Do you really think that Melania Drumpf taking up the cause of cyberbullying as FLOTUS is going to make a difference when after only 3 days we're seeing criminal behaviour like that which follows? Please read to the end of this seemingly long article. I have added comments after it.
I have been cruising through my usual haunts and came upon this and another article about the sorry state of affairs that has grown out of Trump's election win last Tuesday. This is not going to be good at all!
As I cruise through the internet now, I always find too much to share. Before the election, I thought the US would have Madame President-elect and the tempo would quiet down a bit. Instead, the US got Herr President-elect, Fuhrer Drumphenfarten as TC would say. Things will not quiet down but instead ramp up like never before. Stay tuned to Politics Plusas we continue to fight against Fuhrer Drumphenfarten and the fifth Reich.
Short Takes
Youtube — Finally, someone is actually taking responsibility for Herr Drumphenfarten win last Tuesday . . . well sort of.
Bee is so funny and astute . . . and Canadian! (well now with joint Canadian-American citizenship).
Washington Post — Few prognosticators predicted a Donald Trump victory ahead of Tuesday night. Polls showed Hillary Clinton comfortably ahead, and much of America (chiefly the media) failed to anticipate the wave of pro-Trump support that propelled him to victory. But a Washington, D.C.-based professor insisted that Trump was lined up for a win — based on the idea that elections are “primarily a reflection on the performance of the party in power.” …
At the end of our September conversation, Lichtman made another call: that if elected, Trump would eventually be impeached by a Republican Congress that would prefer a President Mike Pence — someone whom establishment Republicans know and trust.
“I'm going to make another prediction,” he said. “This one is not based on a system; it's just my gut. They don't want Trump as president, because they can't control him. He's unpredictable. They'd love to have Pence — an absolutely down-the-line, conservative, controllable Republican. And I'm quite certain Trump will give someone grounds for impeachment, either by doing something that endangers national security or because it helps his pocketbook.”
Click through for the remainder of the article. I don't know Lichtman but his gut prediction makes sense. Fuhrer Drumphenfarten is an impulsive person given to doing only what benefits him. Others have said they see a possible impeachment within a year. Others are calling for impeachment now. After that, it will be President Pence for the remainder of the 4 year term.
Youtube — And now a word or two from Bill Maher.
Bill is funny, irreverent, and spot on!
Globe and Mail — An Ontario Court judge wore a “Make America Great Again” hat in his courtroom the day after the U.S. election to mark president-elect Donald Trump’s “historic” victory, according to a source in the room.
Ontario Court Justice Bernd Zabel arrived at the John Sopinka courthouse in Hamilton on Wednesday morning wearing Mr. Trump’s signature campaign hat, according to the source, and addressed the numerous lawyers, police officers and defendants. Another witness in the courtroom did not dispute the details.
The incident has prompted an outcry from legal observers who say Justice Zabel’s political display undermines the public’s confidence in judicial impartiality. And they are particularly upset because Mr. Trump has made disparaging remarks about women and minorities.
“The clerk said ‘all rise’ and the door opens and Justice Zabel comes out. He is in a black silk robe with the crimson sash and the white tie. He has a poppy on his lapel. And he is wearing a scarlet-coloured baseball cap that says Make America Great Again. And we all stand because we are supposed to stand when the judge comes in and he looks at everyone and said he was wearing the hat ‘because last night was an historic occasion,’” the source told The Globe and Mail.
“He took the hat off and put it on the bench so everybody could look while he continued his court business. He didn’t put it away. It was sitting on the bench.” Mr. Zabel then came back with the hat after morning break, the source said.
In my book, this is totally unacceptable. For an institution that is impartial and must be seen to be impartial, this judge sets the wrong tone. Kellie Leitch, MP for Simcoe-Grey in Ontario, is excited about Drumphenfarten's win in the US and has called for his agenda, particularly his immigration agenda, in Canada. With that kind of rhetoric around, the courts should not be influenced as well. BTW, Leitch is running for the leadership of the federal Conservative party to replace Herr Harper.
Huffington Post UK— Hat Tip Evelyn B Care2 through the Napster — When Republican frontrunner Donald Trump enjoyed a number of wins on Super Tuesday earlier this week, it seems that a number of Americans began considering a rather drastic option: moving to Canada.
But it looks like US citizens keen to escape the growing popularity of Trump – and perhaps even the nightmarish possibility of him becoming president – could find themselves facing a particularly big hurdle. Or at least if Adam Hills has anything to do with it.
Click through for the remainder of the story. There is a link in the story where you can click for bricks or you can click here bricking it for canada. Although this article dates back to 16 March 2016, it's even more appropriate now that Fuhrer Drumphenfarten has won the golden ring, so to speak. The total bricks is at 2,057,675,870 and still rising!
