Glenn Kirschner – A Colorado Election Official, A Security Breach, An FBI Investigation & My Pillow Guy’s Safe House. Oh, sure, it’s funny to Glenn – it’s not his state.
Meidas Touch – DeSantis ad
Don Winslow – My Letter to Republicans
The Lincoln Project – DeSantis Lies
Really American – Vaccine Conspiracy Theories Making Variants Worse
Armageddon Update: FUBARistan
Kitten Abandoned at Playground Rescued by Sweetest Guy
Beau – Let’s talk about the Saigon analogy….
Yesterday, I got to see my husband for the first time in a year and a half. Not only he but the staff also made me feel welcome. But it was still a long day, what with 2+ hours driving each way and an almost 5 hour visit. I put some details into a comment in yesterday’s Open Thread, so will try not to repeat myself. And this Open Thread will be short.
Cartoon –
Short Takes –
PolitiZoom – FUX News Is Literally Poisoning People
Quote – Rachel reported tonight that in addition to having to deal with a collapsing healthcare system, Mississippi suddenly found today that an incredible 70% of the calls coming into their poison control center were from people who had ingested a drug called Ivermectin. What the hell is Ivermectin? It’s a livestock drug used to deworm horses! And why would a shitload of Mississippi residents suddenly start ingesting a livestock deworming drug?
Click through for more. This loaded quite slowly for me yesterday, but it did load.
Law and Crime – A Federal Judge Struck Down One of the Most Widely Prosecuted Offenses in Immigration Law, Slamming ‘Racist’ Origins
Quote – Gustavo Carrillo-Lopez was indicted in 2020 for a felony under 8 U.S.C. § 1326. That specific felony is one that has been on the books for nearly a century: reentry into the U.S. after having been deported. Carrillo-Lopez argued that his indictment should be dismissed because the statute violates his equal protection rights under of the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Despite the statute’s long history of use in cases like Carrillo-Lopez’s, his argument prevailed before U.S. District Judge Miranda Du.
Click through for story. I’m sure this is not the end of it, and it could be inteesting to watch where it goes.
AP News – Beshear critics vow to work with governor to fight pandemic
Quote – Top Republican lawmakers are promising to work with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear to fight COVID-19 after a court ruling cleared the way for new limits on the Democratic governor’s emergency powers.
Click through for details. I’ll believe the headline when I see it happening.
Food for Thought –
Glenn Kirschner – As Frustration Grows w/DOJ’s Inaction, Let’s Compare the 1/6 Insurrection Investigation w/Watergate
Meidas Touch – More of Alexander Vindman
The Lincoln Project – Ducey
Really American – The Real Taliban. Chip is back (so I’m a little behind. But I’ll catch up.)
Egberto Willies – I cut off the opening rant – I think the clip speaks for itself, and the little that he has to say at the end is plenty.
Soldier Saves Puppy Then Realizes He Can’t Live Without Her
Beau – Let’s talk about your questions on over there…. (20+ minutes of pretty much straight fact, sans ideology)
Yesterday, I remembered a couple of odds and ends I had not yet put in place for today, and took care of them. Mostly, I was able to rest and do a little crocheting.
By the time you read this I will be on the road. Yes, I will drive carefully – I always do. Virgil himself says I am a better driver than he is. I’ll be back eventually to comment. Meanwhile, have a nice “Thank A Criminal” Day.
Cartoon –
Short Takes – Just two today –
PolitiZoom – Finally! Some Good News From Kabul!
Quote – Most importantly, the administration came out and admitted that the program had been proceeding under the radar for almost a week. This changes the whole paradigm of the operation. The US military has been in almost constant contact with Taliban commanders since the start, providing them with valid forms of ID for US citizens and refugees to use, and warning of swift repercussions if if US forces come under hostile fire. I find it inconceivable that the US military on the ground had not warned the Taliban that the helicopters would be in the air, and interference in their humanitarian missions would bring swift reprisals.
Click through for details which really could not have been made public earlier.
The Guardian – Trump stages Alabama rally as state struggles with Covid surge
Quote – Dr William Smith, chief medical officer for Cullman Regional, told CBS42: “We view this as a potential ‘super-spreader’ event, just like last week’s Rock the South [at the same location]. We’ve seen an increase in patients since that event last weekend and we’re concerned we could see the same impact.” Trump’s presence will also put strain on Brooks’ opponents in the Republican race to fill the Senate seat being vacated by the retirement of Richard Shelby.
