ALL ARTICLES, Democrats, Documentaries, Worker Notes by Tom Crofton January 14, 2019

Still Waiting For State Democratic Party Leadership To Listen To The Grass Roots

Fixing the problems of money hijacking our democracy will not be done with money. By Tom Crofton The Commoner Call (1/14/19) The leadership of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin (DPW) is traveling the state to discuss the recent elections. Unfortunately the lessons the grassroots have learned are not on the agenda. The listening sessions are advertised as a chance to get feedback from the activists, but are really a chance for the activists to listen to the leadership. We have heard the message before, “raise more money”. Those of us who have run grassroots campaigns in rural areas know how…

ALL ARTICLES, Trumpenstan January 14, 2019

GRIFTER: Minutes After His First Primetime Oval Office Address Trump Was Fundraising Off His Speech

The President of the United states is saying if you don’t send him money, you’re not a patriotic American. And he’s taking names. Literally. By David Badash New Civil Rights Movement (1/9/19) The Trump presidency has been little more than an extension of his presidential campaign, starting when he filed papers for re-election the day he was sworn in to office. So perhaps it comes as no surprise that literally minutes after delivering his first primetime Oval Office address to the nation on what he labeled the “crisis” at the border, Trump was fundraising off his speech. President George W….

ALL ARTICLES January 14, 2019

While Walls & Wheels Are Ancient, Trump’s PR Stunt Accidentally Proves His Precious Wall Scam Won’t Work

So what’s older? Tunnels or walls? Gophers or beavers? By Aldous J Pennyfarthing The Daily Kos (1/10/19) For some reason Donald Trump is fixated on wheels and walls these days. The logic? 1) Wheels are older than walls. 2) We still use walls. 3) Therefore, the border wall will work. Wait, I’m not kidding. He actually said that during his PR stunt in McAllen, Texas, today: “Well, a wheel is older than a wall. [Bzzzt! Wrong again!] And I looked, and every single car out there, even the really expensive ones that the Secret Service uses — and believe me they are expensive…

ALL ARTICLES, FEATURE, History They Don't Want You To Know, Media Hits & Misses January 14, 2019

Investigative Reporter James Risen Describes His Long Fight To Report On Government Secrets At The New York Times

Cheney/Bush & Obama officials and New York Times editors conspired to suppress the information that was eventually released by Edward Snowden a decade later. By Jeremy Scahill Intercepted (1/5/19) Investigative journalist James Risen fought hard to get classified information published at The New York Times, where editors were quite willing to cooperate with the government. In this video, Intercepted host Jeremy Scahill speaks to Risen about his yearslong battle with the Department of Justice — spanning both the Bush and the Obama administrations — as well as his struggles with his own editors at the New York Times. Link to…

ALL ARTICLES, American Fascism, Police State America, Surveillance State, War State America January 14, 2019

It Could Go On Forever: What Trump Could Legally Do If He Declares A State Of Emergency To Save Himself

From seizing control of the internet to declaring martial law, President Trump may legally do all kinds of extraordinary things. By Elizabeth Goitein The Atlantic (Jan/Feb 2019) In the weeks leading up to the 2018 midterm elections, President Donald Trump reached deep into his arsenal to try to deliver votes to Republicans. Most of his weapons were rhetorical, featuring a mix of lies and false inducements—claims that every congressional Democrat had signed on to an “open borders” bill (none had), that liberals were fomenting violent “mobs” (they weren’t), that a 10 percent tax cut for the middle class would somehow pass…

ALL ARTICLES, Ron "RoJo" Johnson January 14, 2019

CNN’s Tapper Uses Manafort To Slap Down GOP Loopy Sen. Ron Johnson’s Wild Ranting About Democrats Colluding With Russians

