One of their more funny sketches last night.
Aka Propulism. Our house is on fire. Join the resistance: Do no harm/take no shit. My idiosyncratic and confluent bricolage of progressive politics, linguistic framing, the collaborative commons, next generation cognitive neuroscience, American pragmatism, de/reconstruction, dynamic systems, embodied realism, psychodynamics, aesthetics. It ain't much but it's not nothing.
SNL: Pandemic Game Night
Kate McKinnon: What still works?
Apparently not much any more. Featuring Marjorie Taylor Greene, Derrick (Boner) Evans, Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg, O.J. Simpson, and Tom Brady.
Which conspiracy theory nut are you?
Marjorie Taylor Greene is insane
Twitler's impeachment defense team quits
The reason is because Twit insisted that they argue election fraud and that the election was stolen from him. They quit rather than defend that farce. There is no legitimate defense for this monster. I'd really like to see Twit walk into the impeachment trial and defend himself.
The truth about a living wage
Combat the lies with the truth. And add the emotional value frame that it helps we the people live better, just, humane lives. The referenced Princeton study here.
Our tax dollars are their bootstraps
Exposing their myth as self-made titans of finance. Now that the little people have shown they too can play the game they want yet another bail out in the form of financial reform, not for everyone, and certainly not for them, but for the little people who beat them at their own game. What they need is a boot right up their ass.
AOC on the GameStop saga
This video includes RobinHood's lame excuses as well as AOC's concerns.
That's how trials work
Ex-KGB spy: Twitler was a Russian asset
Something we all knew but now verified by one of the spies who knows. Twit really should be prosecuted for treason.
"Donald Trump was cultivated as a Russian asset over 40 years and proved so willing to parrot anti-western propaganda that there were celebrations in Moscow, a former KGB spy has told the Guardian."
Rob Glover & Alexis Garrish Worlds 2017
This is a refreshing blast from the past and a great performance.
AOC: White supremacist sympathizers at core of House GOP
Given that Repug leadership has no consequences for racist behavior in their ranks that means they accept, condone and want it to feed their rabid racist base. And they are dangerous and a threat to Democrats' safety and lives in Congress.
AOC encouraged by Biden's climate Executive Actions
She thinks Biden meant what he said on the campaign trail. It shows a good faith openness to grass roots activists. And it's good for the economy, which even Wall Street is starting to realize for their own bottom line.
RobinHood update
Since there was an uproar about them stopping trading in select stocks for regular folks, they've since relented and now will allow us limits "on buying a maximum 5 GameStop shares and 10 options contracts." Note no such limits are placed on hedge funds.
Additionally, a class-action lawsuit (more than 40,000 joined so far) was filed against them by us regular folks because "Robinhood's actions were done purposefully and knowingly to manipulate the market for the benefit of people and financial institutions who were not Robinhood's customers." This is far from over Wall Street.
If you need a good laugh
AOC's petition to investigate Robinhood and Wall Street
The Wall Street elite are in a frenzy this week after young traders on Reddit decided to hedge their own bets on the stock market — resulting in struggling companies like GameStop seeing their stocks skyrocket in value, and causing massive losses for wealthy investors.
Now — at the insistence of Wall Street — trading platforms like Robinhood and TD Ameritrade are restricting trades, thereby allowing certain traders, like hedge fund managers, to keep buying and selling normally, but freezing out all others.
The wealthy and powerful have always claimed our country’s free market is the cornerstone of the American Dream. Well, if it is then everyone should be allowed to participate.
Apparently, it’s okay for Wall Street to treat our economy as a casino, but when average people on a message board decide to do the same, they’re freezed out?
We don’t think so. That’s why we’re calling on the Congressional Committee of Financial Services to open an investigation into Robinhood and other retail trading platforms’ decision to block retail investors while hedge funds are able to keep trading freely.
For decades Wall Street has been doing exactly what these new traders are doing, but now that others outside of the circle of wealth have access — it’s a problem.
The “market” was so quick to act when billionaires started losing their money, but when those same billionaires cause recessions and millions lose their homes, no one bats an eye.
Thank you,
Moscow Mitch threatens Senate Dems
AOC hits two turds with one stone
She slapped Robinhood and Cruz at the same time. AOC criticized Robinhood for preventing regular folk from buying any more stock in GameStop (for one), likely because Wall Street cried about it when they lost out on their short. She said:
"This is unacceptable. We now need to know more about @RobinhoodApp's decision to block retail investors from purchasing stock while hedge funds are freely able to trade the stock as they see fit. As a member of the Financial Services Cmte, I'd support a hearing if necessary."
Cruz Tweeted support and AOC snapped back:
"I am happy to work with Republicans on this issue where there's common ground, but you almost had me murdered 3 weeks ago so you can sit this one out. Happy to work w/ almost any other GOP that aren't trying to get me killed. In the meantime if you want to help, you can resign."
