Sunday, December 8, 2019

The Second Bill Of Rights


Are there any Democrats left out there? I mean REAL Democrats.

What I mostly see is a decrepit old gang of wealthy, centrist, corporatist insiders, ready to bargain away our safety nets, our healthcare, our labor rights and every other public good the Republicans are bent on destroying. I see “centrists” and “moderates” who believe in compromise, with the uncompromising, authoritarian party of McConnell and Trump. This has only resulted in steering our country ever further to the Right. They have not yet learned that compromise with authoritarians is not compromise. It is appeasement. It is capitulation. It is as compromising as paying ransom to kidnappers is.

Republicans must be defeated, not appeased. They know it is a long game. Most Democrats do not. 

The Republican Party used to be conservative. Now it is a bastion of oligarchic, white nationalist, authoritarian con-servatism, at war with truth, equality, and democracy.

Remember Bush Junior’s speechwriter David Frum’s rare insight. 

“Maybe you do not much care about the future of the Republican Party. You should. Conservatives will always be with us. If conservatives become convinced that they cannot win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy.”

Ergo, con-servatism.

Who remains standing against this war on democracy?

By appeasing the Right, Democrats have been following the authoritarian path away from democracy.

Look at how war crimes, torture and lies leading to the Iraq war were not investigated. Nobody was held accountable. Obama “looked forward”. 

Look at the Great Recession caused by Wall Street swindlers that hurt so many Americans, still trying to recover. Most of the swindlers got paid back. And again, nobody was held accountable.

Republicans have gotten away with so many crimes and scams, they are no longer accountable under a system of so-called checks and balances. Bush Junior saw the Constitution as just a “damn piece of paper” and acted accordingly. 

Now the entire Party of Trump is regurgitating Putin’s propaganda and condoning foreign interference in our elections. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, the US is becoming more like Putin’s oligarchic Russia than Russia is becoming a democracy.

Khrushchev told us, “We will bury you”. Putin kept that promise, by extorting and owning Trump and now the Republican Party.

At long last House Democrats are impeaching the corrupt criminal in the Oval Office. But does that make them real Democrats? Hell, real Republican patriots would support the impeachment, but they are extinct. It is now the Party of Putin. The GOP is the Government Of Putin.

Putinism has essentially become the Republican ideology. Putinism is a rancid mix of white nationalism, authoritarianism, intolerance, and epistemological nihilism. Putinism is destruction of journalism and truth. It is denial of science. It is a pseudo-populist thuggery on a massive scale, infecting Europe and the Americas

Who opposes it? Who stands for a democratic republic?

There is no party of real Democrats, any more than there is a party of real Republicans anymore. Both parties owe their allegiance to the CEO oligarchs of Wall Street, Energy, Pharma, and Health Insurance. Corporate lawyers have been writing our laws. Their company insiders and lobbyists have become top level Cabinet secretaries, and are their own “regulators”.

The oligarchs are beyond regulation and accountability to the public. They are avoiding taxes, while reaping our tax dollars in socialized corporate welfare subsidies. They have been dismantling our Constitutional Republic and replacing it with a neo-liberal corporatist oligarchy.

Constitutional taxes are being eliminated. Constitutional regulation of commerce is being eliminated. Constitutional provision for the general welfare is being eliminated.

Who stands athwart this grand corporate coup? Who defends our Constitution? Who represents “we the people”?

This is why we need from real Democrats.

You may be wondering, “So just what is a REAL Democrat? Who are they?”

There are a few. Bernie is a real democrat, but not a member of the Democratic Party. This fact itself is telling.

There are a few more. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan are real Democrats.

The “Squad” of young women of color are still representing the heart and soul of what used to be a Democratic Party. Now these real Democrats are scorned by corporate media and corpo-dems as “too far left” and out on the “fringe”.

They are neither. In fact, they represent the preferences of most Americans.

64% of Americans support stricter gun laws.

70% support Medicare for All.

61% support a woman’s right to choose.

75% believe humans burning hydrocarbons are to blame for climate change.

65% believe the winner of the popular vote should be President.

They are not “too far left”, and we are not the “fringe”. We’re the majority.

Time for a history lesson, kids.

Back when the US was actually becoming greater, emerging from a Great Depression, new and better ideas were implemented in Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal.

People went back to work in public service jobs, building infrastructure and planting trees. Unions were growing and workers found representation at the bargaining table. They were getting better pay and benefits, while working conditions were improving. Social Security was established.

