What Are Dems To Do In The Age Of Trump?

The right actions are needed if we as Democrats are to retain the House of Representatives, gain a majority in the Senate and put a Democrat in the White House.

From the excellent book “HowTo Democrat In The Age Of Trump” by Mike Lutz there are many areas that we need to address to make sure we are successful in 2020 and beyond.

Let me take a quick look and make these suggestions I got from his book.

Republicans are always proclaiming to be the party of liberty and freedom.

That’s a lie — but we can address that at a later time.

The Democratic Party should define freedom in more accurate terms.

Some of the stigma that the Rs have so cleverly claimed as theirs starts with a better definition of what freedom means in reality.

Are you really free;

–if you have had no meaningful rise in real wages in the last 10 (or so) years?

–if you’re working three minimum wage jobs to feed your family and provide them with healthcare and a clean, safe place to live?

–if you’re a small farmer and you only have one company that will buy your chickens, beef, or crops and they pay the least they can?

–if you cannot attend a school, theater, or a religious gathering without the fear of some nut with an AK-47 or an AR-15 coming in and shooting anyone and everyone they can?

–if you fear that your family may be ripped apart because of deportation?

–if your water is poisoned and the state is slow to fix it?

Of course not.

FDR said it best when (in the 30s) he said that we all should have these 4 basic freedoms;

Speech, religion (or no religion if you prefer [my input]), freedom from want and freedom from fear.

Democrats need to show working people that we will fight for them against the marauding class of the wealthy and large corporations.

We need to build a buffer zone between the government and corporate power that stops the revolving door between Congress and Wall Street.

The oligarchy has run amok and that is the main message that should be conveyed.

In the 2020 election, we will either make the gains needed or we will have to once again have to use all our energy just maintaining what’s left of our government and democracy.

Vote blue only.

Thanks for reading, share at will.

 

 

A dear John letter to John Deere

This is a little known trend that has already started and will be nearly impossible to eradicate unless arrested soon.

For hundreds of years the American farmer, car buffs, emerging engineers and others have been know to tinker with a thing or two. You know, the American way?

Those days may be numbered…..

What I am referring to is a little known [ALEC influenced] law you won’t likely see mentioned on mainstream media and will certainly will not hear about from the lawmakers that passed it, or any lawmakers for that matter.

I’m talking about what is called “repair prevention” and it’s being pushed by major manufacturers. It’s an attempt to corporatize the idea of ownership.

Today a lot of the manufactured goods you buy contain software, from a beard trimmer to a bulldozer. When you buy an item it should be yours to do with as you please and that should include the right to “fix” the thing you own, as we have done in the past.

Then comes this…. Maybe you’ve signed one yourself….. it’s called an “End User License Agreement”, or EULA. This agreement you signed has buried in the “find print” is a clause that forbids anyone from attempting, or doing, repairs or alterations to it.

John Deere has a doozy of a EULA…

More about it here:

Without going any further into this now, I suggest you click on the links provided and I will update this as new information becomes available.

Meanwhile, if you own an Apple cell phone 6 or later, do not attempt to fix it without taking it to a licensed Apple outlet. If you do you may end up with a locked device with “Error 53” on the display and at that point it’s value is only as a paperweight.

 

There is another back door attempt at undermining civil rights that you may not hear much about.

Even though this bill has a very slim chance of passing in the Senate, it could be a precursor of things to come.

Sharing this article from the Impact Fund:

https://www.impactfund.org/legal-practitioner-blog/hr-985

In my opinion the United States of America functioning as a democratic republic will cease unless we can purge our government of most of all current members of the GOP.

You can help and it won’t take that much effort if we all do a few of these things regularly. #Resist

 

https://99waystofighttrump.com/

The females the Women’s March ignored.

In Washington DC, and around the globe, protesters took to the streets to announce their distaste for some of the rhetoric, and plans which may come to light of the new US President, Donald Trump. …

Source: The females the Women’s March ignored.

Of Rights and Regulation

How much security can one safely expect in the modern world?

About this terrible shooting  by Omar Mateen in Orlando, Florida last weekend. Here is some weight I have to get off my conscience. It goes like this;

This shooter should never have had access to the weapon used, but because of our laws, that so far have served the purpose they were intended to, he was.

Why is that?

