155 Comments
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Al Bellenchia's avatar

While I really, really want to push back on this characterization…I can’t. Not after witnessing the full retreat of any resistance from the right.

“I can't believe what you say, because I see what you do.” - James Baldwin

D. Earl Stephens ✍️'s avatar

They provably love this stuff, Al.

Al Bellenchia's avatar

🥵

We are what we repeatedly do.

Lance Khrome's avatar

trump and Kegsbreath's comments and actions are arguably those of the criminally insane, essentially ordering the US military to openly violate the UCMJ. JCS and "Razin' " Caine need to collectively take matters in their own hand in order to forestall a global disaster of incalculable dimension.

"Seven Days In May", people.

Jo's avatar

Thank you for saying it because everyday republicans want us to disbelieve what we see with our own our eyes. The gaslighting is over the top in this entire administration. I hope if we’ve learned anything it is to believe in ourselves and above all believe what we SEE!

Ann Anderson's avatar

As a Buddhist teacher of mine once said, "The punishment for not changing your karma is keeping it." I don't care how or what Republicans think or feel. They can stew in their own foul juices. What encourages me is that Independents have had it with Trump. If enough Democrats and Independents vote blue in November, we can make the Republican party as irrelevant as the Whigs.

D. Earl Stephens ✍️'s avatar

I will be bookmarking those wise words from your Buddhist teacher in my brain, Ann.

Claudia McKelway's avatar

I’m in! Supporting Graham Platner for Senate in Maine • Out with that old yes-gal (after she “thinks about it” see eg Brett Kavanaugh, SAVE Act and so much more over the years and years and years) and in with a younger independent thinker. And don’t accuse me of ageism… I’m an old bat myself 🧙‍♀️ 🎉

cosimo's avatar

damn straight Claudia, we folks must stand up for real change... i'm 80...

Elaine Richards's avatar

Wisdom comes with age.🙂🌊

Teri Gelini's avatar

same here...lets get some fresh young blood in offece at all levels..

Mr. D.'s avatar

Ms. Anderson,

Let’s do it.

Susitrav's avatar

👊👊👊📢📢📢 Let's Do It ‼️

Lupatrian's avatar

We can't wait until November 🙁

Diane Lee's avatar

The horror taking place is suffocating 😞

It's a neverending nightmare. I'm so disconsolate at what the country is doing 🥺..... it's destroying the emotional health of so many people, which also leads to physical illness. 😢

Thanks Earl 🙏💙🕊️

Joe Bacon's avatar

Which is what Killer Kennedy and his crew want. They want to cull the herd.

Joe Bacon's avatar

Lindsay Graham spilled the beans already and said that Cuba is next on the list to be attacked by the US.

The US and Russia are the new Axis Of Evil run by the Asses Of Evil.

Ethereal Fairy's avatar

And what was Lindsay doing telling Israel what to say to trump. to get him on board with their war effort?

Judith68's avatar

And now, to add to the horror show, the lawless, immoral Trump Administration has struck a desalination plant that gives clean water to 30 villages. Guess they think it's too "woke" to abide by the rules of engagement...

Joe Bacon's avatar

Millions of Christians are all in with destroying Iran because they really believe that will trigger the Rapture and JC with his Sonshine Band will return to Earth for Armageddon.

Instead Iran is going to strike back when these warmongers least expect it and it will be devastating. Especially when JC pulls a no-show.

Rita Parker's avatar

It's why I'm agnostic. I don't really care what religion anybody follows as long as they don't try to force it on me. But "Christians" have really exposed themselves. And I am sick of idiots going "but, but, but they're bad people who kill people". Last person who said that I responded, "Guess what, we're bad people who kill people. Hell, let's take Putin out. He's a bad guy who attacked a sovereign nation unprovoked. He continues to kill innocent children, women, men and animals. Let's attack Russia!" We ALWAYS attack smaller countries, and we're going to pay a price for this lunacy.

