Atlantic article by David Frum

“My generation was raised on the belief that America could always be counted upon to do the right thing, even if belatedly: reject the isolationism of America First and join the fight against Nazism; fund the Marshall Plan to stop communism; extend the promise of democracy to all people, without regard to race or sex. But maybe that belief was true only for a specific period, a unique moment. There were many chapters of history in which America did the wrong thing for years or decades. Maybe we are living through such a period now.” Atlantic

Election Day!

 

Iran

A woman was upset when someone ripped her clothes trying to force her to wear her head covering the proper way, and just said fuck it, and stripped down to her underwear. I'm pretty sure she snapped from the harassment, and is probably dead. Iran is the kind of country that does this to people, and then disposes of them. Such a tragic situation. I don't wish to characterize a country by their political system, the people can be really kind, thoughtful, sensitive. My friends there think the government is about making people miserable. Only 1% of the people go to Friday prayers, but the country is controlled by fundamentalist Imams. To me she is saying my body is not a problem, stop making it a problem with your fragility. I will die for that statement. I hope things change there. Found out her name is Ahoo Daryaei

Two imperfect countries, pointing fingers at each other. Iran funds terrorist groups that work to hassle Israel. Israel fights back. Iran launches missiles, Israel fights back. Iran vows to fight back. Don't you see how tit for tat leaves you both weakened? 

I'm sorry but humans don't vote to launch missiles. Get more democracy representation. 

Not saluting Hitler in Germany, not taking feedback on how she dresses in Iran, and standing up to tanks in China.

News Links:

Iran Intl, Jerusalem Post, Reuters

video

Reddit, Reddit

Afghanistan woman dancing in defiance.

Further history:

100,000 Iranian women march against the Hijab Law, Tehran, 1979. 45 years.

Follow up: 

News outlets are calling for her freedom and updates:

11/4 BBC

A vote for Trump

First off, voting for Trump says it's OK to be a felon, rapist, pedophile, grifter, failed businessman who has bankrupt many businesses, a soft shoe shuffler. He believes you can grab married women by the pussy. That's what you get when you vote for Trump. 

He cannot operate a charity in New York because he stole from cancer victims. 

Elon Musk, a surrogate who campaigns for him, said Trump would crash the economy (source). Musk is trying to pre-load a pardon for the crimes he has and hopes to commit. 

Generals, economists, his former staff all say not to vote for him. He can't play music at his rallies because many musicians have issued cease and desist orders.

Trump still owes many municipalities money he promised to pay for holding a rally there. 

But to me the worst thing about him is that he lies. Just kidding all the other stuff is horrible too, lying isn't better than rape, although lying about rape, and being held accountable to the truth has cost him 88.3 million dollars, when he could have just shut up. He lost a 5 million dollar defamation case, and still wouldn't shut up, so 83.3 million was added on. Does that sound like a leader to you?

His hate speech has cost many lives. His speaking and being president leads to more violence. He's even suggested a day of violence. If you're pro-life, you can't vote for Trump. It's estimated that his inaction around Covid led to hundreds of thousands of lives. It's not just politics, he's a murderer by ineptitude and callous disregard.

He doesn't have any plan for reducing inflation, every economist and businessman says he's going to tank the economy, so people who imagine voting for him will help inflation, are confused at best, maliciously wanting inflation in reality.

So the case for Trump is built on a fairly shoddy horrible platform of lack of discipline, and vice. It's basically inviting another crime spree. 

Knowing that, you'd have to willfully be so ignorant, or, and I think this is really it, that you want to blow the country up. You have the kind of reverse patriotism that wants to see America burn. It's funny when other people suffer. 

For those who think Harris' support of Israel is a mistake, consider Bernie Sanders advice.

Every accusation is a confession of intention: MAGA Wisconsin Election Commission director Kimberly Zapata found guilty on all felony counts for falsifying military ballots. She could face 5 years in prison (Twitter). Watch more MAGA go to jail trying to corrupt our democracy. 

