December 1, 2016

Donald Trump has reinvigorated racism and hate

I recently did a post on Donald Trump's use of racism to fuel the many racists out there looking for a new leader.They found him and, unfortunately, he will be leading the most powerful country in the world in less than two months. In that post, The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) reports that over "300 incidents of harassment or intimidation have been reported following Donald Trump's election Tuesday [Nov. 8] night."

Then on Saturday, The Southern Poverty Law Center counted more than 700 cases of hateful harassment or intimidation in the United States since Election Day on November 8. An additional 400 cases in less than two weeks. Many have accused Trump of fostering xenophobia and particularly Islamophobia, which stems from his earlier statements re. banning Muslims from the U.S., later establishing a "radical Islam commission."

Then, abruptly, the President-elect sobs he is "so saddened" to hear this is going on and tells the public on "60 Minutes" to stop it. I am not a physicist, but what Donald Trump has brought forth in hate and racism during his campaign now appears to have achieved the form of perpetual motion, perhaps unstoppable. Swastikas and the word "Go Trump" were painted on playground equipment at Adam Yauch Park in Brooklyn, according to the New York police

New York City Councilman Brad Lander, who represents that part of Brooklyn, wrote on Twitter: "Yet more hatred & anti-Semitism from Trump supporters." In Denver, a transgender woman's car was spray-painted early Wednesday morning with a swastika and the words 'Trump' and 'die,' among other derogatory terms." "Heil Trump," an anti-gay slur and a swastika was painted on the side of the church, Saint David's Episcopal, in Beanblossom, Indiana.

I think you get the idea. Just in case you don't, all you uneducated rednecks out there have elected someone to the highest office in the land that is capable of starting Charley Manson's Helter Skelter. Trump didn't take his followers to the mountains of California like Charley did, that would be too bizarre for even him--besides, Melania would never camp out--the presidential contender somehow got to them in the corn fields, cotton fields, cattle farms, etc.

But you did it and we all have to live with it. I'll leave you with this:

"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear." Martin Luther King, Jr.

Passionate & Progressive

November 30, 2016

What is "alt right" and what does it do?

Here is the definition of "alt-right":

The alt-right is a loose group of people with far right ideologies who reject mainstream conservatism in the United States.

Here is a recent headline by NBC News:

Analysis: Breitbart's Steve Bannon Leads the 'Alt Right' to the White House

Can't tell if that is a promise or a threat. Considering the incendiary and explosive politics of Steve Bannon at Breitbart, I would take it as a threat. To destroy this country in the next four years under Donald Trump. He is the President-elect's chief strategist and senior counselor, which indicates to me he is at the top of the decision-making process. Bloomberg News said:

"Steve Bannon is the most dangerous political operative in America."

Now can you see Reince Priebus locking horns with Bannon from the get-go?Steve Bannon was famous for his input to Trump for anti-immigration and especially anti-Muslim propaganda. He has also participated in an online-based counterculture movement associated with white nationalism. And now white nationalist leaders are praising Donald Trump's decision to name former Breitbart executive Steve Bannon as his chief strategist.

It also gets the approval of former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke; he recently lost a bid for the U.S. Senate in Louisiana. White nationalist blogger Brad Griffin said :

"We're most excited though about the foreign policy implications of Bannon in the White House. We want to see our counterparts in Europe — starting in Austria and France — win their upcoming elections. We're hearing reports that Breitbart is expanding its operations in continental Europe and that is where our focus will be in 2017."

And with Putin as a good friend, do you think Donald Trump plans to conquer the world?

Passionate & Progressive

November 30, 2016

Trump "hate" message carries on after election

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) reports that over "300 incidents of harassment or intimidation have been reported following Donald Trump's election." And, according to NBC, the reports continue to come in mostly from K-12 schools and on university campuses. In many cases the Trump campaign was featured in the incident. It's bad enough that Trump's uneducated redneck adults do this but K-12 through college? Pathetic!

Messages like, "Trump Nation, Whites Only." Another, a white male threatens to set a female Muslim on fire. Again a message, along with a swastika, "Heil Trump" and "F-- Church" were spray painted on the walls of an Episcopal church. Back to the segregated South, "Colored" and "Whites Only" signs were placed above drinking fountains at First Coast High School in Jacksonville, Florida. "Make America White Again" message shortly after Trump victory.