My Political Universe — I always liked George Carlin!
Yesterday I had heard the sounds of demonstrators throughout the city. As I was dozing off to sleep, I was awakened by loud demonstration sounds, and they were almost under me. I could see the demonstrators from my window. Several chants rang out. "Hands up! Don’t shoot!" "Black Lives Matter!" "My body! My Choice!" "I’m Queer! I’m Here!" "Pussy grabs back!" "Not My President!" The leaders shouted into megaphones that violence and vandalism would not be tolerated. Police loudspeakers ordered the demonstrators to disperse. Instead, they sat down. Then things got ugly.
A third consecutive day of anti-Trump demonstrations turned violent Thursday night, as protesters began with a rush-hour march and chanting but eventually damaged cars at a dealership and rampaged through the Pearl District shattering business windows into Friday morning.
Police declared the demonstration a "riot" more than three hours after its 5 p.m. start, citing "extensive criminal and dangerous behavior." The bureau said it warned the crowd about the designation, then tweeted that rioting is a class C felony. It later tweeted that 26 were arrested in the demonstration, which lasted into early Friday morning.
Officers in riot gear on numerous occasions used flash-bang grenades and fired rubber pepper ball spheres at the crowd after it refused repeated demands to disperse. Police report officers were "taking projectiles;" protesters were seen throwing objects toward officers, and some fired fireworks in their direction.
The officers didn’t move in until after a small fraction of the thousands of protesters became destructive.
Police tweeted that many demonstrators were "trying to get anarchist groups to stop destroying property" and that "anarchists" were refusing to do so. Demonstrators at many points chanted "peaceful protest."
Here’s the problem, as I see it. The people who were vandalizing and assaulting people were not the protestors. I saw Republican onlookers wade into the demonstrators and attacking them. I read that one Republican got out of a car on the Morrison Bridge and shot a demonstrator. However, the police attacked the peaceful demonstrators. I saw CS gas being used. I’ve never seen flash bangs before, and they are very loud and very bright. They were going off dangerously close to the demonstrators. Police used a sonic cannon very close to me. The sound was so intense, that I had to hold my hands over my ears, and I had a severe headache for hours afterwards.
In spite of the abuse of power against them, the demonstrators are now raising money to help repair the damage they did not do. I am thoroughly proud of them.
As for the vandals and violent people, they belong with the Republican Party. There is no place for them among progressives, if they are going to act like Republicans.
I’m still extremely tired. I had little sleep last night, because I inadvertently participated in a riot, and did so from the edge of my bed. See my lead article today.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 2:31 (average 4:46). To do it, click here. How did you do?
I wonder if the North Korean immigration website crashed from attempts by Americans to escape the Fifth Reich of Fuhrer Drumphenfarten. Like most of us, I’m still here. Like far too few of us, I’m fighting back.
I can't do it today. I just can't. I can't write about any outrage today as it it were an aberration, when outrages are going to become are already starting to become the norm. If you want to see what Alecto ("unceasing"), Megaera ("grudging"), and Tisiphone ("vengeful destruction") look like when it has become too much even for them, just look at the picture.
Here is just a small sample of what is already happening (from an email from Moms Rising):
•In Illinois, White university students put on blackface and posed in front of a Confederate Flag to celebrate Trump’s victory.
•In Philadelphia, vandals scrawled Nazi and pro-Trump messages in city neighborhoods.
•In Kansas, a high school suspended two White boys wearing Trump shirts for ripping a hijab off a fellow student. When asked why they did it, one boy answered, “Because she’s about to get kicked out anyway and we won.”
*In Delaware, a Black woman filling her gas tank was approached by a group of four White men. One said to her, “How scared are you, you black b****? I should just kill you right now, you’re a waste of air.” Another showed her his firearm and said, “You’re lucky there’s witnesses or else I’d shoot you right here.”
•In California, a young woman was approached by an older man who said, “I can’t wait until Trump asks us to rape your people and send you back over the biggest damn wall we’re going to build. Go back to hell, wet back.”
•Also in California, a gay man at a bar was approached by a group of men who shouted at him, “We got a new President you f***ing f****ts," before assaulting him in a nearby alley.
•Educators from across the country are reporting rising levels of anxiety and fear among their students of color. In Utah, two parents reported seeing two kindergartners tell a Hispanic classmate that he would be going back to Mexico after Trump’s victory.
Yes, a lot of this was going on before the election. But somehow, now it seems to have a new – authority.
