Why Democrats Lost — and What They Must Do Next

24 Aug 2025 15 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: democrats, donald trump, history, losers, news, Politics, republicans, success, trump, winners

Robert Reich and I have at least one thing in common. He hates bullies and so do I. In his most recent book, “Coming Up Short”, he talks about how he had to deal with bullies because he was so short. My dad was 6’4” tall and could often be a bully. I had enough abuse from him growing up that I also came to hate bullies. I had many fights when I was younger where I defended either myself or equally often other people physically against bullies. Robert Reich points out that one major reason for Trump’s popularity is that he is a Bullie’s Bully. Millions of Americans who have been bullied by an unjust system of economics, education, justice, health care and government see Trump as their protector or even savior. Reich notes:

“A large portion of America has felt bullied and harassed for decades. They’ve worked their asses off but haven’t gotten anywhere. Employers have fired them without cause or notice, made them into contract workers without any security or rights, spied on them during working hours, and otherwise treated them like children.

They’ve been bullied by landlords who keep hiking their rent. By banks that keep adding large fees to whatever they owe. By health insurers and hospitals that charge them an arm and a leg. By corporate grocery monopolies that push up food prices.

Many of them voted for Trump because he promised he’d be their bully. He blamed others — immigrants, people of color, transgender people, foreign traders — for what they endured. He thereby found scapegoats for their deep feelings of powerlessness, vulnerability, and shame. It’s one of the oldest of demagogic tricks.

Democrats could have put the blame where it belonged — on monopolistic corporations and billionaires that abused their wealth and power by taking over our politics.

Democrats could have demanded higher taxes on big corporations and the wealthy to pay for childcare and eldercare. Tougher antitrust laws to break up monopolies. Labor law reforms that made it easier for workers to form unions and gain bargaining power. Universal health care. Strict regulation of big banks so they couldn’t shaft average people. And an end to big money in our politics.

But they have not — not loudly, not with one voice, not with the clarity the people need to hear.” — Robert Reich 8/24/25

The 2024 election is already being dissected in books and think-tank reports, but the clearest story is this: Democrats misread the electorate as well as deserted the electorate. Caught up in arguments over gender identify, abortion rights and WOKE manifestos, the Democrats preached to a crowd with more important concerns on their minds. Jefferson said that Democracy was a rule of the majority with a concern for the minority. Democrats have reversed his message. They now practice a rule for the minority with little or no concern for the majority.

They believed that campaigning on democracy and abortion rights would be enough to hold the White House. Those are vital issues, but voters were telling pollsters something else — they were worried most about the price of groceries, rent, and gas. In swing districts, immigration and border control loomed even larger. By downplaying those concerns, Democrats left the playing field wide open for Republicans.

Validated voter studies show that turnout favored 2020 Trump voters. Younger and non-white men — groups Democrats once counted on — swung toward Republicans in significant numbers. Many of these voters wanted practical answers on wages, security, and fairness. They didn’t get them.

So, what must Democrats do if they hope to regain the House, Senate, or Presidency? Three steps stand out.

First, make the economy the front page of their campaigns, with plain talk about jobs, housing, and cost of living. Find people who can speak the language of the average American and not in a voice only understood by Ph.D. graduates. I am often bewildered by the terminology that some of the Democrats throw out. Yesterday, I learned that the new vocabulary for “homeless” people is now “unhoused” people. Do the Democrats really think this is going to make a difference to the people living in cardboard boxes throughout America?

When I look at the new head of the Democratic National Committee (Ken Martin), I see a man who exemplifies everything that is wrong with the Democrats. If his bio on Wikipedia is to be believed, Ken never did a day’s physical labor in his life (At least not in any paid position.) What makes this an even more grievous fact, is that he was given this position after Harris’s loss to Trump. I doubt a guy with his background has any clue about the problems of the working class in America. By the way, I am sure Ken is a nice guy, a good husband and a good father. But that is not going to get Democrats elected.

Second, develop a credible immigration strategy that pairs border security with fair reforms. Like it or not, immigration has been a major issue for Americans because as Reich noted, both parties have demonized immigrants as vulgar, uncouth, criminals who only want to take jobs away from legal Americans. This is not an unusual state of affairs. Even Benjamin Franklin had his biases when it came to immigrants. Many of these changed over time as Ben observed the habits and ethics of other immigrant groups to the colonies.

I have said we need a “fair immigration policy” and not an “anti-immigration policy.” A number of years ago (at least seven) I wrote a series of blogs on the subject of immigration as I could witness it down here in Arizona. You might say that we are on the front lines of immigration and have a long history of immigration. The land I now live on was once part of Mexico until the Gadsden Purchase in 1853. Some of my neighbors have history going back to Mexico over two hundred years. See my blogs:

Third, speak in everyday language. Too often Democrats rely on insider jargon that alienates working families. Like it or not, most Democrats have become associated with the idea of PC or political correctness. I am no enemy of using terminology that minorities and others find more respectful and less insulting. However, some of the PC efforts have become ludicrous and only help to make the Democrats laughing stocks and open to scorn from the very people they need to help support them. Here are a few examples:

The use of “people experiencing food insecurity”

In May 2025, a debate over language use within the Democratic party was highlighted by the Washington Post. One specific example given was referring to individuals as “people experiencing food insecurity” instead of the more direct phrase “people going hungry” or maybe even people “starving to death”!

The replacement of gendered terms like “spokesman”

The movement towards gender-neutral language has led to the replacement of many words to avoid implying a specific gender, regardless of the individual’s identity. For instance, the term “spokesperson” is often used instead of “spokesman” or “spokeswoman.” I have a problem remembering which words to use. Should I say fireman or fireperson? Should I say postman or postperson? Should I say fisherman or fisherperson? Of course I do not want to offend anybody, so the only answer is to say nothing? Or should I check with each fisherperson first to see what they prefer? How do you say fisherperson in Spanish?

“Person of color” (POC) instead of “minority”

Some find the term “POC” to be an overly broad and imprecise label that lumps together many distinct racial and ethnic groups, despite its progressive origins. I am concerned about this label since I have always thought that being a White person I had some color. I realize that many people see White people as more pink hued than white, but pink is still a color even if I do not like the idea of being a Pink person.