Of course Republicans and oligarchs hated this “power to the people” concept. This resulted in their flooding media with lies and propaganda intended to subvert and demolish the Constitutional general welfare of the public. They are destroying everything real democrats have built.

But we had real Democrats working for the people back when America was becoming great.

It’s time to remind our fellow citizens and our representatives and senators what a real Democrat stands for:

From FDR’s State of the Union Message to Congress.

January 11, 1944

It is our duty now to begin to lay the plans and determine the strategy for the winning of a lasting peace and the establishment of an American standard of living higher than ever before known. We cannot be content, no matter how high that general standard of living may be, if some fraction of our people—whether it be one-third or one-fifth or one-tenth- is ill-fed, ill-clothed, ill housed, and insecure.

This Republic had its beginning, and grew to its present strength, under the protection of certain inalienable political rights—among them the right of free speech, free press, free worship, trial by jury, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. They were our rights to life and liberty.

As our Nation has grown in size and stature, however—as our industrial economy expanded—these political rights proved inadequate to assure us equality in the pursuit of happiness.

We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. "Necessitous men are not free men." People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.

In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all regardless of station, race, or creed.

Among these are:

The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the Nation;

The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;

The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;

The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;

The right of every family to a decent home;

The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;

The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;

The right to a good education.

All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.
~~~

There you have it, from our first Anti-Fascist and first real Democrat. Now let's take back our party. 



16 comments:

Anonymous said...

If your statics are correct Dave, then the Democrats could run anyone and win, which leads to the question, if that is true, why impeach?

crickets.

Dave Dubya said...

Timmy Boy!
Thank you for stopping all your dumping of Putin's talking points. We've all heard your Kremlin Klan repeating them after seeking Putin's favor in Moscow last 4th of July, of all days. Putin really appreciates Moscow Mitch insuring no election security laws would be passed.

What "statics" are you referring to?

The reason for impeachment is Trump cheats at elections. Cheaters shouldn't get a second chance to cheat again. First he asked for Russian help, then he violated campaign finance law by paying off a porn star, then he obstructed justice, then he bribed Ukraine, and he intimidated witnesses. All of that is against the law and Constitution.

The Constitution:

Article 2 Section 4
The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

(Bribery is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or other person in charge of a public or legal duty.)

The Law:

U.S. Code § 1512.Tampering with a witness(b)Whoever knowingly uses intimidation..

52 U.S. Code § 30121.
It shall be unlawful— to solicit- from a foreign national--money or other thing of value-- in connection with a Federal election.

I hope these "statics" help.

TB3 said...

"...which leads to the question, if that is true, why impeach? crickets" - A non-inquiring mind.

It's interesting that you heard crickets where I heard hours and hours of unfiltered testimony on C-Span. Just because you and others engaging in cognitive dissonance refuse to listen, doesn't mean that answers aren't being laid out for you. Just because your head is dry while it's buried in the sand, doesn't make the fact that your ass is any less wet with the torrent of data and information falling down on it.

It's been mentioned in a few hearings, including the one this morning that you're also not watching: If what the President has done is not impeachable, than nothing is impeachable. It sets a horrible precedence that any President, Democrat or Republican or whatever party, can circumvent the will of the Co-Equal Legislature. Honestly, the Republicans have themselves to blame. They lowered the bar sooooo far with Bill Clinton. When we actually see a President act lawless, the Republicans are forced to throw everything in front of a bus; Including reason, facts and questioning reality itself.

Dave Dubya said...

TB3,
It seems our representative of the authoritarian mindset can't accept, or mentally process, any information we provide. Your generosity is noted for likening his head buried in sand. I would have noted his head figuratively placed firmly in a more intimate and humid location.

As with the rest of the authoritarian loyalists, once the case against their leader is presented, they can only play their victim card and whine about an "unfair" process. No wonder they must deflect, distort, deny, demean, dismiss, and deceive with all their highly limited power of imagination. Not one of them has addressed and defended the behavior of their leader.

Imagine that.

Anonymous said...

There IS no proof Trump improperly pressured Ukraine to investigate former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, a leading Democrat in the 2020 presidential race.

