Operation American Freedom

It happened 16 years ago when the Republicans stole the presidency from Al Gore.

And it’s happening again, but likely with even worse consequences. Once more the majority of Americans have been cheated. When the majority loses, America loses.

Imagine the reaction by the Trumpists if the situation were reversed. Most of them probably believe THEY are the majority, and that Obama is a foreign Muslim, or any other of their innumerable lunacies. Many of Trump’s fringe threatened armed resistance over the “rigged election”. 

It would have been very ugly if Hillary won. We all know that.

Unfortunately, this reality is far uglier, with an impulsive, thin-skinned, authoritarian leader of an unchecked Republican one-party regime.

 This cannot turn out well, folks. 

Trump will fail. Big league. He will not “make America great again”.

IF we make it past this looming American, and likely global, debacle we MIGHT learn from it.

The last time Republicans stole the White House they cut taxes for the rich and deregulated everything within reach. They started a war based on lies that would fill crony pockets with tax payers’ dollars. They ignored Habeas Corpus, imposed a surveillance state that violates the Fourth Amendment, incarcerated people without charges, and they tortured.

Their war left countless thousands dead, a ravaged nation in ruins, a civil war, and in 2006 spawned ISIS. They left us with two unfinished wars, financial collapse, rising unemployment, and the Great Recession.

Americans who still have a memory know this crap is certain to be repeated. We remember “terror warnings” and the warmongering and how the American people accepted a war of aggression and warrantless surveillance of citizens. 

9-11 and the authoritarian and belligerent reaction by the Bush Regime paved the way from mere inverted totalitarianism to American proto-fascism. 

Tragically, and meekly, Obama chose to “look forward” and let bygones be bygones for the torturers and war criminals. No one was held accountable for lies that led to war, for war crimes, and for torture.

The lesson for far Right authoritarians didn’t go unnoticed, “We can get away with it”. Trump declared his fondness for waterboarding and said he would go beyond, "We have to play the game the way they're playing the game. You're not going to win if we're soft and they're, they have no rules.”

“No rules”.

The United States of America is ripe for fascism.

Trump doubled down on fear, anger and blame, stoking the flames of American white nationalism and neo-fascism to new heights.

   

The Bush Administration unleashed law enforcement to kick in the doors of peace groups and critics. 

What can dissenters expect from the Trump Regime?

We have seen how any question, appeal to reason, satire, or criticism will be met with vicious and demonizing reprisals. And this is happening before they take real power.

Too many Americans disagree with their Leader. This will not be tolerated. Obedience to the authoritarian regime is non-negotiable. Dissent will be met with retaliation.

American freedom itself will become their adversary. The Trump Regime will be threatened by what’s left of American freedom. The Fourth Amendment has been conveniently weakened after Bush and Obama. And the far Right only cares about the Second Amendment, for their NRA, loyal militias, and other paranoid types.

That still leaves a bit too much American Freedom.

Before they can Make America Great Again™, Operation American Freedom must be the first victory for the Trump Regime. 

Freedom of religion? Hell, no! They want Muslims banned, and to register with the government. Non-Christians will be scorned.

Freedom of assembly? Only at Trump rallies.

Freedom of the press? Hell, no! Not if they disrespect the Leader. 

Trump has promised to muzzle the press, as his “Constitution-loving” henchmen will do their best to impose that muzzle. 

Free speech? Hell, no! When Pence attended their show, the cast of Hamilton, exercising their freedom of speech, pleaded their case for diversity and fairness: 

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Vice President-elect Pence, we welcome you and we truly thank you for joining us here at Hamilton: An American Musical. We really do. We, sir, we are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us — our planet, our children, our parents — or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights, sir. But we truly hope that this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and to work on behalf of all of us. All of us.

Again, we truly thank you for sharing this show. This wonderful American story told by a diverse group of men [and] women of different colors, creeds, and orientations.

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How horrible of those dancing Broadway thugs! Have they no human decency? This angered Trump. 

Mr. Decency tweeted Nov. 19. "The cast of Hamilton was very rude last night to a very good man, Mike Pence. Apologize!"