In Conclusion:

Democrats do not need to abandon values of equality and freedom. They need to marry those values to tangible solutions that the average people can feel in their daily lives. They need to drop some of the bullshit that makes everyone think of them as WIMPS. They need to fight and not keep talking about “hands” across the aisle. When someone punches me in the face, I do not hand them a rose. If Democrats want a path back to governing majorities they are going to have to:

Walk like the majority
Talk like the majority
Act like the majority

As long as Democrats insist on being isolated people who live in expensive mansions and go to exclusive Ivy League colleges, they will not have a chance to get back into power. Don’t tell me about their good intentions. As the saying goes “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” — Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153)

What America May Be Like in the Year 2056

28 Jul 2025 5 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: America, christian, democrats, equality, family, freedom, happiness, immigration, justice, liberty, marriage, minorities, Politics, republicans, trump, values

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The following is an imaginary story I wrote back in January of 2017. I wrote it at the start of the first trump administration. I was reflecting on what life would be like in about 40 years under a Republican dominated government. I just happened to come upon this blog again a few days ago. After rereading it, I was surprised by how many of these things seem to be coming to pass under the “NEW” trump administration. I have decided to publish it in the original without making ANY changes at all. Love to hear your comments and what you think.

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I live in Republicanville USA. It is a small town of about 1,500 people in the rural Midwest. Today in my town, all the women are barefoot and pregnant and all the men are stupid and misinformed. It wasn’t always this way. Things started to change about 75 years ago, when Ronald Reagan became President. My town had always been very progressive and liberal but we started hearing more and more about how we were being taken advantage of by the poor, those on government handouts and those too lazy to work. The Republicans who in our town had always been a minority began to grow in numbers. The more we heard about welfare cheats and welfare freeloaders and those on drugs taking advantage of us, the more my town embraced a new concept of democracy. It was more like “every man or woman for themselves” rather than “all for one and one for all.”

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Our U.S. democracy which had always prided itself on a separation of church and state seemed to forget the reason for this partition. Increasingly, a group called Evangelical Fundamentalists became more popular along with their criticism of many progressive institutions. Republicanville USA moved more and more to the right. The concept of unbridled capitalism became enshrined as a religion and many people began opposing “big” government and taxes. The Republican Party preached that the marketplace could provide for all social, physical and economic needs of U.S. citizens. My town moved even further to the right.

trump-state-of-the-union This conservative trend was already well underway when in 2017, a billionaire real-estate developer named Donald Trump became the 45^th President of the United States of America. In addition to the hard core conservative beliefs of many mainstream Republicans, Trump added the once discredited idea of American Isolationism. We would now put America first, no matter what. No more negotiations with other nations unless it was clear that we got the better of the deal. We would build a big wall to keep Mexicans and other immigrants out and we would renege on our trade deals with China and Europe. About the only country that Trump liked was Russia. Eventually, he agreed to give Alaska and parts of Canada back to Russia.

Trump came through on his promises to the Evangelicals that he would make America White again and put women back in the bedroom where it would be okay to grab their pussies whenever you wanted to. Minorities were targeted for deportation and women libbers promoting abortion or equal rights for women were arrested in wholesale sweeps and sent to special detention centers for chronic complainers and protesters.

I would like to describe in somewhat more detail what my town is like now in 2056. Things are a lot different than when I was born in 2017. I will divide my discussion of these changes into three areas: Family, Education and Social Issues.

Family:

another-day-in-paradise I am 39 years old and have two children. I have never worked (at least outside of the home) as women have not been allowed to work since 2022 when they passed the “Women in the Home Law” as it was popularly called. The Federal government passed the law and it was ratified by every state and municipality in the nation. Some places tried to hold out but the government cut off all funding to them until they capitulated. This law effectively outlawed women working. It also barred women from the military. Ten years later (2032) they passed the “Mandatory Birth Act.” This bill proscribes that every woman (physically able to) must give birth to at least two children. Any woman who reaches the age of 32 and still has not given birth to two children is forcibly removed to a National Birthing Center where she will be artificially impregnated and kept confined until she has had at least two healthy children. Sickly or unhealthy children are sent to Disposal Camps where they are “recycled” per official government propaganda. No one is quite sure what happens during recycling but the children are never seen again.

Many gay women resisted the Mandatory Birth Act and the National Suicide Rate went up dramatically. The “Fathers” (as our political leaders are now called) made it very clear that the country would be better off without such deviates. Since women were no longer allowed in politics, the leaders of the nation decreed that they would all be called “Fathers” instead of being referred to as politicians or legislators as they once were called.

My husband works at a local mill where they make t-shirts for Japan, China, Brazil and some of the more developed t-shirt-workers nations. Since banning imports of such items, we have created millions of jobs making goods that were once made in low wage countries. The demand for such goods has skyrocketed but now we are providing them. Unfortunately, the wages and education needed for such work is still low. My husband did not finish high school but most men in our town do not. The Fathers have repeatedly stated that real men don’t need higher education. (I will talk more about education later.)

When my husband is not working, he spends most of his time watching football, baseball, basketball, golf or hockey. I am men-watching-game not allowed in the living room when his sports are on except to bring in some beer or chips. This does not really bother me much as I have plenty to do with the kids, housecleaning, cooking and all. I have my own TV in my sewing room where I can watch any of the approved programs for women. We have 30 different “Women Only” channels where I can learn more about cooking and cleaning and how to be a good wife. There are some good romances and family drama stories that are occasionally on. I look forward to watching these when the kids are in bed.

Our two children, Mary and John are 12 and 15 respectively. Mary is in a finishing school for girls where they are preparing her for being a mom and wife. She takes subjects such as homemaking, cooking, cleaning and parenting. She has one more year to go before finishing school.

When Mary turns 14, she will be eligible for marriage. Her name will be put in a marriage registry. If she is lucky enough and pretty enough, some up and coming town Father will select her for a wife. Men who qualify due to income levels are allowed to have up to five wives.

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My son John is not in school any longer and he works part-time. The Fathers decried that girls did not need schooling after the age of 13. John hopes to get a job in the t-shirt plant where his dad works when he turns 16. He quit school because we could not afford a private school for him. Only the rich kids in town go on to education beyond the 10^th grade. Private schools are very expensive and the Fathers do not believe in funding education any more. It has been emphasized that education is an elitist program that creates class divisions and makes some people feel more entitled than other people. Most young men in our town will work in one of the mills or plants.

Education:

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I have already talked about some aspects of our education system today. Basically, most people do not believe in higher education anymore. It is only for the rich. All funds for public education were cut in 2035 when they passed the “Private Education Act”. Most folks now send their kids to private schools through the 8^th grade and then find work for their children after that. Girls will be shortly married so school is not thought to be that important for them anyway. They can learn whatever they need to be a good wife on the “At Home Wives Channels.”

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Boys from families with lower incomes can opt to go to privately funded vocational schools to learn such trades as t-shirt making, sneaker making, jewelry making, gun repair, taxidermy, and many other skills that might be in demand. There is still some funding for such programs that is available for lower income families. All public colleges have been closed now. As I noted earlier, such schools were decried to be elitist and the Fathers were unanimous in un-funding them.

