COVID 19 Pandemic

Preemptive Pardons Essential To Protect Courageous Leaders!

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There is growing discussion of the concept of “preemptive” pardons being given by President Joe Biden, to a whole group of political figures who helped investigate and bring Donald Trump and others around him to legal accountability, particularly for the January 6 US Capitol Insurrection, but also other illegal activities.

The list could include all members of the January 6 House Committee that investigated the Insurrection, but also others who have been openly critical of Donald Trump over the years, which is legion in numbers.

The fear is that Donald Trump and his FBI nominee Kash Patel want revenge and retribution against political “enemies”, and even those in journalism and the media, which makes for a list that could be massive.

Clearly, not everyone who might be endangered by civil or criminal charges that might be brought by the FBI can be calculated, as to the risk of prosecution.

But beyond the list this author and blogger presented two days ago, there is real concern about such politically courageous figures as:

Liz Cheney
Adam Kinzinger
Adam Schiff
Jamie Raskin
General Mark Milley
Prosecutor Jack Smith

and innumerable Trump Administration employees who broke with Trump.

Even Dr Anthony Fauci, who had such a sterling career since Ronald Reagan onward, has become the target of those lunatics who think that the Pandemic and response to it was mishandled, a disgraceful lie!

And there is danger to the free press, including the NY Times, Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, NBC, and PBS, among others.

We are entering dark times, brought about by the stupidity, ignorance, and self-centeredness of so many Americans, including people I know personally, who only care about “Me, Myself and I”, and not the nation at large.

At this rate, our American democracy, rule of law, and enforcement of the Constitution is in dire straits!

Transgender And Immigration Issues Convinced Gullible Working Class To Back Trump!

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It is a sad reality that the working class of America–whether white, Latino, or African American– was bamboozled by Donald Trump to believe he was concerned about their lives and would promote labor causes, when nothing is further from the truth.

The high inflation that occurred under Joe Biden had nothing to do with Joe Biden and the Democrats, but was simply a reaction to the COVID 19 Pandemic, so would have occurred if Donald Trump had been reelected President.

But Republicans and Donald Trump used fear of transgender Americans and of a small number of undocumented immigrants who have committed crime to stir up the population of working class Americans, many of whom are not actively engaged in following public affairs, to convince them to vote Republican.

But now, working class Americans will pay for their decision to vote for Trump and a Republican Congress by facing the reality of a Presidential cabinet made up of multi millionaires who are promoting massive tax cuts for the extremely wealthy, and imposing of high protective tariffs.

This will lead to a massive increase in the national debt and surging prices for all kinds of imported items, causing a new wave of inflation.

The Republican Party and Donald Trump do NOT have the interests of working class people in their agenda, and labor unions will not be supported, as they have been under Joe Biden.

And Donald Trump will cut back on exixting regulations on corporations and banks, promoting more of a chasm between the working class and upper class.

Only the upper class will celebrate Donald Trump’s Presidency, once the working class becomes fully cognizant that they have been tricked into supporting someone who utilized emotional issues of transgender rights and immigration to promote their agenda of making the wealthy wealthier, and the working class and poor more exploited!

Realignment Seems To Have Occurred, But It May Not Last Past Next Presidential Election!

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The Democratic Party has received a heavy rebuke from voters, who once could be counted upon to remain in support of the party.

It is mind boggling that 46 percent of Latinos, 39 percent of Asian Americans, 20 percent of African Americans, and working class Whites abandoned the party that promoted civil rights and social justice reforms over the 90 years since Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal in the 1930s.

But their “abandonment” is more centered around the key issue of the economy, the reality that the COVID 19 Pandemic created high inflation which finally, but belatedly, has been overcome in recent months.

Overall, the economy has done well, but since people think first about the issue of groceries, gas, and other costs that had been mounting, they decided to avoid dealing with the other issues so important out there, such as survival of democracy, abortion rights, and foreign policy concerns.

The inability of Joe Biden to deal with the problem of immigration at the border also was effectively used by Republicans, along with creating the false issue of transgender rights.

Donald Trump is not going to keep the support of the groups who voted for him, once they realize he is only concerned about corporations and the wealthy, and is on the road to another massive tax cut, adding trillions to the national debt, and imposing tariffs that will raise the cost of living for the people who decided to support him.

Donald Trump is assured to antagonize and alienate groups that will realize they have been taken advantage of, and as long as the Democratic Party comes up with new proposals and plans and have a dynamic primary season for the 2028 Presidential nomination, the party will be able to retrieve what they have lost!

Democrats Have Cleaned Up Republican Economic Messes Since 1953!

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It is amazing how Republicans have lied incessantly for the past 70 years about the economy under Democratic Presidents, when it is such Democratic Presidents who have revived the economy after Republican Presidents managed to preside over economic recessions.

