Cuppa Thought Fodder Dec 30th, 2020 Trump Calls for Protests on Jan 6th's Certification

 

This makes me VERY nervous. Not because I think they have a leg to stand on, but because once again, these miscreants are normalizing tyrannical oligarchal behavior ala Putin.

GOP senator to delay affirming Biden victory by forcing votes on Electoral College results

" urging Trump to “immediately declare a limited form of Martial Law, and temporarily suspend the Constitution and civilian control of these federal elections, for the sole purpose of having the military oversee a re-vote.”"

I HONESTLY believe that without a full blown military coup -which assuredly will not happen, according to Military peeps- and a 1-for-60 lawsuit win record, he's just grifting. However, his Crazy Cult supporters are VERY SERIOUS.

Donald Trump Has Never Understood the Military—and He’s Not Going to Be Able to Co-opt It for a Coup

The Military Times wrote this rather frightening article clarifying martial law...

How the president could invoke martial law

“A really important limitation in the event that there is martial law is that it’s highly unlikely to be tolerated in a situation where our civilian institutions are working,” Banks noted. “Martial law requires a complete meltdown. It requires the inability of our civilian institutions to manage government. It’s hard to imagine that.”

and our civil institutions regarding this election ARE WORKING.

Even the Bulwark agrees that our Military won't abide.

The Military Would Not Participate in a Coup. Trump Can’t Understand Why.

even the Military Times disagrees with #Trumpery's self-serving and destructive stunts.

Calls for martial law and US military oversight of new presidential election draws criticism

and the Hill, also Conservative:

Trump's final days try to turn the military into a political pawn

and I have Faith in the integrity of our Military. They serve the COUNTRY, not a Party, not a person & not the President; THE COUNTRY.

Personally, I most sincerely hope & pray that this bites the GOP SO HARD on the arse as to destroy this radical insurrection of the Party of Trumpery. This puts the GOP in a position to ACTIVELY VOTE AGAINST #Trumpery's illegal activities to purloin the 2020 Election. And what with the rabid cultish violence-prone behavior of his ProudBoi vigilantes, I see calls on the horizon for Primarying on their behalf. #Trumpery's tacit support of Authoritarianism has given them permission to be brazen about their anti-Democracy bigotry. 

GOP Sen. Hawley Will Object To Electoral College Certification

Again, just as a reminder, he has lost 59 out of 60 court cases.

Trump's election fight includes over 50 lawsuits. It's not going well.

and now, I guess we wait, and gird our loins against the expected violence #Trumpery is advocating on Jan 6th.

Trump Encourages 'Wild' Protests in D.C. on Date of Electoral College Vote Count

"*Resident Trumpery has called"

‘President Trump Has Called’: Supporters Plan D.C. Rally To Overturn His Loss On Day Congress Certifies Election

Ex-Pence aide turned Trump critic ‘very concerned’ about Jan 6 violence
PLEASE REMEMBER THIS is the Message that #Trumpery supporters are putting forth. It's not We the People, or the Democratic Party, or really, even the "typical Republican"  who is advocating this divisive violence, it's the Party of Trump. 

Please be careful out there. #Courage #Steady #Resist BE SAFE

 

Cuppa Thought Fodder ~ Dec 27th, 2020 On Third Parties, Standing up to Trump's corruption, & Russian influence

 

A bit of a ramble this morning ~ I'm skipping around a tad.

I am so grateful to hear Republican voices standing up to #Trumpery's malarkey & corrupt shenanigans. I'm NOT a Republican- never ever have been ~ I'm a PATRIOT and an AMERICAN who desperately believes in equality and righteousness for ALL AMERICANS and that includes people who do not believe exactly as I do. Heck, I don't believe lock step with my Democratic Party either.

I think #Trumpery's shenanigans with vetoing the Defence Bill and the Omnibus Bill will split the GOP Party. AT LEAST, it will IF the Republican Party has ANY cajones whatsoever. Which is debatable, even with a few stand out voices. Rep. Adam Kinzinger Emerges As Strongest GOP Voice Against Donald Trump

I'd LIKE to see a third party, but I have ZERO FAITH in the Libertarian Party, as they have been led by the nose by the Koch Brothers (who now admit they screwed up big time) nor in the Green Party as headed by Jill Stein.