Click through for story, and please pray for Carrie B and her family (four generations.) This rally is north of Birmingham, and Carrie and her family are east of Montgomery, but this thing spreads.
Food for Thought –
Experts in autocracies have pointed out that it is, unfortunately, easy to slip into normalizing the tyrant, hence it is important to hang on to outrage. These incidents which seem to call for the efforts of the Greek Furies (Erinyes) to come and deal with them will, I hope, help with that. As a reminder, though no one really knows how many there were supposed to be, the three names we have are Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone. These roughly translate as “unceasing,” “grudging,” and “vengeful destruction.”
I hope it’s no surprise to anyone here that I have a heart for whistleblowers (if it is a surprise, I haven’t been loud enough,, for which I apologize.) So, when I got an e-mail early this week from Roots Action, which sponsors The Project for Accountability (by whistleblowers, for whistleblowers) including an essay from Jeffrey Sterling – at roughly the same time that the advance warning for “Thank a Criminal Day” (today) – I knew what I had to feature this week.
Jeffrey is now in charge of The Project for Accountability (his official title is “coordinator.”) The Project for Accountability, like every other project undertaken to secure and/or enhance our freedoms, is dependent on donations. But that’s not what his essay is about. It’s about principle, personal sacrifice, the Espionage Act and the way it is still administered, the limitations of our justice system, and justice in general.
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Daniel Hale
This month marked another notch on the weapon that is the Espionage Act, as it continues to be misused by the Department of Justice. Drone whistleblower Daniel Hale was sentenced to spend 45 months in federal prison. Once again, so-called justice in this country will subject a person of truth to the desolate confines of prison, not out of the rule of law and justice, but out of a continuing desire to retaliate against those who dare stand up for truth and accountability in our government.
I know what Daniel must have felt standing there in front of a judge, not knowing what his fate would be. It is an indescribable sense of confusion and disbelief. There is no way to reconcile doing the right thing, telling the truth, and then being punished for doing so. I remember not knowing what “punishment” Judge Brinkema would feel appropriate for having the nerve to stand up against the CIA, Operation Merlin, and the Espionage Act. For her, 42 months was my damnation. Facing 10 years for each of the nine counts by which I was wrongfully convicted, I imagined being put behind bars for the rest of my life. In a way, I was surprised that she levied “only” 42. After all, the prosecution in my case labeled me a threat to and traitor of the very foundation and security of the nation. The nonsense, if not folly of it all became clear, the trial and the sentence had nothing to do with justice, they had more to do with revenge. The same applies to Daniel Hale receiving 45 months, certainly less than the nine years the prosecution was aiming for.
One moment behind bars for telling the truth is too much for any whistleblower. The injustice of how the Espionage Act is being used by the federal government is self-evident via the travesties inflicted upon Reality Winner, John Kiriakou, Terry Albury, Chelsea Manning, among others. In addition, even though he is not behind bars here in the U.S., make no mistake that Julian Assange is bearing the same heavy weight of being charged under the Espionage Act as the others. What makes it all even more unpalatable, is how differently whistleblowers are being treated from those who really are and have been threats to our national security. Daniel Hale is going to spend up to 45 months in prison for telling, and standing by the truth; the cowards who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021 have been and are facing a different form of justice.
Just a week and a day prior to Hale’s sentencing, Paul Hodgkins became the first of the Jan. 6th insurrectionists to face sentencing; he received a scant eight months behind bars for his involvement with the deadly assault upon the Capitol. Of course, he pled guilty to a charge not indicative of the threat to this country that he and that mob represented, a single count of obstructing an official proceeding. In sentencing, Judge Randolph Moss commented, “It’s essential to send a message that this type of conduct is utterly unacceptable, and that grave damage was done to our country that day… But at the same time, I do not believe that Mr. Hodgkins, other than having made some very bad decisions that day… that he is a threat.” In addition, the judge added, “Although Mr. Hodgkins was only one member of a larger mob, he actively and intentionally participated in an event that threatened not only the security of the Capitol but democracy itself…” Hodgkins, for his actions commented that he was “truly remorseful and regretful… the way this country that I love has been hurt…”
In contrast, eight days later, Judge Liam O’Grady had these words to say during Hale’s sentencing: “You’re not facing prison for speaking out about the drone program injuring and killing innocent persons. … A majority of Americans would have commended you for coming forward… You could have been a whistleblower and garnered all this attention without leaking any of these documents, frankly.” O’Grady’s comments reflect what I believe is an intentional naivete regarding the realities for whistleblowers that federal Eastern District of Virginia judges continue to use as spurious rationalization when it comes to sentencing. Hale pointed out the realities through a handwritten, 11-page letter to Judge O’Grady explaining the trauma he witnessed and experienced as well as his motivation to speak out. Only speculation can determine if it had any impact on O’Grady and the sentence he handed down.