Enjeti explains the GameStop coup
Basically an organized group of regular people played with the corrupt short market to prop up GameStop when the big Wall Street crooks did a short that their stock would drop. Hence the regular people made a bunch of money and the crooks lost a bunch. So now the crooks are up in arms wanting to limit regular people from doing what they've done all along. A great judo tale of the Robin Hoods.
Mike Pence is couch-surfing
What to say when he comes to your door.
Repugnacons and self-responsibility
The latest Repugnacon excuse for insurrection
50 things that are better already
Twitler's new bunk buddy
Over-complexifying is the problem
Sirota gives a history lesson on complexity and the Democrats. They went from a Party protecting labor with simple framing on fairness and universalism with programs like social security, Medicare and public education to fetishizing " best-and-brightest technocrats and business neoliberals whose obsession with hair-splitting precision and corporate fealty ended up fetishizing ever-more complex means testing while largely accepting tax inequity."* This resulted in a "byzantine maze of complexity, paperwork and bureaucracy" that threw universal fairness out the window and let white collar and corporate criminals off the hook. It's a stark lesson that complexity is far from the answer to everything. And in many cases it makes real-life situations far worse when simple solutions could do the job equitably. It's a lesson elite Democrats (and so-called evolutionaries) should learn but cannot given their obsessive worship of the ever spiraling shibboleth of complexity.
*Thomas Frank made a similar argument about over-complexifying in his book Listen Liberal.
Why did McConnell cave on the filibuster?
According to this report, it's because Moscow Mitch knows the Dems don't have the votes to get rid of it anyway so it's moot.* This way the Turtle gets to keep the filibuster and Schumer gets all the blame from the progressive wing when his legislation cannot pass because he's in charge of the Senate now. Seems we're screwed either way. I hope Schumer has more up his sleeve in this war with the fascists.
* According to this report the Turtle got assurances from Senators Manchin and Sinema they would not vote to repeal it. It's time to primary them out.
Schumer threatens, McConnel folds on filibuster
In this clip Rachel is interviewing Schumer who said he has unnamed methods to force McConnell's hand. While that interview was airing McConnell apparently relented to Schumer's demands and let go of his own demand to retain the filibuster. Hopefully more details will soon be released about it.
The racist history of the filibuster
Biden still supports the Senate filibuster
In a recent press conference the press secretary is asked point blank if Biden still supports it and she said his position has not changed, meaning yes he does. TYT discusses that it's foolish at this point given that the Repug Party has amply demonstrated not only that they will indeed filibuster EVERYthing the Dems propose but that they've turned into a fascist organization. How can Biden still think he has ANY chance they'll work with him? We must eliminate the filibuster if we have any hope of passing anything at all.
PS: However the Senate can pass Bills with a simple majority through the process of budget reconciliation, which Bernie has talked about. However it is limited to spending, revenue and the debt limit, and only three of them can be passed per year. So that still leaves out the majority of Bills that Biden hopes to pass and will never see the light of day if the filibuster remains in place.
Reich: 2 Repug congressmen sought pardons
Ross: The Nazification of the Repugnacon Party
Loretta J. Ross has been teaching about fascism for 30 years at Smith College, so she knows it when she sees it. And she sees in the Repug Party. The following is from her article in Counter Punch. I know, some snowflakes will see this as cancel culture against free speech. True, this is a call to cancel fascism and it is legitimate. By all means, let those claiming an attack on free speech for fascists make a fool of themselves, just like the history lesson of initially letting Hitler off the hook and the consequences of that.*
"The term 'Nazi' is not even strong enough to convey the opprobrium and disgust human rights activists feel for those who brazenly claim they are simply patriots with different opinions. From the White House, to the Congress, to the streets, they declared war on democracy. They are seditionists, co-conspirators, and neo-Nazis hiding in plain sight who chose to use whatever power, platforms, and microphones they had to overturn this system of government. Their apparent goal is an apartheid-like system in which an embattled minority of people rule over millions of people who oppose them. We must send an unmistakable signal that this will not be tolerated when a more competent neo-fascist seeks to gain permanent power in the Congress or White House in the future. [...] Republicans who encouraged this dangerous resurrection of fascism are already trying to erase what happened or describe it as simply a 'First Amendment Protest.' These apologists trying to launder their shredded reputations should be denied jobs, media opportunities, publishing contracts, and all other opportunities to spread their contempt for democracy."
*"Hitler led an insurrection against the German government in 1923 and was sentenced to five years in jail, served one, and used that leniency to commit the Holocaust. Never forget that premature forgiveness before accountability is dangerous. Fascists are violent because of who THEY are, not what WE DO–like the ordinary Germans who underestimated the Nazis and thought they were just another political party on the right. Germans who weren’t Nazis passively went about their normal affairs by denying the realities of their Jewish neighbors, all for the sake of 'unity.'"