  [Editor’s Note: Funny how GOP Sen. Ron Johnson — as with every other republican who spouts off about the subject of the Steele Dossier — never mentions that the initial effort and funding resulting in the report came from a conservative online news publication opposed to Trump. — Mark L. Taylor] By Tom Boggioni Raw Story (1/13/19) CNN host Jake Tapper used the legal troubles of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort to shut down the wild ravings of a Republican senator accusing the Democratic Party of colluding with the Russians. The State of the Union host asked Sen. Ron Johnson…

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ALL ARTICLES, History They Don't Want You To Know January 14, 2019

‘Bluff City’ Captures Photographer Ernest Withers During Civil Rights Movement

Weekend Edition, Saturday / NPR (1/12/19) NPR’s Scott Simon asks Bluff City: The Secret Life Of Photographer Ernest Withers author Preston Lauterbach about the undisclosed life of Ernest Withers, a celebrated civil rights photographer and FBI informant. Link to 6-Minute Audio ***** Amazon Review: The little-known story of an iconic photographer and FBI informant, whose work captured―and influenced―a critical moment in American history. Who was Ernest Withers? Most Americans may not know the name, but they do know his photographs. Withers took some of the most legendary images of the 1950s and ’60s: Martin Luther King, Jr., riding a newly integrated bus…

ALL ARTICLES, FEATURE, History They Don't Want You To Know, Trumpenstan January 14, 2019

What We Need To Learn From The Fall Of The Roman Republic

“There’s a complacency that comes about from living in an old republic because it’s hard to imagine what seems impossible.” On Point / WPR (1/11/19) The fall of the Roman empire has fascinated history buffs and close students of power for centuries. The Fall of the Roman republic, however, may cast more light on our age. To walk around the federal part of Washington, D.C., is to attain constant glimpses of ancient Rome. The physical seat of all three branches of government — the White House, the Supreme Court building, the U.S. Capitol — and the National Archives all draw inspiration…

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ALL ARTICLES, Resist!, Resistance Tunes January 14, 2019

The Politics Of Truth In The Relentless Rap Of ‘Immortal Technique’

By Maggie Freleng Latino USA (1/13/19) Felipe Coronel, aka Immortal Technique, is a legendary underground hip-hop artist, known for his skills on the mic as well as his raw, highly political lyrics. His family immigrated to Harlem from Peru when he was a toddler to escape armed conflict and economic instability in Peru. He grew up in Harlem during the 80s and 90s during a time that was notoriously rough in New York City. Technique says because of the way he grew up, he harbored a lot of rage and eventually, that rage led him to prison. He was incarcerated…

ALL ARTICLES, Russia Monitor January 14, 2019

Russia Monitor: When You Are Down To Defenders Like Sen. Ron “Rojo” Johnson You Know Things Must Be Bad In Trumplandia

  “Show me one quote/tweet from Trump personally (1) praising new sanctions on Russians, (2) endorsing lethal weapons to Ukraine (3) supporting more NATO troops near Russia’s border (4) calling for Russia to leave Crimea or (5) criticizing Putin’s anti-democratic policies. Just one.” — Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul tweet (1/12/19). ***** “This is not a traditional president. He has unorthodox means but he is President of the United States. It’s pretty much up to him in terms of who he wants to read into his conversations with world leaders.” — Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) CNN State of…

ALL ARTICLES, Media Hits & Misses, Trumpenstan, Your Brain On Politics January 10, 2019

Trump “Blew it Bigly” With “Wet Fart” Of An Awful ‘Offal’ Office Address

“Death twitch of The Wall cult.” “This speech wasn’t about saving his utterly fake wall. The $5.7 billion dollars he’s demanded as his vig for ending the shutdown isn’t even close to being seriously considered, and this speech was an overt admission he’s out of airspeed, altitude, and ideas. The crisis he proudly created will end without a wall, and he knows it. “This speech was supposed to be about forcing the national dialogue to stay on the border wall. No such luck. He reeked of defeat, clearly didn’t want to be there, and it showed. “Trump looked exhausted, squinty,…

ALL ARTICLES, Media Hits & Misses January 10, 2019

Corporate Media Condemned For Handing Trump Megaphone To Spout Racist ‘Stream of Lies’ For A Capaign Event

