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lees1975
lees1975's Journal
lees1975's Journal
April 2, 2024
Many Americans pay little attention to anything beyond their own little corner of the country, much less to what is going on around the world. The political polarization we are experiencing cuts through everything, including any thought of being part of an international community that reacts to what happens here because it will, somewhere, at some point, have an affect on their lives.
So it is hard to ignore the reactions from around the world, especially from countries with whom we have been allied in common causes, and with whom we share much history and cultural background, regarding our presumptive Republican Presidential nominee. The founding fathers are rolling over and over in their graves and tombs at any thought of their constitutional protections of freedom of conscience, and free speech, would permit this former President, and current candidate, to say and do the things he does without any consequence at all, and ostensibly, without any loss of support.
The courts are not going to help us, and they're not going to listen. We need to create the kind of public pressure that forces them to make the right choices. To do that, we can't sit home on election day, and we have to stop giving credence to distractors like RFK Jr. and Jill Stein, who offer nothing and have no chance at doing anything except helping Trump win and self-defeat their own agenda.
Why do we allow this?
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2024/04/why-do-we-allow-this.htmlMany Americans pay little attention to anything beyond their own little corner of the country, much less to what is going on around the world. The political polarization we are experiencing cuts through everything, including any thought of being part of an international community that reacts to what happens here because it will, somewhere, at some point, have an affect on their lives.
So it is hard to ignore the reactions from around the world, especially from countries with whom we have been allied in common causes, and with whom we share much history and cultural background, regarding our presumptive Republican Presidential nominee. The founding fathers are rolling over and over in their graves and tombs at any thought of their constitutional protections of freedom of conscience, and free speech, would permit this former President, and current candidate, to say and do the things he does without any consequence at all, and ostensibly, without any loss of support.
The courts are not going to help us, and they're not going to listen. We need to create the kind of public pressure that forces them to make the right choices. To do that, we can't sit home on election day, and we have to stop giving credence to distractors like RFK Jr. and Jill Stein, who offer nothing and have no chance at doing anything except helping Trump win and self-defeat their own agenda.
March 29, 2024
Another meaningless gag order.
From the PBS News Hour:
"Merchan had long resisted imposing a gag order, recognizing Trump’s “special” status as a former president and current candidate and not wanting to trample his ability to defend himself publicly. But, he said, as the trial nears, he found that his obligation to ensuring the integrity of the case outweighs First Amendment concerns. He said Trump’s statements have induced fear and necessitated added security measures to protect his targets and investigate threats.
First mistake, recognizing Trump's "special status" as a former president and current candidate. So what? Now we have a judge placing Trump above the law on the same basis Trump claims he is above the law.
Second mistake, not including himself or his own family members in the gag order.
We are dealing with a fascist nut job and his gang of violence-promoting thugs as supporters. Someone is going to take matters into their own hands, following this violent, insulting rhetoric and someone will become the victim of the lack of courage and conviction on the part of these judges who won't enforce the law when it comes to Trump.
No wonder our legal system can't get anything done, and delays court cases for years. It's lacking conviction and courage.
March 25, 2024
People like Trump always get advantages, always beat the rules, always. It's a fixed system. I call it two Americas. There's ordinary America, the one in which we live, the majority of the population that works for a living, doesn't have the luxury of living without being in debt, and either follows the rule of law, or faces the consequences immediately. We have no influence, no power to direct actions on our own behalf, and suffer the consequences if we step out of line. Our possessions are repossessed when we don't pay our bills, if the bank raises interest rates on our loans, we pay, and a whopping percentage of Americans suffer having their credit rating under the control of an unknown, faceless entity which exercises full control over their financial life. We are powerless to change it, even if a mistake is made. Too bad.
Ironically, most Trump supporters live in ordinary America, which is one of the reasons why they have idolized Trump, turning him into a character that doesn't exist, and don't seem to mind when he gets away with breaking the law and cheating the rules. They only wish they could do the same, and since he does, and gets away with it, they live vicariously through him. Hillary Clinton referred to most of them as "deplorables," and many of them really do fit that description. After watching them spew their blithering ignorance of politics, the world, history and just about everything else in interviews on social media, prior to entering one of his rallies, or voting for him in a primary or general election, I prefer the term "pathetic."