Terry Albury
Both judges unequivocally sent the message that truth itself is not important, what matters is how it is revealed and by whom. Hale shed light on a truth that the U.S. government would prefer not to be revealed; Hodgkins and the Jan. 6th insurrectionists revealed a truth about this country that America is tolerant of. In other words, if you reveal a truth that is embarrassing to the U.S., the revenge to fall upon you will be terrible. However, if your actions don’t discomfit the U.S., you will face a different, more lenient form of justice, regardless of the danger presented. This is the truth about the lie that is “national security.” Hodgkins and the Jan. 6th insurrectionists posed a direct and real threat to national security, Hale was merely revealing a terrible truth about it.
True, both Hale and Hodgkins will spend time in federal prison, but my question is, with whom behind bars should we feel safer, Hodgkins or Hale? A 45-month sentence for Hale has nothing to do with justice, and everything to do with revenge and retaliation. A mere eight-month sentence for Hodgkins is justice defiled.
Justice cannot exist without truth. That an insurrectionist received a lesser sentence than a brave soul who revealed the war crimes being committed by his country shows how neither the prosecutions nor the sentences imposed had anything to do with justice. Without truth, justice is not blind, it is mutilated.
That Justice is a blind goddess
Is a thing to which we black are wise:
Her bandage hides two festering sores
That once perhaps were eyes.
― Langston Hughes
Jeffrey Sterling
Despite what continues to take place against whistleblowers in this country and the world over, I continue to have hope that there will be a change, that truth will matter. I have encountered many frustrated Americans who feel that there will never be any meaningful change, and while I can understand such a fatalistic viewpoint, I am not sure I can believe in such sentimentality. I believe that change is inevitable, the timing of it depends on how badly it’s fought for. I feel in some small way, I am fighting for change regarding the issues that not only interest me but also those that have touched directly upon my life by reaching out to you and others with a perspective that may align with those who still believe that change is possible. Maybe, just maybe my words can spark a resonance that will lead to real change. Thank you so much for your continued support.
Jeffrey Sterling
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AMT, there are some minor details on which I disagree with Jeffrey. But the substance of his essay is absolutely right on the money. Speaking of money, I am never going to be a mega-donor (you can’t win the lottery if you don’t play), but I did make a small donation, in honor of Thank a Crimial Day, and because we need our whistleblowers. If anyoe else can, here is the link. I can’t gusrantee it won’t pre-fill, but if it does, it’s only my email address, and you all have that already – and it’s easily changed.
The Furies and I will be back.
Glenn Kirschner – Reuters: FBI Finds “Scant” Evidence of Groups Planning Insurrection. Here’s why this HURTS Trump
The Lincoln Project – The Best of Us
Meidas Touch – with Alexandr Vindman
Thom Hartmann – The “Great” America Trump & His MAGATs Want Exposed. I seriously doubt anyone here didn’t know this. But here it is – admitted.
Al Franken – Tucker Carlson – Most COVID-Vaccinated American?
This Wild Baby Monkey is Obsessed With Her Cat
Beau – Let’s talk about getting out from over there and a teachable moment….
Yesterday, after reading the manual for the player with the opera on it, I realized the reason I wasn’t able to load anything was that I didn’t have the software installed on this computer (or on any compluter I’m currently using), and I couldn’t find the CD. I tried downloading it, but that didn’t work. However, what did work is the FM Radio feature, and I managed to get it tuned to my favorite station and get a strong signal. I also pulled out everything I intend to wear from the skin up and put it all together so I won’t be scrambling at the last minute. Then I pulled out the insulated bag for my water (which will go in frozen), my way-back snack, and to prevent a few ohther things from becoming untouchably hot while I’m inside – and found a sealable plastic bag to protect them from condensation. Finally, I printed and filled out the form that needs to be filled out and put it and the player and speaker with my purse and lunchbox I could have waited and filled it out when I get there, but with my limited eyesight and having to repeatedly remove and replace my glasses to see what I’m writing that small, I’d just rather do it ahead. So I think I’m pretty well set.