Fascism just got hold of the United States. We are now seeing the worst of the worst elevated to positions of incredible power. Racism has been legitimized and the reports of hate crimes are rolling in. Trans children are committing suicide. Stock prices of private prisons and coal have skyrocketed. Women are months away from truly losing the right to control their own bodies. Marriage equality is under attack. The safety net is about to be destroyed. Hard won progress on climate change is about to go down the toilet. We are about to lose all regulations on the financial industry. Millions are terrified of being rounded up for deportation. Muslims are facing honest to God persecution. We’ve gotten confirmation that the world’s most powerful dictator manipulated our election to get the result he wanted. Our allies in Europe are freaking out. Intelligence from the Middle East indicates that al-Qaeda and ISIS are over the moon with joy.
And the majority of the people here are refighting the primary war? Ignoring the terror of huge swaths of America to gloat? Dreaming of how this is all going to work out for them in the future?
Can people really be this stupid as to what is happening ? This blind to what is coming down the road?
I quoted John Pavlovitz last week. I'd like to quote him again now, as he addresses people who don't understand:
This is not about losing an election. This isn't about not winning a contest. This is about two very different views of the world.
Hillary supporters believe in a diverse America; one where religion or skin color or sexual oriantation or place of birth aren't liabilities or deficiencies or moral defects. Her campaign was one of inclusion and connection and interdependency. It was about building bridges and breaking ceilings. It was about going high.
Trump supporters believe in a very selective America; one that is largely white and straight and Christian, and the voting verified this. Donald Trump has never made any assertions otherwise. He ran a campaign of fear and exclusion and isolation – and that's the vision of the world those who voted for him have endorsed.
Every horrible thing Donald Trump ever said … has now been validated.
Every … call to bully protesters … and every ignorant diatribe has been endorsed.
Every piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation … has been signed-off on.
Half our country has declared these things acceptable, noble, American.
And this is why we grieve.
(This is only a summary. Click through for the whole piece. Skip the comments though.)
Oh, the Furies and I will be back. Eventually. But all four of us need some down time right now.
The first time I saw Bowling for Columbine I was hooked. Since then I have seen almost everything Michael Moore has produced, except his piece on Rump Dump, and that was only because of my vision problems. I’ve never been disappointed. His five points are the end of a much larger article, and I urge you to click through to read it in its entirety.
…Moore’s full five-point list:
Take over the Democratic Party and return it to the people. They have failed us miserably.
Fire all pundits, predictors, pollsters, and anyone else in the media who had a narrative they wouldn’t let go of and refused to listen to or acknowledge what was really going on. Those same bloviators will now tell us we must "heal the divide" and "come together." They will pull more hooey like that out of their ass in the days to come. Turn them off.
Any Democratic member of Congress who didn’t wake up this morning ready to fight, resist, and obstruct in the way Republicans did against President Obama every day for eight full years must step out of the way and let those of us who know the score lead the way in stopping the meanness and the madness that’s about to begin.
Everyone must stop saying they are "stunned" and "shocked". What you mean to say is that you were in a bubble and weren’t paying attention to your fellow Americans and their despair. YEARS of being neglected by both parties, the anger and the need for revenge against the system only grew. Along came a TV star they liked whose plan was to destroy both parties and tell them all "You’re fired!" Trump’s victory is no surprise. He was never a joke. Treating him as one only strengthened him. He is both a creature and a creation of the media and the media will never own that.
You must say this sentence to everyone you meet today: "HILLARY CLINTON WON THE POPULAR VOTE!" The MAJORITY of our fellow Americans preferred Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump. Period. Fact. If you woke up this morning thinking you live in an effed-up country, you don’t. The majority of your fellow Americans wanted Hillary, not Trump. The only reason he’s president is because of an arcane, insane 18th-century idea called the Electoral College. Until we change that, we’ll continue to have presidents we didn’t elect and didn’t want. You live in a country where a majority of its citizens have said they believe there’s climate change, they believe women should be paid the same as men, they want a debt-free college education, they don’t want us invading countries, they want a raise in the minimum wage, and they want a single-payer true universal health care system. None of that has changed. We live in a country where the majority agree with the "liberal" position. We just lack the liberal leadership to make that happen (see: #1 above).
1. Amen. I have always believed in exterminating the blood-thirsty Republican alligators, before draining the Democratic swamp. I was wrong. Drain the swamp.
2. I disagree. I don’t think we should turn them off, because it’s important that we know what they are doing. I even watch the Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda, Faux Noise, from time to time. Instead, don’t patronize their advertisers, whenever possible.
3. When DINOs step up, tear them a new Trump hole.
4. Good point. In my final prediction, I smelled a rat and guaranteed only that I could make no guarantees. I put forward what I hoped was a worst case scenario and said that I could easily be wrong.