There is no first-hand evidence Trump withheld $391 million in military aid or a White House meeting to get his Ukrainian counterpart to investigate Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, as well as a debunked theory that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 U.S. election. Joe Biden was the only one who did a Quid Pro Quo, he has bragged about doing it. Typical of Democrats to blame others for something they are doing. Like ignoring the fact that it was actual Bill Clinton who lowered the bar. Suborning perjury, lying under oath. Real crimes, not the hearsay crap like the Democrats are trying to sell as impeachable.

The Democrats appeared to back away from basing one of the articles of impeachment on former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. That was a waste of money and time.

Tilting with wind mills out of fear of the 2020 election.

Dave Dubya said...

Timmy Boy,

Whatabout what again?

Evidence and fact witnesses provided testimony under oath that contradicts you.

Also:
"Read The Transcript"

Projecting projection. "Democrats to blame others for something they are doing"

Mueller established Trump welcomed Russian help and obstructed justice.

A waste of money would be Trump's golf trips that violated the emoluments clause.

Anonymous said...

The real reasons for impeachment:
Article number one: President Trump beat Hillary.
Article number two: President Trump makes America top priority.

Anonymous said...

If Schiff and Nadler’s circus continues and the Democrats are successful in lowering the standard of impeachment to merely desiring to oust the sitting president of an opposition party, why bother even having elections? But make no mistake—that is actually the Democrats’ long game. They want to overthrow the American Constitution and our rule of law. They want to be tyrants. They want all the power and will stop at nothing to get it. At every turn, they simply change the rules when they don’t want to play by the rules. It's on display every day.

Dave Dubya said...

How does a sociopath and liar like Anonymous Timmy from Texas sleep?

I'll tell you. Fascists, racists, white nationalists, Republicans, and their ilk are authoritarians to the core. This means they have no regard for honesty and no conscience to guide their behavior. They desire power and wealth. They want to rule and to dominate, not govern by representative republic. Justice, democracy, truth, and decency must be destroyed for them to attain their goals. They revel in cruelty and delight in the suffering of those who disagree with them or are otherwise marginalized. To cover for this evil and utter absence of compassion, they pretend to be Christians.

They are as "Christian" as German Nazis, whose troops had "God with us" emblazoned on their belt buckles.

Their projection and Big Lie tactics are lifted directly from the playbook of Goebbels and Himmler.

"Why bother even having elections", when their criminal Leader cheats at elections, has openly committed election crimes, and yearns to be dictator for life. There's your "overthrow of the Constitution". Putin and the Party of Trump are all in for such tyranny and the destruction of democracy.

One cannot be more anti-American than the Republican fascists and their Russian sponsor and patron.

And they are proud of their treason. They wear t-shirts proclaiming, "Id rather be Russian than a Democrat". They'd also rather be Nazis than decent human beings. Racists, Nazis, and white nationalists fill their ranks.

Time to take our country back from the Party of Treason.

Anonymous Timmy and his authoritarian Party of Trump are clearly opposed to our Constitutional democracy and the Founders' ideals of equality and consent of the governed, as well as the teachings of Christ.

It's on display every day.

TB3 said...

"There IS no proof Trump improperly pressured Ukraine to investigate former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, a leading Democrat in the 2020 presidential race." - "Anonymous"

I know you just cut and pasted this from whatever place you get your thoughts and identity from, but you do yourself a continual disservice by denying reality.

"There is no first-hand evidence Trump withheld $391 million in military aid or a White House meeting to get his Ukrainian counterpart to investigate Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, as well as a debunked theory that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 U.S. election." - "Anonymous"

Demonstrably false, when you've got Mulvaney and Trump on camera literally admitting to the withholding. Also, yes, wherever you cut and pasted this from is correct: It's a debunked "theory" that Ukraine meddled in our election. All of our Intelligence resources have already labeled Russia as the culprit and, if you had been paying attention to the impeachment hearings, the Ukraine "theory" is intentional misinformation from Russia to distract from their efforts.

FURTHERMORE, I find it... comical, honestly. Bringing up that there's no first hand evidence? This is coming from the same group of people that simultaneously complain the "Whistleblower" is not a first hand witness as well as someone who Republicans need to question. If we're so concerned about first hand knowledge, why are we all not clamboring to hear directly from the President of the United States? Oh, right. It's not about first hand knowledge and evidence is it? It's all a distraction and deflection, isn't it? That's right.

"Joe Biden was the only one who did a Quid Pro Quo, he has bragged about doing it." - "Anonymous"

Joe Biden was acting in conjunction with active US and allied Foreign Policy, not for personal gain. But you don't care that there's a distinction. You just care that the "news" sources and the President tell you that you should engage in this whataboutism and, you know, damn context and nuance. The President withholding aid to Ukraine, after they had already gone through all the hoops necessary to release those funds vis-a-vis corruption, in order to force them to dirty up a political rival is not the same thing as our Vice President getting a corrupt official fired as part of US Foreign policy.