“Trump just launched his 2020 re-election campaign with, essentially, the same speech he used at Trump Tower in 2015, when he first ranted about Mexican rapists and murderers. And the media paid for it.” By Jake Johnson Common Dreams (1/9/19) After President Donald Trump exploited the enormous free platform he was needlessly granted by America’s major television networks Tuesday night to deliver an immigration address replete with the same disinformation and dehumanizing rhetoriche has deployed since stepping foot on the campaign trail, critics denounced the corporate media’s continued role in amplifying Trump’s speeches despite knowing they will be full of harmful lies. “Trump…

ALL ARTICLES, Screwing With Your Vote January 10, 2019

North Carolina: This Is What Election Fraud Looks Like In Real Time

[From Commoner Call reader, Tom Crofton: “This has a video of a timeline that really shows how the cheating worked an example of a private citizen using public records to make a difference.” — Editor] By Doc Dawg The Daily Kos (1/8/9) The citizens of North Carolina’s 9th U.S. Congressional District are without representation in Congress as I write, while state officials investigate allegations of election fraud in the November contest between Democrat Dan McCready and his Republican opponent, Mark Harris. On election night Harris appeared to eke out a slim victory (by a 905 vote margin), prompting a gracious…

ALL ARTICLES, History They Don't Want You To Know January 10, 2019

Podcast: Jeremy Scahill On The Cynical Presumptions & Betrayal History Of Whataboutism — Intercepted Podcast

  History matters, Facts matter. Context matters. Let’s have an honest discussion of our national history. By Jeremy Scahill Intercepted (11/15/17) You cannot erase the murderous past of George W. Bush and his allies and act like all that matters is opposing Trump. If we, as a society, were actually honest about how often we do the very things — albeit in our own American way — as those we condemn as despots and tyrants and terrorists, then the whole dialogue would change. Link to 8+-Video

ALL ARTICLES, CIA, History They Don't Want You To Know January 10, 2019

Newly Declassified Documents Shed Light On Gina Haspel’s Involvement At Guantanamo

  [Editor’s Note: keep in mind six democratic senators betrayed the constitution, international law and human decency  by voting to confirm torturer Gina Haspel in her confirmation hearing to be director of the CIA. This is a bipartisan disgrace.  — Mark L. Taylor] By John Kiriakou Reader Supported News Service (1/8/19) Last week, the Central Intelligence Agency declassified what at first glance appears to be an innocuous transcript of a request for discovery and witnesses made by Guantánamo defense attorneys during a hearing in the “trial” of 9/11 suspect Khalid Shaikh Muhammad. In the transcript, the attorney complains to the judge that the…

ALL ARTICLES January 10, 2019

Human Dignity Endangered: In 2019 We Must Stand As One To Survive

Torture victim and torturer at U.S. military prison at Abu Ghraib, Iraq. When abuses are committed against anyone in any society, the dignity of humanity as a whole is compromised.  By Ai Weiwei The Guardian (1/1/19) What does it mean to be human? That question sits at the core of human rights. To be human has specific implications: human self-awareness and the actions taken to uphold human dignity – these are what gives the concept of humanity a special meaning. Human self-awareness and human actions determine the interplay between individual thought and language and the wider society. It is our actions…

ALL ARTICLES, Russia Monitor January 10, 2019

Russia Monitor: Much Bigger & Way, Way Uglier Than We Imagined

  “Donald Trump Delivers a Wet Fart Oval Office Address” — Daily Beast headline from author and Never-Trumper Rick Wilson (1/8/19)   By Dan Peak The Commoner Call (1/11/19) Dear Fellow Readers, The most important Wall for Trump is his scramble to protect himself from Trump-Russia corruption news and special counsel Robert Mueller’s report. Trump’s latest attempt at deflection needed an ‘A’ game address to change the political dynamics. Without the free-flowing lies of his high-energy rally venues he failed miserably. The point being, there is growing proof of Trump-Russia collusion. Trump is trying to politically run ahead of this…