Cartoon –
Short Takes –
Mother Jones – To Beat Anti-Vaccine Trolls, Sometimes You Have to Think Like One
Quote – The first example is typical of how scientists communicate with us: Most major scientific bodies instruct scientists to stick to the facts when correcting misinformation. Yet a growing number of experts believe that facts alone can’t compete with the narrative techniques deployed by the purveyors of bunk. In her forthcoming book, Viral BS: Medical Myths and Why We Fall for Them, Seema Yasmin, a professor of primary care at Stanford University, argues that science communicators must harness the power of storytelling to beat the trolls at their own game. “Facts don’t really seem to be able to change people’s minds,” Yasmin says. “Stories can be much more powerful.”
Click through for the full article. I’ve been pushing the communication power of stories as opposed to straught facts for years … and so have religions, including the crazy ones, which means they have a terrifying head start on us.
Democratic Underground – Nicolle Wallace On What Everyone Got Wrong About Biden – The Beat – MSNBC
I could have just put this into the Video Thread, but that thread is fairly full, and I liked the comments here. Several anecdotes about the contributions of immigrants, a little abut Nicolle’s background, and her track record since joining MSNBC.
Click through for the video and comments.
NBC News – Woman who drove into 2 children because of their race gets 25 years in federal prison
Quote – Poole Franklin sped from the scene and saw the 14-year-old victim walking near Indian Hills Junior High School in Clive about 30 minutes later. Believing the girl was Hispanic, prosecutors said Poole Franklin drove her Jeep over the curb, struck the child and drove away. The girl hobbled to the school for help and was taken to the hospital to be treated for serious injuries, including a concussion and bruises, court documents state. Poole Franklin was arrested later that same day after police responded to an incident at a gas station. According to court documents, she allegedly tried to steal items from a convenience store and began yelling racial slurs when she was confronted by an employee. It wasn’t until days later, while still in custody, that police connected Poole Franklin to the hit-and-runs.
Click through for a little more. It’s too bad, IMO, that the Federal and state sentences will run concurrently.
Food for Thought – animated – wait for it.
The UN recently issued a direct report that climate change is irreversible. The oceans are warming, polar ice is melting, storms are getting more powerful and frequent, wildfires are burning everywhere, and the Gulf Stream is getting weaker and could even cease altogether.
In other words, we’re f####d.
Or are we?
It may be too late to avert some of climate change’s effects, but there may still be time to avert total calamity. We will have to face rising seas, fiercer hurricanes, more wildfires, and possibly new and nasty diseases; but that doesn’t mean civilization is doomed. Disasters will certainly disrupt society, but they won’t necessarily cause everything to break down. We need to prepare for the worst while doing all that we can to mitigate global warming. Even if we have passed a tipping point – thanks a lot, President [sic] Trump! – we can still survive, and avoid worse tipping points. Areas around the equator may be uninhabitable for part of the year, if not all.
Meanwhile, some countries and regions will benefit. Canada and Russia will have longer growing seasons so they will become the new global breadbaskets. The Great Lakes area and the Nordic countries will enjoy milder winters, according to some projections. Being the tough and resourceful critters we are, we’ll find new places to grow such vital crops as coffee, wine grapes and cacao.
We all need to do what we can – use public transit when feasible, bike or walk more, combine trips, eat less meat (better still, none at all), stop buying stuff we don’t need, purchase items such as clothes that will last, donate or Freecycle usable items instead of throwing them away, recycle (and make sure what we put in that special bin actually gets recycled!), use less water, and so on. Also, we need to lean on our elected officials to pass laws and regulations that help the environment and reduce waste, as well as wean us off limited, polluting fossil fuels.
The next several decades are going to be tough. Remember, tough times don’t last, but tough people do. So do tough societies.
Just to be on the safe side, though, let’s start assembling Knowledge Arks.