Megan Ross's avatar

I'm a full-blown atheist and proud of it. If there were ever any "gods" in the universe, then they're complete a§§holes. One of the things that rubs me the wrong way is, when Christians say "it's God's will". Okay, so if God is so all powerful, why is the entire planet in turmoil right now?! The whole concept of a higher power is just absurd to me. Just my opinion, but figured I'd explain why I'm an atheist. 🤷‍♀️

Elaine Richards's avatar

At most, only one religion can be true. Most religions ever created are gone and forgotten. I have read the major religious texts and they are dated and not in keeping with our understanding of realty.

Also, how could a god(s) create our 13.8 billion year old universe? And how I'd he/she/it create themself? It is illogical. And, as you said, why does it seem as though there is no cosmic law? Why are pedos and sadists and their enablers allowed to live for a full lifespan when the innocent suffer and are taken from this world by them? It makes no sense to believe in a benevolent entity in charge of everything. Religion is a delusion.

We are on our own. All the more reason to get along and help one another. When one of us is unsafe, we are all unsafe. We are the best and worst species ever to exist because we are capable of all things from the greatest kindnesses, like saving other species, and the most vile cruelties, including driving species to extinction without a care.

What we do for eachother can be most humane and to eachother can be unbelievably inhumane. Religion can bring out the best in people and the worst, just as science & technology can promote life and destroy it. It is up to us to decide what we want to do with these two very powerful tools of our own creation.

I hope we can keep from destroying ourselves. We dance on a razor's edge and have for likely as long as we have existed as Homo Sapiens Sapiens. I wish you well. We will overcome because we must. I hope I'm not mistaken. 🙂🌊

Megan Ross's avatar

Well said and spot on. Thank you!

Elaine Richards's avatar

Hi, Megan. Thank you for your comment. I am both concerned and hopeful for the future. As long as there are good people born of good parents and also of free and critical thought, we can course correct. It will be a constant battle but no one said democracy was easy. Surely it will be foremost in all our minds going forward and the current experienced pitfalls will spur us to protect it as never before, for without it, all could be lost. 🙂🌊

Michael G's avatar

I’m with you on this Megan. And which god, who’s god? I got bored after two years of Sunday school as a little kid, but the last time I checked, Christians, Jews, and Muslims all had the same god. Things this diverge a little after the first few paragraphs. But all of these major religions sure are good at starting wars. I’m betting they all have and only worship the vengeful god.

Bill John's avatar

Makes total sense to me, Megan.

Elaine Richards's avatar

Bullies always pick on weaker opponents because they are more assured of victory. This applies to individual people and to nations. No country tries to kill Putin or Trump because of the threat of nuclear war which could lead to nuclear winter and the extinction of our species. I fear a leader of a nuclear weapons heavy nation who doesn't want any one surviving after them. Thank goodness Hitler never had nukes. He hated his enemies for defeating his country, and hated his nation for failing him and had few he genuinely cared about. The fact that humans have "only" used 2 nukes, which were small in comparison to today's, on human populations, gives me some hope that we are concerned about our species' survival when extinction is on the line. I hope they are never used again.

Rita Parker's avatar

You're right. That's my point. They need to stop the lying and gaslighting about "terrorists". It's a bullshit excuse to kill people. In this case Israel suckered Trump.

Elaine Richards's avatar

Epstein had his surveillance equipment installed by the Israeli government. Israel has what Putin has on DJT because JE was an opportunist. tRUMP is between a rock and a hard place of his own making. Everyone is suffering from his lack of self-control and absence of humanity. He needs to just stop doing anything so our nightmare ends.

Sun's avatar

None of that is what Jesus taught. Listen to James Talarico.

Rita Parker's avatar

I also read Rick Wilson this morning. Together you captured the depth of this shitshow. The world is burning down, and it's not going to recover in my lifetime. All Trump and Netanyahu did was destroy any good will younger Iranians had. The fractures will bond together into more hate for us. We are becoming an international pariah along with Israel. Netanyahu and Trump are war criminals. We have no congress. Republicans are fascists, too many Democrats are owned by Israel, and the rest - well the rest could unite and actually fight for us but don't.

D. Earl Stephens ✍️'s avatar

Thanks to these warmongering Conservatives, America and Israel have exhausted any goodwill they had stored in the bank, and it is absolutely maddening to watch.

Tony Joyce's avatar

It is an illwilled wind that the three evil piggies blow. Trump, Netanyahu and Putin.