Boys from wealthier families go to the more prestigious private schools where they will learn such skills as: Leadership, Accounting, Business Development, Entrepreneurship and Medicine. Law was abolished as a field of study in 2030 with the passage of the “No More Lawyers Act.” This act basically made lawsuits illegal thus dramatically decreasing the need for lawyers in the U.S.

Courtrooms abolished “adversarial” trial procedures with the “No More Lawyers Act” and replaced the old-fashioned method of two people arguing trials with modern Computerized Forensic Tomography. Using CFT, a cross section of the case and evidence pro and con is presented to the jurors. All the available facts and data are reviewed and jurors vote on the verdict. Trials are much more efficient and there is no need for lawyers.

Anti Education Libraries are now mostly museums. With the passage of the “Books Only Lie Bill” in 2038, all funds to public libraries were cut. The Fathers decried that books did nothing but cause trouble and stir up discontent. Anything citizens really needed to know could be found on the “Citizens Channels” offered by the government Department of Public Wisdom. There are over 100 of these channels which are available on public TV. They are on 24/7 and offer many programs for good citizenship. Some of the programs are:

Disciplining your children
How to take proper care of your guns
Disciplining your wife
Obeying your supervisor
Getting along with co-workers
Obeying authority
Keeping a clean house

Social Issues:

Social issues or problems (as some people thought of them) have been mostly eliminated in our town. Our Fathers banned minorities in 2040 with the “America for Whites Act.” Under this act, no immigrants or people of color can live in the same community as White people. In 2041, they passed the “Christian Only Act” making Christianity the official Religion of the USA. All other religions were banned along with atheism and agnosticism. The “Mandatory Religion Act” in 2042 made it a felony crime not to attend a Christian church every Sunday.

In our town, there is only one church now. It the Fundamental Evangelical Christian Church for Christ. We have two pastors who are both well versed in Old Testament theology. They are fond of saying that “Heaven is for the obedient, the disobedient will all go to hell.” We are taught that Jesus will come again before the end of the century to judge the living and the dead. The good folks will go to heaven and the bad will burn forever in the flames of hell.

We still have crime in our community but not very much. It is severely punished with public floggings, beatings and hangings. Criminals are banished to work rehabilitation camps for hard labor. Drugs are still a major problem but the new “One Strike Act” passed in 2050 decried that anyone caught with an illegal substance would face a mandatory life sentence at a penal colony somewhere in the South China Sea.

immigration-reform

Gay men still can be found but homosexuality can be punished under the “2045 Purity of Purpose Bill” with mandatory castration. Boys are encouraged to be manly and any evidence of femininity in our boys is severely dealt with. Our town brought back “town stocks” a few years ago, to punish any boys or men caught in homosexual activities. These punishments plus the threat of castration have decreased the rate of homosexuality considerably in our community.

Well, I could tell you a great deal more about life in our town in 2056, but I have cleaning and cooking to do. Furthermore, if anyone knew I was writing this I would be in big trouble. Under the “Against Propaganda Law” passed in 2041, no one may criticize the government, any Fathers or any laws without official authorization from the local town council. I could be publicly flogged or worse for saying these things. Thus, for now I will just hide this away. I don’t mean to be either a coward or a complainer. Our Fathers say this is the Golden Age of America and that we are living in the greatest Christian country in the world. Who am I to argue?

Time for Questions:

Are you living the good life? Do you live the life you dreamed of? Do you think you have a right to your dreams? Do you think other people also have a right to their dreams? How much authority do you think a government should have over your dreams? What kind of dreams do you have for your children? What do you call progress?

Life is just beginning.

“No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?” ― George Orwell, Animal Farm

No Supplication to the Democratic Party

06 Mar 2025 Leave a comment

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: afraid to fight, cowards, democrats, do nothing, donald trump, Politics, republicans, spineless, trump, wimps

A supplicant is a person who asks for something from someone in a humble or respectful way. For example, a supplicant might pray to God for help or ask a powerful person for a favor. A supplicant goes to the Godfather on bent knee, kissing his ring and tearfully requesting some action or effort to address a problem.

There are many of us over the years who have gone on bent knees to the Democratic Party and pleaded with them to help us out. They have been oblivious to our supplications. Our requests have been ignored. They have turned a deaf ear to our entreaties. Now they are complaining that they are getting too many requests from voters to have a spine.

“Meanwhile, Democratic congressional leaders held an internal “gripe-fest” last week. Not griping about Trump’s authoritarian assault – but about their own grassroots constituents inundating them with calls and emails demanding that they grow spines and start fighting the rising oligarchy.” — Jim Hightower, “The Lowdown”

I confess. Mea Culpa. I have voted for Obama, Hillary, Biden and Harris. I too have thought the Democrats were the answer to the right-wing madness taking over the country. I might as well have exhorted a lamb to go fight it out with a wolf or cougar. The stalwarts of the Democratic Party have grown up placating so many people, they no more have the ability to tackle trump, than I have of wresting with a grizzly bear.

I listened to NPR today when they were interviewing some big shot from the Democratic Party about the trump speech. They asked him what he thought of the speech. He replied, “I think there were a lot of “Mischaracterizations” in his talk.” WTF is a “mischaracterization?” Did he mean that every other fucking sentence trump speaks is a lie? The lamb thinks it is standing up to the wolf when it runs in the other direction. Steven Colbert held up a sign on his nightly broadcast urging Democrats to “Do Something.” The Democrats really showed trump during his excretory diatribe that they would thwart him by doing nothing and saying nothing. Funny how this would work? Very few people in history have accomplished anything by doing and saying nothing except holding up a few unreadable signs.

Let me get to the point. Forget pleading with the Democratic Party to get a spine. You are wasting your breath. There are only three positions to take with the Democratic Party. They are as follows:

Some of the Democratic Party members might be helpful but most are too much a part of the system to ever risk a major change.
The more time you spend supplicating the Democratic Party leadership to stand up and be counted, the more effort you waste that is fruitless. Forget helping the Democratic Party to find a “new direction.” They could not find a new direction if they had a Genie in a lamp to guide them.
We need to build a mass movement with our own leadership first and foremost. Any assistance from the Democratic Party would be “icing on the cake.” The change is going to come from the people like you and me who owe nothing to the Democratic Party.

We need to start communications between all the anti-trump movements in the entire country. We need boots on the ground and willing hearts and minds. We need to take a different path than the fundraising path that so many organizations take. Time is money and if we can get people who are not rich but who will devote time and effort, we won’t need billions of advertising dollars to defeat trump.

