Quote of the Day -- Humanist Edition

From The Word Lady @TheRealRynnstar Dec 12, 2020 "Forever wondering if I’m truly far left or if I’m just an empathetic person living in a late capitalist hellscape where I get called a commie for saying "hey maybe poor people don’t deserve to starve.'"

Quote of the Day -- On Age, Selfishness and Love

"...as we get older, we come to see how useless it is to be selfish – how illogical, really. We come to love other people and are thereby counter-instructed in our own centrality. We get our butts kicked by real life, and people come to our defense, and help us, and we learn that we’re not separate, and don’t want to be. We see people near and dear to us dropping away, and are gradually convinced that maybe we too will drop away (someday, a long time from now). Most people, as they age, become less selfish and more loving. I think this is true. The great Syracuse poet, Hayden Carruth, said, in a poem written near the end of his life, that he was 'mostly Love, now.'” 

--George Saunders, from his presentation, "Advice to Graduates", 2013

A Republican on Donald J Trump

Republican Steve Schmidt, who ran then Senator John McCain's 2008 campaign for the presidency, was recently interviewed and in response to a very general question regarding the Trump Presidency, he spoke for two  minutes and gave the most insightful and brutally honest response of what this GOP, Republican Party  Donald J Trump Presidency has done to our great nation.

“Donald Trump has been the worst president this country has ever had. And, I don't say that hyperbolically. He is. But he is a consequential president. And, he has brought this country in three short years to a place of weakness that is simply unimaginable if you were pondering where we are today from the day where Barack Obama left office. And, there were a lot of us on that day who were deeply skeptical and very worried about what a Trump presidency would be. But this is a moment of unparalleled national humiliation, of weakness.

When you listen to the President, these are the musings of an imbecile. An idiot. And I don't use those words to name call. I use them because they are the precise words of the English language to describe his behavior. His comportment. His actions. We've never seen a level of incompetence, a level of ineptitude so staggering on a daily basis by anybody in the history of the country whose ever been charged with substantial responsibilities.

It's just astonishing that this man is president of the United States. The man, the con man, from New York City. Many bankruptcies, failed businesses, a reality show, that branded him as something that he never was. A successful businessman. Well, he's the President of the United States now, and the man who said he would make the country great again. And he's brought death, suffering, and economic collapse on truly an epic scale.

And, let's be clear. This isn't happening in every country around the world. This place. Our place. Our home. Our country. The United States. We are the epicenter. We are the place where you're the most likely to die from this disease. We're the ones with the most shattered economy. And we are, because of the fool that sits in the Oval Office behind the Resolute Desk."

Vote, folks. Vote and vote blue.

#BlueWave2020

86 45

BYEDON

Those Rotten Libruls

The Not Just Unprecedented But Also Bizarre Presidency That Is Donald Trump's

Once again, Donald Trump, Donald John Trump, President Trump, breaking rules and precedent. Here's what he did this past Friday morning.

Trump's tweet on solid jobs report breaks protocol aimed at preventing investors from making early trades

A bit from the article:

For decades, federal officials have taken great care to prevent providing any early indications to investors about monthly jobs report data that can move markets.

On Friday, President Trump broke that longstanding protocol using his favorite communication tool — Twitter — triggering a jump in yields on the 10-year Treasury bond and an outcry from former White House officials.

Trump, who learned about the strong May jobs report Thursday night, tweeted Friday morning that he was “looking forward to seeing the employment numbers” scheduled to be released by the Labor Department about an hour later.

A top White House official emphasized that Trump didn’t reveal any of the numbers, but investors took it as a clear sign the numbers were good. And they weren’t disappointed.

In tweeting about the report when he did, Trump violated a longstanding prohibition against executive branch officials publicly commenting on the report before its official release or within an hour afterward.

“Except for members of the staff of the agency issuing the principal economic indicator who have been designated by the agency head to provide technical explanations of the data, employees of the Executive Branch shall not comment publicly on the data until at least one hour after the official release time,” according to the White House Office of Management and Budget’s Statistical Policy Directive No. 3, adopted in 1985.

And then there’s him, again, as President, earning money while in the White House, smashing the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution.

Trump's company earned $40M from Washington hotel in 2017, disclosure shows

Not done there, he added yet more to the fuel of his own fire:

Schiff: Trump deal with ZTE a ‘violation of the emoluments clause’

There are more examples of him--and his family--earning money because of his Presidency, too, but I'll move on.

There’s his using his own, unsecured cell phone.

How Trump’s Unsecured iPhones Threaten National Security — And His Own

So check out what's happening around the White House, since the world knows he uses an unsecured Android phone. This broke this past week.