Charles Koch Says His Partisanship Was a Mistake

a little back history on the Koch Bros may be warranted, which is provided quite well, here:

Inside the Koch Brothers’ Toxic Empire

The Koch Brothers’ Fake Libertarianism: War, Forced Pregnancies, and Homophobia

How the Koch brothers built the most powerful rightwing group you've never heard of

None of this jibes with the Party's platform. And I would argue that the Libertarian Koch Brothers absolutely do not practise what they preach:

"2.3 Energy and Resources

While energy is needed to fuel a modern society, government should not be subsidizing any particular form of energy. We oppose all government control of energy pricing, allocation, and production"

from their platform: LIBERTARIAN PARTY PLATFORM

From their ACTUAL BUSINESS DEALINGS:

Subsidy Tracker Parent Company Summary

Parent Company Name: Koch Industries

privately held

Subsidy Tracker Parent Company - Koch Brothers Industries

(this is a fascinating collection set of data)

Koch Brothers Should Return $157 Million in Government Subsidies

Koch Bros Web of Influence

Sound very "Libertarian" to you?

and I have found Jill Stein to be particularly disingenuous although I like the PROPOSED Party Platform (being an environmentalist & a conservationist myself)

Green Party Platform

Jill, however, :/ she reeks; and there is no strong leadership within the Party.

The Moscow Project: Jill Stein

Senate Russia investigators are interested in Jill Stein Jill Stein owes FEC more than $66,000 in campaign finances The Russian effort to divert votes to Jill Stein was more extensive than previously thought Jill Stein Isn’t Sorry and while I think a LOT of the wild stories about her connections to Russia are conspiratorial in nature with little foundation in facts, she allowed herself to be a tool. And for a leader of a Party dedicated to Environmental causes, a tool for RUSSIA?? Oil, corruption and the fight for power in Putin’s Russia Corruption in Russia Oil spill in Russian Artic had many causes, environmentalists say Another Voice: Corruption from Russia, with love This article references Rachel Maddow's book "Blow Out" which I am currently 3//4 of the way through. It is ... frustratingly dreadful to read as it is explicit in revealing the corruption and deceit of US policy makers. But it is important to understand the depth of oligarchal influence which Big Oil pressures our Governmental Representation. “Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth" .pdf Neither Party seems to want to work UP or bother with local politics, they seem ONLY to be interested in the "Sexier" positions of power: the Presidency. Thus, they have only played spoilers, and have done not much in actually positively affecting the lives of people. In the Libertarians case, they have become proponents of intimidation via open carry nonsense, unregulated fossil fuel subsidies, rampant environmental exploitation and vulture capitalism for personal gain. In the case of the Green Party, they have become cartoonishly corrupt. In addendum, I found this old 1963 article in Harper's Magazine The Paranoid Style in American Politics Things have only gotten worse since #Trumpery, & his and McCarthy's mentor Roy Cohn's vile little fingerprints can clearly be seen greasily smearing our Democracy.

Cuppa Thought Fodder ~ Christmas Eve -2020

 I guess I need a new title. Is anyone out there? 
Another Morning, another #Trumpery bombshell. He just wants to burn the whole thing down because the babbling whiny manbaby #BunkerBoy didn't get his Lolly, and now must pay the piper as a civilian.

The House passed a #Covid19 bill back in May :

House Passes $3 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Bill That Has Dim Future

which the #GrimReaper #MitchMcConnell & his cronies blocked.

After months (EIGHT MONTHS to be exact) of negotiation, The House, the Senate & Mnuchin finally come to a bipartisan Bill that no one is REALLY Happy with, but everyone thinks will pass

Breaking down the $900B stimulus package and $1.4T omnibus bill

and THEN -true to form- #Trumpery waits until the very last moment to complain that HIS PARTY'S $600.oo direct payment is too little (duh) and of course, bolluxes the whole thing. Because, reasons.