When Trump loses in a landslide, like France, I'm not going to be super proud of America, because this is what should happen, to vote against the obviously evil candidate, but it will restore some sanity to the country, and return to some level of safety and relaxation. 

Swastikas in America

"There was never any question that this rally was going to be anything but an attempt to inflame Trump’s base. The plan for a rally at Madison Square Garden itself deliberately evoked its predecessor: a Nazi rally at the old Madison Square Garden on February 20, 1939. About 18,000 people showed up for that “true Americanism” event, held on a stage that featured a huge portrait of George Washington in his Continental Army uniform flanked by swastikas."

Letters From America by Heather Cox Richardson

Later: "Meanwhile, the decision of the owners of the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post not to endorse Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris seems to have sparked a backlash. As Will Bunch of the Philadelphia Inquirer noted, “in a strange way the papers did perform a public service: showing American voters what life under a dictator would feel like.”"

Also, "Early on October 26, the Washington Post itself went after Trump backer billionaire Elon Musk with a major story highlighting the information that Musk, an immigrant from South Africa, had worked illegally when he started his career in the U.S. Musk “did not have the legal right to work” in the U.S. when he started his first successful company. As part of the Trump campaign, Musk has emphasized his opposition to undocumented immigrants."

Also, "On Sunday the front page of the New York Times opinion section read, in giant capital letters: “DONALD TRUMP/ SAYS HE WILL PROSECUTE HIS ENEMIES/ ORDER MASS DEPORTATIONS/ USE SOLDIERS AGAINST CITIZENS/ ABANDON ALLIES/ PLAY POLITICS WITH DISASTERS/ BELIEVE HIM.” And then, inside the section, the paper provided the receipts: Trump’s own words outlining his fascist plans. “BELIEVE HIM,” the paper said."

Also, "comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who goes by Kill Tony, delivered a steamingly racist set. He said, for example: “There’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”"

Also, "Trump advisor Stephen Miller’s claim that “America is for Americans and Americans only” directly echoed the statement of Adolf Hitler that "Germany is for Germans and Germans only.”"

NY Times: Trump at the Garden: A Closing Carnival of Grievances, Misogyny and Racism

Back to putting my politics here after 4 years away

For some reason I thought putting everything into one blog might get me more views, but I think being really specific now, makes for more views.

The political thought that made me want to write today was the idea that Musk wants Trump to win because he could buy a pardon from him, article in Atlantic, suggesting that. 

So the question is do you want regular boring government, or do you want justice for sale? 

Anyway, here are some of my past political posts on my past blog, that I'm moving over here moving forward:

Endorsing Harris

Many Memes posts: One, two, three. 

I've become fascinated by Iran. (Two)

4 things

Branches of government

Chappell Roan

USA Courts

Reanimation, zombie blogging

I didn't like the collapse into one blog, so I'm back out to blogging in the proper subject blog.

I did write on Medium for a while till they asked me to pay to read articles. Blogging is free, I moved on. I blogged on what was literature and politics blog. Now I'm back to just politics on politics blog, I want to keep my literature blog pure.

Thought of the day: Are we any smarter now that we can just run back the clips that show politicians directly contradicting their latest statement? It makes people lose faith, which is fine for the side that wants smaller government. They're the ones who capitalize on apathy and cynicism. Disbelief in the system is where they want everyone. The endless sell job of democrats is to sell the idea that these institutions actually protect us. Like railroad regulation. The people who are directly harmed by deregulation is small, comparatively, to the population that vaguely is anti-government, disappointed, barely comprehending the political landscape. They're the lumpenproletariat, unable to comprehend their own interests. They basically take a longer time to come around to the usefulness of government. Like we haven't known that our course regarding guns isn't going to end in disaster, they have to see innocent people being killed every day? For years and years. Now they're getting on board, years later. It's like Nancy Reagan who is against everything until it touches her personally. No integrity, but at least they do change their minds.

Humans retroactively justify their instincts. Can we be a more rational than an instinctual government for all?

It's the split between honoring the trauma of "we got by with less," when looking at today's opulence, and saying people did this to us, we can't do it to others ever.