Yes, the cast was so rude. And for the record, threatening a presidential opponent with prison while calling her crooked is...well...OK if you’re Trump. No rudeness at all, nothing that requires an apology, right? 

Trump whined, "Our wonderful future V.P. Mike Pence was harassed last night ...This should not happen!"

The horror! Being asked politely to uphold our American values is being harassed.

For perspective, everyone knows grabbing women’s crotches doesn’t come close to being harassment. They’re just women, after all. And Trump’s a star.

Exercising free speech, an act that is the essence of American freedom, pleading for the Trump regime to uphold our American values is something that “should not happen!"

So now we’re clear. Free speech will not be tolerated.

I just don’t know how to thank all you Trump/Republican voters for making America so great. 

No need to apologize, because “Crooked” Hillary used a private email server. So did Dick Cheney. So what? As with pussy grabbing and torture, it’s OK if you are Republican.

And isn’t that what really makes America great?

Whiny Little Bitch, Sore Winner Edition

 The post-victory whining has begun and not just by liberals

"Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!" - Klan's Man Trump

Poor wittow wich white men, always the victims, whining their way to a Great America. 

Soon the whining will grow, as voters will be feeling buyers' remorse. 

I also predict Trump will pull a Palin-the-Quitter trick. Mike Pence may well be our president within two years. 

And the weird part is, I'd rather have Trump than Pence doing the damage.

This should be the last Republican controlled government, but Americans can't remember back eight years. 

Eight years of Republican leadership left Obama:

Stock Market Closing Prices - January 20, 2009

Dow Jones Industrial Average ( DJIA ) Close - 7,949.09 Down 332.13
Nasdaq Stock Market Close - 1440.86 Down 88.47
S&P 500 Close - 805.23 Down 44.89

Today we have a DJIA around 18,800.00

Is that better or worse than what the last Republican White House left us?

Shall we compare employment rates too? 

Why bother, Obama's the real villain, not showing his birth certificate to Donald the Klan's Man fast enough. 

America At Bat

Reagan, Strike One.

Bush Senior, Clinton, Ball One.

Bush Jr, Strike Two.

Obama, Ball Two.

Trump, Strike Three.

Close Election?

How can this presidential election be so close? One may wonder in amazement, as I did in 2000.

Could it be the effects of decades of extreme Alt-Right political indoctrination by FOX/talk radio and fringe websites?

And how about corporate media’s false equivalence, “horse race” ratings pandering, hired shills, failure of fact checking, and scandal mongering? 

It's almost as if politically powerful families and rich authoritarian white men are taking over. 

The founders must have been wrong, wanting to discourage aristocracy. 

Americans are better educated now.

I guess that's what it takes to make America great again.

But what do I know?

Hell Of A Debate

I was actually looking forward to this second debate between Clinton and Trump. I'm afflicted with a sick sense of humor, what can I say?

Republicans have always wanted an uncompromising one party dictatorship, and will say, and do, anything to get that power.

Now they have their would-be-dictator, and boasting sex offender, threatening his opponent with jail. Take that, you evil wench! He told us she has hate in her heart. She is to blame for EVERYTHING. "Why not", says the Orange Savior. 

But worse still, she is a devil. Yesiree. Nothing less.

That display of Goebbels-inspired projection must have sent a tingle up every angry white man's varicose veined leg.

Trump is not an anomaly or "outside" Republican. He exemplifies what that party has become. Their base is angry, racist, authoritarian and wallowing in hate and ignorance.

Paul Krugman correctly notes:

He won the nomination fair and square, chosen by voters who had a pretty good idea of who he was. He had solid establishment support until very late in the game. And his vices are, dare we say, very much in line with his party’s recent tradition.

The civilized world is desperately hoping Americans reject fascism in November. Their concern is understandable. It's not like we haven't re-elected a lying, aristocratic, tax-cuts-for-the-rich, torturer and war monger in the last Republican president.

I never imagined Hillary would look so good, so dignified, so rational, so selfless, so presidential. Compared to the Party of Trump, she exemplifies all of the above.

But life and learning continue. I recently posted some examples of how a Trump voter thinks, but now we must go deeper into the darkness of twisted beliefs.