Signs of sophisticated cellphone spying found near White House, U.S. officials say

And why wouldn’t there by that “sophisticated cellphone spying” near the White House? When you know the most powerful man in the world is using an unsecured Android phone, get a hotel room near the White House and see what you can find.

Then there's the tariffs on imports he wants to impose---and on our own allies, no less.

Trudeau on Trump tariffs: 

'I don't know' what he wants to accomplish

I tell you, folks, to repeat, this Presidency is, yes, bizarre, unprecedented and very likely, in more than one way, illegal.

Stay tuned.

And God--or somebody, something--help us.

Quote of the Day -- On This President

People Whom I Can't Understand Vote Republican

Herewith, a short list of people who I cannot, for the life of me, understand why they would be or call themselves or, God forbid, vote Republican.

• Gays
• Transgendered
• Black Americans
• Middle Class Americans
• Lower Class Americans
• Elderly (unless they're already wealthy, of course)
• Women
• People in the military
• Veterans
• Anyone with an education
• Anyone who considers themselves to be Christian

I just don't get it.

God knows they're out there but...

Wow.

Links:

GOP platform 2016: Republicans vote against same-sex marriage

Anti-Gay Politicians | List of US Leaders Against Gay Rights

How Voter ID Laws Discriminate Against Racial Minorities

GOP Voter ID Laws Would Disenfranchise Millions Of Blacks

Getting a photo ID so you can vote is easy. Unless you're poor, black

AARP warns senators against supporting GOP healthcare bill

After Passing Senate Tax Bill, GOP to Target Seniors' Earned Benefits

Unjust GOP budget and tax plan cuts the safety net for seniors

Senate Republicans reject equal pay bill

GOP blocks minimum wage, sick leave proposals 

House rejects $2 billion in new funding for VA's healthcare

Republicans Vote Against our Veterans — Again

GOP Voted Against 7 Bills to Help Veterans

41 Republican Senators Voted Against a Landmark Veterans Bill

U.S. Senate Republicans block veterans' health bill

How often do Republicans undermine veterans? Here's a list

Senate Fight Stalls Funding for Troops, Veterans 

If Your Pet Were Libertarian

People Predicted the Likes of Mr. Trump

Way back in 1957, when this movie came out, people predicted that, with advertising and slogans and sound bites, someone very like Donald Trump would come along.





And now, here he is.

Link:   A Face in the Crowd (1957) - IMDb

Happy birthday, Harry!

True then, still true today, more than 70 years later.

Libertarian vs Socialist

I saw this earlier and loved it. Naturally, there's at least a bit of truth to it or it wouldn't work.

I ask you, which would you prefer?

We all work together vs. "every man--and woman--for themselves"?

Where We Are, Where We Could Be

What we're actually capable of, now.

If only we'd work together.

Imagine.

Republican Party Priorities

By now, most of the nation has, I think, heard about the 47 Republicans who got together and signed a letter to the Iranian hard liners, saying they--the Republicans--support them and not our own president when it comes to negotiating for peace and keeping Iran from building a nuclear reactor.

It was fairly disgusting.

Moving on from that, local news station KY3, in Springfield, covered a story yesterday that bears some additional notoriety:

MoDOT lacks funding needed to fix bridges in 'critical condition'

This is another story I think most of us are familiar with. I know CBS "60 Minutes" did a story on it, telling of the lack of maintenance and upkeep our nation's roads, bridges, streets and other essential infrastructure have gotten and how they need work and investment. From this story yesterday:

74 Southwest Missouri bridges are currently listed in "critical condition" according to MoDOT, but department officials say the state doesn't have the money to repair those bridges...

And that's just Southwest Missouri bridges, not the entire state. If it were the entire state, that would have been concern enough.

Right now there are 600 bridges in Missouri listed in poor or critical condition, and officials estimate in 2024 there will 1,500 bridges in those categories. Without repairs, MoDOT says many bridges will have to be given weight restrictions or even be shut down completely.

And the great things about a solution to the nation's infrastructure would be that it would give more Americans jobs--good jobs, and for years---and secondly, also importantly, it would give the economy a boost.

Those are some huge benefits.

But instead of doing the nation's business and writing, proposing, voting on and passing an infrastructure bill, what do the Republicans give their time and attention to?

A letter to our enemies, saying they support them. instead of supporting peace negotiations and yes, our president.

The nerve, the stupidity the selfishness is fairly stunning.

We've all known we need to get money to our Highway Fund, too, but it's also neglected. This Congress and our representatives just simply aren't giving their jobs and our country, our nation, the people, the attention it all deserves.

Once again, they've put their political party ahead of the nation and the nation's needs, ahead of the people.