The House is NOT rolling over tho

House fails to pass measure to increase stimulus checks to $2,000 "On Monday, I will bring the House back to session where we will hold a recorded vote on our stand-alone bill to increase economic impact payments to $2,000. To vote against this bill is to deny the financial hardship that families face and to deny them the relief they need," Pelosi said in a statement. "Hopefully by then the President will have already signed the bipartisan and bicameral legislation to keep government open and to deliver coronavirus relief," she said."

You may ask why there was so many non-covid19 related expenditures. Good Question ! THAT'S because the GOP ALSO would not address the spending bill, AKA #Trumpery's bloated budget, HIS BUDGET. His own Cabinet insisted that HIS BUDGET & the items HE REQUIRED TO BE IN IT be combined with the Corona Relief Bill.

Ohio Republican knocks Trump criticism of spending bill: 'Items he complained about' are a 'lie' or 'in HIS budget'

Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio)

“If @realDonaldTrump didn't want money going to foreign countries, he shouldn't have asked for it. 100% of the items he complained about last night were either a lie (i.e. illegals aren't getting $1800) or things in HIS budget (all the foreign aid),” the Ohio Republican tweeted."

"Just took a quick look at the budget Trump submitted to Congress. Some interesting stuff in there. Just State Department portion: Ex: 125 Million to Egypt. 130M to Nepal. 131M to Burma."

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/sta_fy21.pdf

Trump's complaints vs. his own budget proposal

This is so typical of a narcissistic sociopath, tho.

A strong dose of Gaslighting, anyone?

Cuppa Thought Fodder ~ Dec 23rd, 2020 Thoughts on #Covid19

 So many people seem to take their immortality for granted. ESPECIALLY those who have either recovered from a mild case of #Covid19, OR who know NO ONE who has come down with a severe case, and thus, for them, it does not exist.

Must be nice to live in a bubble where the actions of strangers do not directly affect your well being. Guess you gotta be rich. Matt Gaetz of Florida @mattgaetz stated "I didn’t get vaccinated and have no plans to be. Having relatively recently tested positive for antibodies, I’m no risk to anyone." Except, HE IS A DANGER. Or at least he COULD be according to actual epidemiologists. Nice to know that he's been hiding his medical degree along with his son. More Evidence That You Can Get Covid-19 Coronavirus Twice They reference this website -updated daily- which tracks reinfection of #TrumpPlague COVID-19 reinfection tracker and Suspected cases of COVID-19 reinfection

Several Doctors specializing in cancer care state "Thou Shalt Not Enter" even if you've recovered because we just don't know how this #TrumpPlague can mutate, can reinfect, or can break immunity. MD Anderson Cancer Center ~Recovered from COVID-19? 4 things to know and state: "These findings suggest that at least a proportion of recovered patients still may be virus carriers," the researchers wrote. I don't know about y'all, but I'm not willing to take that kind of risk with someone else's life, not to mention my own, just because of arrogant ignorance & political aspirations.  Can people spread coronavirus after they recover? which begs the question: "The challenge is, how fast does this mutate?" Johnson said.
and on mutation, we find we know as much as we know and we have a lot to learn as people die. Implications of the Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Variant VOC 202012/01 The UK has sure been hit hard with this one. Doctors Explain the New Mutant Coronavirus Strain That Shut Down the U.K.  

On Herd Mentality .. err I mean Herd Immunity  

 It requires 70% of the population to have been infected and recover. Or die. On the road to herd immunity, vaccination speeds the journey Last week #Trumpery was glory halleluyahing over the fact that we are at 15% infection rate and that is with OVER 326,239 dead American citizens.
Is this sustainable in any other universe except within the bubble #Trumpery lives ??

"You develop immunity over a period of time. And I hear we're close to 15%, I'm hearing that, and that's terrific, that's a very powerful vaccine in itself," he told reporters on Tuesday." 