The Huff Post reports on 13 incidents during the election when Donald Trump was an out-and-out racist. Among them:

He attacked Muslim Gold Star parents
In fact, discrimination against black people has been a pattern in his career
He refused to condemn the white supremacists who are campaigning for him
He condoned the beating of a Black Lives Matter protester
He stereotyped Jews and shared an anti-Semitic meme created by white supremacists

There are more you can read on the Huff Post and I feel certain that over the years and during the election there were more. The American public has to come to grips with the fact that they have elected a man to the presidency of the most powerful county in the world that is a confirmed lowlife. And, he's proud of it. Bernie Sanders says he will hold Trump accountable as I am sure the millions of Progressives will across the country.

Passionate & Progressive

November 29, 2016

Electoral College on trial-Verdict?

Barbara Boxer, one of the feistiest Democratic Senators in Congress, will do her best to get rid of the Electoral College. She introduced a bill Tuesday to put an end to this institution that dates back to the Founding Fathers. One of the myths out there is that the whole concept came into being because the group couldn't make a decision around the idea of the popular vote decision so they settled on the Electoral College. If so, it's time for a change.

Boxer said, "The Electoral College is an outdated, undemocratic system that does not reflect our modern society, and it needs to change immediately. Every American should be guaranteed that their vote counts." [link:CNN also quoted|CNN also quoted] Donald Trump tweeting this in 2012, "The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy." Now he's all for keeping it. It has already chalked up two recent disasters: Gore-Bush in 2070, now Clinton-Trump in 2016.

The problem with the California Senator's bill is that two-thirds of each house of Congress must pass it plus approval in three quarters of states. Finding the states to make the change might not be so hard but convincing an overwhelming conservative Congress is another thing. All 435 House seats are up for reelection in 2018, 33 Senate seats. Hate to say it again, but look forward to 2018.

Passionate & Progressive

November 29, 2016

Trump honed incendiary style from National Rifle Assn.

For years the National Rifle Assn., led by Wayne LaPierre, has railed against a government that suppresses its people and denies them their constitutional rights. Of course, the opposition has always been designed to protect their precious 2nd Amendment, a part of the Constitution that should have been done away with or at least modified significantly. Something that obviously could never happen under a Donald Trump presidency or Republican controlled Congress.

A recent post on this subject pointed out how the emphasis on state elections will probably increase in the next four years, while pointing out the high amount of gun violence the U.S. suffers annually from too many guns. At one point Trump said, “I support the ban on assault weapons and I also support a slightly longer waiting period to purchase a gun.” The Trace article also said that during the election, "...Trump adopted an incendiary message that matched the NRA’s own."

When the NRA heard Trump's repeated rhetoric that the 2nd Amendment was sacred, something that must be protected at all costs, the decision was made to pump $30- million into ads that supported Trump. It started with 5-million NRA members, then picked a rural population the NRA has been appealing to for years, all ramrodded by the huge ad campaign both for Donald Trump and against Hillary Clinton. It worked. Trump was elected but can the NRA really depend on his fickle nature?

The fact is that almost all of the Republican hierarchy shunned Trump in the early stages, as well as further into the campaign. Special interest groups ignored him; do the Koch brothers come to mind? Even the conservative press was caught off guard by his zany antics. Sociologist Scott Melzer, author of the 2012 book "Gun Crusaders: The NRA’s Culture War," told The Trace:

"The gun group and its candidate speak to 'this white rural conservative population that feels left behind by economic shifts and cultural shifts. These changes pose a threat to their identity.'”
Wayne Lapierre wasn't able to beat Barack Obama but he was successful defeating Hillary Clinton. I continue to wonder how long a gullible American public will buy the NRA's bullshit. Meanwhile, it accepts 12,000+ gun deaths a year, over 3,000 of them children. Thank you America.

Passionate & Progressive

November 28, 2016

Bernie Sanders: Stay healthy for 2020

Michael Moore and Allan Lichtman predicted Donald Trump won't survive a full four years as President. As encouraging as that is, we need a backup just in case for 2020. I read a comment yesterday on an Internet site covering the Trump demonstrations across the country. It said, eat right and get plenty of exercise, Bernie, for 2020. Not being anything close to a Constitutional Law expert, or even layman, not sure if he could fill in for an impeached Donald Trump.

