April 25, 2022

Twatter!

Musk's billions and ego won.

This is spooky stuff.

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/04/25/business/elon-musk-twitter

April 22, 2022

Is Capitalism broken?

I can't get beyond thinking that inflation is driven by politics becase it could easily go away if those price gouging companies ceased gouging. It benefits them at a time like this to keep the public outraged at Democrats. But very unhealthy for our economic system. Before the Limbaughs of the world were paid outrageous salaries to promote shredding the safety net, we had a healthy middle class. And we weren't told to fear an educated public.

I also think because the number of monthly bills has more than doubled over the past 30 years, that most of us will never be able to have enough money to pay for all the extras we've come to rely on.

If gougers were controlled, they would cry "Socialism!" But they give Capitalism a very bad name and seem intent on destroyimg the whole thing. WE ARE THE ECONOMY.

Then there's this from The New Republic, that I missed:

"Don’t be hoodwinked. It isn’t Joe Biden who’s making record profits and gouging U.S. consumers. That would be corporate America.

The prices of everyday goods are going up, and everyone from members of Congress to talking heads on cable news have their own diagnoses as to why it’s happening. But they’re all missing the biggest piece of the puzzle about what is to blame—namely, corporate profiteering.

https://newrepublic.com/article/164505/inflation-corporate-profiteering-biden-consumers

April 22, 2022

Great retort to Florida's Don't Say Gay law from Jeremiah Brent

Truly inspiring and beautiful thoughts that I hope are shared far and wide:



https://www.instagram.com/p/Ccnhz0ELG6b/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

April 20, 2022

Who understands the status of the Infrastructure bill? And how can Dems run on it?

I don't fully understand the status or the implementation of it. Nobody is talking about it. It's "bipartisan". But that term no longer really applies during our current takeover of anti-democratic entities like Russia and the GOP. It should be promoted by all as its "bipartisan". And it should have lots of "sunshine" as the funds aren't distributed until after the midterms.

I googled around and this re: PA came up:

Gov. Wolf Announces $199 Million Investment in Water Infrastructure Projects in 11 Counties
April 20, 2022

ENVIRONMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE, PRESS RELEASE, PUBLIC HEALTH
Governor Tom Wolf today announced the investment of $199 million for 13 drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and non-point source projects across 11 counties through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST).

“Ensuring the reliability of our most precious infrastructure is vital to the road to recovery for many of our communities,” said Gov. Wolf. “As we prepare for much-needed increases in federal and state resources, like those in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that will bring more than $240 million to Pennsylvania next year alone for clean water infrastructure, I am confident that these projects will pave the way for successful growth and revitalization.”

Then there's stuff, which is clearly the place where the theft off all those tax dollars can be found. I found this article (which I can't copy and paste) that makes the matter even muddier, but helps to explain why everything is made way too complicated.

https://www.wvnews.com/news/around_the_web/aecom-introduces-infrastructure-investment-and-jobs-act-digital-solution/article_0b353e1a-6fc7-5dc3-acfe-365681b09070.html

April 20, 2022

Al Franken straight talk about our present predicament.

Al Franken explains why MAGA Republicans are as dangerously 'Orwellian' as the Kremlin

“.....Trump lied thousands and thousands of times throughout the presidency, from the size of his inaugural crowd all the way through to the Big Lie that the election was stolen,” Franken explains. “And of course, he has no intentions to stop. Now, here’s the thing: Two-thirds of Republicans now believe the Big Lie.”

The right-wing media ecosystem, according to Franken, has as blatant a disregard for the truth as state-operated Kremlin media in Russia.

“What strikes me now at this moment — this horribly tragic moment in Ukraine — is that what we are seeing in Russia, where its people are being told and believing that their army is fighting Nazis, is not that far from the Big Lie,” Franken warns. “How far are we really from ‘1984,’ where one of our two political parties attempts to overturn an election with an act of political violence…. How far are they away from Orwell’s thought police and the ministry of truth? How far is 2022 from ‘1984?’

https://www.alternet.org/2022/04/al-franken-explains-why-maga-republicans-are-as-dangerously-orwellian-as-the-kremlin/

April 19, 2022

Can this Kasparov "coup" tactic be adapted to work here?

Grandmaster Garry Kasparov Predicts 'Palace Coup' May Oust Putin Over Ukraine

“First, the Russian public and Russian elite, they have to recognize the war is lost,” he said. “The bad news coming from Ukraine will inspire more people to rise because economic hardship will increase.”

“So, military defeat in Ukraine, social-economic revolt and then you will have conditions, the right conditions, for a palace coup,” Kasparov predicted.

“Because many of Putin’s inner circle will be looking for a scapegoat and it’s always a dictator who should be blamed for all the failures.”

Putin knows losing the war on Ukraine “is not an option for him,” said Kasparov.

“It’s a matter of political survival and in many cases … of physical survival,” he added. “That’s why he has to pretend he is winning the war.”

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/garry-kasparov-putin-ukraine_n_625e644ae4b06c2ea32e63ab

TFG must become the big, fat scapegoat to the greedy wannabes.

April 12, 2022

Netflix Documentary on Jimmy Saville.

So many times in this documentary brought tfg to mind. His crimes of child molestation and sexual assaults of children also has this odd connection to the Catholic Church.

I watched because I lived in London for 3 years and could not understand the obvious devotion to this man. Or observe any talent, other than "cheek". They do tend to go all out with their sex scandals.

But his reveling in getting away with his atrocities while being praised by the entire country, is confounding. Despite him clearly being an odd duck, he gets a pass. It took brave women to finally - after his death - see him exposed as a criminal. Margaret Thatcher was alive to see it, but as she suffered from Dementia it's doubtful she understood that she had a sexual predator Knighted.

https://www.netflix.com/us/title/81520549?s=a&trkid=13747225&t=cp&vlang=en&clip=81593300

March 23, 2022

Senator Ben Sasse, a man among "Squealers".

"I'm not an attorney. So, the farming and ranching people where I come from know that John Kennedy is a super-smart Rhodes lawyer who kinda pretends to be an ahh shucks kind of guy as he picks your pocket," quipped Sasse..."

And he voted 'yay' in round two of the American Putin's impeachment.

https://www.alternet.org/2022/03/ben-sasse-joke-john-kennedy/

https://twitter.com/axios/status/1506728640800772099?t=jsrUW0ONg42H37cmIUOTig&s=19

https://www.rawstory.com/lindsey-graham-ted-cruz-jackassery/

Fyi: "Squealer is a fictional character, a pig, in George Orwell's 1945 novel Animal Farm. He serves as second-in-command to Napoleon and is the farm's minister of propaganda."

March 23, 2022

Devastating article on the Republican Party

How Republicans Spent Decades Cozying Up to Putin’s Kremlin

The man who once worked to connect Tom DeLay and Jack Abramoff to Russia is now chief of staff to Marjorie Taylor Greene. Any questions?

["...You have two forces with deep political ties that are fighting American democracy in order to keep Putin in power and install a Putin-like system in America. And to that end, they have penetrated deep into our think tanks, our media, our journalism...."

https://newrepublic.com/article/165782/republicans-putin-history-relationship-manafort

Is it just for the money and a desire for "the strong man"? It might be. "Greed is good". Apparently. And conversely democracy isn't.

March 23, 2022

Putin Plans To Attend G-20 Summit

Vladimir Putin Plans To Attend G-20 Summit. Because It's Not About Ukraine, Russian Ambassador Says

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/vladimir-putin-g-20_n_623af35ae4b019fd81352427

I say it's an opportunity to arrest him for war crimes.