A lot of us also fall in the same category, however, because we demonstrate implicit trust in a system over which we have almost no control, but which we keep insisting we can change. We find political candidates who tell us they'll make a difference, We watch, in frustration, and get angry with our fellow ordinary Americans who have given up, and who are difficult, if not impossible, to convince that they need to do what we do, register, and go vote, because they have done it, and they have seen nothing change.
----------
Now we're left with the increasingly more difficult task of convincing ourselves that when we go cast our ballots in November, it will make a difference. Between now and then, will we see more egregious examples of a justice system that is powerless in the face of wealth and power, as we watch court cases against Trump fall by the wayside, or get delayed into the next century as those behind the scenes move heaven and earth to stop justice from happening to him or will someone, somewhere, actually have the courage and fortitude, and the love and respect for this country, its values and we, its people, to stand up, do the right thing, and send this antichrist fascist to prison where he belongs?
Yes, it's a rant and there will be plenty of them. Time to face facts.
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2024/03/justice-will-never-be-served-in-america.htmlPeople like Trump always get advantages, always beat the rules, always. It's a fixed system. I call it two Americas. There's ordinary America, the one in which we live, the majority of the population that works for a living, doesn't have the luxury of living without being in debt, and either follows the rule of law, or faces the consequences immediately. We have no influence, no power to direct actions on our own behalf, and suffer the consequences if we step out of line. Our possessions are repossessed when we don't pay our bills, if the bank raises interest rates on our loans, we pay, and a whopping percentage of Americans suffer having their credit rating under the control of an unknown, faceless entity which exercises full control over their financial life. We are powerless to change it, even if a mistake is made. Too bad.
Ironically, most Trump supporters live in ordinary America, which is one of the reasons why they have idolized Trump, turning him into a character that doesn't exist, and don't seem to mind when he gets away with breaking the law and cheating the rules. They only wish they could do the same, and since he does, and gets away with it, they live vicariously through him. Hillary Clinton referred to most of them as "deplorables," and many of them really do fit that description. After watching them spew their blithering ignorance of politics, the world, history and just about everything else in interviews on social media, prior to entering one of his rallies, or voting for him in a primary or general election, I prefer the term "pathetic."
A lot of us also fall in the same category, however, because we demonstrate implicit trust in a system over which we have almost no control, but which we keep insisting we can change. We find political candidates who tell us they'll make a difference, We watch, in frustration, and get angry with our fellow ordinary Americans who have given up, and who are difficult, if not impossible, to convince that they need to do what we do, register, and go vote, because they have done it, and they have seen nothing change.
----------
Now we're left with the increasingly more difficult task of convincing ourselves that when we go cast our ballots in November, it will make a difference. Between now and then, will we see more egregious examples of a justice system that is powerless in the face of wealth and power, as we watch court cases against Trump fall by the wayside, or get delayed into the next century as those behind the scenes move heaven and earth to stop justice from happening to him or will someone, somewhere, actually have the courage and fortitude, and the love and respect for this country, its values and we, its people, to stand up, do the right thing, and send this antichrist fascist to prison where he belongs?
March 25, 2024
Do we now realize that justice will not be served as far as Trump is concerned?
It's up to we, the people at the ballot box. No court in this nation has enough integrity to do the right thing, and the system is so encumbered with red tape that it cannot function.
Taking back the courts will be a long term project. The only recourse for justice we have right now is the vote.
March 25, 2024
The false narratives of right wing politics that are aimed at the destruction of constitutional democracy have also brought conflict and controversy to a Christian denomination at the heart of American Evangelicalism, exposing an ugliness that is evidence of growing apostasy and the increasing influence of heresy. The Southern Baptist Convention has had to deal with a sexual abuse scandal, and some gross incompetence in handling revelations of abuse as they were reported to its Executive Committee, revealed by an investigation published by the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News in February of 2019.