ALL ARTICLES, FEATURE, History They Don't Want You To Know January 10, 2019

Christian Bale Credits Satan For Inspiration On How Best To Play Dick Cheney In ‘Vice’

By Ethan Sacks NBC News (1/7/19) It’s a good thing for Christian Bale that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association was voting, and not Republicans. The Welsh-born thespian won the Golden Globe for best actor in a motion picture – musical or comedy for his portrayal of former Vice President Dick Cheney in “Vice” and in accepting the award, he made clear where he stands on the real-life subject. “Thank you to Satan for giving me inspiration on how to play this role,” said Bale, 44. … Read the Rest and 1-Minute Video (Commoner Call cartoon by Mark L. Taylor, 2019. Open…

ALL ARTICLES, History They Don't Want You To Know January 10, 2019

Replay Of History? Rachel Maddow Investigates Spiro Agnew’s Bribery Scandal

  Fresh Air (1/19/19) Richard Nixon’s first vice president, Spiro Agnew, resigned in 1973 amidst charges of bribery and tax evasion. Now, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow and producer Mike Yarvitz revisit the Agnew scandal in the hit podcast ‘Bag Man.’ “The parallels with what was going on in the Nixon and Agnew administration 45 years ago to the efforts by the Trump administration right now … is uncanny,” Maddow says. Link to Story and 49-Minute Audio

ALL ARTICLES, FEATURE, History They Don't Want You To Know, Media Hits & Misses January 7, 2019

Veteran NBC Reporter Rips Pro-War Posture Of Corporate Media In Scathing Resignation Letter

  By Jessica Corbett Common Dreams (1/3/19) In a biting resignation letter published in full by CNN on Wednesday, longtime NBC News reporter, commentator, and military analyst William “Bill” Arkin blasted the corporate media network for embracing U.S. “national security leaders and generals” while “ignoring the empirical truth of what they have wrought: There is not one county in the Middle East that is safer today than it was 18 years ago. Indeed the world becomes ever more polarized and dangerous.” Reflecting on his past couple of decades working with the network—in addition to writing books and columns for major newspapers and serving as as military adviser to…

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ALL ARTICLES January 7, 2019

Brazil’s New Bolsonaro Government To Purge State Of Leftists & Centrists

TeleSur (1/5/19) Brazil’s newly-inaugurated [1/1/18] President Jair Bolsonaro announced a purge of government contractors who do not share the new administration’s far-right ideology. Days after assuming the presidency, Bolsonaro has authorized the dismissal of some 300 state workers on temporary contracts. “It’s the only way to govern with our ideas, our concepts and to carry out what Brazil’s society decided in its majority,” said Chief of Staff Onyx Lorenzoni at a press conference. He added that the purge aimed “to do away with the Socialist and Communist ideas that during 30 years have led us to the chaos in which…

ALL ARTICLES, American Fascism, Your Brain On Politics January 7, 2019

It Is More Than Mere Ignorance That Takes Down Democracies. The Problem Goes Far Deeper

Authoritarian leaders have rarely abolished liberal democracy overnight. Rather, they slowly but steadily chip away at its liberal foundations first, and its electoral foundations later. By Cas Mudde The Guardian (12/15/18) Democracy is in crisis and, for some, ignorance is to blame. Take the slogan of one major American newspaper: “Democracy dies in darkness.” It represents a simplistic answer to the rise of authoritarian and populist forces around the globe. The reason for its popularity is, undoubtedly, its appeal to an Enlightenment logic, in which knowledge means power and progress. Hence, the argument goes, if people would only know how…

ALL ARTICLES, FEATURE, Rethuglicans, Trumpenstan January 7, 2019

Perversion Of Justice: The Shocking Story Of Trump’s Sec. Of Labor’s History Of Shielding A Serial Pedophile & Sexual Abuser

