over the next 6-9 months as the public is exposed to the three-ring circus in the House led by ringmasters McCarthy, Jordan and Greene. 

In parallel with the  circus in the House, more information about Trump’s illegal activities will be released – from tax evasion, to…wanna bet…unreported income from foreign governments, especially governments in the Middle East and Russia. Don’t be surprised if there’s a charge of money laundering as well.  Analyzing Trump is straightforward – just follow the money.

As far as presidential candidates for 2024, lots of emerging candidates on either side. However, way too early to guess who is likely to emerge. Historically many of the early front runners became “also rans” before the third or fourth primary. I’ll bet neither Trump nor Biden is the nominee.

Back to the next 6-9 months, keep your fingers crossed the amount of violence does not escalate.  And keep your fingers crossed the DOJ vigorously pursues those involved with the insurrection of January 6, starting with the lead dog.  More later. END ENTRY #466

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/