Breaking Points debates mask mandates

Saager is of course against government mandates as intrusive to our rights. He thinks local communities should decide. He said the CDC's own studies proved inconclusive that masking doesn't really prevent Covid transmission. He also thinks the risk profile for children is minimal.

Unfortunately Krystal agrees that the studies aren't convincing in that regard but we should err on the side of safety. But she agrees that local communities should be the ones to decide, as she too is opposed to the States deciding mandates one way or the other.

First of all, both Saager and Krystal are wrong on the data about masking. The latest CDC science brief on it is adamant that it is highly effective for reducing transmission, citing numerous studies. This is also so for schools, contradicting what Saager said about the CDC's evidence.  

We are seeing right now that some States have the mandates, some States ban them, and local communities defy both of them. The latter all depends on which States and communities are controlled by liberals or conservatives. And those that are against masking, especially with low vax rates, are showing real-time data that infection, hospitalization and death rates are skyrocketing in a direct cause-effect relationship. And this includes increases in all those categories for children too.

Given the above we need federal mandates, both for masking and vaccination. We should not even leave it up to States to decide, let alone local communities. We need a national policy if we ever hope to see an end to this pandemic. And now that we have Biden in charge of the Executive we need him to order the CDC to do it. The CDC's evidence is clear that is what is needed so we just need our leaders to have the political will to do it. Let them hear from you.

Ben and Melissa

Flashback to Dec. 2012. Fantastic performance that took 1st place in the pro Classic Division at Boogie by the Bay. 

A horse is a horse of course of course

Mr. Ed ain't having it.

 

Freedom bags

Perhaps a way to induce horse sense into horse nonsense?

 

Liberal Redneck - Ivermectin

 Down home wisdom yet again.

Are they adults?

The problem is that the so-called adults referenced in this cartoon are really children with a stunted cognitive, moral and emotional development. The child asking the question is far more adult.

 

We're dealing with mass psychosis

Recall this post about Bandy Lee's diagnosis of mass psychosis. The psychosis isn't new but has been around a long time. And we've gone through cycles where it gets worse and better. So what do we do about this current psychotic break? 

Lee for one recommends: "The treatment is removal of exposure." In this case that means removal from office of all those politicians that are feeding the psychosis. It's a huge job but has to be done, along with the other suggestions from this post. But make no mistake: This is not just a political difference of opinion but a mass psychosis and we need to treat it as such.

 

Covid quack products

There's a fool born every minute and we have products just for you!

 

Gretchen Carlson discusses Pox Views

She sees that the network is now only concerned with ratings and money. And that their 'opinion' division has turned into nothing but spin without any factual basis. It was also responsible for becoming a propaganda machine for Twitler and his Big Lie, including turning their own fake news into a projection on real news when it exposed them. And of course their gigantic investment in programming their audience to believe all of it.

Recall that the above is exactly why Pox Views was created in the first place and has always been on that trajectory. Twitler only amplified what was already there. Carlson though tries to spin that the station was not that way in her days but we know better. It seems she'd never have had this revelation had it not been for Pox being exposed for sexually harassing her and her co-workers. I'm guessing without that she'd still be there feeding the viewers the poison Kook-Aid.

Do I sympathize and support her as a woman for standing up to the abuse? Of course.  But am I buying this interview as her way of seeking redemption for her part in the constant propaganda that led to Twitler and Pox's current fascist agenda? Not in the least, and she's not getting any forgiveness for that from me. 

Repugnacon Jesus

You know, the one Repugs have twisted to fit their utter lack of a moral code.

 

 

FDA warning on Ivermectin

They actually Tweeted: "You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously y'all. Stop it." But sure, to the paranoids of whatever political affiliation or intellectual development, the FDA is part of the Deep State trying to control us with the vaccine and masks. We ARE horses and cows, so YOU stop it FDA!

Rocky Mountain Mike - Medicine for Horses, It's Lame

Parody of A Horse With No Name.

Liberal Redneck - Spoiled little poor kids

His righteous rant against the incredibly cruel Repugnacons and so-called Christians who rationalize that poor people get what they deserve because they're lazy.

Surge in TX poison control calls

This story confirms the meme. Thanks to not only the lunatics at Pox Views but a certain segment of the well-meaning liberal intelligentsia. The poison control calls have become so frequent that even Merck, who manufactures Ivermectic, put out a statement saying there is "no meaningful evidence for clinical activity or efficacy in patients with Covid-19." Just get the vaccination please.

