First Amendment – Politics Plus

Open Thread January 31 2026

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:03 am Blog News, Personal, Religion

Jan 312026

Yesterday, I observed that ICE (and/or CBP) is heading to Ohio (Springfield) on or about February 3. Also, Don Lemon has been arrested – I would assume (unconstitutional) charges have been filed, but who knows`. A number of smart people have been warning us it will get worse before it gets better. And, at least some businesses and schools in Denver (though probably not here) closed for the General Strike today. And, The Nation has nominated the City of Minneapolis for a Nobel Peace Prize, whilw Senate Democrats succeeded in splitting off DHS funding from other funding, thus avoiding a shutdown of the rest of the regime.

We have heard this from The Conversation before, and don’t think it would be out of line to say that we know it, and are aware of it – we who come here. But there are still lots of people out there who don’t. So please feel free to share.

Harry Litman takes a break from the law to address history and music, specifically Philip Glass’s Symphony #15, “Lincoln.” He quotes several points from Lincoln’s “Lyceum” speech, which is featured in the symphony, and is eerily prophetic. I’ll say up front that Glass is a personal friend of Harry’s, since he doesn’t reveal that until close to the end, and I think it colors his understanding.

I have another extended quote from an email to share today – no link, it only exists in the email. It’s from retired Major General Paul Eaton, who is kind of the voice of VoteVets.

After months of unjustified and outrageous escalations from Trump’s paramilitary forces, I’ve got a story for you.
It’s a small town outside of Fallujah, at the height of the Iraq War. A rifle battalion commander and his men are outfitted in battle dress. A crowd of Iraqis approaches these men, very upset, with a whole lot of riot potential. An exceptionally dangerous situation.
That battalion commander did not square up for a fight. He directed his men to take a knee, put the barrels of their rifles in the dirt, and smile. His men thought he was crazy, but they followed orders. And in one fell swoop, everything de-escalated. The Iraqis didn’t riot, no one was shot, and everybody went home.
A rifle battalion commander, surrounded by young men, in a combat zone, acted with restraint. What we’ve seen these last several weeks on American streets has been anything but restrained.
I don’t tell you this to advocate pitting American Troops against American citizens, but to further illustrate the vast divide between our Military and the ICE and CBP agents deployed by Trump to stir up trouble.
They’re out looking for a fight, and it’s important to understand why. He had Pam Bondi demand access to the Minnesota voter rolls in exchange for a drawdown. The FBI just raided an elections office in Fulton County, Georgia.
Trump knows the country hates what he’s doing. He knows he’s going to get taken to the woodshed this November. And he’s trying to figure out any way he can to hold on to power — even if he loses. We’ve already seen it on January 6th, 2021. We see it every day in the lies, provocations, and threats Trump makes. This is an incredibly serious situation, and we can’t wait to act against it.

Open Thread January 16 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 162026

Yesterday, the snow in my back yard didn’t all disappear, though it did disappear on the northern half. The southern half showed patches of the growth underneath the snow, but they amounted to less than half of the area, Joyce Vance did a Substack video with Mark Elias, and she highly recommended his Substack “Democracy Docket,” so I’m giving it a try. He is involved in a lot of anti-regime litigation and therefore someone we should know exists, which does not necessarily mean we should read everything he writes. I’ll follow this up. Also, I learned that Malcolm Nance is going to Greenland to work with NATO training exercises with military from NATO countries. And Robert Reich informed me that the Saffron Sauron threatens to invoke the insurrection act in Minneapolis. And the frosting on the cake is that Maria Machado gave her Nobel Prize to the Apricot Antichrist (I assume just the medal, not the money.) And then there’s this. Theater of War productions are known for using well known actors to perform – at least they are well known if you watch cable – which I don’t. But I know these people – who are not professional actors, but are lot more interesting than actors IMO. Take a look. It doesn’t say whether it will be Zoomed or otherwise digitally broadcast. Generally their events are Zoomed live (which would be at 5:00 here, 6:00 Central) and one also needs to register in advance ,with Zoom. I’ll follow up and share what I find, if anything.