  [Editor’s Note: It is also important to remember millionaire Jeffrey Epstein counted both Bill Clinton and Donald Trump as his pals. — Mark L. Taylor] Democracy Now! (1/4/119) We look at the unbelievable story of multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who for years orchestrated a sex trafficking network of hundreds of underage girls and is accused of regularly molesting children as young as 13 at his Florida mansion. But the serial sex offender received a shockingly lenient sentence for his crimes: 13 months in county jail, with many of his days spent at his Palm Beach office with regular visitors. This was…

ALL ARTICLES, Russia Monitor January 7, 2019

Russia Monitor: Maybe A Wall Wouldn’t Be Such A Bad Thing After All…

“It’s pretty clear that what’s driving Trump now isn’t a governing strategy. It isn’t a re-election strategy. It’s a “hold enough of your base to stop the Senate from convicting when the House impeaches” strategy. Trump must expect that the Mueller report will be very bad for him.” — Conservative pundit, author & Never-Trumper Bill Kristol tweet (1/6/19).   By Dan Peak The Commoner Call (1/7/19) Dear Fellow Readers, Trump chaos, Russian information warfare, reelection, impeachment, and — of course — “Build The Wall!” The high notes — or deeply low notes — of the past few days raise a herd of…

ALL ARTICLES, Russia Monitor, Your Brain On Politics January 7, 2019

Suckered: Operation InfeKtion — How Russia Has Perfected The Art Of Disinformation & Social Media Cyber War

  The New York Times (11/25/18) Russia’s meddling in the United States’ elections is not a hoax. It’s the culmination of Moscow’s decades-long campaign to tear the West apart. “Operation InfeKtion” reveals the ways in which one of the Soviets’ central tactics — the promulgation of lies about America — continues today, from Pizzagate to George Soros conspiracies. Meet the KGB spies who conceived this virus and the American truth squads who tried — and are still trying — to fight it. Countries from Pakistan to Brazil are now debating reality, and in Vladimir Putin’s greatest triumph, Americans are using…

ALL ARTICLES January 7, 2019

Since May US Stopped Cooperating With UN Human Rights Monitors

TeleSur (1/4/19) The administration of United States President Donald Trump stopped cooperation with United Nations’ human rights rapporteurs since May 2018, when the state department stopped responding to official complaints by special rapporteurs. In an exclusive story, The Guardian details that since May 7, 2018, the U.S. state department failed to respond to 13 requests sent by U.N. special rapporteurs. Unanswered requests include cases of family separation against migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. This is not the first U.S. blow to the international human rights system. In June, the country withdrew from the U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHCR), alleging anti-Israel bias. That…

ALL ARTICLES, Climate Change January 7, 2019

The Trump Administration Pressures Our Park Service To Silence Climate Crisis Science

  Reveal & CPRX / Center For Investigative Journalism (1/5/19) President Donald Trump says he doubts humans have much of a role in climate change. His administration has downplayed the science of climate change and sought to silence scientists working for the federal government. In this hour, Reveal’s Elizabeth Shogren details the pressures one researcher faced as she worked on a project for the National Park Service. DIG DEEPER Read: Wipeout: Human role in climate change removed from science report Read: Democrats ask Interior to investigate climate change edits Read: Zinke grilled about edited science report Read: National parks report on climate change finally…

ALL ARTICLES January 7, 2019

Podcast — Setting The Record Straight: The Factual Reporting About Beto & Biden By David Sirota That Stirred Epic Media & DNC Freakout

  [Editor’s Note: Also check out why David Sorota warns that if the dems nominate and elect another smooth talking pro-corporate Obama clone many people will die. — Mark L. Taylor] The Kate Halper Show In recent weeks, investigative journalist David Sirota made the repeated fatal error of doing his job. He reported facts, as his wont, and the corporate media and political elites flipped out, as is their wont. Earlier this week, he linked to another investigative journalist’s tweet which accurately described what Biden said in a 2018 video—that he would support a means test for Social Security. In response, The Daily Banter—a website…

ALL ARTICLES, Democrats January 7, 2019

Democrats Are Hunting Big Game – Did Big Money Already Bag Them?