If you think I am being too harsh in my criticism of the Democratic Party and you need more proof of what I am saying, then regard the following Democratic responses to the rather bold move by Rep Al Green to speak out against trump. The Democrats are subsequently considering joining an effort by the Republican Party to censure Rep Al Green. You might expect this kind of behavior from the Republicans, but it is from the Democrats themselves who are willing to censure Rep Green for his behavior. They should be giving him a medal.

“What [Green] did was inappropriate — and he became the story, not the price of eggs,” a centrist House Democrat said.

Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Don Davis (D-N.C.) said they are undecided about censuring Green.

Rep. George Latimer (D-N.Y.) said he felt the disruptions were “inappropriate.” He said, “When a president — my president, your president — is speaking, we don’t interrupt, we don’t pull those stunts.”

How many Republicans have ever been willing to censure Bobick or Green for their antics during Biden’s presidency? How many people spoke out against Adolf Hitler when he was speaking?

A give you a part of Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech which rings in my ears. I am taking the liberty to paraphrase it here:

“Trump is destroying our democracy and plans to set up a dictatorship. And what have we to oppose to him? Shall we try argument? We have been trying that for the last ten years with his followers. Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted?”

“Let us not, I beseech you, deceive ourselves. We have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have sued, we have brought felony charges, we have demonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before friends and relatives and have implored their good intentions to arrest the tyrannical hands of trump and his sycophants. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt by trump and his followers.”

“In vain, after these things, there are still those who believe trump is bluffing and does not really mean to do what he says in plan 2025. There are those who indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation between opposing political positions. I say that there is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free– if we mean to preserve inviolate our democracy and its tolerance for the poor, the needy, the minorities and the weak — for which we have been so long contending–if we mean not basely to abandon the noble virtues in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon — we must fight! I repeat it, we must fight! Mass resistance is our only avenue, our only means and our only path to destroy this plague which has descended upon our country.” (My apologies to Patrick Henry)

Only by joining together with all people who believe in morals, ethics, democracy and integrity can we triumph over this scourge which threatens all of humanity. As Benjamin Franklin so wisely said “Either we all hang together, or we all hang separately.”

For more information on organizing to prevent an autocratic takeover, see the following document:

“Pro-democracy Organizing against Autocracy in the United States: A Strategic Assessment & Recommendations” — Harvard Kennedy School, Faculty Research Working Paper Series by Erica Chenoweth and Zoe Marks

You also might want to call any of the following if they are leaders in your state.

Unbreaking America: Solving the Corruption Crisis

01 Feb 2025 1 Comment

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: bribes, change, corruption, democrats, independents, lobbyists, oligarchs, peace, Politics, reform, republicans

Dear Friends,

I am very impressed with this video, the ideas promulgated and the presentation made to support the ideas. To me it is brilliantly done and executed. It might provide a pathway out of the morass that we are now experiencing politically in the USA. Please take 12 minutes to watch this video. Send it to others if you like it or tell me to go to hell if you hate it.

Peace, Wisdom and a Long and Healthy Life,
John,
Dr. John Persico
612-310-3803
www.a gingcapriciously.com

All Aboard for a Ride on the Trump Mobile

30 Oct 2024 Leave a comment

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: bigots, christian nationalists, christianity, donald trump, Politics, racists, religion, republicans, sexists, trump, trump mobile, white supremacists, xenophobia

The Trump mobile is the limousine that Trump drives. I will describe it in this blog. If you board his vehicle, he will take you on a ride to autocracy and xenophobia. To a land bereft of Democracy or anything pertaining to the values and virtues of the Founding Fathers. Lets look at the construction of this vehicle from the ground up.

There are four tires that the Trump mobile rolls on. One tire is Christian Nationalism. This is the belief that the Christian religion should become the religion of the USA. It is the belief that Christianity is superior to all other religions and that the Christian God is the only true God. Christianity needs to infiltrate our government and our schools. Christian Nationalists want to do away with the separation of church and state and put the 10 Commandments and Bibles in every institute of education in America. America will become a Theocracy like Iran and Israel.

A second tire that the Trump mobile rides on is White Supremacy. This tire is constructed of layers of belief that White people need to remain the supreme governing group in the USA. It supports the idea that White people are superior in morals, intellect and aspirations to all other ethnic groups. By virtue of being White, you are entitled to rule over inferior races which includes everyone on earth who is non-White.

The third tire constructed for the Trump mobile is Sexism. This tire promotes the inferiority of women to men. Women were brought into being by a creator not to lead men but to follow men. A women’s main role is to bear children that will continue the dynasties started by men. Women should always remain subservient to men from the bedroom to the kitchen.

The fourth tire for the Trump mobile is Racism and Xenophobia. This tire is built up from layers of fear and loathing for other races and cultures. This tire rolls on the belief that White people must prevent race mixing. Allowing relationships with other races will dilute the pure heritage of the White genotype. Anyone different such as Gays, minorities, disabled people or indigenous people must be eliminated from the White gene pool.

Moving on to the major power for the Trump mobile we come to the engine and the fuel supply. The engine is composed of 8 cylinders of greed, avarice, acquisitiveness, covetousness, graspingness, cupidity, materialism, and possessiveness. The fuel that feeds the engine delivers power from the promise of Tax Breaks and Trickle-Down Economics. A fuel that will help the rich and many others find ways to buy more stuff.

Then we come to the transmission for the Trump mobile. No limousine can move until the power is transferred to the wheels from the engine. In the case of the Trump mobile, the two main cogs in the transmission are fear and hate. Fear and hate convey the power to the wheels. Fear of others who may try to take away the values promoted by Trump and his followers. Hate for those who are different and who may try to block the desires of Trump and his supporters.

The vehicle is of course driven by the charismatic Donald Trump who is the only one on the whole planet capable of steering the limousine in the RIGHT direction. Trump was sent by the Christian Nationalist God to drive the Trump mobile to a paradise on earth ruled by White Christian people. People who believe in the superiority of Whiteness and a White God with blond hair and blue eyes who will smite the enemies of Trump and his supporters.

The fronts seats of the Trump mobile are filled with sycophants who bless Trump and regard him as a savior. Leaders of the Republican party, rich billionaires, media propagandists and young sexy women all get to ride in the front seats. The back seats are full of Trump supporters who hope someday to ride in the front seats. These are men and women who feel cheated by their government and society of their rightful place in life. They believe that someday Trump will anoint them as faithful followers and allow them to join Trump in his paradise on earth. They believe that the Trump mobile will take them there.

All aboard please. The Trump mobile is leaving soon.