Mitch Ritter's avatar

You'll need room for those who command from Business Executive Power strongholds. Such as: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi_Jinping

Save your nursery jingles for the kindergarten. That's likely the part of our nation-states huddled before their corporate-captured boob tubes as we tap out our observations and inanities.

Here's a complaint composed, recorded and flown via paper airplane over the transom of Chief Executive of China Corp LLP with China Consumer CULTivation Corp cc'd for good measure and the circular file...

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-29/china-bans-australian-singer-kimberley-chen-mocks-xi-jinping/100576652

Yours in frustration,

Tio Mitchito

TM

Mitch Ritter\Paradigm Sifters, Code Shifters, PsalmSong Chasers

Lay-Low Studios, Ore-Wa (Refuge of A-Tone-ment Seekers)

Media Discussion List\Looksee

Jo's avatar

Thank you, immensely, for saying this. I’ve been saying, for years, that republicans don’t give a damn about citizens, at least since Reagan, if not Nixon. Power and wealth has been their goal for ALL these years as evidenced by their actions that every American can see with their own eyes and yet are told every day not to trust. We’ve been gaslighted till the cows came home a long time ago and still they are falling for the republican ruse to mislead Americans into their own demise. I don’t care what people do with their own lives but when it spills into the streets, the towns, THE WORLD, to affect and HARM everyone in their path. I truly believe they want to wipe us off the face of this earth, to bring us their self fulfilling prophecy of apocalypse. At least one half of them, the others are just greedy, self serving bastards that want to own the world. I find myself thinking more about preparing for death because at times I lose hope that we will survive this maniac administration. They will do everything in their power to step on the world to their own end. I haven’t lost hope completely but the longer this insanity continues the more normalized it becomes and the more death and destruction continue. God save us all, if there is one. I can’t imagine a god that would permit this kind of suffering except one that is made in their own image.

D. Earl Stephens ✍️'s avatar

It is instructive to know what we are REALLY dealing with, so we can process it, and deal with that cold reality.

The gaslighting needs to STOP.

Rita Parker's avatar

The gaslighting is worsening. I watched a clip of Sen John Kennedy saying "Trump isn't starting a war, he's stopping a war". Needless to say, I've left alot of scathing messages today starting with Kennedy. These people are lunatics. Worse the stupid lemmings without a brain will keep voting them in. This is not sustainable.

Ethereal Fairy's avatar

That's because they are all members of a hate-church.

Elaine Richards's avatar

I hear you. We must never give up. It's what they want and we have a responsibility to future generations to stop them and minimize the damage they wish to inflict. As a species, we have faced many trials and we are bloodied and battered, it's true, but we will never surrender while there is hope and breath still in our lungs. We can overcome because we must. Please take good care and remember there is still love, kindness and beauty in this beautiful, if weary, world of ours. 🙂🌊

Mitch Ritter's avatar

Hate to break it to ya, Jo and Rev. Jo's congregation that I am sure I cannot afford to belong to. Most DNC operatives and supporters are as compromised as that Grand Ol' Party of GOP partyers. I've also been engaged in a lifetime of probing fellow Americans' politics and from where they think they got such beliefs. Often noting the gaps between such beliefs (including my own and I've rarely if ever voted GOP, except when I was young enough to vote and convince myself the Institutional Corruption Meter had some extraordinary candidates who realized our levels of institutional corruption had reached CRITICAL MASS.

As a one-time toiler in the fields of U.S. corporate-captured alternative and non-profit Journeylism and even more than that being attuned to destabilizing levels of CULTivated Wall Street Mass Delusionary democracy that each decade since my birth has seen an increase in Oligarchy and severe decline of any signs of a flourishing or even self-supporting Wage Slave Working Muddle Class, I've even tinkered with my own delusionary capabilities trying to outflank our 'betters.' I've only dug a deeper hole for myself while INEQUALITIES have steeply polarized US even further. Pushing out to a precipice easier for Krazy Kat to saw us off the mainland lower 48.