 

Clapton is dead to me

This article highlights his anti-vaxxer attitude along with a new song about it. Count me out of ever listening again to this pandemic super spreader. And no, it's not about just having a difference of opinion. His public comments are contributing to the spread of a serious disease that causes needless suffering and sometimes horrible death. That's a LOT more than just a disagreement; that's criminal in my mind and I don't support anyone who intentionally or negligently harms others.

Khanna agrees progressives need to withhold the vote

Particularly on the $15 minimum wage. He said though that it has to be the right time in the right Bill, naming must-pass defense re-authorization. But wait, the progressives promised to do exactly that on the must-pass budget resolution process. Granted it wasn't specifically for raising the minimum wage but for many other necessary human and environmental infrastructure provisions. Is this Khanna's way of saying the progressives won't stick to their promise on this Bill? We'll need to do our job and pressure our reps to keep it.

And if you believe that one

 Congratulations, you're a Twitiot! Wake the f___ up and fight the real enemy.

David Frum: It's fascism

Yet another conservative who is realizing what the Twitler movement really is. Which is basically what the Repugnacon Party has become. Given that this is what we're facing, the time for trying to reconcile with them is long passed. You don't negotiate with domestic terrorists: You fight and defeat them. At this point that's a war of words, but a war nonetheless. If you don't have the stomach for necessarily strong words to defeat this enemy, or worse deny that it's come to this, then you'll just have to rationalize your complacency and complicity. The rest of us will take up the fight. Frum:

"The Trump movement was always authoritarian and illiberal. It indulged periodically in the rhetoric of violence. Trump himself chafed against the restraints of law. But what the United States did not have before 2020 was a large national movement willing to justify mob violence to claim political power. Now it does. [...] Through the Trump years, it seemed sensible to eschew comparisons to the worst passages of history. I repeated over and over again a warning against too-easy use of the F-word, fascism. [...] It’s time to start using the F-word again."

As usual: Misdirection and deflection

To avoid their cruel policies of harm to our own.

 

Governor Death Sentence's pandemic plan

Forget the Ivermectin and go directly to the morgue. Which by the way is overflowing so expect to be stored in a hopefully refrigerated truck out back for a while.

 

Repugnacon pandemic plan

About as effective as their former plan: Die already, and quickly.

 

 

So you say you're pro-life?

Especially when it comes to children? If you really believe that then Governor Death Sentence, and all those like him, must be voted out as soon as possible.

Study: Conservatives more suseptible to believing lies

Here's the study. As you can see, a main reason is that the conservative propaganda machine intentionally feeds them the lies. They also noted that "viral political falsehoods tended to benefit conservatives, while truths tended to favor liberals." This implies that liberal media is based more on the facts, which keeps its viewers more accurately informed. Thus, while still supporting their 'team,' they do so with valid information. An excerpt:

"Conservatives are less able to distinguish political truths from falsehoods than liberals, mainly because of a glut of right-leaning misinformation, a new national study conducted over six months shows. Researchers found that liberals and conservatives in the United States both tended to believe claims that promoted their political views, but that this more often led conservatives to accept falsehoods while rejecting truths."

FL poll: They're tired of Gov. Death Sentence

At least the majority of people in Florida are getting tired of their Governor's death sentences. This is hopefully a sign that voters will get rid of all of these cruel cronies committed to sacrificing people for their insane ideology.

"A Quinnipiac poll released Tuesday found that a plurality of DeSantis’ constituents believe he is hurting rather than helping efforts to slow the spread of the disease; that 61 percent of Floridians believe the rise recent explosion was preventable; and that 63 percent believe masks are effective while 59 percent support wearing them indoors. The poll also found that 60 percent of Florida residents support requiring faculty and students to wear masks while in school, something DeSantis has opposed so stridently that he has threatened to strip funding from the school districts who impose mask mandates."

 

Michael Moore: Thank you President Biden

Give credit where it's due.

 

You're being sacrificed Trumpers

By the very people who are protecting themselves but throwing your health and lives away for their own agenda. You should feel betrayed and ashamed that you are hurting yourself and your loved ones for those evil monsters.