  By Robert Reich The Guardian (1/6/19) Democrats are now in control of the House of Representatives, under Speaker Nancy Pelosi. After two years of Republican control over both chambers of Congress and the presidency, some balance has been restored to our democracy. I know and have worked with many members of the 116th Congress. They are people of integrity who will strive to do what is right for America. Nancy Pelosi is tough and courageous. Were it not for her insistence, Barack Obama would not have pushed for the Affordable Care Act. But they are not miracle workers. Republicans still control the…

ALL ARTICLES, Media Hits & Misses January 7, 2019

A Commoner Writes — Media In The Age Of Trump — Lampreys & Cud-Chewing

  A loved one watches MSNBC and CNN all the time. They are like a snarl of lampreys locking onto every tweet and utterance Trump pukes out and spending hours sucking it dry until the next one comes along. And they’re supposed to be the relatively good ones. It’s toxic. And it pollutes the minds of those who watch, hooking them on anticipating the next putrid morsel or endlesdly cud-chewing the last one and injecting the bile into the media discourse. Imagine if this is how people were informed about their choice of doctors or even cars. People think it’s…

ALL ARTICLES, American Fascism, History They Don't Want You To Know, M. Taylor Columns, Rethuglicans January 3, 2019

History Shows The Descent To Authoritarianism Happens Slowly … Then Very Quickly

An out-of-focus, rain and sleet-soaked, twisted half-mast flag tightly wrapped around a Walmart flag pole in the middle of a dark winter night is emblematic of the New Year in Trump’s America. ***** The extent of the brutality exceeds the imagination of people until it is too late. By Mark L. Taylor The Commoner Call (1/3/18) On a recent broadcast of Grit TV’s Laura Flanders Show (12/18) Pulitzer Prize-winning author Chris Hedges spoke about his recent book “America: The Farewell Tour”. Drawing from over 20 years of foreign reporting for the New York Times in places as diverse as Central…

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ALL ARTICLES January 3, 2019

Brazil Is About To Show The World How Quickly A Modern Democracy Collapses

By Travis Waldron The HuffPost (1/1/19) RIO DE JANEIRO — The tanks began to roll into Rio de Janeiro on the morning of April 1, 1964, some of them from the neighboring state of Minas Gerais, others from São Paulo. The Brazilian capital had moved to Brasília, the new planned city in the country’s interior, a few years prior, but Rio remained the effective center of power, and somewhere in the city, President João Goulart was clinging to power. Goulart, a leftist who became president in 1961, had spent the days prior on the phone with a top military officer,…

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ALL ARTICLES, Media Hits & Misses January 3, 2019

Netflix Caves To Saudi Arabia & Pulls Comedy Show

  By Mattha Busby The Guardian (1/1/18) Netflix has taken down an episode of a satirical comedy show critical of Saudi Arabia in the country after officials from the kingdom complained, sparking criticism from Human Rights Watch, which said the act undermined the streaming service’s “claim to support artistic freedom”. It comes three months after the brutal killing of the Saudi dissident and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi – which US senators have blamed on the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman – and as the war in Yemen continues to devastate the country. “Netflix’s claim to support artistic freedom means nothing if it bows…

ALL ARTICLES, American Fascism, Police State America January 3, 2019

Targeting American Citizens: Corporate Infiltrator Sows Deceit & Suspicion

“Everyone was suspicious of everyone. It was infuriating and debilitating for the movement.” By Alleen Brown The Intercept (12/30/18) JESSE HORNE STILL struggles to talk about the day he was kicked out of the anti-Dakota Access pipeline movement. It had been an intense week. Searching for direction and ideological fulfillment ever since Iowa’s stand against the pipeline wound down, the 20-year-old had reconnected with some of the state’s more radical pipeline opponents, and the group was now taking on drone warfare. After a protest outside a drone base in Des Moines in which Horne and several others were arrested, two of his…