It’s a Barbie World: A Virulent Attack on Male Masculinity

28 Jul 2023 13 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: barbie, barbie movie, conservatives, liberals, Margot ROBBIE, republicans, sexy

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Fox News, Ted Cruz, Republicans and Conservatives who have not even watched the Barbie movie are mad as hell. This blatantly or subtly (depending on your bias) perspective on dolls, women, femininity, and masculinity are further adding to the deep divide separating Americans from Americans. How dare Mattel and Margot Robbie put out a movie like this. What could its writers Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach be thinking? We need movies that will bring us together and not further divide us. Movies like The Ritual Killer, Casting Kill, and Sympathy for the Devil. Movies that will make you afraid to walk the streets and compel Americans to buy more guns.

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Oops, did I mention GUNS? Sorry, I did not mean to offend any of our brave defenders of the Second Amendment. It is violent movies that bring Americans together. Movies that make you think are part of the Commie Pinko Intellectual Brain Cartel that drive Americans apart. We all know that thinking can be dangerous. Universities are hot beds for liberal ideas like Ecology, Critical Race Theory, Feminist Ideology, Climate Change, Diversity, Equity, Sustainability and something called “Wake Me Up” or WOKE for short. Going to any liberal college is an invitation to be brainwashed. If you think too much, you will question things that commentators on Fox News and Newsmax tell you.

Karen and I had not been to a movie theater in four years. The last movie we went to see was a remake of the original Cats. Cats as any conservative can tell you is a movie musical where the characters are all LGBTQ+i people disguised as cats. They run around doing silly things in hopes of being selected for a reincarnation ritual. It is amazing that conservative churches nationwide did not ban this weak attempt to transform our youth into Trans-Cat people. Nevertheless, despite negative comparison to the original Cats, Karen and I enjoyed it very much.

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A week or two ago, when Raiders with Harrison Ford came out, we were ready to go see it. We had hopes that Indiana Jones would be as compelling as he was in the original Raiders movie. The more we thought about it the less likely this seemed possible. Ford is nearly 80 years old, and I was skeptical about his ability to play a thirty something. We decided to save the 25 dollars we would spend at the theater on tickets and popcorn until something better came along. Next week out came Oppenheimer, Mission Impossible and Barbie. Our friends all teed up to go to Mission Impossible or Opie. Something in my personality as I watched the Barbie trailer was turned on by her high heeled shoes, nice breasts, and beautiful blond hair. An all-American woman if ever there was one.

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Without further thought, I decided to take Karen to see the movie. Little did I realize how subversive this movie was. If I had known, I would never have taken Karen to see it. Movies like this could turn women into raving maniacal feminists. Women who would do anything to overthrow the patriarchy and probably burn their bras. By the way, bra burning never bothered me, but if they burned their garter belts, I would be really upset.

The first third of the movie was a real joy ride. Hilarious visuals depicting all types of Barbies that I never knew existed. I thought most Barbies were just sort of “hottie” dolls but much to my surprise there were some Barbies who had brains as well as sex appeal. Now most men have been taught that these two things do not go together, and I admit I was a bit surprised. I should have known I was being setup.

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Karen was enjoying the show very much. She remembered a good deal of the history and paraphernalia associated with Barbie. She had even seen a Ken doll. I confess I had never seen a Ken doll. I did not even play with toy soldiers when I was growing up or Action-Adventure Figures. My tough conservative father was aware that these “figures” were just pseudonyms for DOLLs and that playing with them would make me queer and effeminate. I could have guns, military aircraft, and navy destroyers. One of my favorite pastimes was building military models and then shooting them to pieces. My father approved and thought that I would be a military hero someday. It was my job to save America from “God-Less” Communism. Nevertheless, there were many parts of Barbie in which I laughed hysterically.

The second third of Barbie dragged a little. I was not sure where it was going. The comedy bits came farther apart, and the show seemed to be meandering, I knew not where. I began to enjoy it more as I realized that a plot was being set-up. The director and writers had something up their sleeves. I would soon find out what these devious devils were going to do.

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The third part of Barbie was the showstopper. Gerwig and Baumbach wanted their movie to be more than just a mindless comedy. They wanted a movie that might make Americans think. This was a movie with a message. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your political affiliation they did not run it by the Republican National Committee. If they had, it would never have reached the silver screen. Here is what some conservative pundits had to say about it:

Elon Musk wrote: “If you take a shot every time Barbie says the word ‘Patriarchy,’ you will pass out before the movie ends.”
Texas Senator Ted Cruz, for the second time, accused the Barbie movie of pushing “Chinese communist propaganda.” The Texas republican was referring to a “nine-dash line” used on the map, depicting what China claims is its territory within the South China Sea
Ben Shapiro tweeted: “My producers dragged me to see ‘Barbie’ and it was one of the most woke movies I have ever seen.” He added, “My full review of this flaming garbage heap of a film will be out on my YouTube channel tomorrow at 10am ET.” (He did indeed post a video of himself setting Barbie dolls ablaze in a trash can.)

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WOKE, Communist China, Bashing Patriarchy. Lions and Tiger and Bears, O MY! What is a red-blooded American male to do today? Was this what I joined the military for during the Vietnam war? To see my country making a movie supporting China and to help destroy the White Male Patriarchy that has made our country great. God forbid it. To paraphrase the great patriot Patrick Henry:

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“What is it that the Barbies wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or feminism so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of Patriarchy and Male dominance? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, BURN those, Barbie Dolls!”

Free Speech in the Public Arena

07 Apr 2023 4 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: book bans, free speech, libraries, media, press, radicals, republicans, truth, zealots

This is part 4 of my series on Free Speech. In my third part, I talked about the issue of free speech in academia. Here I would like to discuss how I see the First Amendment playing out in the public sector. By public sector, I am referring to the street, store, bank, airplane, bus, park, library or any public building or public office space, where you might find yourself standing or sitting. The First Amendment provides that:

“Congress make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting its free exercise. It protects freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

download As with any of the constitutional amendments there is a certain, indeed I would say “high” degree of ambiguity as to the limits of what the Founding Fathers meant by their words. We know for instance that they did not mean that you could slander or libel anyone with your words. We know that they did not mean that you could yell “fire” in a crowded theater. We also know that there are many instances of what the Founding Fathers did not have a clue would become an interpretation for “Free Speech.” For instance, the Citizens United decision by the US Supreme Court says that the right to make political contributions is a form of free speech. This will probably go down in history as one of the most egregious interpretations of what the Founding Fathers meant. The only interpretations that seem more egregious concern several earlier court decisions regarding slavery and the buying and selling of human beings.

Another famous saying is a parody of the “Golden Rule.” This parody says that “He/She who has the gold makes the rules.” In terms of free speech, this parody is quite apt. Corporations have a lot of money, so they decide what free speech is and is not. The more money or power you have, the more free speech you can ostensibly command. If you are a US Senator, you will have a greater audience willing to listen to you than you or I would have.