Fauci wins
Reich: Accountability is necessary
For Biden's agenda, which must be based on respect for the Constitution. Otherwise it's empty rhetoric and we the people have had more than enough of that.
QAgone has totally lost it
Daily Poster: Some positive signs already
From an email they sent me giving a partial list of some very positive signs. Just the bullet points follow but there are links to each on my blog.
Biden To Issue Executive Order To Send Aid To Families
People Support Democracy Reform
Even Joe Manchin Knows We Must Go Big
Dems Press IRS To Probe Dark Money Groups Behind Insurrection
Youth Organizers Win a 100 Day Deportation Moratorium
Activists Shut Down New York Pipeline Projects
Jobs With Justice wants you to demand that Biden and Congress strengthen the eviction moratorium and cancel rent.
The Debt Collective wants you to demand that Biden cancel student debt.
The Revolving Door Project wants you to demand that Biden fire Trump’s FBI director.
Pox Views: When the clock struck 12 pm
Bernie on the Dating Game
I can just image the questions and answers he would give.
"What do you like to do on a date?"
"Protest in the streets the injustice of the 1% taking 99% of the wealth."
Twitler needs to be held criminally liable
For all of the death and destruction he has caused. And so does the Repugnacon Party, on whose back he rode all the way to hell.
Sirota: Biden's Covid relief plan not what he promised
He explains that Biden's promises of expanded Medicare and a public option are nowhere to be found in his Covid relief plan. What that latter does is basically increase subsidies for patients to pay for health insurance, a big gift to that industry. True, it's something and better than nothing, but Biden is not using this as an opportunity to make good on his health proposals. And once it's in place it will be all the harder to actually implement what he originally promised. Health insurance companies are well aware of this fact and why they are supporting it, knowing it will impede future Medicare expansion and a public option. We have to wonder if Biden's promises were empty and if he's resorting to business as usual.
Reich: End the filibuster today
Bernie: There is no compromise on some issues
Bravo Bernie for making clear that negotiating some mythical middle with Repugnacons is a BS excuse for unity. The old adage applies: You don't negotiate with a terrorist or a fascist. He said:
"It's not a question of the middle, it's a question of responding to the crises. I don't know what the middle is when you deal with climate change—and scientists tell us we have a few years to address that crisis or else there will be irreparable harm. I don't know what being in the middle means when half of our population is working pay check to pay check, when 40 million people are facing eviction, when we have massive levels of income and wealth inequality."
Bernie's Basic Instinct
Reich: The filibuster needs to go, immediately
Game of Bernies
Kimmel: Goodbye Donald Trump
Fun mash-up of America celebrating.
Black Pumas - Colors
On Colbert last night.
Colbert on the inauguration
Shahid on pushing Biden progressive
From an interview with Waleed Shahid of Justice Democrats at Democracy Now. While we certainly need unity in our country that in no way means compromising with the Repugnacon Party, which has amply demonstrated they have no intention of working with us to improve conditions for we the people. To that end we progressives will need to constantly pressure Biden to enact progressive legislation, and to direct his impulses for unity in that direction and away from the Party whose only mission is to obstruct that goal.
"Joe Biden really could be known historically as one of the most transformative presidents in American history, like a Lincoln, like an FDR, like an LBJ. But it will take an immense amount of pressure on Joe Biden, on the political system, on the political class for him to get there, because Joe Biden has never been that kind of transformative figure throughout his political history. He’s been more of a centrist who kind of, you know, puts his finger in the air and tries to figure out where the direction of the country is going."
"It is a time for Joe Biden to deliver results for the multiracial majority that delivered the presidency to him, and not co-govern with Mitch McConnell or his insurrectionist Republican Party, that has done whatever it can to enshrine minority rule in this country. [...] I think there are many people around Joe Biden who have learned some of the lessons from the Obama administration, that they should not spend many hours, many days, many weeks inviting moderate Republicans to the White House to waste their time negotiating over key parts of the Democratic legislative agenda. That is a complete waste of everyone’s time."
Lady Gaga performs National Anthem at inauguration
And as usual she performs brilliantly.
Mein Pillow
Good meme on pillow guy's fascist suggestions for military law. And now he's calling those whose right it is to remove his pillows from their market fascist. Just like a fascist.
Sirota: Can Biden succeed where Obama failed?