John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson presided over economic prosperity in the 1960s, after three recessions under Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Jimmy Carter presided over an economic recovery from the Recession of 1974-1975 under Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, but sadly had to deal with another short lived, six months, recession in 1980, which was one of the factors, but not the most important, in his defeat, as the only Democratic President who had an economic decline since 1953.

Bill Clinton presided over an economic recovery from the recession under George H. W. Bush in the early 1990s, having a long period of economic prosperity.

Barack Obama presided over a long economic recovery from the Great Recession of 2008-2009 under George W. Bush, over 75 months from 2010-2017.

Joe Biden presided over revival of the American economy, from a great economic recession in office in 2020 under Donald Trump, a time of dramatic economic loss due to the Covid 19 Pandemic.

While there were moments of high inflation under Joe Biden due to the aftermath of the Pandemic, as with all Democratic Presidents, there was job growth, with most jobs created under them, and the percentage under Republican Presidents being very few under Presidents Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and the Bushes, and a massive job loss under Donald Trump.

These are economic facts, no matter what Donald Trump and Republicans claim to be the truth!

The Lunacy Of Donald Trump’s Rhetoric!

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Too much media attention has been paid to stuttering and verbal flubs of Joe Biden, while the lunacy of Donald Trump’s rhetoric has been ignored.

At a campaign rally earlier in July, Trump:

Praised Hannibal Lecter, a fictional cannibal, who he called his friend

Talked about his fear of sharks

Played Q-Anon Music

Praised white nationalism

Said he would not defend NATO allies against Russia

Referred to Project 2025 and said he would have people involved in that project in his future administration

Promised mass detention camps for millions of migrants before deportation

Promised to pardon January 6 Insurrectionists

Then, in his speech accepting the Republican Presidential nomination in Milwaukee on Thursday evening, Trump

Praised Kim Jong Un of North Korea, who he called his friend

Praised Hungary’s authoritarian leader, Viktor Orban

Thought Scott Walker, former Wisconsin Republican governor, was still Governor

Said he was taking over the auto industry, and attacked the United Auto Workers Union

Called COVID 19 “The China Virus”

Said he wanted to hold the next Republican convention in Venezuela

Made claims of respect by the Taliban in Afghanistan toward him

Called Nancy Pelosi “Crazy Nancy”

Continued to spread lies about the Presidential Election Of 2020

This craziness and instability of Trump needs to be focused on in detail and consistently by news media!

Six Months To Presidential And Congressional Elections

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It is precisely six months to the Presidential and Congressional Elections of 2024, and polls indicate an extremely tight race for both the White House and control of both houses of Congress.

However, the fact that Donald Trump is unleashing lunatic statements and authoritarian threats daily, and is mired in a courtroom four days a week, are negatives that are affecting independent voters and undecided voters.

And abortion rights is seen as a definite loser for Trump and Republicans, as the vast majority of those polled, and particularly among women, clearly want women to control their own bodies and destinies.

The issue of the Israel-Hamas War, while creating problems for Joe Biden in Michigan, in particular, seems likely to calm down, as Muslims and Arabs voting for Donald Trump would not promote a different policy, as Trump has a record of working to persecute Muslims and support Israel.

The economy, and particularly inflation, is an issue, but one must remember that Trump did promote the largest tax cut and increase of the national debt for any one term President, and the economy was in free fall due to his inability to deal with the COVID 19 pandemic adequately.

The fight for control of both houses of Congress will be a bitter one, with the likelihood that both houses will have very small margins of the majority, with the House of Representatives likely to go Democratic, but the US Senate likely, at this point, to swing Republican.

So federal judge appointments and more environmental executive orders are crucial for the Democrats and Joe Biden to accomplish in the next six months.

And constantly reminding Americans of the danger to American Democracy cannot be emphasized enough.

College Campuses And The Israel-Hamas War

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The Israel-Hamas War in the Gaza Strip in the past seven months has led to the deaths of more than 34,000 Palestinians, including approximately two thirds being women and children.

It has become the biggest controversy on college campuses in many decades, and has led to massive demonstrations and occupations of many campuses by protesters, and by outside agitators not connected to the universities.

The ugly situation has many tones of antisemitism, endangering Jewish students, advocating violence, and calling for destruction of Israel.

Freedom of speech and the right to protest are basic constitutional rights, but it does not include the right to interfere with normal operation of educational institutions.

One can disagree with the strategy and tactics of the Israeli government, and yet also understand that a nation has the right to exist and to defend itself after the horrific massacre of about 1,200 people on October 7, 2023 by the extremist Hamas terrorist group.

One can also condemn right wing MAGA Republicans, led by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, Ohio Senator J D Vance, and other extremists, who want to employ military force to end the protests.

It is also disturbing that college students often have little knowledge and information, as they rely on social media, rather than established news sources, for their view of the world.

