The Fightin' Five Non-Negotiables!

We're in the fight of our lifetimes. The current darkness brought on by the regime of evil Republicans and weak Democrats marks a grim time indeed for the great experiment known as the United States of the America. But out of his darkness perhaps we can achieve some clarity of purposes and for the first time in decades unite the power of the people to unseat the all-too-comfortable rich who seem to imagine they are better than their peers. It happened in the 30's when the Great Depression demanded changes to the fundamental structures of our society. We are reaching that moment in time again when profound change is required. 

The UNFTR Podcast has outlined five pillars for Progressives going forward as we reconstruct our society to make it better for our children and those generations beyond that. These are aspirational but not unobtainable ideas from which a revived Progressive movement will not be shaken. These are the five "Non-Negotiables" for us to insist upon. 

1. Ending Homelessness. 

2. Building a Civilian Labor Corps. 

3. Medicare for All.

4. Election Integrity -- Getting Money Out of Politics. 

5. The Climate Trust

To read thoughtful extensive essays laying out these concepts and goals in detail just click on the links for each pillar or non-negotiable. But let me add a few words of my own. 

In a society which has built in so many structural limits to achieving even a modicum of success for most people, having a home to return to after a long day is a minimal expectation. No one should be forced live in cars or on the streets. And homelessness must never ever be considered a crime. The homeless we have in our country point to the failure of policies both conservative and liberal. The status quo is unacceptable and must be changed. 

Having a job in the coming years is going to be harder and harder for many as robots slowly but steadily take over jobs which in times past were sufficient to maintain a home. The vast wealth which has accumulated at the top of our society has been built on the backs of laborers who have gotten a decreasing share of that wealth. Idealistically a job should not in most cases give meaning to a life, but still a people need to be engaged with the society they are part of. 

Healthcare is a right and not a privilege. Changing the healthcare system in this country is the easiest pillar to achieve. Single payer healthcare solves nearly all the problems which afflict the delivery of health care in this country. It improves the quality and streamlines the delivery in such a way as to maximize the effort of those doctors and nurses and others who work diligently to keep up safe from our habits and the rigors of time. God knows there's more than enough money flowing through the system to keep everyone happy. 

Standing in the way of achieving all of these non-negotiables is the fourth one -- election integrity. I have watched for forty years now as the American political system has become increasingly corrupt. The rich want to own the rest of us and to that end they have purchased politicians and jurists, often in plain sight. Conservative politicians have hidden behind a veil of false comity to obscure the fact that what they want for their paymasters are de facto slaves. By buying media, the rich have successfully gulled too many into believing that their vote doesn't matter. They have rigged systems in state after state to make voting difficult. In a word, they cheat. We need to knock over the board and begin the game again. 

And beyond all of this is the world we live upon. Humanity has driven itself mad with hubris and has taken for granted life on this precious ball. (Eat it Flat-Earthers -- it is a globe.) We think we are mighty because in several millennia we have eked out a society. But the Earth can wipe all of human progress away in a few tragic moments. The planet we live on has given us great gifts, gifts we have consumed with little regard to the future. We are due for a reset. Mother Nature is not angry, she doesn't even care that we exist. 

But that's enough for now. This is a long game. It almost certainly will not be won completely in my lifetime, but that's not a reason to fight the fight. We can surely deliver some immediate victories if we remain firm, focused and united. The war is just beginning, actually I now see it has never ended. 

Note: This is a revised and updated post. 

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A HERITAGE Of HATE!

The third but I'm sure not final day of marches heads to the front of the Heritage Foundation, the trolls who authored Project 2025, the blueprint which is being used to unravel our democracy and replace it with a fascist dictatorship, all so that white men can cling to power a few years longer. These villains have perverted the very history of the nation itself to promote their xenophobic bigotry. The United States has been on the wrong side of history too many times over the decades, but it was founded on ideals which have only expanded over time. We must cleave closer to the ideal and let the hate of our history drift away into the mists of time. The founders gave us the tools to live in the modern world, we cannot let these cretins drive us back to a time when most folks were less than free. 