 

FL hits Covid records

Thanks to Governor Death Sentence, Florida is now seeing the highest infection, hospitalization and death rates at any point during the pandemic. And it's happening to younger people. This is being attributed to easing of health and safety protocols. And it cannot be denied that the Governor's own attempts to ban mask mandates played a large part. Great job Governor. You're earned your nickname.

American Taliban 2

 Supporting the last 2 posts on the topic.

American Taliban

Following up on this post, Hartmann and Obeidallah discuss the similarities, and differences, between the Repugnacon Party and the Taliban.

Not sorry

Not in the least.

 

Anti-masker joke

This one had me laughing out loud.

 

Nature: Vaccine effectiveness against Delta wanes

According to this massive study in the scientific journal Nature, hence the need for booster shots.

"The vaccine made by Pfizer in New York City and BioNTech in Mainz, Germany, was 92% effective at keeping people from developing a high viral load — a high concentration of the virus in their test samples — 14 days after the second dose. But the vaccine’s effectiveness fell to 90%, 85% and 78% after 30, 60 and 90 days, respectively. The vaccine developed by Oxford and the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca in Cambridge, UK, was 69% effective against a high viral load 14 days after the second dose, falling to 61% by 90 days."

So what about the drop in effectiveness after 90 days? What about after 4, 5, 6 months? Recall back in July that the Israel Ministry of Health claimed the Pfizer vax was only 39% effective. The CDC is recommending that you get the booster 8 months after your full vaccination. If Israel is any guide we'll likely be near their numbers by then.

House passes Budget Resolution but...

As noted previously, 9 corporate Dems said they would not vote to pass the Resolution unless and until the so-called bi-partisan infrastructure Bill was passed first. Meanwhile the progressive caucus was threatening the reverse. So today the Resolution passed the House but the corporatists got Pelosi to commit to a vote on the infrastructure bill by Sep. 27. The original progressive deal was that the finished budget Bill, not resolution, must be passed in tandem with the infrastructure bill.

So the current situation now allows the Dem corporatists to fight all of the provisions in the resolution they don't like as they hash out the actual legislative details. And we know that they will whittle away at it at the behest of their corporate donors, including the fossil fuel and health insurance industries. Both Manchin and Sinema have already said they don't like the price tag. And of course the original 9 who held up the resolution vote are also bribed by their corporate masters. You can also guarantee they will stall the final legislation, hacked up as it may be, until after the Sep. 27 vote on the infrastructure bill.

So now the question continues to be: Will the progressives hold to their commitment and continue to threaten to vote against the infrastructure bill until the actual Senate budget bill is passed first? In a statement released today they claim they will: "As our members have made clear for three months, the two are integrally tied together, and we will only vote for the infrastructure bill after passing the reconciliation bill." I can only hope that they will remain firm on that promise.

How to tell a psychopath from his victims

Makes sense.

 

Self-sterilization

Now we just need Pox Views and Repugnacon spinners to convince their followers that this too is a necessary treatment. On the other hand, by casting doubt on vaccination and inciting hate against wearing masks, the spinners are in effect sterilizing their own base as they die off from Covid or get long-term, debilitating illness. Problem is that they're taking innocent people down with them and the spinners don't give a shit about either group.

 

 

A logical conclusion

When you 'do the math' the conclusion is inevitable. 

 

McMaster: Pompeo surrendered to the Taliban

This article backs up the meme. McMaster did say it and that's exactly what happened.

Hartmann: Repugnacon Party is American Taliban

He points out the parallels in his blog today. Some of the similarities follow: Their treatment of women; their hatred for democracy; their love of theocracy; their intolerance for other races and religions; their racism; their love of guns and approval of violence; their hatred of public education; their loves of big money and bribery. See the link for details.

Granted the Taliban are further down the road to fascism with their level of violent overthrow. But the Repugnancons are on the same road, and if not stopped they will achieve their goals of becoming just like them. If you have any desire at all to retain what democracy we have left then we must all do our part to stop this American Taliban from taking over. 

Less free than you can even imagine

Keeping with today's theme. "The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum."

― Noam Chomsky

 

Welcome to the machine

"You've been in the pipeline filling in time, provided with toys and searching for boys." Pink Floyd

 

 

Meidas Touch: Death Sentence DeSantis

So why do you keep voting for him?

Study: Who are the actual influencers?