Colleges are supposed to be places for debates, education, empathy, and understanding, not for occupation and calls for genocide against an entire nation and people. To allow a small percentage of students and outside agitators to shut down a campus and threaten those who are opposed to their tactics is reprehensible.

These disturbances on college campuses are undermining the future of universities in the public mind, as extremism, violence, and occupation by many students and outsiders endanger public support for higher education.

It is also making more likely that many commencement ceremonies around the nation will be canceled, and this for students, who in many cases, did not have a high school graduation ceremony due to the COVID 19 Pandemic in the Spring of 2020.

Many of these demonstrators are destroying their education, as many will be suspended or expelled, will face possible criminal charges, and many corporations will be unwilling to hire people involved in civil disobedience without any conclusion.

Young people have a right to their beliefs, but not to stop the operations of universities, as many of these individuals will regret long term their youthful emotions that will not be good for their long term futures.

Every effort must be utilized to end the Israel-Hamas War and to free the remaining hostages, and Joe Biden has a major challenge ahead of him to convince Benjamin Netanyahu to change his strategy that has endangered the international community’s view of the conflict.

This issue could affect the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August, bringing back memories of the disastrous Chicago Democratic convention in 1968, that led to the defeat of Hubert Humphrey and the Presidency of Richard Nixon.

Mark Robinson, NC Republican Gubernatorial Nominee: A Major Right Wing Extremist!

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The Republican Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina, Mark Robinson, who is African American, is the party nominee for Governor in November 2024, running against North Carolina State Attorney General and Democrat Josh Stein.

This upcoming election is a crisis for the state of North Carolina and the nation, as Mark Robinson is an out of control right wing extremist.

His past record and utterances demonstrate the following:

He is a strong supporter of the National Rifle Association, and spoke out against gun control legislation after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Massacre in Parkland, Florida in February 2018.

He is vehemently anti abortion; denies climate change as reality; wants to promote charter schools and school voucher programs at the expense of public schools; and wants to remove science and social studies from the curriculum for first graders through fifth graders.

He has promoted Holocaust denial, and has made strongly antisemitic statements, alarming the Jewish community in North Carolina and nationally.

He has been harshly critical of African Americans who are Democrats, and bitterly denounces Barack Obama and has called Michelle Obama a man, and called Martin Luther King Jr a Communist, along with the Civil Rights Movement.

He has been strongly anti gay and anti transgender, and is also strongly anti Muslim, and a nativist against various immigrant groups.

He has strongly denounced the COVID 19 Pandemic as a threat, and has praised past dictators, including Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Fidel Castro, while at the same time calling his critics “Communists”!

He also has a record of bankruptcies, owing back taxes, and having misused campaign funds for his 2020 campaign for Lieutenant Governor.

This character is a clear and present danger, and it is essential that Democrat Josh Stein be elected Governor, to succeed Democrat Roy Cooper, who has had to deal with the nightmare of his Lieutenant Governor being totally uncooperative and confrontational in the past four years!

Amazing Biden Economy, But Polls Indicate Lack Of Reality Of Voters

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As 2023 ends, the American economy is doing great in so many ways.

An all time high on the stock market.

Unemployment rate lowest in more than 50 years.

Gas prices down to $3.00 a gallon.

Inflation Rate after the effect of COVID 19 coming down to about 3 percent from a 9 percent high.

Despite all of this, there is ignorance and refusal to accept reality on the part of those who are polled about their thoughts about the economy.

So Joe Biden is once again being misjudged and ignored on his many accomplishments, including also being the most pro labor President in decades!

By all rights, Joe Biden should sail to reelection, but the disease and sickness of MAGA Republicans makes it a struggle, along with the crazy, lunatic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. exploiting his famous father’s name and besmirching the Kennedy family legacy with his forlorn campaign for President with no redeeming qualities!

So Democrats must work hard every day for the next ten months to insure the continuation of American democracy!

Important Diplomatic Meeting Of Biden With China’s President Xi Jinping

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In a world with so many crises, including among others, the Russia-Ukraine War, and the Israel-Hamas conflict, the fact that America has an experienced foreign policy President in office in Joe Biden, is such a positive!

Biden is meeting today with Chinese President Xi Jinping in California, in a time when there are lots of tensions between the two leading economic superpowers.

China’s support of the other side in both the Ukraine and Israel conflicts is a major problem, but there are lots of areas that China and the US need to work together, and overcome suspicions and mistrust.

There are a lot of contentious issues, and both sides will be candid, but it is important for world stability for the two major powers to come to an understanding on many problems and controversies, including the drug Fentanyl issue, the Covid 19 pandemic issue, the development of naval bases in the Pacific on islands created by China, trade controversies, and the ever present potential threat by China to Taiwan’s sovereignty.

Without a doubt, Biden has more experience and background in foreign policy than any post World War II president, except for Richard Nixon and George H. W. Bush, and hopefully, this summit will be productive!