Our constitution is supposed to guarantee certain inalienable rights. The second amendment says we have the right to bear arms, but it also says that privilege is limited to “a well regulated Militia” and we now have the National Guard for that purpose. That still leaves open the definition of what constitutes a Militia. Is it run by the government? Then it is not a true Militia.

The other part of the 2nd Amendment that says that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”; is also open to interpretation, an interpretation widely held by some people to be absolute without any restrictions. But that one is too vague on it’s face.

This man involved had been on an FBI or Homeland Security watch list and that is where I have a problem. Our government is supposed to be of the people, by the people and for the people, yet we have our own government virtually spying on it’s own citizens and that is unconstitutional in my estimation.

The 14th Amendment is about civil rights and basically says, and this is supposed to apply nationally, that; “No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges and or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection under the law.

This man had been spied on and evaluated and yet he still got a weapon and was still not denied his right to bear arms even with the spying. So we’re supposed to think that this spy system we have now gives us a sense of security? It sure doesn’t me. It must be eliminated.

One former president said that those that give up any rights and expect to gain security lose their rights and have no security (paraphrased of course).

He’s the problem. Assault type weapons. No one should have the right to any gun that has clips that require virtually no reloading, shots that can be fired as fast as one can pull the trigger, can be altered to full automatic easily and are basically weapons that only a trained military enlisted person should own. Why? Because they have just one purpose, to kill as many people as fast as possible.

That’s my interpretation of the 2nd and 14th Amendments and although I believe that this man had yet to commit any felony and therefore should not have been spied on, he had all the rights to these weapons just like any other U.S. citizen.

It’s the weapons that are so easily available is what needs to change here. Not the constitution, but the changing of some constitutionally legal laws designed to do some “well regulating” if you will.

This tragedy might have been prevented with a federal law that bans ALL assault type semi-automatic rifles.

I believe that also to have a real lasting effect the ban should also include any hand gun with the same features (semi-auto, clip fed, easily altered).

This stance, or opinion if you prefer and I expect to be called out. Be my guest.

This is legal to do and should be done. As for the whole spying thing, another day another subject.

When is the Gun Violence Enough to Enact Some Real Changes?

Another mass killing in Orlando and yet some want to pass the blame away from guns and towards terrorism.

Another mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, and once again we have the pundits on Fox (is not) News going on TV and repeatedly spouting the lie that this is NOT about guns, it’s about terrorism. WTF?

Of course it’s about guns.

It’s about the ease in which one can obtain weapons that are designed to do only one thing, kill people.

It’s about knowing there are people that should never have any kind of gun, yet they can obtain any weapon they choose through gun shows and straw purchases or other means.

It’s about the attention (to a radical view be it a religious one or not) one person can attain, even though in many cases it’s posthumously, when using guns with the ability to kill dozens in a matter of seconds.

When are we going to have the balls to demand a change, to take measures to reduce this massacre?

Unless we are willing to face the fact that without some radical measures to limit the type of weapons that are legal to have, the amount of ammunition one person can legally possess, addressing the mental health issue or even the total confiscation of ALL privately owned guns, (don’t get your tidy whiteys in a bunch, that’s not what I am advocating here) there will be no change, or chance of any change.

I should go into the elected representatives, um, republican representatives that refuse to even pass one simple measure to make it harder to get any gun, won’t support a ban on assault type weapons, won’t close the loopholes that are used daily by people filled with hate and mental problems, but I believe I’ve said enough.

Oh, one more thing. Vote out all these idiots that refuse to do what a majority of Americans want and vote for those that will act on the will of the people and are willing to make these much needed changes.

Until that happens, get ready for another news flash about another mass shooting somewhere in America, maybe even in you own backyard.

What The Hell Have Republicans Really Done For Conservative Voters?

October 19, 2014 By Allen Clifton

Conservatives like to go on and on about the horrific policies of the Obama administration and how terrible Democrats are. But something that I seem to always notice is missing is what their party has done for them. See, as a liberal who voted for President Obama, I can tell you what he’s done for this country: Created over 10 million jobs, presided over record high stock levels, Found and killed Osama bin Ladin, passed health care reform, saved the American auto industry, To just name a few, out of the long list of things that he’s done.

