328 Comments

Does Professor Richardson have a team of skilled and experienced researchers or is she a one-person wrecking crew, or both? I pose this question because she consistently, day-after-day-- for the past eighteen months at least-- provides an astonishing array of stunning in-depth information on a staggering scale (from legal to political and geopolitical, from economic to historical). And, most importantly, she distills, organizes, and determines how this information relates to larger themes and forces, and presents it with the skill and power of her superior writing skills. I do not know how I would have understood (and dealt with) these troubling times-- and they will continue-- without the benefit of her intellect and abilities. Thanks, Professor Richardson!

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"Mike Pence told the Republican Governors’ Association this week that he would be supporting incumbent Republican governors rather than Trump-backed challengers."

A sad case that Mike Pence. Sad as they go.

Pence, as far as my reading and background in his exploration of counting the votes on January 6th, absolutely did explore the possibility of, and how he might execute, an overthrow of the government. Pence made various phone calls to folks looking for support in doing what Trump told him to do; overthrow the government during vote counting.

Doing what he was told was what Pence had done since he was a kid and Trump and he were a perfect match.

I have never seen anyone crawl at the feet of another like Pence crawled at the feet of Donald Trump.

And I have seen a LOT of crawing on the knees in my time in Corporate America.

Pence makes the lap dogs and favor mongers I have seen in corporate America look like independent thinkers where being a lap dog is relevant.

In the end, Pence declined to actually do anything, but, that is not because he thought it was wrong. Pence has never actually done anything in his life and his inability to do anything simply prevented him from overthrowing the government.

Had he been a more self actualized person, we would now be authoritarian and watching Trump rob every corner of the government for his personal fortune, which, is his goal.

Good riddance to Mike Pence.

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"But we sincerely believe that all people of good will and good judgment—regardless of their ideological or partisan commitments—can agree that a cavalier and even contemptuous attitude toward facts, truth-seeking, and truth-telling, lies at the heart of so much that plagues our country. "

I have to say, I was very surprised that Jonah Goldberg, of all people - a man who over the past 25 years has done more than his share of promoting "a cavalier and even contemptuous attitude toward facts, truth-seeking, and truth-telling" - would do this. The Dispatch must be a bigger money-maker than I thought it was.

That said, the fact that he did do this will, I hope, get his readers to consider why he did this, which may lead to more of them ceasing to store their heads up their asses.

It is in fact nice when an unexpected person lives up to one's hopes, rather than down to one's expectations.

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For the treasonous far right, the Rittenhouse verdict was their Reichstag moment, pretending they responded “heroically” to a situation they provoked.

If people can be driven to act out of hate and fear, like when they attacked the Capitol, then they could be driven to act out of hope, as well. If it weren’t for the investments made in our rural communities by the New Deal, America wouldn’t have had the manufacturing capacity it needed to win WWII. Unfortunately, the devastation to rural communities from globalization, and a foreign misinformation campaign, fascists have been able to radicalize the very communities who rose up against them in the past. We really need to reinvest in our rural communities, now, before we have to build a wall around them.

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From today’s LFAA:

“Two days ago, Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), who sits on the committee, told CNN that many of the people they’ve interviewed so far—more than 200—have been Trump officials who testified voluntarily and wanted to be subpoenaed for “cover.” “

Perhaps this is a small crack allowing a small beam of light or my own innate optimism but the fact that these folks wanted to be on record as cooperating is hopeful. Despite the antiestablishment posturing from some Republicans and their

public lawlessness, there are those who fear the consequences of having taken up with them.

Their lawlessness will be very costly because enough of the system of laws is still working.

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At approximately 3 AM I received notice that my preorder for “To Make Men Free” by HCR had been delivered. I suggest all readers buy this latest book. I believe we can put Professor Richardson atop the best seller list for NON-FICTION!

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Here is a poem by Brian Bilston

AMERICA IS A GUN

England is a cup of tea.

France, a wheel of brie.

Greece, a short, squat olive tree.

America is a gun.

Brazil is football on the sand.

Argentina, Maradona's hand.

Germany, an oompah band.

America is a gun.

Holland is a wooden shoe.

Hungary, a goulash stew.

Australia, a kangaroo.

America is a gun.

Japan is a thermal spring.

Scotland, is a highland fling.

Oh, better to be anything

than America as a gun.

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“President Joe Biden is focused on making Americans believe in democracy again by making the economy work for regular people. His policies are working.”

In spite of the headwinds created by most Republicans and some Democrats, President Biden is doing a stellar job on domestic issues. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

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For my money, and I have never spent a penny of it at Walmart, praise by its CEO does not make me believe in democracy again. It conjures up government collusion in all Walmart's abuses - to the degree that unconscionable practices are legal and that illegal practices are not prosecuted.

The 1% wealth and undue influence of the Waltons and Walmart, speak to me of betraying our democratic aspirations for economic and environmental justice, and instead treating all life and our planet as 'resources' to be exploited for personal profit.

I know that the Biden Harris administration and Democratic majority are doing formidable work towards serving our nation, towards preserving our well being, democracy, and environment. Towards building back better against the obstructionism and violent extremism of the Republican party, against its intransigence, irrationality, and ignorance. Whew!