I’m not sure I’d call what Common Dreams calls “mockery,” mockery. I’m more inclined to call it pure evil.

The saddest thing about this is that Robert Reich believes (rightly) that there are people who need to be told it because they can’t figure it out themselves. Perhaps our species needs renaming – “sapiens” just doesn’t seem to fit any more (if indeed it ever did). Having checked Google translate, may I suggest “homo stolidus”?

Once again, I am reminded by this article from The Root of Igor Stravinsky in Germany witnessing the brutal beating of a Jew by Gestapo going to a court to report it, only to be told by the Judge “In Germany today, such things happen every minute.”

Granted, I’m late with this video. But at least it’s still January – and we may need reminding now more than we did on the first or second.

Open Thread December 22 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 1:06 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Dec 222025

Yesterday, I got an email from Jasmine Crockett about a new poll – she is leading the Republican by 9 points, 51% to 43%, and this was just days after she entered the race. Fingers crossed! Also Trinette was by. Always so great to see her. We didn’t talk as much as usual – she is learning to crochet and I’m doing my best to help make it easier.

ICE Has Domestic Abuser Agent Locked Up In Their Own Facility

When I first saw this story, I hoped o find it in “Law & Order” – but no luck I’d love to see what their take would be. It seems to me wrong on so many levels.

https://archive.is/ICy7q
This (archived) from The Nation is not brand new, but I just received it yesterday from Dose of Democracy. All things considered, it probably should not be surprising, but I hadn’t thought about it. So I was surprised.

https://steveschmidt.substack.com/p/jfk-vs-donald-trump
This is not new either – except to me, probably. I was alive and I believe sentient during the Kennedy Presidential campaign, though not old enough to vote. I graduated from high school that year and started my freshman year of college. And I knew Kennedy had served in the US Navy during World War II. I had heard about PT-109. But I never realized that he and 12 others had been been presumed dead and actually had a funeral service. Steve Schmidt brings it up now to emphasize the contrast between JFK and the Orange Oligarch.

Open Thread December 4 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Dec 042025

Yesterday, Andy Borowitz headlined his Substack “Trump Boasts That International Criminal Court in The Hague Has Invited Him to Receive Award.” Considering what that would actually imply, would that it were true. Oh, well, I can dream. Also, yestersay was World Coati Day. Coatis, (or coatimundi, which was the name I learned as a kid, but I guess ispretty well limited to Brazil these days) are members of the raccoon family. They are somewhat rare jn the US, being limited to the Southwest, but more common in Central and South America, including Mexico. Oh, and also, it snowed – dirst of the season, about 3 inches and still on the ground at sunset. Unsurprisingly, it was cold.

This from The Independent was referred by Daily Dose of Democracy. I suppose it makes sense in a really, really warped kind of way. And we already knew that this regime is really, really warped. But good grief, what next?

Robert Reich tells us nothing here that we aren’t (probably) already aware of. But he does it so well – and offers possible solutions. Not easy solutions – I don’t think there are any of those – but possible. And he’s more than willing to hear about others from any reader who has any suggestions.

Harry Litman is not a veteran, but he knows a thing or two about military law, and First Amendment history, anyway. This is the second of a two-part analysis of the reaction to the veterans’ video regarding illegal orders. “I was just following orders” has not been a valid legal defense since the Nuremberg trials – almost my entire lifetime.

Open Thread September 20 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 202025

Yesterday, it occurred to me that I might be able to hear the radio opera from my laptop. But it also might not. This will post hours before the broadcast starts, so I’ll have to update you in tomorrow’s OT Also, yesterday was “Talk Like a Pirate” Day, and I completely forgot. I apologize.

Yesterday, I mentioned being speechless more and more often. And this from Wonkette is a good example. If I spelled out what I think about it, that would only make it more of a gut punch than it already is (and would also be NSFW.) I don’t need or want to do that. But I don’t want to downplay it either.