These are quantifiable things that I can point to and say, “See, this is what my party did for me.” Though conservatives will undoubtedly scoff at all of those. Because as we all know when it comes to conservatives, if Fox News doesn’t say it, it’s not real. But when it’s all said and done, what the hell has their party done for them? Let’s get a couple of social issues out of the way: Gay marriage, abortion, outside of the people directly involved in a same-sex wedding, or an abortion, how exactly does that impact anyone else’s life? The answer is simple: It doesn’t. So, continuing to fight for these social issues isn’t “doing something” to improve the lives of the conservative voter. It’s just a power play based on some ignorant desire to control strangers based on what they believe is right or wrong. But even if same-sex marriages and abortions were illegal, that doesn’t “improve” the life of the average conservative voter. Sure, it gives them a “win,” but it’s not doing something for them. Because the typical conservative voter wasn’t going to have an abortion or marry a homosexual in the first place. So whether or not those two things are legal has absolutely no direct impact on their life. (Unless of course they’re a hypocrite and rally against things that secretly they would do, just to save face with their conservatism or Christian beliefs.)

So, again, what has the Republican party done for the conservative voter? Has this “trickle-down” economics made them rich? And don’t give me this “well Democrats keep preventing it from working properly” nonsense. Taxes have remained at all-time lows since Reagan. The rich are doing better than they ever have in this country. Many large corporations are making billions. So don’t give me this crap about taxes or regulations. If those were really burdens to our economy, then the rich would be suffering too. And they’re not. In fact, they’re flourishing.

Is it guns? Because as far as I can tell, President Obama hasn’t passed a single law to strip away gun rights. Actually, the only suggestions he really made were universal background checks and limits on magazine size. And I’m sorry, but if you can’t hit a target with 10 bullets, you shouldn’t be operating a gun in the first place. And why would anyone oppose universal background checks? Have we become so paranoid in this country that we can’t wait a week for a gun? If you really believe your life is in that much immediate danger you either need to call 911 or seek professional help. Besides, are gun rights really an issue on which you want to support an entire political party? How does that make sense? Vote against your own best interests in nearly every other facet of your life because you get to own more guns and get them a few days quicker than if the other party was in charge? Sure, you’ve got a safe full of guns – while you work 60 hours a week at two jobs for $7.25 an hour because the party you vote for refuses to raise the minimum wage. Yeah, that makes perfect sense.

And if I’m not mistaken (and I’m not) didn’t Bush tell us back in the early 2000′s that his tax cuts were going to usher in economic prosperity and eliminate our national debt? So, how exactly did the opposite of that happen? That’s right, because trickle-down economics is scam. Is it this fear-mongering against people on welfare? Conservatives do realize that millions of conservatives are on welfare, right? And when it gets right down to it, welfare abuse makes up a very small percentage of those receiving these benefits. But this also ties into the minimum wage issue. Because millions of American workers have full-time jobs, yet still rely on the government to survive. And as much as it “pains” me to say this, mostly Republican states lead the nation when it comes to citizens relying on government assistance.

Women’s rights? Please. Female conservatives, please explain to me what the Republican party has done to secure true equality for women in America. Then there’s always health care. After all, Republicans really tried to fix our broken health care system, right? Isn’t it amazing how suddenly “Obamacare” is some social radical idea, yet it was a Republican idea in the 90′s?

In fact, the 2012 Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, passed nearly the exact same law while he was governor of Massachusetts. But I guess once the black guy supported the law, then it became “evil socialism.” And to this day, even with all of their objections to “Obamacare,” Republicans have yet to provide a single plausible alternative. Except, of course, “Obamacare.” Oh, and for the record, almost all of the propaganda Republicans use against the Affordable Care Act:

Canceled plans

Kills jobs

Premium hikes

Confusing

Those are actually all arguments as to why we need true universal health care for all. Bush was president for eight years and Republicans had control of most of Congress for much of his time in Washington. What did conservative voters get from it? Is Iraq better off? No. Did we balance the budget? No. Did we pay off our national debt? No. Did we find Osama bin Ladin? No. Did we usher in unheralded economic prosperity? No. Did we “win the war on terror”? No. Tell me, what the heck did Republicans do for anyone but the rich during Bush’s eight years? The only people who really prospered during his time in the White House were the wealthy, big business, big oil and big defense. That was it.