Good that the supply chain is being improved, even if it benefits Walmart. Passing the Build Back Better bill will be a step forward in making the Waltons and Walmart pay their fair share for all the human labor and government services they disproportionately and greedily profit from.

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Republican leaders eat their own in Trump loyalty tests

Fox News Reporters quit in protest over Tucker Carlson propaganda piece filled with disjointed information re Jan 6 inurrection

Atty Lin Wood fights with Kyle Rittenhouse over 2 million dollar bail money

In other news, Wallmart Exec praise Biden adm for their heavy lifting to fix supply chain issues

While the GQP wrestles with Trumpism, Biden is working to make the lives of average Americans better

Flood the zone with reality

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In the 1950s and ’60s “B” movies set in the criminal world closed with the death or imprisonment of the villains, followed by a message in big letters:

CRIME DOES NOT PAY

In more recent decades, we’ve been seeing that nothing pays like crime.

Inflated to a national scale, racketeering is proving a remarkably effective tool for political conquest: “Pay up and you’ll share in the spoils, fail to pay and we’ll kill you and your family. Go against us and we’ll find you anywhere in the world.”

Logically, the only remedy is for the State to strike harder than the racketeers, putting the fear of God into the mobsters and those they control. Not always easy at a time when many Mafia lawyers have been appointed as judges.

“The Law? I control the Law… […] Through my lawyers…”

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"U.S. District Court Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, sought to define what it means to interfere with an official federal government proceeding." That really is a key question. One I am astounded we are still sorting out over 10 months after the fact. Intended or not, the effect was to delay the certification of a duly elected President of the United States. I suppose I should be heartened that a Trump appointed judge is even thinking along those lines. Will he continue to do so when the death threats start?

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Morning, all!! Morning, Dr. R!! More good news for our side! A few days ago somebody on this page referenced a pastor in OK who was calling out a church for turning their prayer service into a political rally. Here is the TikTok link. Hope you can see/hear it. https://www.tiktok.com/@pastorfromok/video/7030500553360674054?

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Spending as if the Future Matters

Nov. 22, 2021. Paul Krugman

For centuries, America has invested taxpayer money in its future. Public funds built physical infrastructure, from the Erie Canal to the interstate highway system. We invested in human capital, too: Universal education came to the United States early, and America basically invented modern public secondary education. This public spending laid the foundations for prosperity and helped make us an economic superpower.

With the rise of the modern right, however, America turned its back on that history. Tax breaks — essentially giving wealthy people money and hoping that it would trickle down — became the solution to every problem. “Infrastructure week” became a punchline under Donald Trump partly because the Trump team’s proposals were more about crony capitalism than about investment, partly because Trump never showed the will to override conservatives who opposed any significant new spending.

Now Joe Biden is trying to revive the tradition of public spending oriented toward the future.

The Build Back Better legislation that passed the House last week isn’t a pure investment plan; in particular, it includes substantial health care spending that is more about helping Americans in the near term than about the future. But about two-thirds of the proposed spending is indeed investment in the sense that it should have big payoffs in the future. And if you combine Build Back Better with the already-enacted infrastructure bill, you see an agenda that is about three-fourths investment spending.

Here’s how I read the Biden program as it now stands. Total new spending would be about $2.3 trillion over a decade. This total would include $500 billion to $600 billion of spending on each of three things: traditional infrastructure, restructuring the economy to address climate change, and children, with the last item mainly consisting of pre-K and child care but also involving tax credits that would greatly reduce child poverty.

There’s every reason to believe that all three types of spending would have a high social rate of return.

More: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/22/opinion/biden-infrastructure-spending.html?unlocked_article_code=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACEIPuonUktbfqohlSVUZASbSRdkhrxqAwvLOzLE6w374IjKcUipY0u8JHpKNvlzVaKxvZt08mTSHQdsLeJkeeMtP9M4NdUp8V1vv5ZKehJUOJyhy99LjDj4808iIVOk0_Xq3PjTlbe50lbT64kjXOWLvUPHfhCchNx8l9cU-DSyi2XEPzqrBEOVwy4M-ia9nXsYmMG9GMCqavPDoCwF9OMGGbHzf6Qo0XeJaUVLDjILWquJAIEgJVwWwHD4o6n086dhfJNsXIK_6ShYgc8P7ir0aYXd6dOW-xMjXsqHu8Tj2YO-0Pw&smid=url-share

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Tis a pity Goldberg and Hayes didn’t remain at Fox News and publicly confront Tucker Carlson on air within the organization, presenting Fox News viewers with a choice, thus forcing Fox News management to make a choice by firing one side or the other. (Ratings!) That might have been a very productive, not to say amusing, (pass the popcorn!) public family fight.

Alas…

Now, wither Hayes and Goldberg? Into the arms of the Lincoln Brigade? Somehow I doubt it.

One hopes they have the courage of their patriotic convictions, conservatives are sooooo patriotic, just ask ‘em, to continue to publicly confront Tucker Carlson one way or another.

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Aside from Democracy:

Fauci Urges Americans to Use COVID as Excuse to Skip Thanksgiving with Horrible Relatives

“covid-19 could get you off the hook this year,” he said. “Consider this a doctor’s note from me.”

(Satire, By Andy Borowitz, The NewYorker)

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