I harken back to the unethical antics of Debbie Wasserman Schultz, disgraced former head of the Democratic National Committee, who repeatedly showed overwhelming favor for Hillary Clinton in the primaries. She was fired for her actions, things Bernie Sanders frequently exposed during the campaign, but only to the deaf ears of demented Democrats. Who, obviously, got what they deserved, Donald Trump.

Here's one such email from Brad Marshall suggesting that they use religion against a certain possible atheist with a Jewish heritage:
From:MARSHALL@dnc.org To: MirandaL@dnc.org, PaustenbachM@dnc.org, DaceyA@dnc.org Date: 2016-05-05 03:31 Subject: No shit

It might may no difference, but for KY and WVA can we get someone to ask his belief. Does he believe in a God. He had skated on saying he has a Jewish heritage. I think I read he is an atheist. This could make several points difference with my peeps. My Southern Baptist peeps would draw a big difference between a Jew and an atheist.

Marshall was chief financial officer of the DNC, who later tried to claim his message did not refer to Bernie Sanders. Bernie beat Donald Trump consistently in the polls leading up to Clinton's nomination. But the election results were a complete turnaround from what all the polls were predicting between Clinton and Trump. I would like to think this:

When Bernie Sanders lost the primaries, the force of his following was so let down and discouraged that the majority fractured completely away from the Democratic Party and with no direction or leadership either didn't vote at all or simply looking for change from the typical Washington insider, Hillary Clinton, they misguidedly voted for Donald Trump. This added to Trump's rural support put him over the top.

But, of course, we'll probably never know.

Passionate & Progressive

November 27, 2016

There's hope-a duo of predictions for Donald Trump's resignation or impeachment

Michael Moore was right when he predicted Donald Trump could win last July. But this is what he said on Huff Post re. Trump's staying power: “Here’s what’s going to happen, this is why we’re not going to have to suffer through four years of Donald J. Trump, because he has no ideology except the ideology of Donald J. Trump." What have we seen that the President-elect has either said or advocated that wasn't connected to the well-being of Donald Trump? Nothing.

Interestingly enough, Allan Lichtman, a history professor at American University in Washington, D.C., also forecasted the win. But, then, he has predicted nine consecutive presidential election results based on a model he created that consists of 13 factors. He doesn't believe in polls and kicks sand at all the data mining fanatics that depend entirely on numbers. At the same time. Lichtman also felt that Donald Trump would be impeached.

Nate Silver's 538 Blog, which has called several presidential elections correctly, picked Hillary Clinton for a win right up to Nov. 8, 71.4% to Trump's 28.6%. Others foresaw the actual outcome which you can see here. Allan Lichtman had 13 true false statements but Michael More decided based on just 5 reasons. They are:

Midwest Math, or Welcome to Our Rust Belt Brexit; The Last Stand of the Angry White Man; The Hillary Problem; The Depressed Sanders Vote; and The Jesse Ventura Effect.

Each is an interesting look at election psychology, and you can read them here.

Could Donald Trump surprise us all and turn out to be a fine, upstanding President? But, with very limited thought, little chance.

Passionate & Progressive

November 26, 2016

Bernie Sanders will be a thorn in Donald Trump's behind

It isn't sour grapes since Bernie Sanders didn't have a chance at beating Donald Trump. Had he, he would have. It's just that Bernie recognizes and isn't afraid to verbalize his concerns about the potential of a Trump administration. One of the last major politicians to release a statement, this is what he said:

"Donald Trump tapped into the anger of a declining middle class that is sick and tired of establishment economics, establishment politics and the establishment media. People are tired of working longer hours for lower wages, of seeing decent paying jobs go to China and other low-wage countries, of billionaires not paying any federal income taxes and of not being able to afford a college education for their kids — all while the very rich become much richer."

I don't want to put words in his mouth, but it is almost as if the inference is that Donald Trump's rants of change may have picked up some of the Revolution's supporters when Bernie was beaten by Hillary Clinton. He added this to the above:

"To the degree that Mr. Trump is serious about pursuing policies that improve the lives of working families in this country, I and other progressives are prepared to work with him. To the degree that he pursues racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environmental policies, we will vigorously oppose him."
It is obvious that Bernie Sanders, The Revolution, and staunch Progressives will cautiously eye the movements of the President-elect. This blog will be devoted to that mandate in the future.

Passionate & Progrssive