The regime has removed from wherever it was in the network of federal websites the study showing that “right wing” violence is vastly more common, and more severe, than “left-wing” violence. So, unless you saved it before they did that, it’s no longer available. However, this from The Conversation is available, and is also well-researched. I put left and right wing into quotes because in my opinion left and right has nothing to do with it – the divide in violence is between authoritarian and egalitarian. Left and right refer to economic theories. I grant that with the apparent polarization in our nation, right has become pretty well correlated with authoritarian and left with egalitarian – but that wasn’t always the case, and we may hope it may not always be. Although, without soind civics education, it probably will. And then there’s this. (popup is not a paywall. Just close it.

This from Vanity Fair analyzes the murder of Charlie Kirk from the aspect of how it is affecting MAGA and the rest of the fascist party. That could be important. You can read it at the original source if you’re a subscriber, or in the archive if you are not.

Open Thread August 8 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 082025

Yesterday, my inbox was even crazier than usual. I don’t know why. Federal News appeared to me to be the usual BS. I suppose there might be people who are just now catching on – but yu’d have to be deaf, dumb, and blind to be running even the tiniest news outlet and just now be catching on after more than six months of pure hell. in any case, I decided to go with a couple of off the wall stories, neither of which features the Orange Oligarch directly, though both are related to his policies (if you can call them policies and not fantasies – I think the jury is still out on that), along with one terrifying legal analysis, which includes guesswork, but some things are not that hard to guess. Also yesterday, this link was forwarded to me. I guess it’s no weirder that Scalia/Ginsburg = except that I would not be interested in an opera about it.

From The Conversation. Many of my sources from time to time refer to history as a help in understanding the present. This article appears to me to be particularly pertinent. And it happened within the lifetime of many of us, including me. The First Amendment is easy to approve, but not easy to discuss, and figuring out where to draw lines can be very touchy indeed. But I do believe the Warren Court got it right.

Certainly I knew that J. B. Pritzker was a Democratic governor who was working with other Democratic governors to protect citizens and residents from the Marigold Maelstrom. But that was all. this situation in Texas is getting coverage for more of his personality and Wonkette is there for it.

Well, this is scary. It’s not as if we weren’t anticipating it, of course, but I for one hoped it would take a little (or a lot) longer to get to it. But no – it’s here.

Open Thread April 9 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 5:57 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Apr 092025

Yesterday, a Federal judge reinstated AP to the White House Press Corps. Of course the Regime will appeal. You can find the full opinion at Axios (and probably elsewhere.)

This is Harry Litman‘s detailed discussion of the Supremes vacating Judge Boasberg’s order to get Mr. Garcia back from El Salvador yesterday (actually I believe it was two days ago now, but I’m referencing he expression “I want this done yesterday.”) It was a 5-4 verdict, and it caught my eye that it was a men against women split. And there were some caustic remarks in the dissenting opinions, as there should be when a literal group of dicks does something this despicable.

Pro Publica is also up in arms about civil right and DHS abuses thereof – as it should be. I mean, yes, I’m worried from month to month whether I will receive my Social Security funds, but I’m far more worried about people losing their civil rights – which could happen to anyone, any time, and while there may be recourse, recourse is always time consuming. People can and do die waiting.

Steve Schmidt referred his subscribers to this open letter from a Canadian to Americans (of good will – because that’s the only kind who can read it without their heads exploding [which actually reminds me of an old Burma Shave sign verse – yes, I’m that old.) It’s hardly flaming news, but it is something I don’t think most readers here would see without being pointed to it. And I found it inspiring. Elbows up!

Belle Elon

Dog

Open Thread October 21 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Oct 212024

Yesterday, I saw Virgil and of course we plauyed cribbage We had quite a mix of hands, from terrible to meh to good to great. The drive was easy both ways. I decided to get off the interstate this time at the same exit I always get onfor the return trip, and that worked very well. This aftermoon I have someone coming to switch over my phone and internet service; I did not initiate this, but CenturyLink who has done both for me formore than a decade at least is getting out of local internet and quite possible phone service as well, and this is who they chose to recommend as a replacement. I’m dreading it – i already put it off for over a month But the day is now here. Wish me luck.

Crooks and Liars picked this story up. It may not make headlines, but maybe it should. Not that the DOJ has enough staff to go into every county – or even just every county with a MAGA Sheriff.

I almost put this from Wonkette into my intro because I’m speechless.

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