Bernadette Dohrn, the now retired law professor and once upon a time leftist radical, said that “In America, you can say anything you want, until someone starts listening to you.” This truism seems to have become aggravated by the sheer numbers of lawyers and courts that are willing to hear any type of case regardless of what it is about. Don’t think for a second that they are doing this to further truth, justice, and the American way of life. If you have enough money, you can get your day in court. If you do not, you better have a case that the media finds “sensational.” Have you ever wondered why some cases get tried much sooner than others? High profile politicians have the right to a speedy access in appeal courts and even the US Supreme Court considerably faster than you or I ever would.

The Sixth Amendment to the US Constitution says that Americans have the right to “fair and speedy” trial.

“In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed,”

images Recently, I read of the case of an eleven-year-old convicted of killing his stepmother. His appeal took three and a half years to come to court and then found him not guilty. On the other hand, Kari Lake, the big lie advocate and loser in the Arizona Governor’s race this past year had appeal after appeal and each one seemed to take less than two or three weeks. It takes three and a half years to get justice for an eleven-year-old wrongly convicted of murder, but Lake got trial after trial for her baseless and politically motivated claims that they “stole” the election from her. This same scenario has played out repeatedly in the past few years. Poor people with no money wait years to get a “fair hearing” while rich bottom feeders like Lake walk in and out of court on an almost daily basis.

This is an excerpt from a talk that Chris Hedges gave on April 4th at the Independent National Convention in Austin, Texas. He called it “Reclaiming our Country.”

“It is one of the great ironies that the corporate state needs the abilities of the educated, intellectuals and artists to maintain power, yet the moment any begin to think independently they are silenced. The relentless assault on culture, journalism, education, the arts and critical thinking, has left those who speak in the language of class warfare marginalized, frantic Cassandras who are viewed as slightly unhinged and depressingly apocalyptic. Those with the courage to shine a light into the inner workings of the machinery, such as Noam Chomsky, are turned into pariahs, or, like Julian Assange, relentlessly persecuted.”

It does not really take much to run afoul of those who want to stifle free speech and free expressions in America. Here are some examples from my own life. I give these modestly because they are nowhere near as egregious as some.

Told while working for the Metropolitan Council in Minnesota that I had better back the Democratic candidate for Governor or my career would be short-lived. I backed Jesse Ventura instead.
Told by the VA Director while working for the VA as a Claims Examiner 7 that I would need to shave my beard off, or that I would never get a promotion.
Apparently, a complaint (from someone unknown) about my teaching a unit on current social issues necessitated a security person from the school to burst into my classroom, demanding to see my lesson plans, and wanting to know “who approved these plans?” I informed him that they were part of the regular curriculum, to which he ordered me to not pursue these lesson plans any further. This happened in a local high school about 4 years ago when I was filling in for the regular teacher who was out for the week.

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In recent years, we have seen more and more examples of speech being stifled by both right and left-wing extremists. Each side does not want the other side to have a right to speak their piece. A key cornerstone of our democracy has become so politicized today that agitators feel they have the right to speak but you and I do not. Lawyers twist the words and definitions to fit the needs of corporations and rich clients but not to find truth and justice. As Humpty Dumpty said to Alice:

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“When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.’

’The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’

’The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master — that’s all.”

Gold makes the rules, and the Master defines the words. He who has both the gold and the power decides what is the truth and what lies may be told.

“I can walk into a bookshop and point out a number of books that I find very unattractive in what they say. But it doesn’t occur to me to burn the bookshop down. If you don’t like a book, read another book. If you start reading a book and you decide you don’t like it, nobody is telling you to finish it.” — Salman Rushdie

Libraries, once a bastion of intellectual thought and free speech, have come under attack all over the USA. State legislatures governed by Republican majorities have drawn up lists of hundreds of books to be removed from public libraries, school libraries and college libraries. In one state a high school principal was recently fired for allowing a teacher to use a textbook for art appreciation which depicted the famous statue of David. Book bans have occurred in 138 school districts in 32 states. These districts represent 5,049 schools with a combined enrollment of nearly 4 million students. — Banned in the USA: Rising School Book Bans Threaten Free Expression and Students’ First Amendment Rights (April 2022),

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Truth is now routinely perverted by both the media and the so-called justice system in America. The narratives that you are bombarded with every day and that deign to pass as Free Speech are seldom anything but gross distortions of reality. Think of the documents you sign for an insurance policy or a mortgage or buying a new car. Dozens of pages of legal sounding words that have no meaning to the average person. Even a lawyer would be hard put to explain what you are about to sign. There is a good chance that you will later find that they covered every loophole needed to protect themselves at your expense. I give you one example from many in my life.

A few years ago, I purchased a new RV. The dealer talked me into signing an extended warranty policy for about 2000 dollars. In less than ten thousand miles, a wheel broke off. It did not come off because of loose nuts. The hub and brake assembly all broke off with part of the axel. It tore through the underbody of the RV causing almost 7000 thousand dollars of damage. When I called the warranty company, they told me I had no claim. Their policy covered “defect” not “damage” and that I should read page 32 for an explanation. Every auto person I talked to said it was a defective hub and wheel. “NO” said the warranty company. If I did not agree, I could hire a lawyer, but they added they had fought this battle many times and they “would win.”

I am sure that everyone reading this can find a similar example of signing some long legal sounding document and later finding that the words were crafted to “give you the shaft.” These legal distortions further the ends of an elite that does not believe in Democracy. They are like wolves in sheep’s clothing. Their façade keeps the public passive until they are ready to pounce. There are many in America today for which Democracy is nothing but a convenient façade. It is brought out when needed to further their ends. Ends which as my good friend Dick always said you will find when you “follow the money.”

“Goebbels was in favor of free speech for views he liked. So was Stalin. If you’re really in favor of free speech, then you’re in favor of freedom of speech for precisely the views you despise. Otherwise, you’re not in favor of free speech.” — Noam Chomsky

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Free speech is like anything else that someone tells you is free. It is never free. There are no free lunches. If you understand that “Freedom” is never free but is always purchased with the blood of heroes and martyrs, what makes you think that Free Speech is “FREE.” Free Speech is purchased with the courage to pursue convictions, speaking up when in the minority, and most of all an acceptance of hearing things you don’t want to hear and understanding that truth is like a kaleidoscope. Each twist of a kaleidoscope brings a different reality into view.