This might be encouraging to those of us living on the margins of social acceptance, outside of dogmatic beliefs both scientific or religious. We are usually frustrated and depressed because we feel outcast, alone, rejected. And unfortunately, often we don't live to see how much, if any, our fringe ideas affected the networks of our lives let alone the broader cultures in which we live. And while the following might be true for a very few of us living on the edge, for most of us we are just ignored and forgotten. 

I didn't expect that this study would elicit the above response in me. I'm was hoping for something more hopeful per the first sentence, that I might have some influence or impact in my network. But then the reality of it hit me. Anyway, perhaps the article and video will make you other outliers feel more hopeful. I know, tough after that introduction.

"To stimulate a shift in thinking, target small groups of people in the 'outer edge' or fringe of a network. [...] If you want to transmit new ways of thinking that challenge an existing set of beliefs, seek out hidden locations in the periphery and plant the seed there."

Frightening, isn't it?

If you've been brainwashed by Pox Views.

 

Lincoln Project: Twitler's Monster COVID Fest

He just can't leave the death count alone so he's doing yet another Super Spreader Event without masks in a tightly packed crowd and a poorly vaccinated area.

DHS memo: Domestic terrorist planning for Jan. 6

See this article which has the memo embedded. Now we just need for the House investigation to link the Congresspeople in the Capitol building with the terrorists.

"An internal Department of Homeland Security document reviewed by The Daily Beast describes 'advanced preparations' by Capitol rioters ahead of the Jan. 6 attack—and appears to go further than recent descriptions of the FBI’s characterization of the Capitol riot. [...] The report highlights the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys, two organized groups involved in the attack. The Oath Keepers, the report notes, allegedly planned armed 'quick response forces' based in off-site locations."

 

Political and economic systems

And social democracy or democratic socialism is what I'm aiming at.

 

DeMetaprogramming is here!

Tired of everything being Meta yet? Of always feeling the need to go to the next level before you've even digested where you're at? Of always having to justify that you're better than everyone else while they just think you're an asshole? Then this seminar is for you!

DeMetaprogramming will help you realize that you've been programmed into a cult of inflated hubris. That you've been exploited for not only your money but for your soul. That you've been turned into a mind-numbing zombie that just repeats next-level nonsense on an endless loop that former friends, family and colleagues find horrifying.

How does DeMetaprogramming work? First we must break down your Meta-armor and that ain't no easy task. It's even harder than steel armor because it's been divorced from all concrete reality. We need to resusitate you with what's immediately present so you can feel connected again. And to see how those feelings can ground your abstract thoughts instead of going off into metalomania.

So come on. You know you've had enough meta(sta)sizing for this lifetime. It's time to bring your ego back down to functional size. The complete course of DeMetaprogramming will cost you less than all the courses you took to metaprogram you. It's safe, effective and far easier to stomach than all of the metashit you've had to swallow. What do you have to lose beside your obsequious obsession? Contact us now before it's too late at DeMetaprogramming.dot.

Brought to you by the Human Scorch, a member of the Fantastic Four Quad Rants.

 

If you can't tell the difference

Then please get help. Of course though you'll need Medicare For All since your health insurance, if you even have any, doesn't cover cult deprogramming.

 

Hartmann on Trump's surrender to the Taliban

He provides the history of how Twit surrendered directly to the Taliban and released 5000 Taliban warriors from prison. Part of the surrender was that the Taliban got to keep all of our abandoned weapons and gear. And then closed 10 Air Force bases, thereby making an adequate withdrawal, including our weapons and gear, impossible. That gave the Taliban plenty of time to offer the Afghan military the choice to join them or die. Knowing that without US involvement they'd no doubt get the latter they didn't put up any fight after the withdrawal. And Twit knew well in advance this was how it would play out and it did. Twit originally promised to leave by May '20 but put it off to set up Biden to take the fall on his watch.

Ball: Deep State declares war on Biden

Which includes all the war mongers on both sides who got us there in the first place. And of course the corporate media, which just loves to put the war mongers on their shows. It's nice to see her actually defending Biden for a change.

Blessed be the weird

The Edwyrd in me agrees.

 

Honest Government Ad: Hotel Quarantine

This one is again about Australia's f___ up on dealing with Delta. But it's similar to America's in that the Repugnacons in the US also lay blame on everyone and everything else except the true cause: Themselves. They intentionally created vaccine hesitancy so that their followers remain unvaxxed and unmasked, thereby causing the huge spike. Why they're doing it we can only guess (see Hartmann's). But whatever the motivation, it's itself a cruel sickness that is costing us our health and lives. 