The investigation, Abuse of Faith, was limited only to sexual abuse cases among Southern Baptist church leaders in 20 states that had already been convicted, or had confessed, to the abuse. The invsetigation only included those who had been convicted, or confessed to their abuse crimes, over 380 church leaders, mostly pastors and church staff, and involved over 700 victims. There are many more cases which have been reported, but in which the perpetrators have not been charged.
--------
The biggest obstacle to any real, serious consideration or resolution of this issue, though, is that much of the opposition to any resolution at all is based on the belief, by many Southern Baptists, that the victims of abuse are woke liberals bent on using #metoo as a means of attacking the godly, righteous work of the Southern Baptist Convention, and as a way of undermining conservative politics. There are deep seated religious prejudices at work here, among those who see women as subservient, not equal, and concluding that they can't be victims of abuse, because it's not abuse, it's just the natural order of things. Distraction and disversion is always the name of the game. This will help keep people focused on other issues while denominational leadership handles sexual abuse within its ranks from Donald Trump's playbook, shirking responsibility, blaming victims and protecting their assets from lawsuits.
Abuse victims persist, in spite of harassment, opposition within a Christian denomination.
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2024/03/abuse-victims-still-persist-in-spite-of.htmlThe false narratives of right wing politics that are aimed at the destruction of constitutional democracy have also brought conflict and controversy to a Christian denomination at the heart of American Evangelicalism, exposing an ugliness that is evidence of growing apostasy and the increasing influence of heresy. The Southern Baptist Convention has had to deal with a sexual abuse scandal, and some gross incompetence in handling revelations of abuse as they were reported to its Executive Committee, revealed by an investigation published by the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News in February of 2019.
The investigation, Abuse of Faith, was limited only to sexual abuse cases among Southern Baptist church leaders in 20 states that had already been convicted, or had confessed, to the abuse. The invsetigation only included those who had been convicted, or confessed to their abuse crimes, over 380 church leaders, mostly pastors and church staff, and involved over 700 victims. There are many more cases which have been reported, but in which the perpetrators have not been charged.
--------
The biggest obstacle to any real, serious consideration or resolution of this issue, though, is that much of the opposition to any resolution at all is based on the belief, by many Southern Baptists, that the victims of abuse are woke liberals bent on using #metoo as a means of attacking the godly, righteous work of the Southern Baptist Convention, and as a way of undermining conservative politics. There are deep seated religious prejudices at work here, among those who see women as subservient, not equal, and concluding that they can't be victims of abuse, because it's not abuse, it's just the natural order of things. Distraction and disversion is always the name of the game. This will help keep people focused on other issues while denominational leadership handles sexual abuse within its ranks from Donald Trump's playbook, shirking responsibility, blaming victims and protecting their assets from lawsuits.
March 19, 2024
Growing up in an Evangelical church, I learned pretty quickly that most of the church members had a very distinctive "us versus them" way of looking at the world around them. The church had a seige mentality. The leadership and membership saw itself as being the victims of all kinds of worldly plots, from the nebulous part of society known as "the liberals" or simply, "the left." Of course, all of the enemies of the church were guided by demonic forces, and any time a pastor needed to get church members up off their rear ends and engaged in some kind of activity, a straw man enemy would pop up to motivate the membership.
------
Dr. Russell Moore, formerly the executive director of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) and currently editor of Christianity Today has made some interesting observations about the shocking, but clearly heretical departure some white Evangelicals are making from the core doctrines and theology of the Christian gospel. These departures are not just from commonly accepted doctrine related to commonly held beliefs among the broader Christian community, but are also denials and departures from the unique, literal interpretation approach of their own brand of Christian faith.
"When we get to the point where the teachings of Jesus are seen as subversive to us, we're in a crisis," said Moore, after hearing reports from pastors who, after preaching on themes from the Sermon on the Mount, would have members of the church come up to them afterward and ask, "Where did you get those liberal talking points?"
Those specific points, according to Moore, specifically included the passage where Jesus preaches to those gathered, the core Christian principle of "turning the other cheek."
They blame the Left for attacking them, but conservative Christians are being subverted by the far right.