Perhaps not so oddly, I've found a Scottish bard who has our American Gift to the Workers of the World, a new national anthem recorded and waiting for implementation at ball games, bar-b-ques, picnics and at poll time....Note the opening Chinese grace notes. Oh, and mind the punctuation in the song title:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6lyRNh8Qi4

"No, Surrender" 5,096 views Oct 2, 2022

Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises

No, Surrender · Justin Currie

What Is Love For

℗ 2007 Justin Currie

Released on: 2007-10-23

proffered via

Tio Mitchito

TM

Mitch Ritter\Paradigm Sifters, Code Shifters, PsalmSong Chasers

Lay-Low Studios, Ore-Wa (Refuge of A-Tone-ment Seekers)

Media Discussion List\Looksee

Susan Rose's avatar

When you posted that 84% figure yesterday, I was flabbergasted. How can that possibly be? Well, as you just explained, it is complete blood lust that they want - carnage, destruction and suffering.

It was a big red flag when our Defense Department changed to the Department of War The Department of Defense gave us a feeling of trust and security - the Department that protects us and keeps us safe. But the Department of War, that's an aggressor and force of evil. Nothing about that makes us feel safe.

The percentage of people opposed to this war should be greater than 84%, no one should choose war. The cost of war is too great to incur except as a last resort. The mass destruction of lives, homes, businesses, infrastructure and planet are too much to sacrifice to satisfy someone's lust for power, control and riches. Have we learned nothing from the endless, inhumane suffering of the people of Gaza, Ukraine and I'm sure, Russia? There has been far too much loss of life, suffering and destruction already. Why are we going to cause more? We are talking about fifteen countries in the Middle East - how much suffering and loss will that cause? What is it going to take to rebuild Gaza, Ukraine and the Middle East and the environment? But this regime has not given any of this a passing thought. They DO NOT care!!!

Mr. D.'s avatar

To demonstrate how numb we become to actual war when was the last time we have heard anything substantive about Ukraine’s war?

Susan Rose's avatar

Honestly, I've been thinking that, also. Or heard any update on the countless, starving, freezing and homeless people of Gaza??? They want us to get desensitized, to let it all become so old and routine that we just don't even think about it, or worse yet no longer even care.

Megan Ross's avatar

Independent journalists from publications such as The New Republic, the Kiev Independent and the streaming news channel Al Jazeera report on what is happening in Ukraine, daily. It's ironic that the USA is now asking Ukraine for help, wanting to buy the inexpensive drones which Ukrainians manufacture, that shoot down missiles with incredible precision. Zelenskyy will help, but is only doing so in return for promised security. TRump is not to be trusted, And I fear that Ukraine is walking into a trap. TRump works for Putin.

Mercedes's avatar

Zelenskyy absolutely cannot trust any promises - all the photos I've seen lately of Putin show him with a big shit-eating grin - he thinks he's won already.

Marcia Schnell's avatar

Trump does indeed work for Putin. As Senator Whitehouse pointed out the other day in a speech on the Senate floor. We need an army of Special Prosecutors!!

Michael G's avatar

And someone within the Defense Department will reverse engineer those Ukrainian drones that take out Russian drones and missiles and send that information straight to Putin.

Elaine Richards's avatar

Zelensky's Ukraine is doing well so far. I hope this comedian turned politician will have the last laugh. Hopefully Europe will help where Trump will not.

Ethereal Fairy's avatar

He's also a credentialed law degree holder, although he has never practiced, he and his beloved wife had a production studio, before the war. He's so much more than just a comedian. Putin calls him that to degrade him.

https://www.legalcheek.com/2022/03/ukraine-president-is-a-law-graduate/

Elaine Richards's avatar

Interesting. Zelensky was also an actor, screenwriter and producer. I don't agree with Putin on anything. As for Zelensky being "just" a comedian, they're among my favorite people. Comedy makes life enjoyable, tolerable and therapeutic when it's hard. To be truly hilarious requires curiosity, knowledge, being observant, uncommon insightful & intelligent. Comedians often become comedic actors like Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, Cary Grant, Charlie Chaplin, Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Melissa McCarthy.