Consider participating in “Free Speech Week” this October 16-22, 2023

FREE SPEECH WEEK

Created in 2005 and originally called National Freedom of Speech Week, Free Speech Week (FSW) takes place the third week of October annually. Its purpose is to raise public awareness of the importance of freedom of speech and of a free press in our democracy – and to celebrate that freedom. This non-partisan, non-ideological event is intended to be a unifying celebration.

PS: Check out the latest Jim Hightower Thoughts on Book Banning.

https://open.substack.com/pub/jimhightower/p/how-perverse-is-the-gops-book-banning?r=zfnvi&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

Republicans: Why They Were Once a Great Party but are Now the Party of Hate, Bigotry and Greed

06 Oct 2022 Leave a comment

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: ant-science, anti-education, bigots, extremism. nut cases, idiots, Politicians, racism, republicans, sexism, stupid people. ignorant people, tea party, zealots

The Republican Party has degenerated into a club of opportunists who do little justice to the values that made America great. I characterize the various factions within the Republican Party as:

Less Educated Voters
Bigoted Voters
Greedy Voters
Fearful Voters
Religious fundamentalist Voters

These groups are relatively new to Republicanism and many of them were perhaps initially attracted to the messages of the old Republicans Party, most actually have little understanding of the traditional Republican values. You may well ask: “What keeps them attracted them to the Republican Party today?” I will attempt to answer this question with this blog. It will entail describing each the above five groups in more detail and their attraction to what passes as the Republican Party today.

Over the past years, there were forces both pushing and pulling many new voters towards the Republican Party. Some of these forces started as far back as 1910. The pulling forces included the enticing messages that they would hear from Traditional Republicans. “You too can be rich.” “Trickle-down economics.” “Say no to Big Government.” “No new taxes.” “Pro-Life.” “Keep America safe.” “We protect your rights.” These messages are very compelling and appeal to voters for a variety of reasons. First, some of these messages actually did build on the core Republican values that I described in an earlier blog. Second, they were taken to attractive extremes by the new marketing techniques that infused politics in the latter half of the twentieth century. The “Golden Mean” was sacrificed on the altar of marketing and political expediency to reflect messages that were “too good to be true and suspiciously ambiguous.” These messages had both a push and pull element to their high sounding promises. We will look at a few key messages before examining each of the five groups I noted above.

Vote Republican and you too can live like the rich!

Pushing Forces:

The Pushing Forces included the following changes taking place in US society:

Demographic changes
Ethnographic changes
Economic changes
Religious changes

Each of these forces contributed in many ways to the movement of a large contingent of voters away from the Democratic Party and into the Republican Party.

Demographic Changes include the aging of the USA population. It is a well-known fact that as people get older they get more conservative. The values of conservatism, safety, law enforcement, traditional roles for marriage, relationships and the role of women in society are all powerful forces that have propelled voters to the core value of Conservatism that is well established in the Republican Party. Liberals (who fell in favor) were seen as wanting to change too many of the “normal” institutions in the USA. Traditional Religious voters as well as older voters are generally inclined to support the status quo. The problem for many was: “how do we hold onto a status quo that is changing right before our eyes?”

“The population is also expected to become much older. By 2030, more than 20 percent of U.S. residents are projected to be aged 65 and over, compared with 13 percent in 2010 and 9.8 percent in 1970.” — Census.gov

Ethnographic Changes in the USA population include the influx of many groups into the country who hold values that are seen as “foreign” to traditional USA values. It is one thing for new groups who are Christian to enter the country, but over the past fifty years or so, we have had a much more diverse array of ethnic groups from countries where Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism are the dominant religions. Many of these religions are poorly understood in the US and the practitioners are sometimes seen as promoting anti-US values. One example is the fear that many people in this country have for Sharia Law and the belief that Muslims want to overthrow the US Justice System and replace it with Sharia Law.

Partly responsible for a growing intolerance in the USA has been the fact that projections show that “White” people will become a minority in the USA in thirty years. This gradual erosion of the White majority means that White people must accept a more diverse society in which White morals and values will be one among several other sets of morality and not always the dominant one. This is hard for many people to take as Whites have always been in the power seat in this country.

“The nation’s demographics are on a clear trajectory: White people are dying faster than they are being born, which means they are on target to become a minority in the United States in 30 years.” — Whites projected to become a US minority

Economic Changes in the US economy started to noticeably impact the standard of living for many voters following WW II. At first it was imperceptible. There had always been changes in the economy with ups and downs, recessions and the Great Depression following WW I. However, after WW II, we had a respite from anything that could be called “Global Economics.” With the demise of Germany and Japan and the economic hardships facing Great Britain, France and several other European countries, we had the economic ball field to ourselves. The USA economic boom was reflected in a period of rising incomes and relative prosperity.

The attached chart shows that while USA productivity has continued to increase since 1945, real earnings have been either static or on the decline since the mid nineteen seventies. Whereas, we once had the playing field to ourselves, by the early 70’s the competition from other countries, particularly Japan, was beginning to erode the economic advantage we once had. By the late 80’s, wages in the USA were being impacted by the growth of industry in countries where wage rates were much lower. Foreign competition and increased levels of quality goods from other countries helped to erode the market dominance of traditional USA companies.

These economic changes have fallen particularly hard on voters in the USA who worked in what might be called “transitional” industries. Agriculture transitioned to manufacturing during the mid-twentieth century. Manufacturing transitioned to service beginning in the seventies. Finally, service jobs have become increasingly high tech requiring computer skills and often advanced education and training. People in the “Blue Collar” industries cannot be trained fast enough to fill the jobs needed in the new industries.

The recession in 2008 saw a loss of nearly 9,000, 000 jobs in the USA. Economists like to refer to these job losses as “creative destruction” or as an “economic correction.” The problem is that if you are the worker who does not have the skills to transition to a new job and you have a family to support, terms such as “Correction” do not help you to feed your family.

Recent statistics show that most of the jobs lost in the “Great Recession” have been regained. However, many of these new jobs are in lower paying industries or have gone to new workers with new skills in the labor force. The number of underemployed or unemployed people in the USA remains high and a source of major discontent. Our US system of reeducating workers is poor and in need of major overall.

The Republican Party and its messages have attracted many of these economically struggling voters to their party. The Republican values of hard work, individual responsibility and economic self-sufficiency resonate well with a group bitter over their economic hardships and who view too many others as getting a free ride.

Religious Changes may just be the single most powerful force pushing many voters and citizens into the Republican Party. Since 1900, the country has become increasingly secular and to some extent even non-religious. The following comment is from “Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore:”

“According to the Hartford Institute of Religion Research, more than 40 percent of Americans “say” they go to church weekly. As it turns out, however, less than 20 percent are actually in church. In other words, more than 80 percent of Americans are finding more fulfilling things to do on weekends.”