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2024/03/evangelical-christians-claim-they-are.htmlGrowing up in an Evangelical church, I learned pretty quickly that most of the church members had a very distinctive "us versus them" way of looking at the world around them. The church had a seige mentality. The leadership and membership saw itself as being the victims of all kinds of worldly plots, from the nebulous part of society known as "the liberals" or simply, "the left." Of course, all of the enemies of the church were guided by demonic forces, and any time a pastor needed to get church members up off their rear ends and engaged in some kind of activity, a straw man enemy would pop up to motivate the membership.
------
Dr. Russell Moore, formerly the executive director of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) and currently editor of Christianity Today has made some interesting observations about the shocking, but clearly heretical departure some white Evangelicals are making from the core doctrines and theology of the Christian gospel. These departures are not just from commonly accepted doctrine related to commonly held beliefs among the broader Christian community, but are also denials and departures from the unique, literal interpretation approach of their own brand of Christian faith.
"When we get to the point where the teachings of Jesus are seen as subversive to us, we're in a crisis," said Moore, after hearing reports from pastors who, after preaching on themes from the Sermon on the Mount, would have members of the church come up to them afterward and ask, "Where did you get those liberal talking points?"
Those specific points, according to Moore, specifically included the passage where Jesus preaches to those gathered, the core Christian principle of "turning the other cheek."
March 17, 2024
At this point, after the news of Trump's "bloodbath" remarks have had a chance to sink in, I can imagine evangelical church leaders who have sold out to him frantically searching their Old Testament for historical passages to twist into some kind of justification of what he has said. That's been the pattern for his conservative Christian supporters ever since he sucked them in and took over their churches and denominations, replacing the Christian gospel with political rhetoric.
As Trump sinks further into a miasma of mental decline and personal hysterics, and his remarks become more and more extreme, and he loses support by the day, the response of his far right Evangelical supporters is silence. No comment. Tacit justification and occasional prooftexting old historical accounts from Jewish history that bear no relevance at all on what the response should be from those who claim to believe in, and follow the Christian gospel.
If they're with him, and many of them are, because they do not pay any heed at all to the principles of the Christian gospel, or to Christ's teaching, but they go back to a historical period of time, long before the Christian covenant was established by Jesus, and try to justify violence because it's "in the Bible." Some of them know better. Others, in their Biblical "literalism" and fundamentalism, take each section of the Bible literally without applying any historical context to it. So they'll cite King David triumphing over the Philistines, or the thwarting of attacks by the Assyrians as justification for their desire to enforce their way of thinking on everyone else, violently if they think it is necessary.
Evangelicals must be on board with the bloodbath talk, because they're silent.
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2024/03/hey-evangelical-leaders-are-you-on.htmlAt this point, after the news of Trump's "bloodbath" remarks have had a chance to sink in, I can imagine evangelical church leaders who have sold out to him frantically searching their Old Testament for historical passages to twist into some kind of justification of what he has said. That's been the pattern for his conservative Christian supporters ever since he sucked them in and took over their churches and denominations, replacing the Christian gospel with political rhetoric.
As Trump sinks further into a miasma of mental decline and personal hysterics, and his remarks become more and more extreme, and he loses support by the day, the response of his far right Evangelical supporters is silence. No comment. Tacit justification and occasional prooftexting old historical accounts from Jewish history that bear no relevance at all on what the response should be from those who claim to believe in, and follow the Christian gospel.
If they're with him, and many of them are, because they do not pay any heed at all to the principles of the Christian gospel, or to Christ's teaching, but they go back to a historical period of time, long before the Christian covenant was established by Jesus, and try to justify violence because it's "in the Bible." Some of them know better. Others, in their Biblical "literalism" and fundamentalism, take each section of the Bible literally without applying any historical context to it. So they'll cite King David triumphing over the Philistines, or the thwarting of attacks by the Assyrians as justification for their desire to enforce their way of thinking on everyone else, violently if they think it is necessary.
March 15, 2024
There is a major effort, by rich, powerful people, to corrupt every court case against Trump.