From his article in Newsweek, and with which I agree:
"But it is clear that Biden is at a crossroad and still unsure which way to go. He can follow his boss, Barack Obama, who pursued bipartisanship, comity and compromise—accommodating corporate power. Or he can break toward the path of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who did battle with oligarchy, stood down fascism and welcomed the hatred of the rich. One thing he cannot do is try to go in both directions. The lesson of the Obama administration is that you can have appeasement or transformative progress, but you almost certainly cannot have both."
The end of an error
McConnell says Senate filibuster must remain
Given the 50-50 split, both sides are trying to work out a deal on how things will run. McConnell is making retaining the filibuster a red line if Dems ever expect him to work with them. But that's the thing: He ain't never going to work with them. He's proven time and again he never had any intention of doing so, as he's never brought up ANY Dem legislation from the House for consideration. So why are Schumer and the Dems even contemplating the possibility of working with McConnell on anything? WTF is wrong with them? Even worse, 5 Senate Dems do not support totally eliminating the filibuster. Again, WTF is up with that? That in effect ensures that no Dem legislation will get passed at all.
AOC is a tour de force
Lady Liberty is back
Bernie will reconcile the budget for we the people
Now that he'll be chair of the Budget Committee we can expect to see budgets that benefit we the people.
Now is not the time for unity
More wisdom from MLK
Remembering MLK
Give US a break
Given the following, saying that we must give Repugnacons a break and treat them with respect is tantamount to saying the Nazis were good family men. They have to deserve that respect and they do not.
FBI vetting National Guard troops
This should be obvious
Reich: Biden must govern from the left
And definitely not the center. Reich is right that Repugnacons have moved so far fascist that any middle between them is just fascism light. It seems Biden's good-natured tendency is to give the other side the benefit of the doubt, but he must not do it. We must hound him repeatedly to acknowledge this fact and to govern as a bold progressive under threat of a primary.
"The Republicans now in Congress are nothing like those I’ve dealt with. Most of today’s GOP live in a parallel universe. There’s no 'center' between the reality-based world and theirs. Last Wednesday, fully 93% of House Republicans voted against impeaching Trump for inciting insurrection, even after his attempted coup threatened their very lives."
There is no compromise with racism
We knew Twitiots were stupid
Funny how they project unto socialism
Tear down the Blue Wall
Processing error message
Summers opposes the $1400 stimulus check
This is the guy who Biden has had as an economic advisor. He thinks giving us stimulus money "would be poor use of public spending." Progressives have been criticizing Biden's choice of this guy since forever. That he's still in that position tells us a lot about where our tax money will be going.
Time to flush the turd
Dimocraps proposing more tax cuts for the rich
WTF is up with the Dim Party? We were encouraged when they and Biden proposed a $2000 direct payment to struggling Americans. And now they are saying they meant only $1400, as we already got $600. AOC of course is calling that out. But far worse, the Dims are now proposing another tax break for the rich, which would cost three times more than the $2000 checks to us working class folks. They are doing so in proposing the repeal of the SALT tax limitations, which 80% of it would benefit the top 5% of earners.
Seriously, the obvious message is that they are still hung up on rewarding the rich for their campaign contributions while screwing the working class who are the most hurt by this pandemic. It's no wonder why we the people don't trust them and fell for a lying con man in the form of Twitler who at least pretended to be on our side. And we will likely do so again come the next Presidential election when, not if, the Dims keep up this corrupt funneling of our tax money to the rich.
Palast: Twitler knew the march was illegal and dangerous
Leave him alone?
Meidas Touch - Convict Twitler
Rep saw Repug Congressmen leading Capitol recon tours
And Rep. Mikie Sherrill names them: Paul Gosar, Mo Brooks and Andy Biggs.
Bernie on the coup attempt
With Colbert last night. Bottom line: Those responsible, including Twit and Repug reps, must be held accountable for insurrection and inciting it.
AOC on hypocrite Repugnacons
Her FB post said:
"I don’t want to hear these coup-supporting GOP talk about 'blue lives' ever again. They never cared about safety. Never cared about 'law and order. And certainly do not care for democracy. They only care for power, and invited chaos in an effort seize it. They are unfit to serve."
See the link for her extended video comment.
Liberal Redneck - Republican Terrorism Boogaloo
His response the day after to the insurrection.
AOC: Short and sweet
Our caring Presidunce
Pentagon approves arming National Guard
FBI in advance warned of war at the Capitol
Inciting insurrection and treason are not free speech
It's weird that holding these traitors accountable is being used by those very traitors to claim we're be fascist by not allowing them 'free speech.' Sorry, incitement to insurrection and committing treason are NOT protected free speech in the First Amendment. We're being anti-fascist.
Capitol police brief Dems on terror plots
Organic terrorist, home-grown
Songs, lyrics, poems
Songs, lyrics, poems and other writing/media
Here are about a dozen songs I've recorded at YouTube.* And this link is to my lyrics and poems folder at Google docs, mostly from my ...