Colbert: An announcement from the New Taliban

Same as the Old Taliban but with slightly better marketing. 

History repeats itself in a very bad way

You can see why they want to erase it so the scene below never happens.

 

Over 20,000 MS students under quarantine after 1st week of school

More than 4500 tested positive for Covid. This is the obvious result of no mask mandates. Is it possible these Governors didn't know this would happen? If, so, how could they not know? And if they did know, why are they intentionally doing this? WTF is behind this madness?

Latest NM Public Health Order and COVID-safe practices

The Order is here with the public indoor mask mandate. It still maintains that "all businesses, establishments and non-profit entities must adhere to the pertinent COVID-Safe practices." The DOH document on those safe practices states for one that "if you must go out [...] maintain a 6-foot distance from others." So how then does partner dancing not violate that provision since it definitely involves much closer distancing, including at times being in each other's face?

Hartmann: Medicare for All and the pandemic profiteers

Governor "Death Sentence" DeSantis, and Repugnacons like him who are banning masking and vaccine mandates, do so for political points and bribe money. And per Hartmann having a single-payer healthcare system would eliminate such despicable practices. Some stats about the current for-profit system: 

"Nationally, roughly 1 out of every 3 COVID-19 deaths are linked to health insurance gaps. More than 40% of all COVID-19 infections are associated with health insurance gaps. By February 1, 2021, 10.9 million infections and 143,000 COVID-19 deaths may have been associated with health insurance gaps. For every 10% increase in a county’s uninsured rate, the researchers found a 70% increase in COVID-19 infections and nearly a 50% increase in deaths from COVID-19."

The countries that have single-payer eliminate the need to politicize the pandemic because everyone in those countries is taken care of. People are encouraged to get vaccines, wear masks and social distance. Their medial databases can quickly contract trace and prevent further spread. But it also eliminates the obscene health insurance profits and the bribes to the likes of Gov. Death Sentence. Without such corruption his ilk cannot get away with sacrificing children to pad his retirement plan.

 

 

Corporate media is manufacturing consent

As described by Noam Chomsky.

 

Pox Views orders staff to disclose vax status

Prior to this it was only a request. Pox is demanding it now in order to address the rise in cases so that they can plan social distancing and contract tracing. And yet their star hosts, who are vaccinated, hypocritically continue to sow doubt about vaccines and masking so that many of their viewers refuse to do either thereby causing the rise in cases. 

So what is up with protecting their staff while encouraging their viewers to take an unnecessary risk? Why aren't the owners and upper management requiring their hosts to take this pandemic seriously and encourage both vaccines and masking? Something smells rotten at Pox. Always has, but now it's past disgusting and is itself a sickening disease.

 

If only we'd believe this

We've been trained to be so afraid of losing what little crumbs we've been thrown that we no longer know the power we have. If we all stood strong together we could change it. Yes, there will be some sacrifice but that's how democracy was forged in the first place. Want to keep it? Stand up! 

 

Pope Francis: Getting vaccinated is an act of love

So he said in this public service announcement. It is our responsibility to care for each other. Getting the vaccine is this time of pandemic is an act of love "capable of transforming and improving societies." Thank you for reminding us of our duty to love each other to bring us back together in peace and harmony. So be it.

Maybe not so funny how that works

Update: According to Politifact, yes, Griffin is a major campaign donor "but his firm is only a small investor in Regeneron, and one of more than a thousand institutions with a stake in the company." I admit my mistake in posting the meme as it is without that clarification.

Instead of preventing Covid with masks and vaxxes let's do this instead. This expensive treatment is not likely available to those on private health insurance, or if so it is likely with a huge out-of-pocket expense. And it's certainly not affordable to those without that insurance. So it's basically saying that only the rich should survive and the rest of us are mere sacrificial pawns for a cruel political ideology. Yeah, let's keep voting for that.

Hartmann: Why Death-Santis banned vaccine/mask mandates

Update: According to this PolitiFact check, yes, Griffin is a major campaign donor "but his firm is only a small investor in Regeneron, and one of more than a thousand institutions with a stake in the company." I admit my mistake in posting the video as it is without that clarification.