Let the Heritage Foundation see a little history being made right on their doorstep. 

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ALL The NEWS THAT'S FIT To PUNT!

America faces the crisis it does because much of its media, the loudly touted "Fourth Estate", the watchdog which is supposed to keep a close eye on the workings of government and crime and where they intersect, has gone silent in this crucial moment. A few voices still ring, but not with the bluster that could be mustered for something this critical. FOX News is the primary culprit, an outfit built to mislead a people who have been put under steadily increasing strain for decades. The faces and voices at FOX who have touted the current administration are villains pure and simple, and deserve a villain's fate. 

Today the march moves to the very front door of those who seek to obscure the truth of what is happening. I do not advocate for it, but I have to admit I'd enjoy seeing the FOX offices getting treated  to a "guided tour" not unlike that which was meted out to Congress some years ago when a certain felon couldn't accept the truth of his loss.  Report that. 

Tomorrow the planners of the crime get a visit when the march moves to the Heritage Foundation. 

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An ARMY On The MARCH!

Today is a momentous day, a day when Americans stand up to the autocrats who have sent out their goblins to undermine our democracy. In support of the war veterans who have served this nation, it is a small thing to ask that they be treated with dignity after their hitch is up. It is a promise, one broken by this administration in its manic effort to claw back enough money to shill out to the billionaires who are funding too much of our politics today. But on this day, the people will march with and in support of those brave soldiers who just ask for dignity. They are not just cannon fodder as the rich and powerful believe. They are men and women who have shown they know how to fight. 

My health will not let me be there, even a year ago it would have been different. But I want to send out the clarion call as best I can from my little nook of the internet. If you can take part, if you can't remember those who braved everything in service of an ideal which the people who just see money will never understand for all their bleating. 

Tomorrow, the protest pays a visit to Fox News. 

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THREE MARCHES In THREE DAYS!

 

For those who can make it, there are three marches scheduled for this weekend beginning on FRIDAY. Each march has a distinct purpose. The FIRST is to gather and support VETERANS who have been like all Americans abandoned by this anti-democratic administration. The 50501 outfit has joined in on this first protest The SECOND is on SATURDAY and focuses attention on the mainstream media which as abandoned its role as the "Fourth Estate". The THIRD is on SUNDAY and final march goes to the heart of the problem, the Heritage Foundation, the creators of Project 2025, the document which is designed to demolish the nation as we know it. 

For more check out the VLADIMIR LOVES DONALD website spearheaded by comedian and social activist Cliff Cash. Sadly, I cannot go. The recent protest in my state capitol proved that marching will not be the way I can effectively help the cause, much to my regret. With a knee needing replacement and neuropathy wreaking havoc with my feet, I'm breaking down at the worst possible time. But I can call Congress all day long and I can stuff envelopes when and where needed. To quote the sage Red Green (a Canadian by the way) "We're all in this together."

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A New World Order!

The current darkness brought on by the regime of Sweet Potato Hitler and his cronies marks a grim time indeed for the experiment known as the United States of the America. But out of his darkness perhaps we can achieve some clarity of purposes and for the first time in decades unite the power of the people to unseat the all-too-comfortable rich who seem to imagine they are better than their peers. It happened in the 30's when the Great Depression demanded changes to the fundamental structures of our society. We are reaching that moment in time again when profound change is required. 

The UNFTR Podcast has outlined four pillars for Progressives going forward as we reconstruct our society to make it better for our children and those generations beyond that. These are aspirational but not unobtainable ideas from which a revived Progressive movement will not be shaken. These are the four "Non-Negotiables" for us to insist upon. 

1. Ending Homelessness. 

2. Building a Civilian Labor Corps. 

3. Medicare for All.

4. Election Integrity -- Getting Money Out of Politics. 

To read thoughtful extensive essays laying out these concepts and goals in detail just click on the links for each pillar or non-negotiable. But let me add a few words of my own. 

