lees1975
lees1975's JournalAn idea that keeps surfacing...
put pressure on the Republicans in Congress who are in districts that Democrats are likely to win back in 2024. I've seen this idea in social media and today heard it on a talk show on WCPT in Chicago. So there are at leat 15 Republicans in the house who are in districts where they won by less than 5% in a district carried by Biden and won by Democrats in both 2016 and 2020. So they have a choice of either being primaried for departing from the fascists and doing the right thing, or being defeated for doing the wrong thing.
There are several plans apparently being pro-actively discussed, including a speakership involving Hakeem Jeffries, noting that the GOP would still be a majority, but things would get done that even some Republicans know needs to happen. There are some realists who are apparently seeing how bad this is getting for their party.
The problem we Democrats often have is that we depend too much on the status quo, and instead of giving something a try, we never find out if it would work because we always think that it couldn't. This is worth a try, if for no other reason than to shake up some Republicans and make them publicly acknowledge how deep their party is in trouble.
Those who pay the price are not the perpetrators of the problem.
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2023/10/those-who-pay-price-are-not.htmlThere's a historical context to the bloodshed that has become ingrained in the culture of the region generally referred to as the Middle East. No matter who does what at this point, that context can't be changed. There is a lot of history that has brought about everything that is happening there now. So much seems to be ingrained in the region's history that keeps resurfacing, it seems impossible to find a solution to it, and massacres like the one we've just observed only serve to stir up more hatred and make things worse than they already are. Actions create new resentments that call for more reactions. It's a never ending cycle.
Something goes haywire when one group of people, centered around their common culture, sees themselves as superior to other people, and entitled to rule the world. Where does that thinking even come from? How are people so conditioned to it that the human intellect, which we are taught to believe is the highest level of intelligence in the universe, cannot find a solution to the results of hatred? It appears that one of the things we have that animals lack is the capacity to destroy ourselves and the world in which we live over ideology.
Israel may be able to lay its hands on a few Hamas fighters who haven't been able to get out of Gaza when they invade. They may be able to temporarily disable their ability to attack from inside the enclave by rendering it virtually uninhabitable. But long term problems require long term solutions. And the real question is whether or not the people of Gaza deserve the suffering that they are experiencing and what's coming. And the answer to that is that they don't.
I have a suggestion for Democrats in the House.
It's time to get aggressive here. I must confess, when it comes to the House operating in a Democratic manner, I am confused about all of the convoluted rules, procedures and protocols they have in place to discourage making progress. It appears to me to be an organization set up to waste both time and money.
In most situations, there's a way to cut to the chase. How about finding the 12 or 13 Republicans under the most electoral pressure, and really putting the hammer down. Direct donors to their opponents, put public pressure on them, get the phones ringing and the protest lines going, and twist their arm to elect Jeffries as House Speaker, and stick to supporting him when there are key votes pertaining to the good of the American people. Put the pressure down hard, make sure they see the money lining up against them. I'm sure we could at least make this a miserable time for the GOP. I say, what would those Republicans have to lose? They'd likely not keep their seat anyway, might as well go out with a bang. If not, then you're so partisan it won't help anyway.
Everything is political, so...
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2023/10/everything-is-political-so.htmlDoes anyone think that the Republican blame game being directed toward President Biden is an attempt to cover for potential problems down the road that may uncover a link between Trump's disclosure of classified information, at all levels and in all places, including documents he kept at Mar-a-Lago, and the Hamas attack on Israel, being able to penetrate border defenses and security that is among the best in the world?
Let's be honest and up front. It's pretty clear that the Biden Administration is not to blame. No evidence exists to support those claims, which read like a laundry list of invented nonsense. It's such a habitual way for Republicans to respond that it's a ho-hum yawn of boredom in response. From my perspective, that indicates something might be wrong within their own ranks, some mistake somewhere may have led to this happening, for which they bear responsibility. Their attempt to get ahead of it all, duly noted and responded to by the Biden Administration, could very well be an attempt to cover up either their own, or their admired potential nominee's blunder. More than likely, it's the latter.
If a Democrat were in the same position, there's no doubt that Republicans would be openly connecting the mishandled classified documents to the information leak leading to the attack on Israel. The presence of Russian officials in the White House during the prior presidential term, his son-in-law's receipt of large amounts of money from the Saudis, and his own friendliness toward them, on his property, where classified documents were not properly stored, and his propensity to share classified information freely, because he could, would all be major news headlines now, on going, cycle after cycle, droning on until the words were meaningless.
Even Newsweek is carrying the story about Trump's potential intel leak to the Russians
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/donald-trump-s-israel-intel-leak-under-scrutiny-after-hamas-attack/ar-AA1hVsVO?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=babee54e6b264e31944046c97d745e6e&ei=8Is it showing up elsewhere? I just saw this on a MSN link.
The credibility of the American justice system comes down to this.
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-credibility-of-american-justice.htmlWill We, the People, get a fair trial when it comes to the crimes committed by former President Donald Trump?
So far, the ability to manipulate justice in America, which, in my perspective, has been characteristic of the courts in this country going back to its founding in 1789, has depended on the influence of wealth. Like everything else in a free market economy, the legal system has a supply and demand factor. A good team of lawyers costs money, and increases the odds of either winning a case, or beating the system, whichever the outcome favors.