In comparison, there is nothing funny about Putin. He is a psychopath. Tronald Dump is a joke in appearance and whenever he opens his big mouth. I just wish he wasn't followed by so many MAGAts and obeyed by so many in his administration and the military. Hopefully we will be rid of him one way or another: dementia, other health issues or death by natural causes. And I hope no one takes his place and becomes a cult figure that puts millions under their wicked spell.

Ethereal Fairy's avatar

I like to share how accomplished he is because our press never mentions it and quotes Putin, Didn’t mean to imply you agreed with him. Yes comedians are our truth-tellers, and in many cases better equipped to educate than most politicians.

Elaine Richards's avatar

I wasn't offended at all. I understood you meant how POOtin thinks of him. I was just stating that I disagreed with POOtin. We're good. BTW, thanks for all your likes and I welcome your comments. I try to be engaging and humorous. We're all in this together and need comedy now more than ever.

Ethereal Fairy's avatar

The mainstream media is pretending it doesn't exist.

Joe Bacon's avatar

Graham: You see this hat? Free Cuba. Stay tuned. The liberation of Cuba is upon us. We’re marching through the world. Iran is going down and Cuba is next.

https://bsky.app/profile/meidastouch.com/post/3mgknsyuoi22s

It's time for the rest of the world to act. Dump the dollar as the reserve currency. Dump US Treasury securities and Dump US stocks and securities. Force the US to stop this insane warmongering.

Mercedes's avatar

Yup, hit 'em in their wallets - it's all they really care about.

Claudia Allred's avatar

I hate Springing forward, I hate everybody, I’m going to go eat some worms. 🪱 Not organic, of course!

GREGG PLAPAS's avatar

"For the Republican voter, the 2024 election was never about lowering prices. Oh, sure, that would have been a nice little perk, but Trump’s appeal to the average Republican voter was always his unlimited capacity to say and do the very worst things on their behalf."

And this is exactly why their representatives gave away their power to control Trump.

The mid-term elections will help but, the damage that has been done to date, and will continue long after the mid-term elections, seems almost unsurmountable. I just hope I live long enough to see Trump's wrongs righted. Trump belongs in jail, along with all the members of his cabinet.

Frank's avatar

Unless you’re in your twenties, I’m guessing you won’t. It will decades to fix this and sadly I don’t trust corporate Democrats to do shit.

GREGG PLAPAS's avatar

Frank, Unfortunately I am in my mid-seventies .....but, I do agree with you on both counts. I can't really express my true hopes for the near future here, as even Substack has rules. That said, I don't believe anything less will satisfy me. I just hope that I live that long to see that at least.

Rita Parker's avatar

Or they belong on a scaffold. Jail is too good.

Megan Ross's avatar

A firing squad would be much quicker... Just dig a big pit behind the line and kick them into it afterwards. Yes, I've thought about this a LOT. I've never been this angry...

Franky Edder's avatar

There was a novel that came out around 1976 called Infernoland, by Larry Niven and Jerry Purnell. One quote from that book I recall is just like what the Trump presidency is about. "In Hell, there is infinite power, and infinite sadism." That says what they want in a nutshell.

Rita Parker's avatar

Earl, I was just checking IG, and the Tnholler showed a clip of Lindsey Graham on Maria Bartiromo's Fox News show. This lunatic was waving a hat, smiling like a cartoon villain and screaming we're all going to get rich and Cuba's next! He is insane and people are too damn stupid to see it. This is not sustainable.

D. Earl Stephens ✍️'s avatar

Lindsey Graham is a repulsive joke with many, many dark secrets.

Ethereal Fairy's avatar

He supposedly flew over to Israel, to advise Bibi on what to say to convince trump to join his insane war. Doesn't that make him a traitor?

Mercedes's avatar

Are they really "secrets", Earl? That's Ms. Lindsay, if ya don't mind. And my lord, does he have a baaaad case of rosacea! A little too much of the same bourbon Mitch drinks, imho. Pretty sure it melted his brain.

Megan Ross's avatar

They all need to be eXterminated. I don't even care any. They're destroying us from within and if they're not disappeared, we're going to lose our constitutional republic.

Jane's avatar

Thank you, this is a very powerful piece of writing.

D. Earl Stephens ✍️'s avatar

Thanks for reading.

Jane's avatar

It’s my pleasure.