In a society which has built in so many structural limits to achieving even a modicum of success for most people, having a home to return to after a long day is a minimal expectation. No one should be forced live in cars or on the streets. And homelessness must never ever be considered a crime. The homeless we have in our country point to the failure of policies both conservative and liberal. The status quo is unacceptable and must be changed. 

Having a job in the coming years is going to be harder and harder for many as robots slowly but steadily take over jobs which in times past were sufficient to maintain a home. The vast wealth which has accumulated at the top of our society has been built on the backs of laborers who have gotten a decreasing share of that wealth. Idealistically a job should not in most cases give meaning to a life, but still a people need to be engaged with the society they are part of. 

Healthcare is a right and not a privilege. Changing the healthcare system in this country is the easiest pillar to achieve. Single payer healthcare solves nearly all the problems which afflict the delivery of health care in this country. It improves the quality and streamlines the delivery in such a way as to maximize the effort of those doctors and nurses and others who work diligently to keep up safe from our habits and the rigors of time. God knows there's more than enough money flowing through the system to keep everyone happy. 

Standing in the way of achieving all of these non-negotiables is the fourth one -- election integrity. I have watched for forty years now as the American political system has become increasingly corrupt. The rich want to own the rest of us and to that end they have purchased politicians and jurists, often in plain sight. Conservative politicians have hidden behind a veil of false comity to obscure the fact that what they want for their paymasters are de facto slaves. By buying media, the rich have successfully gulled too many into believing that their vote doesn't matter. They have rigged systems in state after state to make voting difficult. In a word, they cheat. We need to knock over the board and begin the game again. 

But that's enough for now. This is a long game. It almost certainly will not be won completely in my lifetime, but that's not a reason to fight the fight. We can surely deliver some immediate victories if we remain firm, focused and united. The war is just beginning, actually I now see it has never ended. 

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Against All Enemies

While there have been any number of infuriating things which have happened over the course of the last few months, for me seeing members of Congress and the Senate roll over so supinely has been at the top of the list. These guys and girls swear an oath. Here it is. 

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God. 

(Howard Chandler Christy 1944)

That there has not until now any move in Congress to impeach the President is a violation of this oath. That the Senate needs another chance to convict him for his obvious crimes and breaches of trust is damning. These words are hopefully not words they speak with little regard for what they require, but the evidence suggests otherwise. Democrats save in certain instances are not quite as guilty because they lack power and haven't voted for most of this stuff, even when Sweet Potato Hitler lets them try. I'd love for them to yell a lot more and help focus an opposition. 

But Republicans have violated this oath time and time again. Their leadership is already complicit and also needs removal. If this Congress as a whole never moves for impeachment, then the majority is ultimately complicit as well. Because of the obvious illegal depredations committed by Elon Musk and his boy squad, the President, the Vice-President, and the Speaker of the House are all immediately subject to impeachment and subsequent removal. 

Our leaders get their authority from a document not a man. Their authority is derived from law not monarchal edict. If they violate their oaths, then we as a people owe them no deference as leaders. They hold office only because they haven't had that office stripped from them. They have a very little time to perform their duties. 

One Congressman who rose to the task was Al Green from Texas. His rejection of the President's remarks about Medicaid in the long and winding State of the Union speech stole the show. He was censured by his colleagues, all Republicans and stunningly ten Democrats. The image of this black man shaking his cane at the racist President is history for us all to grok. More, and more, and more officials must follow the example of the Honorable Al Green. 

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Join The Rebellion!