We now have a former President facing indictments for allegedly committing a number of crimes against the people, related to tampering with the ability of Congress to certify an election by inciting an insurrection, stealing classified documents from the White House without authorization, attempting to coerce state officials in Georgia to falsify election results and intimidate election worskers, and now, in his personal business, committing massive fraud.
He has already gotten away with multiple other crimes against the people, documented in the more than 500 pages of the Mueller Report, including collusion with a foreign power to sway the results of an election, with substantial supporting evidence. The special investigator in that case, Robert Mueller, left the door wide open for the Justice Department, then under the corrupt leadership ofTrump appointee Bill Barr, to convene grand juries and issue indictments, which never happened. Money and influence spoke quite loudly, and We the People lost a big part of what makes the Constitution work for us.
The credibility of the American justice system comes down to this.
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-credibility-of-american-justice.htmlBottom line, it comes down to whether Trump is convicted, unanimously and unequivocally, for his crimes before he has any chance at the election. Otherwise, it's all done folks.
We now have a former President facing indictments for allegedly committing a number of crimes against the people, related to tampering with the ability of Congress to certify an election by inciting an insurrection, stealing classified documents from the White House without authorization, attempting to coerce state officials in Georgia to falsify election results and intimidate election worskers, and now, in his personal business, committing massive fraud.
He has already gotten away with multiple other crimes against the people, documented in the more than 500 pages of the Mueller Report, including collusion with a foreign power to sway the results of an election, with substantial supporting evidence. The special investigator in that case, Robert Mueller, left the door wide open for the Justice Department, then under the corrupt leadership ofTrump appointee Bill Barr, to convene grand juries and issue indictments, which never happened. Money and influence spoke quite loudly, and We the People lost a big part of what makes the Constitution work for us.
No one was willing to risk their own selfish ambition to be a patriot and save the integity of the government. On one side, hands were thrown up and concession was made to the fact that the sitting President can't be held accountable for crimes, and "there's nothing we can do." The other side just let it all blow over, ignored it and went on about their business. The credibility of American justice failed that test.
It can't fail the next one. If it does, We the People lose our Constitutional democracy. It will not survive.
With membership and attendance declining, churches are being encouraged to prioritize politics.
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2023/10/with-declining-attendance-and.htmlMore distraction for churches that are literally losing members because they've lost their grip on the Christian gospel through the intrusion of far right wing extremism, namely Trumpism. They're losing members because of the intrusion of politics, so they are being taught to prioritize politics as a means of enforcing their principles, rather than leaving it as a matter of personal conviction via conversion.
Like every other American, Christians are free in this country to meet for worship, fellowship, instruction, and to practice their faith by ministering to the needs of others and by evangelistic outreach, to gather an audience that is willing to listen to the claims of the faith and experience conversion if they so desire. As Jefferson said the constitution established, government oversight extends to actions only, not to opinions. Theoretically, government protects religious practice as much as it protects people from coercion when it comes to religious practice.
Churches engaging in political activity for the purpose of increasing their influence is not just a misplaced priority. It is a departure from its Biblical mission and purpose. It is a sinful waste of time and resources and an admission of their failure to figure out what's really going on that is causing people to leave in numbers not seen in the history of Christianity in a free society.
There have been several approaches to the loss of membership, staggering in its scope and in how little time it has taken to lose so many of its former members. One is to simply deny that it is happening. Throw those denominational membership records out the window, plug your ears and go la la la la la until it goes away. That would be lying, but that doesn't seem to be one of the sinful problems of humanity the church is seeking to change anymore. Conservative Evangelicals have become comfortable supporting pathological lying. Denial is easy after all that. A second approach is to minimize it. The birth rate has been declining and people aren't having as many kids. This is true, and it has had an effect on church attendance and membership. But the members who are leaving churches are adults. The highest number of departures occur sometime between a young person's 18th birthday and their 23rd birthday, especially if they are in college. Membership data from churches themselves show that only 10% of Americans between 18 and 35 years of age identify with a church beyond family ties.
Defending democracy from its Christian Enemies
https://baptistnews.com/article/my-argument-in-defending-democracy-from-its-christian-enemies/The author, David Gushee, a professor at Mercer University, a Baptist school in Macon, Georgia, has a new book out by this title. The article is great. I intend to buy the book and will write a review when I'm done.
Republican hypocrisy that knows no bounds.
McCarthy is voted out as speaker by a motion from Matt Gaetz, who was upset because he depended on the votes of Democrats
to get a continuing resolution passed. Gaetz's motion was dependent on the votes of Democrats.
All McCarthy had to do was be a real statesman, instead of stubbornly sticking to partisan loyalty. He got exactly what he deserved and exactly what his incompetence and lack of leadership achieved.
Gaetz better be careful. There are enough Republicans angry with him to also join up with Democrats who would joyfully expel his rear end from Congress.
Keep an eye on this. This is a low moment for the GOP and mark my words, it will be costly for them on Election Day 2024. There is a slow but certain realization that is beginning to wake Republicans up to the fact that if Donald Trump is their nomnee, they are going to lose big.
This is like opening a big, gift wrapped present on Christmas morning.