"Like ignoring the fact that it was actual Bill Clinton who lowered the bar." - "Anonymous"

Oh, yes. Bill Clinton impeached Bill Clinton. Right. President Clinton was investigated over a land deal and what did he get impeached over? Lieing about a consentual blowjob. Yup. No one argues that he lied about it. Under oath. No one argues that.

"If Schiff and Nadler’s circus continues and the Democrats are successful in lowering the standard of impeachment to merely desiring to oust the sitting president of an opposition party, why bother even having elections?" - "Anonymous"

As stated above, Bill Clinton was investigated over a land deal and the best they could do to impeach him was catch him lieing about a sex act and an affair. Meanwhile, President Trump hinders an adversary of one of our largest adversaries while they fight a war with them by denying the money we promised them so that he can sully his future opponent. You and the people that tell you what to think and how to feel really believe a blowjob is something worth impeaching a President over... and that Schiff and Nadler are the ones lowering the bar.

"They want to overthrow the American Constitution and our rule of law. They want to be tyrants. They want all the power and will stop at nothing to get it. At every turn, they simply change the rules when they don’t want to play by the rules" - "Anonymous"

I dare you to explain how. Oooooh, Waaaah, Congress is using oversight powers explicitly laid out in the Constitution.

TB3 said...

"How does a sociopath and liar like Anonymous Timmy from Texas sleep?" - DD

Well, when someone doesn't allow themselves to worry about reality and facts and live in a fiction of their (or their favorite blog or facebook page) choosing, it's easy to sleep.

Dave Dubya said...

I allowed the deflection away from the topic to whining and lying about a Constitutional impeachment, for my purpose of documenting the mentality of a cult.

As we have learned by abundant and indeed overwhelming evidence, a cult is not a cult to a cult.

Dave Dubya said...

The authoritarian white nationalist has accused me of being “delusional“ for using the term “Constitutional democracy”.

He went on to lecture about a “constitutional republic” being the correct term, which it is. But so is the point I made that Constitutional democracy (fair elections) is opposed by the Right.

He wants to invoke the "Pure Democracy" strawman they love so much.

Of course the dishonesty of this person’s accusation was revealed in what I wrote previous the Constitutional democracy point.

“They want to rule and to dominate, not govern by representative republic

There’s no point in publishing his false accusation.

So what do we call someone who believes in something demonstrably false? Delusional. What do you call someone who makes false accusations? A liar.

A cult is not a cult to a cult.

TB3 said...

“They want to rule and to dominate, not govern by representative republic” - "Anonymous" by way of DD

So concerned about the Representative Republic and yet they struggle so hard to defend, make excuses, and dismiss the actions of the Executive that seems to be counter to the ideals of a Representative Republic.

Maybe instead of worrying about the Pure Democracy that we have never had, they should concern themselves with the actions of an individual seeking to usurp our systems checks and balances and making the Representative part of our Republic lesser to a single individual. Moreso, they should concern themselves that this single individual seeks to delegitimize our institutions and demonize the actual people that work in our government as a group of shadowy individuals or a cabal against him.

What should be even more worrying is that the Administration's own investigation into their own conspiracy theory about political bias in the origins of the Russia Investigation was debunked, and because it wasn't the answer they were wanting, they're legit making shit up now to continue to discredit and sow discord concerning our premier law enforcement agency. This agency will exist long after the Trump administration and the disinformation and conspiracies being spun about it can prove incredibly damaging to the agency's effectiveness.

Dave Dubya said...

TB3,
Your analysis show what we've known for quite a time. The Republican Party and it base are nothing like actual conservatives. They want to conserve nothing, and want to tear down our democratic institutions, fair voting election security guarantees, and Constitutional checks and balances. They are far Right radicals bent on imposing an anti-democratic, anti-representative, authoritarian regime.

In other words, they are anti-American to the degree they want to believe liberals are.

Dave Dubya said...

Since it was off-topic and posted in a different thread, I put the question here. It was asked by our regular troll posing as “Barr Killed Epstein”, or some such moniker.

“Why didn’t they Include a bribery charge As An Article Of Impeachment”.

The short answer is the term bribery would have to be defined in the context of criminal law, which is not necessary for impeachment.

However, bribery is described and covered under ARTICLE I: ABUSE OF POWER

“Using the powers of his high office, President Trump solicited the interference of a foreign government... to publicly announce investigations that would benefit his reelection, harm the election prospects of a political opponent, and influence the 2020 United States Presidential election to his advantage... Trump engaged in this scheme or course of conduct for corrupt purposes in pursuit of personal political benefit.”