I'm not quite sure when this realization hit me, but I have joined the rebellion. The United States of America has well and truly become the "Evil Empire" if that empire were led by a numbskull and his soft-handed billionaire cronies. But nonetheless I find myself in opposition to my national government, which has taken ridiculous and dangerous national and international positions. The U.S. as imagined by its felonious "leader" is a satellite of Russia. It's been all too clear to those who wish to see that our Idiot-in-Chief is beholden to the Russian leader Putin. Whether he was collected as an asset in the late 1980's or merely is a "useful idiot" of more recent vintage, the result is largely the same. 

Like Luke's Uncle Owen in that galaxy far, far away I mostly just wish to be left alone. But the Empire won't leave me alone. Clearly, they seem to want to weaken the United States, the very nation they have sworn an oath to serve. But they forget a few things. The U.S. is not like other countries for the most part. We are actually fifty states, all with a level of independence guaranteed them by the Constitution. If you scrape the federal system clean of its workforce, it will only fall to the states to pick up that slack. The confederation of states will weaken, and the power that results from such a confederation will vanish. The powers which have captured our capitol might well find themselves confronting fifty "Ukraines", each determined to restore civil order.

At some point it feels pretty clear to me that the Empire will attempt to impose some measure of martial law and deploy troops into the very territories of the United States itself. That is if the morons don't get too fascinated with an invasion of the Panama Canal or some such misadventure. If and when that occurs it will mark the end of any shred of any validity the Empire might claim and will shatter the loyalty which gives them their power to begin with. Like Luke and eventually even Han more and more will join the rebellion. These are dark times, but the victorious outcome is inevitable. The nation will stand again. 

With luck today I and my partner will be able to participate in a protest march at Frankfort, the state capitol of Kentucky. It is one march of fifty simultaneous marches across the country arranged by the 50501 outfit, to show widespread solidarity in objecting to the unseemly behaviors and unconstitutional actions of the current administration. I've got an arthritic knee doctors keep wanting to take out and neuropathy that makes walking a chore and the weather might not cooperate, but nonetheless I feel the need and the desire to participate in this small expression of my displeasure.

If you'd like to join the rebellion, if only for a day here's a link that will help you find a protest. 

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Impeach Him Today!

It was a singularly disgusting display put on by the Felon-in-Chief and his Helper Monkey yesterday as they attacked the leader of Ukraine, up until then a reliable U.S. ally. In what was clearly a staged event, the two cowards, two cretinous yellow dogs took the noble leader of Ukraine by surprise, attacking him in English in public so as to put him in a particularly weak position. 

These two ignorant trolls, like those that support them can only punch down and they waited for their prey, lured him into position and fired volley after volley of ignorant garbage at a man who fights for his life and the life of his country and peace in Europe besides, a hero who has staunchly led the defense of his invaded land against the primary enemy of peace in the world. I knew that when Potato-Head Hitler was elected it meant the U.S had become an ally of Russia, but I was aghast that he'd showcase the alliance so proudly, like one of those idiotic Presidential edicts he's constantly churning out and displaying like a clown-headed seven-year-old brat. I've now learned that the fucking Russian media was even invited into the Oval Office to watch.   

I am not ashamed for what happened because I had no hand in it. But I am embarrassed for the country which as selected such a leader, a man willing to scold an ally like a child because he thinks it will make good television. I fired off some e-mails to my Representative and my two Senators with one message:

Impeach him today. 

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The Most Terrifying Battle Ever Waged!

Today I reopen this blog as a meager but clear sign that the resistance to the regime of Donald Trump, Elon Musk and their cronies is well underway. This is once again a place for political speech, especially that which reveals the depredations of the current administration of the United States. The United States of America is not its elected officials but rather its people. After the tragic election of the current Felon-in-Chief, people were stunned, but that has worn off. The administration has moved with lightning speed to initiate its breakdown of the federal government, thinking that it robs the people of their access to any way to retaliate, but it has instead only spurred that same retaliation. 

A tiny thing is to show the economic might of the people. Today is the first of many days in which we refuse to buy. The people of the United States fuel the most powerful consumer engine on the planet and today we agree to turn that engine off for a spell. 

More to come. 

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