The Florida Governor is instead promoting the expensive drug Regeneron for Covid treatment. And just coincidentally the second-largest investor in Regeneron is Death-Santis' largest political donor. And also just coincidentally the TX Governor, who also has instituted a mask ban, contracted Covid and it being treated with Regeneron. Funny how that works eh?

 

The dog did it

He's tired of being blamed and ain't gonna take it anymore!

 

NM Governor reinstates public indoor mask mandate for everyone

According to the Governor's office press release today it will be effective beginning Friday, 8/20/21. The Order is located here. This is due to the accelerating cases of Covid from the Delta variant, which makes up virtually 100% of new cases now. It is a critical time for us so it's imperative that we all follow the mandate and report anyone not doing so at this email: covid.enforcement@state.nm.us.

 

TX Supreme Corp stays mask mandates

Note that they're all Repugnacons. While the Governor signed an Executive Order to ban mask mandates, several cities decided to have them anyway to, you know, protect the lives of children. So now their Corp decided to block those mask mandates because, you know, their sick ideology is more important that the lives of children. Fortunately Dallas and San Antonio will continue to enforce those mandates in defiance of the Corp.

How do you pay for it?

Make everyone pay their fair share cuz they certainly ain't now.

 

Good question

Meaning why would anyone visit such a place?

 

How you ended up in jail

We've all thought about it when we're behind this guy in the check out line.

 

The turning point

While this meme is simplistically reducing the turn to the tax cuts in themselves, that was indeed the turning point. The cuts started the cascade of related events that decimated the middle class. 

As just a few examples, it allowed corporations to give all the extra money to their owners and upper management instead of investing it back into the business and employees. The higher tax rates forced them to do the latter in order to write off those investments to lower their effective tax rate. With the cuts there was no longer any incentive for that behavior with the result being stagnant employee wages, benefits and degeneration of the business infrastructure that supports win-win situations for all involved. 

But hey, memes are supposed to be short and catchy to affect us, and that long explanation bores most of us.

 

Wolff: Workers are waking up

Continuing the last post, Wolff discusses how the pandemic has forced workers to reconsider their employment situation. They can see that employers want to return to the way things were, the same low wages with little or no benefits or public safety measures. In addition, they can see that employers are offering even less in terms of hiring back fewer employees thereby putting an increase productivity load on the others. And workers are demanding more than before because they see that employers are desperate to hire again. This is reflected in an all-time high job quit rate, which adds even more worker leverage.

The great working class awakening

Breaking Points discusses how Richard Wolff framed it as such. The pandemic relief measures provided the working class who lost their jobs with enough to get by so that they can now have some measure of security in choosing which jobs to go back to and for what pay. 

Employers are complaining that now that the economy is re-opening they need more employees but not enough people are applying. This is related to the above in that workers are demanding better wages and safety measures or they'll just stay on government relief. And apparently it's working to some degree as employers are realizing they need to meet worker demands if they want to fill their jobs.

Granted the countermeasures in Repugnacon States is to stop all the relief money and force workers to go back to work for low wages under poor conditions. But if enough employers right now start to increase wages and employ more of the workforce it will set the standard for employers going forward, especially when said arrangements prove to not only help workers but also increase business sales, efficiency and productivity. It took a pandemic to create a working class awakening but it's an awakening nevertheless.

Fake vaccine cards

We'll continue to see more and more of them so that showing one as proof will become useless. We'll need to get federal vaccine ID cards with some sort of tech to validate them. And/or we'll need to institute a federal mask mandate. The cheaters don't give a shit about their own lives, which is fine. But their irresponsibility costs others their health and life too so we need to stop them. 

Healthcare performace compared to spending

But I thought the US had the best healthcare system in the world? 😂 Exactly why we need Medicare For All. And the health insurance industry and their bribed legislators are exactly why we don't have it. From this source.

 

The spin and the reality

So what do we the people do about the reality? Remember when organized labor used to strike? Oh wait, that's why the 1% destroyed labor unions. It's time to organize labor again.

 

Repugnacon think tanks

It's what they do, replacing all of it with private enterprise and authoritarian rule.

 

Children's safety: For or against?

It's crazy that this is what it's come down to between the two major Parties but there it is.

