Whither the Republican Party?

Bill Moyers makes a great statement today and then asks an also excellent, fair, even important question today.

There is no real Republican Party anymore, it has morphed into the Party of Trump. Will democracy survive if people continue to believe whatever they want to believe, if truths, facts, and respect for the rule of law are eliminated?

Bill Moyers talks with noted lawyer Steven Harper and distinguished historian Heather Cox Richardson about threats to democracy and the future of democracy after Trump.

Link:

PODCAST: Democracy on the Edge

Hillary Clinton, In Donald Trump's Own Words

Don't take it from anyone or anywhere else. Take it from The Donald.



So what's the question?

Kids Today.... Huh

Kids today

They have it so easy.

Why, when I was a boy, we had to reach ALL THE WAY TO THE RADIO DIAL in the car, to turn up the volume or change a station. None of this fancy shmancy pushing a button on the steering wheel to turn it up or change the station.

And putting the window down?? Fuggedaboudit! We had to ROLL IT UP OR DOWN. None of this pushing a button to raise or lower it.

And clocks!

When WE switched to Daylight Savings Time, we HAD TO GO AROUND TO EACH AND EVERY CLOCK IN THE HOUSE and change the time. None of this automatically having the time change for you on these cell phones and computers.

I tell ya.

Kids today have it easy.

We get no respect.

Black and White in America: How It's Different

One more example of true white privilege and very glaring. It doesn't get any more real, accurate or actual and factual than this.

Watch how long the white cop is frozen in what must apparently be fear, while the man is on the ground, totally unable to even touch his weapon.

White guy open carries?   No big.

Black guy, same thing?

FREAK OUT.

You should watch this to the end.

It's okay if the cracker does it.



Here's another. They rationalize with this guy. Just not a black man.

Three Country Western Stars, on President Obama

First, Tim McGraw:

“It’s innate in me to be a blue-dog Democrat. I’m not saying I’m right or wrong, but that’s what I am,” he told People. “My wife and I and our family will do everything we can to support Obama. I like his ideas, I like his energy, and I like the statement he would make for our country to the world.”

Then there's Republican Garth Brooks:

"Yeah, I think what President Obama is finding out is all that we want to do, the system kind of doesn't allow the most powerful guy in the world to kind of do his job and I'm sure nobody's more frustrated than him to complete those promises that he did and I think he's trying his heart out. I love him to death and I fully support him and I just wish him well because it's got to be hell in that office."

And then, finally, for those "of a certain age" or who just know their country music, there's Merle "Okee from Muskogee" Haggard:

It’s really almost criminal what they do with our President. There seems to be no shame or anything. They call him all kinds of names all day long, saying he’s doing certain things that he’s not. It’s just a big old political game that I don’t want to be part of. There are people spending their lives putting him down. I’m sure some of it’s true and some of it’s not. I was very surprised to find the man very humble and he had a nice handshake. His wife was very cordial to the guests and especially me. They made a special effort to make me feel welcome. It was not at all the way the media described him to be.

Martin Luther King Day

"...we must find an alternative to war and bloodshed."

"It is no longer a choice, my friends, between violence and nonviolence. It is either nonviolence or nonexistence."

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom."

Quote of the day -- on sharing. And life

“The greatest wisdom is in simplicity. Love, respect, tolerance, sharing, gratitude, forgiveness. It's not complex or elaborate. The real knowledge is free. It's encoded in your DNA. All you need is within you. Great teachers have said that from the beginning. Find your heart, and you will find your way.” 

― Carlos Barrios, Mayan elder and Ajq'ij of the Eagle Clan

Have a magnificent week, y'all.

More nearly unbelievable ugliness and meltdown at CPAC

I'm telling you, I can hardly believe these people, the Right Wing and the Republicans, both, for their ugliness and just utter stupidity and callousness:

They Can't Help Themselves: Fox Contributor Trashes Ashley Judd At CPAC With Rape Joke

There's noting I or anyone has to even say about this, it's so clearly stupid, ugly and irresponsible, other than noting that, once again, this is coming from the Right Wing.

And they want to get votes.

"Dignified transfer", rightly done

President Obama went to Dover Air Force Base last night, at midnight, from what I understand, to oversee the "dignified transfer" of 18 American Soldiers bodies back into the country last evening.

The link below can take you to a story on it and pictures of it.

It's so refreshing to see our President so dignified, himself, and respectful, more importantly, for these returning soldiers and their families. It's been a long time since we've seen that, sadly.

After seeing the pictures of the President, on the tarmac, with the soldiers and coffins, saluting and paying his respects, I have to say, it gave me chills.

Unfortunately, it also brought one more thing to mind, for me, after all the good thoughts about what a right, intelligent, sympathetic, empathetic action this was.

That is, I wonder how Fox "News" or Sean Hannity or Bill O'Reilly or Glenn Beck or even Rush Limbaugh can possibly, even in their sick, partisan minds, can or would describe this as anything but a good, right, just and, yes, patriotic function that he rightly performed and with great dignity.

I hope they don't touch the subject.

Link to story and pictures:
http://www.reuters.com/news/pictures/rpSlideshows?articleId=USRTXQ4KK#a=1