So like Bruce Y. Lee, Senior Contributor of HEALTHCARE says,

"So even if you’ve recovered from having Covid-19, don’t assume that you can’t get the infection again. Don’t assume that the infection will be less severe the second time round. Don’t assume that it won’t be worse. And for Pete’s sake and everyone else’s, don’t tweet out that you are immune to the virus. There could be many holes in that assumption. "

Cuppa Thought Fodder -December 22nd 2020 Fairness Doctrine, lies & Accountability

 More and more I begin to feel sorrow and pity for my Fellow Americans who still believe in this Grifter, this #LoserOfTheYear , this #CantaloupeCaligula , this #NectarineNero . I'm pretty sure these feelers of mine will not be graciously received.. (I mean who desires to be pitied?) but I just can't help feeling sorry for the folks who are "none so blind as those who will not see" (John Heywood & Jeremiah 5:21 )

Heather Cox Richardson, as usual, has given me my morning cuppa considerations Letters From an American

As for those who actively enabled his illegal & democracy-destroying shenanigans ?? Yeah, they are complicit. Thanks for the apologies, but it's a little late to EVER truly forgive your role in this.

‘We were complicit’: Lawyer who worked for Trump administration pens op ed apologising to US

I believe OAN, FAUXInfoTainment, & NewsMax should be held legally liable for their LIES. Yeah, sure, they walked it back and "clarified" but that was well, after the fact. The damage has been done, and no retraction will heal that damage.

Fox News, Newsmax Walk Back Election Fraud Claims After Voting Machine Manufacturer Threatens Legal Action

I believe we need to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine and overturn Citizens United. While they are not linked, they are part and parcel of the problem of misinformation and mistrust

Here's a few articles and studies about the Fairness Doctrine. I think it needs to be updated to fit the technologies of which we now depend, but this is the frame work.

Pros & Cons

Fairness Doctrine: Definition, Pros & Cons some more insight here: THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE IN LIGHT OF HOSTILE MEDIA PERCEPTION I keep pinching myself. This has GOT to be one of those recurring nightmares from which you Just. Can't. Awaken.

But Jan 20th IS COMING, Reek

Cuppa Thought Fodder ~ Dec. 10th 2020 And the Little Children Will Pay Trumpery's Price in Blood

 Cuppa Thought Fodder ~ Dec. 10th 2020 
And the Little Children Will Pay Trumpery's Price in Blood

Perhaps you are of the opinion that "anyone trying to apply for sanctuary to the United States should have to jump through hoops" Perhaps you are not considering what they do between the hell they are trying to escape, and the hell #Trumpery, Sessions & Stephen "Eichmann" Miller's "Zero Tolerance" immigration protocol and child separation human rights violators have done.

"A kid died? They shouldn’t have tried to come here in the first place. Nothing we can do."

A Border Patrol Agent Reveals What It’s Really Like to Guard Migrant Children Perhaps you didn't know that our asylum laws state: People arriving at the U.S. border have the right to request asylum without being criminalized, turned back, or separated from their children.  8 U.S. Code § 1158 - Asylum

There are still children incarcerated here in the States for the "crime" of attempting to escape persecution.

The parents of 545 children separated at the border still haven’t been found

and children are still dying while in "custody" of NO freaking crime. Most of these "Illegal Aliens" who are being vilified are asylum seekers. They are not "criminals" fleeing prosecution, not US-made "MS-13" gang members, not radicals, not dangerous. They are FAMILIES fleeing the terrorism of their own Countries -terrorism often assisted by US involvement be it weapon supplies or economic sanctions- they are mothers and fathers and aunties and nuncles begging for a safe(er) place to raise their kids to exist. Isn't this what Jesus taught us to protect and support? I mean at its most basic, isn't "Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself" pretty derned clear?? "People arriving at the U.S. border have the right to request asylum without being criminalized, turned back, or separated from their children. Here’s how the process works:" 

AND 

"Yes, seeking asylum is legal. Asylum seekers must be in the U.S. or at a port of entry (an airport or an official land crossing) to apply for, or request the opportunity to apply for, asylum. "There’s no way to ask for a visa or any type of authorization in advance for the purpose of seeking asylum,” says the International Rescue Committee’s director of immigration, Olga Byrne. “You just have to show up." 

Is it legal to cross the U.S. border to seek asylum?

So Trumpery & Miller just tighten the screws without any Congressional or Public input. NONE. 

During this pandemic: 

"the Trump administration announced that we won’t be providing flu shots to immigrant families at border detention centers."