 

9 House Democrats threaten budget reconciliation

Continuing the last post, these* nine corporate Dems are now threatening to tank the bi-partisan infrastructure Bill if it is not passed now, prior to the final legislation proposed in the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation. This is exactly the opposite of what the House progressives demanded: That the reconciliation Bill must be passed in tandem with the infrastructure package or no deal. This is a clear distinction between the corporate and the progressive wings in the Party. Who will win this stand-off?

PS: I heard Thom Hartmann say on his program today that the real reason behind the corporatist ire (including Manchin and Sinema) is that part of the reconciliation proposal deals with transparency in political contribution reporting, in essence eliminating the current anonymous 'dark' tactic corrupting our system. Unfortunately it won't eliminate the corrupt money but at least it will make transparent who is buying whom and for what.

* Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, Carolyn Bourdeaux of Georgia, Filemon Vela of Texas, Jared Golden of Maine, Henry Cuellar of Texas, Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Ed Case of Hawaii, Jim Costa of California and Kurt Schrader of Oregon.

The moderates are the radical ones

And the worst part is that the establishment Democrats are leading the spin war by calling mainstream priorities radical. And these so-called moderate Dems are the ones defending the radical corporations that don't want the popular mainstream priorities because they just diminish (but not eliminate) their lust for greed and power. To extend the comparisons below, it's we the people (democracy) v. corporations and their lackeys (authoritarianism). "There is no moderate position between them."

Urban dictionary: Freedumb

See all of their nine definitions here. This is just the first one.

A totally nonsensical and asinine belief (of many Americans) that freedom means you can literally do anything you want, including violating other peoples' rights. "I have the freedumb to give you a disease!"

by Rene D. July 08, 2021

 

Rand Paul's new book

Ok, it's satire. But not by much.

 

PDA actions to defend our democracy

From this link: 

We Must Save Our Democracy Today!

Hundreds were arrested in DC last Monday,  State reps from all over the country came together for a DC event to demand that the Senate pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis voting rights legislation and end the filibuster if that’s what is required. The Senate’s #RecessCanWait, but our #DemocracyCan’tWait.

Now it’s our turn to make a difference in the streets and/or from home, across the country.  We must act right now to prevent Trumpist gerrymandering and more.

1) Join a voting rights rally near you, today!  Click here to find one.

2)  Contact your Senators now (calls are best) and tell them they must pass the sweeping voting rights legislation before them and end the filibuster if that’s what it takes. Their #RecessCanWait, but democracy cannot!

3) Sign and share this petition calling on Senators to take immediate action to support voting rights.

4) Spread the word on social media, calling on the Senate to pass voting rights protection now! The #RecessCanWait, but our #DemocracyCantWait.

5) Let us know when you’ve acted.

We must save our democracy from the Trumpists in state houses across the country who are coming for our right to vote!

Thanks so much for anything you can do right now.

 

Mass psychosis

A good video that helps us to understand what we're going through. One of its causes is a flood of negative emotions like fear and anxiety. And this cause has been intentionally manufactured by the fascists now dominant in our government. Twitler was a prime example, but the Repugnantan Party and its media manipulators like Pox Views set the stage for him and still maintains that stage. Most disturbing and ironic is that the propaganda eliminates individual freedom while programming the victims to believe they are exercising their freedom by following the corrupt leaders.

Mass psychosis can be countered but it requires a many-faceted approach from many sides. One is to promote far and wide the truth with the same intensity and frequency as the lies. Another tactic is to use ridicule and humor to de-legitimize the fascists. Still another is to create parallel structures, organizations that promote healthy functioning and a humanitarian vision that elicits positive emotions. 

And perhaps most importantly, we the people must actively fight the fascists and defend democracy. In the US a key to this is the passage of the For the People Act and the elimination of the Senate filibuster. It is the only way to stop the fascist voter suppression laws being implemented in the Repugnacon States. So we the people must in mass numbers constantly  demand that President Biden and our Senators take those actions. We must protest in mass in those States enacting such suppression. We must exercise our rights in any and every way possible right now, for we are about to lose our most precious right, the right to vote. We must fight now and demand that our President and Senators do too. Democracy is at stake lest we completely descend into the mass psychosis of fascism.

FL school kids getting Covid

Which was of course inevitable given their Governor's policy of letting parents opt out of wearing a mask for their children. After just 2 days of school 105 students and 26 employees tested positive, with 440 others now in quarantine. And that is just the beginning unless and until the Governor issues a mask mandate. Let freedumb ring!

Is the $3.5 trillion reconcilation resolution enough?