We have another doozy from Alex Jones, the fear mongering, far Right "patriot" who sells any and all conspiracy theories. 

Time to be scared, children. Very scared. I'm talking Bigly, or is it Big League Scared?  Whatever. 

But this is END-OF-THE-WORLD SCARED!!

So drink the drink, smoke the smoke, or turn to whatever anesthetic that works. For the ultimate dire Prophecy of Lunacy has been uttered, and it proves Dictator Don is the guiding visionary for our time.

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ALEX JONES (HOST): I'm never a lesser of two evils person, but with Hillary, there's not even the same universe. She is an abject, psychopathic, demon from Hell that as soon as she gets into power is going to try to destroy the planet. I'm sure of that, and people around her say she's so dark now, and so evil, and so possessed that they are having nightmares, they're freaking out. Folks let me just tell you something, and if media wants to go with this, that's fine. There are dozens of videos and photos of Obama having flies land on him, indoors, at all times of year, and he'll be next to a hundred people and no one has flies on them. Hillary, reportedly, I mean, I was told by people around her that they think she's demon-possessed, okay? I'm just going to go ahead and say it, okay? 

They said that they're scared. That's why when I see her when kids are by her, I actually get scared myself, with a child -- with that big rubber face and that -- I mean this woman is dangerous, ladies and gentleman. I'm telling you, she is a demon. This is Biblical. She's going to launch a nuclear war. The Russians are scared of her.

[...]

Imagine how bad she smells, man? I'm told her and Obama, just stink, stink, stink, stink. You can't wash that evil off, man. Told there's a rotten smell around Hillary. I'm not kidding, people say, they say -- folks, I've been told this by high up folks. They say listen, Obama and Hillary both smell like sulfur. I never said this because the media will go crazy with it, but I've talked to people that are in protective details, they're scared of her. And they say listen, she's a frickin' demon and she stinks and so does Obama. I go, like what? Sulfur. They smell like Hell.

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You've been warned, fools! 

Voting against Trump is not only treason to your white heritage, as the deplorable racist Trump fan David Duke warns, but it will bring about the end of our world. I mean the "Biblical End". That's gotta be even worse!

This calls for another drink. How about some nice refreshing koolade? Say, what's that you're smoking? 

The Will Rogers Guide to the 2016 Election

Commentary by humorists such as Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert has given us clear insight and keen observations of the insanity and nonsense entwined in American politics. Our tradition of political satire has been on the cutting edge since the nation reached its first centennial, when Mark Twain noted, "We have the best congress money can buy".

Later Will Rogers witnessed the onset of the Great Depression. Like our present situation, humor was a vital antidote to the toxic devastation wrought by deregulated capitalism and government servitude to the predations of Wall Street and greed of the economic elites.

Today's stew of madness, sponsored by the Republican Party, has produced the latest rise of racist, authoritarian nationalism in Trumpism.

The ugly side of politics and human nature can only by countered by first shining a bright light into the darkness. Humorists have always been the first to hold a torch in volatile times. 

We're lucky to have contemporary humorists taking up the role that journalism has failed to fulfill. 

Corporate media too often means corporate slanted news.

Fortunately some political truths are timeless. The words of Will Rogers are as alive today as when he first uttered them. 

In fact, he has provided all the facts and perspective we need for this election.

Ladies and gentlemen, presenting for your edification:

The Will Rogers Guide to the 2016 election:

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A fool and his money are soon elected.

The problem ain't what people know. It's what people know that ain't so that's the problem.

I am not a member of any organized political party — I am a Democrat.

There ain’t any finer folks living than a Republican that votes the Democratic ticket.

The 1928 Republican Convention opened with a prayer. If the Lord can see His way clear to bless the Republican Party the way it's been carrying on, then the rest of us ought to get it without even asking.

The difference between our rich and poor grows greater every year. Our distribution of wealth is getting more uneven all the time. A man can make a million and he is on every page in the morning. But it never tells you who gave up that million he got. You can’t get money without taking it from somebody.

People want just taxes more than they want lower taxes. They want to know that every man is paying his proportionate share according to his wealth.