So, conservative voter, I ask of you: What the hell has the Republican party actually done for you?
Read more at: http://www.forwardprogressives.com/what-have-republicans-really-done-for-conservative-voters/

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Republicans, Rights And Responsibilities

BY WENDY COOPER ON MAY 7, 2015    NEWS, POLITICS

Republicans need to take responsibility for the rights they hold dear as well as the rights they do not

Fringe groups of the Republican Party are quick to point out the rights afforded to them under the United States Constitution. Freedom of religion and the right to bear arms are two of their favorite topics. Anyone who dares to regulate either one is in for one hell of a fight. Yet the very same group is loath to admit that with any set of rights comes an equally important set of responsibilities.

Every American citizen is born with “rights’ under the Constitution. For example, we have a right to free speech. However, we also have a responsibility not to threaten people or to yell “Fire” in a crowded theater. When choosing to live in any society we are charged with certain expectations to help that society thrive. Yet it is the groups that yell the loudest about their “rights” that in turn are the most selfish about giving back to the country they claim to “love” so much. It is this denial of responsibility that is taking its toll on our country.

Taxes

No one enjoys paying taxes. However, American corporations and freedom loving Tea Party groups have taken this dislike to the extreme. Who can forget the several days standoff withCliven Bundy, the right-wing nut who refused to pay taxes for his grazing cattle for over twenty years and is estimated to owe the U.S. Taxpayers over $1 million dollars? Rather than pay the tax he issued a call to arms and gun nuts from across the country ran to his side in an effort to fight for his “freedom” to screw the government out of his fair share of taxes.

American corporations in turn are not much better than Bundy when it comes to freeloading. A corporation will go to great lengths to reduce its tax burden to the lowest percentage possible. Corporations such as Boeing and General Electric paid no income tax at all over a five year period. While the average citizen pays anywhere from 5-35% in taxes each year. Meanwhile we struggle with ways to pay for repairs to our crumbling infrastructure and provide decent public school education programs to our youth.

Health Care

When Obama introduced his signature healthcare plan nearly 47.3 million people lacked health insurance. Nearly 1 in 6 people were forced to declare bankruptcy due to mounting medical costs from a catastrophic illness that left them unable to work. Several years after the passage of “Obamacare” 9 out of 10 Americans now have some form of health insurance. The burden to hospital emergency rooms mandated to treat patients regardless of ability to pay has been greatly reduced.

Yet despite its success the Republican-controlled House has vote to repeal “Obamacare” 56 times to date. The reasons why they are so hell-bent on its repeal are many. Mostly it boils down to the simple formula that government-mandated healthcare amounts to taking from the rich to give to the poor. Even though every advanced country has some form of universal healthcare simply because it’s the right thing to do and it lessens the overall burden to society.

Voting

There are 206,072,000 people eligible to vote in America and of that number just 146,311,000 are registered to vote. In a presidential election year just 64% of registered voters turn out to vote. In primary elections the percentage of voters is drastically lower and estimated near 20% or lower. The result of low voter turnout has far reaching consequences for everyone.

Primary election voters decide who will run in general elections and when voter turnout is low special interest, fringe candidates often advance to run against the chosen candidate from the opposing party. In heavily controlled Republican districts, this radical candidate will win easily. It is how candidates like Senator Ted Cruz and Texas Governor Greg Abbott manage to win elections even though both have clearly broken with reality.

Abbott recently convinced himself that the Federal Government was set to take over Texas. He has mobilized the Texas National Guard to “fight” off an invasion meant to seize the guns of law abiding Texans. Abbott’s panic stems from routine exercises performed by military personnel over seven states. Abbott believes that this is a cover by Obama for an invasion staged from Walmarts in Texas that are closed for remodeling. Keep in mind, this is the governor…

Not to get lost in all the nuts, but the bottom line here is voting rights. If Republicans really cared about the people in this country and their so-called rights, you would think they’d be making it easier for people to exercise the most fundamental of rights, the right to vote. It is well understood that Republicans have been doing the opposite with voter ID laws, gerrymandering districts, etc.

It has become clear over the years that the Republican Party isn’t really quick to defend their rights so much as they are quick to defend their own interests. That’s why they are always willing to defend your right to own a gun and preach the gospel, but could care less about your right to an abortion or get married to a member of the same sex.

It is equally clear that the Republican Party has little desire to be responible. Their misguided beliefs in favoring war, the wealthy and trickle down economics has led to enormous deficits, massive income inequality, crumbling infrastructure, and the American corporate oligarchy.

So, when a Republican gets in you face about their rights, be sure to ask them about their responsibilities. I wonder how many will tell you it isn’t their problem. For Republicans and Libertarians, it’s always someone else’s responsibility.

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