The US won’t provide flu vaccines to migrant families at border detention camps and don't forget that the Trumpery Administration argued that immigrant asylum-seeking children didn't need soap, a toothbrush or a blanket Soap and beds are not essential for detained migrant children says Trump lawyer Leecia Welch, senior director of legal advocacy and child welfare at the National Center for Youth Law, said the panel’s ruling wasn’t surprising. “It should shock the conscience of all Americans to know that our government argued children do not need these bare essentials,” she said. Detained migrant children must have access to soap and other basic needs, court rules You may say 'This is old news" But America put refugee children in cages and in some cases, separated them forcibly from their Families for NO CRIME. The Cruelty is the Point

Cuppa Thought Fodder ~ Dec 17th, 2020 On Trumpery's deregulation rampage

 Cuppa Thought Fodder ~ Dec 17th, 2020 On Trumpery's deregulation rampage



At the end of his political reign of terror, Trumpery scrambles to burn America to the ground and make it as difficult as possible for President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to begin the process of healing. 

"Later, an analysis by E&E News found that legal deficiencies that led to project delays grew out of Trump administration officials who overruled government scientists and land managers during the review process." Federal Regulators Are Rewriting Environmental Rules So a Massive Pipeline Can Be Built

Because this is NOT HOW THIS WORKS. If your unsafe project fails, you don't rewrite the process, you DENY the project until it can pass muster. Which it shouldn't be able to, because no matter HOW they try to "mitigate our environmental concerns unto insignificance", non-renewable energy sources which require such incredibly intrusive measures to extract simply CANNOT BE SUSTAINED. Fossil fuels need to just stay where they are.

Fracking is just not a viable long term (or short term for that matter) process. It's just NOT.

CNN Explains: Fracking

Bill Nye the Science Guy on Fracking

What is fracking and why is it controversial?

Natural Gas and Climate Change

By the way, we do not know what chemicals are used in the "slick water" because Big Oil says it's proprietary. So what are they pushing past our water table, and what kind of safety protocols -besides paper towels, like the oil companies use for spills HONEST!- are they using?

How slick water and black shale in fracking combine to produce radioactive waste

"Study explains how radioactive radium transfers to wastewater in the widely-used method to extract oil and gas."

Release of treated wastewater from hydraulic fracturing contaminates lake

"Researchers now report that treating the wastewater and releasing it into surface waters has led to the contamination of a Pennsylvania watershed with radioactive material and endocrine-disrupting chemicals"

Radioactivity from oil and gas wastewater persists in Pennsylvania stream sediments

"Radioactivity from oil and gas wastewater persists in Pennsylvania stream sediments"

OH by the way: this is what big oil companies suggest for spills and accidents like Deepwater Horizon:

"6) CLEAN UP THE SPILL CEP carries a full assortment of spill clean up products that can work on any spill. The essential clean up product will be CEP’s line of Sorbents. Dependent on the type of liquid you’re cleaning up, CEP has you covered with Oil Only, Universal and HazMat pads, rolls, socks and boom. Often these clean up products will be stored and ready to use in one of our OVERPACK SPILL KITS which can then be used for proper disposal."

BIG PAPER TOWELS.

and THIS is what #Trumpery just loosened:

"Finally, each wellsite has spill management plans in place for workers to deal with should it occur. Steps include cleaning it up, reporting it to regulators and documentation.  Clean-up requirements and testing are all mandated by stringent regulations and enforced by regulators."

Trump Administration Loosens Fracking Restrictions

Tracking deregulation in the Trump era This one has an interactive listing of most of #Trumpery's deregulations across his 4 years of tyranny.

Here's a list of fracking accidents

Disasters and Accidents Of Horizontal Slickwater Fracking -Unacceptable

Thousands of spills at US oil and gas fracking sites

Want to learn more about Big Oil ? This book will blow your mind. Blowout by Rachel Maddow  This is a good review to whet your curiosity. I am finding it ... frightening. 

I absolutely cannot hate #Trumpery more. He would set the world on fire, in order to "get back at" the 81,283,485 Americans who voted against him. He simply MUST have that last narcissistic word, and his "last word" is always to piss on EVERYTHING around him. The more he does this crap, the more I believe we need to prosecute him to the fullest extent of the Law.