If Wall Street paid a tax on every “game” they run, we would get enough revenue to run the government on.

See where Congress passed a two Billion dollar bill to relieve bankers' mistakes. You can always count on us helping those who have lost part of their fortune, but our whole history records nary a case where the loan was for the man who had absolutely nothing.

Republicans take care of big money, for big money takes care of them.

When you get into trouble five thousand miles from home you’ve got to have been looking for it.

We will never have true civilization until we have learned to recognize the rights of others.

The Great Orange Taker

Turns out the Great Orange Savior is, according to Republicans, one of the nefarious 47% of Americans who are “takers”. Whodathunk?

He admitted to not paying federal income taxes during the first presidential debate. He even boasted, “That means I’m smart” in response to Hillary’s suggestion that his not paying taxes was something he wanted to hide by not releasing his tax records.

This surprises no one, of course. The emotionally stunted spoiled aristocrat started life on third base and calls himself a genius for his talents.

Van Jones nailed it on CNN Sunday:

“It is, in fact, true if Donald Trump lost a billion dollars, think about this, lost a billion dollars, he could wind up as a winner legally in his taxes for a generation. Is that because he’s a genius? It’s because billionaires have armies of lobbyists to write the rules. Here’s the deal: If you’re obeying horrible rules that you helped to write, that doesn’t make you a genius. It makes you a part of the corruption.” - Van Jones CNN 10-1-16

Now millions of deluded Americans want a hideously dishonest man, with no skin in the game, to dictate where OUR tax dollars go. Brilliant.

He has openly admitted to gaming the corrupt system by greasing the palms of corrupt politicians.

The pay-for-play purchased by the Trump Foundation, and the would-be Orange Fuhrer, was revealed when AP reported,  “Florida's attorney general personally solicited a political contribution from Donald Trump around the same time her office deliberated joining an investigation of alleged fraud at Trump University and its affiliates.”

Nothing to see here. This is all copacetic with the Trump Cult.

In between “two minute hate” chants of “Lock her up!” his legions shout, “USA! USA! USA!”

That doesn’t reflect the United States of America. It rather evokes “Unbelievable Stupid Authoritarians”.

A Trump rally is what fascism looks like.

What else does fascism look like?

“All men are created equal. Well it’s not true, ‘cause some are smart, some aren’t.”

“You have to have the right genes...I have a certain gene. I’m a gene believer.”

“You know I’m proud to have that German blood. There’s no question about it.”

Yes, the Billionaire Taker really said all of it.

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 And there's this.

From: After The Gold Rush

Donald Trump appears to take aspects of his German background seriously. John Walter works for the Trump Organization, and when he visits Donald in his office, Ivana told a friend, he clicks his heels and says, “Heil Hitler,” possibly as a family joke.

Last April, perhaps in a surge of Czech nationalism, Ivana Trump told her lawyer Michael Kennedy that from time to time her husband reads a book of Hitler’s collected speeches, My New Order, which he keeps in a cabinet by his bed. Kennedy now guards a copy of My New Order in a closet at his office, as if it were a grenade. Hitler’s speeches, from his earliest days up through the Phony War of 1939, reveal his extraordinary ability as a master propagandist.

“Did your cousin John give you the Hitler speeches?” I asked Trump.

Trump hesitated. “Who told you that?”

“I don’t remember,” I said.

“Actually, it was my friend Marty Davis from Paramount who gave me a copy of Mein Kampf, and he’s a Jew.” (“I did give him a book about Hitler,” Marty Davis said. “But it was My New Order, Hitler’s speeches, not Mein Kampf. I thought he would find it interesting. I am his friend, but I’m not Jewish.”)

Later, Trump returned to this subject. “If I had these speeches, and I am not saying that I do, I would never read them.” 

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If you believe that last line, you too win a free copy of "My New Order".

No wonder every deplorable authoritarian racist, Klansman, neo-Nazi, white nationalist, and militia nut, along with most other FOX/Limbaugh listeners, support Trump.

How many red flags does it take for the millions of non-deplorable Trump voters to see who is goose-stepping at their side?