Krystal Ball comments on Richard Wolff, who was asked if assuming everything that's in Bernie's resolution ends up in the final legislation, is it enough? Wolff said given the severity of the climate crisis as attested to by the recent IPCC report: No, it is not. We really need a radically transformative new New Deal.

So yes, we need to get that bigger package passed with as much of the original proposals in it. And it's a start to more of what we need going forward. It at least shows us voters that Congress is trying, which inspires us to keep voting for them. But it also shows us that we need to keep voting in progressives who are willing to go all in on what we need to avert climate disaster. And to do that we need the sort of constructive criticism that acknowledges this effort but also requires the necessity of so much more.  

Lincoln Project: Back to school

An accurate statement on how certain Governors are sacrificing the lives of children because of their cruel and insane ideology. 

We don't have to imagine the Covid consequences

If Twitler was re-elected. We can see them in real-time from his Twitiots.

 

Integral Trollz videos

Are located here on FB satirizing the integral movement.

What we're dealing with

And why the pandemic is still raging on. It's why we need mandates and laws that are strictly enforced with severe penalties, because adult children will never accept responsibility for public health and welfare.

 

Framers: Human Advantage in an Age of Technology and Turmoil

New book by Kenneth Cukier et al. The blurb:

"To frame is to make a mental model that enables us to see patterns, predict how things will unfold, and make sense of new situations. Frames guide the decisions we make and the results we attain. People have long focused on traits like memory and reasoning leaving framing all but ignored. But with computers becoming better at some of those cognitive tasks, framing stands out as a critical function—and only humans can do it. This book is the first guide to mastering this innate human ability."

Senate approves $3.5 trillon budget resolution

Of course using Reconciliation and got no Repug votes. Now it moves to the House to pass as is or amend and send back to the Senate. It the House passes it moves to legislative committees to hash out the details. Once completed they'll vote on it again. However it remains to be seen if Manchin and Sinema will vote for the final version. 

And that's the hurdle that must be overcome for the House to vote for the smaller Bill. They cannot now just approve of the smaller Bill until this process is finished. If they do so then they renege on their promise.

Just the facts ma'am

Not that they matter to anti-vaxxers, as they probably think the facts are manufactured by a Deep State enemy determined to keep them alive and well. How dare they infringe on our freedom to get, transmit and injure or kill other people? FREEDUMB!

Slave labor

Better than being completely owned as property but not by much.

 

Oregon reinstates mask mandate

Of course OR is controlled by liberals who have the sense to use a tool that works in controlling the spread of the pandemic. And spreading it is there like everywhere else due to the unvaccinated. The recognize that the so-called 'honor' system is a joke and therefore the need for everyone to mask up again. Let's hope NM, also controlled by liberals, gets the message and does likewise.

NM Governor looking at masking

Since she's considering it, please call (505-476-2200) or contact the Governor (https://www.governor.state.nm.us/contact-the-governor) and demand she implement an indoor public mask mandate. It's what's required now given the  rise in cases due mainly to the unvaxxed going without masks.

"Lujan Grisham says she has not made any decisions yet but will be meeting with her modeling team to look at current trends and data in the coming days. As for what New Mexicans should be prepared for, Lujan Grisham says more clarification about wearing masks in the state."

Borowitz: DeSantis losing support of those opposed to dying

As usual his satire nails it:

FLORIDA (The Borowitz Report)—In a potentially ominous development for the Florida governor, a new poll shows Ron DeSantis hemorrhaging support among voters who identify as opposed to dying.

According to the poll, DeSantis’s favorability numbers are plummeting among Floridians who describe themselves as “somewhat,” “very,” or “strongly” opposed to being dead.

Asked to name the issue most important to them, an overwhelming majority of anti-dying voters cited “continuing to exist,” with the economy and immigration placing a distant second and third.

Harland Dorrinson, an aide to the Governor, dismissed the poll numbers as “a distraction” and said that “this obsession with not dying is the kind of political correctness the people of Florida are tired of.”

“Governor DeSantis has had a very strong pro-dying message, and that’s not going to change,” the aide said.

The difference between freedom and freedumb

The first understands why the herd behaves in a way to survive and thrive so that they can exercise individual freedom. The second rushes toward sickness and death so that few of their herd can exercise any individual freedom at all. But those who survive only care about themselves anyway, not even their own herd.