It's a barrage of varying levels of attacks, inside and outside, that should have been expected.
We're about to see if the rule of law and the constitutional system is going to hold. If Trump wins re-election, it certainly won't because that's the goal, to make government fail. But we're also fighting corruption from inside. People are willing to use their power in a manner in which it was not intended, and there are judges who are Trumpers who follow the Limbaugh rule of use your power for your friends and your partisan political perspective to defeat the libs. Machiavelli would be proud.
This is the proverbial shot in the middle of fifth avenue. Will he be held accountable or will he get away with it like he has with every other crime he has committed in his life?
I've seen too many examples of caving in so far to have a lot of confidence that any of this will get past the built-in confusion and red tape of our cluttered, confused justice system to work.
March 15, 2024
Trump managed to win a very narrow victory in 2016, precisely because the infighting and bickering over "this and that" kind of issues among Progressives led to a lower voter turnout, and to votes going to third party candidates that were, frankly, a waste of time and effort. A second Trump presidency would kill whatever progress the Green Party thinks they have made by running Stein and "getting their issues out there." He was opposed to everything they stood for. The best thing Jill Stein could do now is come out with a public statement recognizing the danger to democracy of a second Trump presidency, dropping out of the race and endorsing Joe Biden's candidacy. That will do more for their pro-worker, anti-war, climate action agenda than her run for the White House again could ever achieve.
The results of a second Trump Presidency are easy to see, since he's filling us in and gets whatever time in the news media he wants to tell everyone exactly what he would do. Progressives like Santita Jackson and Rainbow Push, who is pushing the candidacy of Cornell West are the first targets on Trump's list, and whatever political progress they've made, which has been hard fought and hard earned, will be ended. This man is a white supremacist bigot, and if groups like Rainbow Push stand alone, they have no power at all to stop him.
I actually agree with Stein, that the two-party system is broken. But her efforts to fix it have not only failed miserably, but they've actually caused further regression because they give control to far right elements who don't believe government works, and who deliberately sabotage its efforts. On the other hand, President Joe Biden, with marginal, but with Democratic control of Congress, got more done in two years than any other President since the Johnson administration. And that success was built on an alliance that came together against a common enemy, and defeated him.
A second Biden Presidency will be the foundation of progressive political success.
Progressive Democrats' political success depends on a second Biden Presidency.
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2024/03/whats-matter-with-progressive-left.htmlTrump managed to win a very narrow victory in 2016, precisely because the infighting and bickering over "this and that" kind of issues among Progressives led to a lower voter turnout, and to votes going to third party candidates that were, frankly, a waste of time and effort. A second Trump presidency would kill whatever progress the Green Party thinks they have made by running Stein and "getting their issues out there." He was opposed to everything they stood for. The best thing Jill Stein could do now is come out with a public statement recognizing the danger to democracy of a second Trump presidency, dropping out of the race and endorsing Joe Biden's candidacy. That will do more for their pro-worker, anti-war, climate action agenda than her run for the White House again could ever achieve.
The results of a second Trump Presidency are easy to see, since he's filling us in and gets whatever time in the news media he wants to tell everyone exactly what he would do. Progressives like Santita Jackson and Rainbow Push, who is pushing the candidacy of Cornell West are the first targets on Trump's list, and whatever political progress they've made, which has been hard fought and hard earned, will be ended. This man is a white supremacist bigot, and if groups like Rainbow Push stand alone, they have no power at all to stop him.
I actually agree with Stein, that the two-party system is broken. But her efforts to fix it have not only failed miserably, but they've actually caused further regression because they give control to far right elements who don't believe government works, and who deliberately sabotage its efforts. On the other hand, President Joe Biden, with marginal, but with Democratic control of Congress, got more done in two years than any other President since the Johnson administration. And that success was built on an alliance that came together against a common enemy, and defeated him.
A second Biden Presidency will be the foundation of progressive political success.
Profile Information
Gender: MaleHometown: Tucson, Arizona
Current location: Chicago, Illinois
Member since: Wed Dec 25, 2019, 01:02 AM
Number of posts: 3,850