'Just-Us' System, ALL ARTICLES, American Fascism January 3, 2019

Border Patrol Abuses: The Office Of Missing Children

ProPublica [Editor’s Note: OMG! This is an amazing piece of journalism and a heart wrenching profile of our inhumane immigrant policy. Be sure to watch the video. — Mark L. Taylor] By Reveal Staff Reveal / Center for Investigative Journalism (12/21/18) More than 2,600 kids were separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border under President Donald Trump’s “zero tolerance” family separation policy. What happened to those children? Reveal’s investigative reporting team looked at facilities across the country to answer that question. After being separated from their parents at the border, some of the children were held in office buildings…

ALL ARTICLES, Russia Monitor January 3, 2019

Russia Monitor: All The President’s Clowns, Grifters, Enablers, Liars, Deceivers & Traitors

  “At times it looked like it might cost them their jobs, their reputations, and maybe even their lives.” — Tagline from All The President’s Men, the 1976 film about two journalists investigating Watergate.   By Dan Peak The Commoner Call (1/3/18) Dear Fellow Readers, A Commoner Call reader suggested watching the 1976 movie about Nixon and Watergate,  All The President’s Men again. It was a great suggestion. There comes a point late in the movie where Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein are told their lives are at risk. They dug in and worked harder. There is a funny exchange where…

ALL ARTICLES, Good News, Right Wing Religion, Your Brain On Politics January 3, 2019

I Grew Up In The Westboro Baptist Church. Here’s Why I Left & How Social Media Helped Me Do So

  TED Talk (3/6/17) What’s it like to grow up within a group of people who exult in demonizing … everyone else? Megan Phelps-Roper shares details of life inside America’s most controversial church and describes how conversations on Twitter were key to her decision to leave it. In this extraordinary talk, she shares her personal experience of extreme polarization, along with some sharp ways we can learn to successfully engage across ideological lines. Link to 5-Minute Video

ALL ARTICLES, War State America January 3, 2019

U.S. Strategic Command Rings In The New Year With Adolescent War Porn Threat

As if the American runaway war machine isn’t enough of a threat and dark obscenity to begin with, the U.S. Strategic Command somehow thought it fit to ring in the New Year with a grotesque bit of war porn promoting America’s darkest profile… #TimesSquare tradition rings in the#NewYear by dropping the big ball…if ever needed, we are #ready to drop something much, much bigger At the same time U.S. war planes and intel facilitate the starvation and murder of hundreds of thousands of Yemini families and children by Saudi Arabia — using American weapons and bombs — some knucklehead officer…

ALL ARTICLES, War State America January 3, 2019

American Military Policy Of Uncounted Civilian Casualties In Iraq

  The Daily / New York Times (2017) The American-led battle against the Islamic State has been hailed as the most precise air campaign in history. But its airstrikes have killed far more Iraqi civilians than anyone has acknowledged. Basim Razzo, a resident of ISIS-occupied Mosul, lost his family and his home in one of these airstrikes. Video of the strike shows a target hit with military precision. Why was Mr. Razzo’s home targeted? And how often does this happen? Uncounted Civilian Casualties in Iraq was produced by Annie Brown, with reporter Azmat Khan and edited by Lisa Tobin for The Daily….

ALL ARTICLES, American Fascism, History They Don't Want You To Know January 3, 2019

Democracy Now! Author Jason Stanley Explains How Fascism Cannot Operate Without Rigid Patriarchy

  “Everything in fascism is about smashing the truth and replacing it with loyalty and power.”   [Editor’s Note: This is an excellent conversation with Jason Stanley on the propaganda pillars of fascism, the sexualized politics of fascism and the steps to counter our growing far right fascist movements. — Mark L. Taylor] Democracy Now! (10/22/18) In his new book “How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them,” Yale professor Jason Stanley outlines the 10 pillars of fascism and warns about the dangers of normalizing fascist politics. Following the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court despite multiple…