How long are we going to tolerate this nonsense?

Quote of the day---on Conservatives

Quote of the day--on modern "Conservatives"

Yes, he really did say that.

True in the early 1900's in the US, true through the Great Depression and certainly true still, today.

Kansas, in the news

Kansas in a commentary, anyway.

This one:

Human Stupidity Is Destroying the World 

"In sum and all averaged out, it’s safe to say about 37 percent of Americans are just are not very bright. Or rather, quite shockingly dumb. Perhaps beyond reach. Perhaps beyond hope or redemption. Perhaps beyond caring about anything they have to say in the public sphere ever again. Sorry, Kansas."

Largely, we can thank the Republican takeover of the Statehouse in Topeka for this along with, now, Governor Sam Brownback and his goal/desire to run for the Presidency in 2016 on the backs of the middle-, lower- and working-classes of his state.

I post this here not to insult Kansans but partly to lament the loss of what was, the intelligence that used to come out of the state and partly to challenge Kansans to take their state back from these ignorant, selfish, corporate troglodytes.

Kansas Governor on a "media tour"

Kansas Governor Sam "Help the Rich" Brownback is in the news in a big way.  From the Star today:

Brownback to national viewers: 'We're seeking tax refugees

 

This from Bloomberg News:

Tax Refugees Come To Kansas: Brownback: Video - Bloomberg

 

It seems the Guv is out on a cross-country media tour, touting his and his political party's tax slashing for the already-wealthy and corporations. Apparently his idea is that other wealthy people and corporations should drop everything and come here, to Kansas.

 

So let's get this straight.  Governor Sam Brownback, an easily arguably physically unappealing man is promoting his state, known for its otherwise blandness, let's face it, with a tax policy that punishes the middle-, working- and lower-classes, all so it can benefit the wealthy and, again, corporations.

 

What could possibly go wrong with that?

 

You may want to read and/or join here: The Brownback Tax Scam | Facebook

America, health care and Capitalism

Embarrassing craziness (selfish stupidity?) coming out of Overland Park

From The Hutchinson News today:

Laughable legislation

Proposed bill would guarantee perpetual employment for lawmakers

Kansas Senator Greg Smith, R-Overland Park, has introduced one of the most absurd pieces of legislation to ever see the light of day.

Senate Bill 119, introduced on Monday, would offer employment protection for legislators who find themselves unemployed due to a failed re-election bid. According to the bill, legislators who give proper notice to their employers before taking office - either through election or appointment - would be guaranteed a return to those same positions - with the same pay, seniority and responsibility level - they would have enjoyed had they never left the job at all.

Essentially, the bill aims to treat a stint in Topeka much like a leave of absence for medical reasons or military duty.

 

Apparently, Mr. Smith has no shame.

 

Seriously, the greed, selfishness and/or stupidity coming out of the statehouse and even the governor's mansion in Topeka seems unparalleled lately.

Walmart in Missouri: the company with the most government dependents

I've been seeing a recurring post out on the interwebs this week, saying Walmart stores have more employees on food stamps than any other.

So I searched it.

And voila, look what I found:

Missouri

In October 2009 the state Department of Social Services finally fulfilled a requirement contained in a law passed in 2007 by publishing a list of the companies with the most employees (and their dependents) participating in the state's Medicaid program, known as MO HealthNet (MHN). At the top of the list is Wal-Mart, which was found to have 1,555 employees enrolled in MHN and another 3,040 employees with dependents enrolled in MHN.

Source: Missouri Department of Social Services, MO HealthNet Employer Match Report: First Quarter 2009, October 21, 2009; online at http://dss.mo.gov/mhd/general/pdf/emp-match.pdf

Original source for the larger article, showing state-by-state statistics: http://www.goodjobsfirst.org/corporate-subsidy-watch/hidden-taxpayer-costs

Nice, huh?

In the meantime, there's this from the LA Times on the Walton family:

Wal-Mart heirs worth as much as bottom 41.5% of American families

And this:

Walton Family Lands Combined $3.3 Billion On Wal-Mart's Biggest Gain In 3 Years

Seriously, if you still shop there, would you please stop? It's not good for you, in the bigger picture, even with lower prices, and it's patently bad for America.

Finally, know, too that Arvest Bank is owned by a Walton family member.

Don't. Just don't.

Links: http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jul/18/business/la-fi-mo-walmart-heirs-20120718

http://www.forbes.com/sites/calebmelby/2012/05/17/walton-family-lands-combined-3-3-billion-on-wal-marts-biggest-gain-in-3-years/

http://walmart1percent.org/top-reasons-the-walton-family-and-walmart-are-not-job-creators/