Many of the more conservative religions and branches of religions that may have splintered off from their mainstream congregations have migrated towards the Republican Party. Again, the conservative family oriented values of the Republican Party have attracted many religious fundamentalists who oppose gay marriage, women clergy, abortion and creating a pluralistic culture where non-Christian religions are free to worship and practice their faiths. These religious fundamentalists see the secular changes coming to our country as evil and anti-scripture. They have organized many groups in efforts to resist these changes. This is from the mission statement of one of these groups:

“The Christian Coalition is committed to representing the pro-family agenda and educating Americans on the critical issues facing our society. Whether it is the fight to end Partial Birth Abortion or efforts to improve education or lower the family’s tax burden, the Christian Coalition stands ready and able to work for you.”

Pulling Forces:

The Pulling Forces are the messages that voters hear from the Republican Party and which reflect its traditional core values. However, as they play out in the media, these messages are largely nuances and alterations of the traditional core Republican values. The messages have now gone through a process of “Madison avenue marketing” to make them more alluring and seductive to their intended audience. It should come as no surprise that various voters are attracted to various messages. Some of course may be attracted to all of the Republican messages.

Let us now look at each of the individual voting groups that I labeled above to see how the Pulling Forces (Traditional Republican Values) and the resulting messages have attracted each group.

Less Educated Voters:

This group is largely but not exclusively White Male and under educated. They are generally blue collar workers and many of them had their jobs displaced by the rise of Global Economics with offshoring and outsourcing of their work. New technologies and robotics have also taken many of the jobs that these group once did. They have been attracted by several Republican messages. From gun control to the value of free enterprise, these low educated voters have bought into the idea that a Liberal Government is out to take their rights away and make it harder for them to earn a living. Many of them can rightfully blame the government (both Republicans and Democrats) for using their jobs to stoke the fires of Globalization.

This group is attracted to the rhetoric common among Republicans for restraints on immigration and decreased government regulations. They believe that if the USA government was not so big they would be much better off. They blame liberals for the laws promoting a Global economy and do not understand that education can help them. They often are willing to vote against any kind of education bill. Many of them were marginal students who were ill served by the education establishment in the past. They are no supporters of teachers, universities or increased funding for education. The Republican messages have amplified this anti-education theme to the point that Republicans are now deemed anti-science and anti-education and anti-immigration. It is also very easy for this group to buy into the myth that immigrants have stolen their jobs. They are lured by the type of messages that Trump sent out castigating immigrants and particularly Muslims and Mexicans.

2. Bigoted Voters:

This group is not only uninformed but they are also misinformed. They have already made up their minds on the basis of limited and misleading information. They are biased, prejudiced and xenophobic. The Republicans have had a bag of dirty tricks which probably grew out of Nixon’s escapades in the 70’s and have continued through such political shenanigans as the Swift Boat attacks against John Kerry, the manipulations in Florida with the voting ballots and the Karl Rove fiasco in Ohio. This group is ready prey for the type of propaganda tricks that the Republican Party now use to lie, distort the truth and defame their opponents.

The Republicans seem to have thrown away any concept of ethics or morality when it comes to political elections. A squadron of Republican Talk show hosts from Mike Savage to Ann Coulter keep spewing out lies, misinformation, innuendos and calumnies against opponents whom they have no qualms about personally attacking. I would guess that many if not most of the “urban myths” that often dot the Internet have their genesis in some Republican think tank.

Some other recent examples include the “Birther” movement in which President Obama was alleged to have been born in another country and the messages sent out decrying his support of Islamic terrorists because Obama himself is alleged to be a Muslim. Those Ignorant Voters who subscribe to these lies and innuendos come to believe so strongly in them that there is no changing their minds.

3. Greedy Voters:

The USA has become increasingly materialistic. Evidence of this can be seen in new traditions like Black Friday, Designer Lifestyles, Reality Shows and the narcissistic values that seem to be replacing traditional moral and ethical values in the USA. A large contingent of students today are not concerned about how their chosen careers will help their country. They are more concerned with how much money they can make when they graduate. Greed has been on the increase in this country for many years now. Republicans (always the party of the rich) were well positioned to capitalize on a bloc of voters who do not want to share their wealth. Oaths for no new taxes. Oaths to roll back taxes. Oaths to block reforms in Welfare and oaths to block the creation of a more equitable health care system for citizens have become ubiquitous in the Republican Party.

“We were fed this lie that hard work and dedication will payoff. That’s not true. There are millions of Americans who bust their asses working tons of overtime or two or more jobs just to get by – just to survive.” — Trickle-Down Economics, Greed and the Republican Party are Destroying American Values

4. Fearful Voters:

A large number of US citizens today are afraid. They are afraid of crime. They are afraid of immigrants. They are afraid of minorities and they are basically afraid of change. The Republican messages have helped to drive this fear even further into the psyche of people in this country. Everywhere you go today there are gated communities, security systems, concealed carry permits and people afraid to leave the perceived safety of their feudal like communities.

Part of this fear has come from the aging of the population. As people get older, they get more concerned for safety and security. Part of the fear has come from constantly reading about “crime in the streets.” The news over reports and over emphasizes instances of crime and violence on a 24/7 daily basis. Finally, a large part of this fear comes from constantly hearing messages about the imminent attack of terrorists and others who are supposedly jealous of our lifestyle and want to destroy our country.

“In a Pew Research Center poll conducted in September, 75 percent of registered voters surveyed said that “terrorism” was “very important” for their vote in the congressional elections. Also last month, a CBS News/New York Times poll found that 57 percent of Americans surveyed thought Obama has been too soft on ISIL.” — Republican ISIL fearmongering amplifies extremists’ message, experts say.

5. Religious Fundamentalist Voters:

These religious extremists are attracted to the family and religious values messages constantly being sent by the Republican Party. Anti-gay, pro-family, pro-god in the schools, anti-abortion, anti-women’s liberation messages are a theme of most Republican politicians today. The dramatic changes facing religion in the USA since 1900 has seen a decline in the traditional role of church and pulpit in family life. The increased number of working women, gay couples, divorces and abortions have fueled a desire on many conservatives to return to what they saw as the “good old days.” This actually means the good old days for white middle or white upper class heterosexual males. Not so good for women, minorities, disabled and poor people.

This group of voters believes less in a strict separation between church and state than that which was proscribed by our Founding Fathers. They would put GOD back in the schools and in some cases declare the USA a “Christian Nation.” There are many of these voters who have little or no tolerance for anyone outside their own religions. These so called Christians are characterized by a strong proclivity to support capital punishment, war as a first resort for political persuasion and the Ten Commandments as a foundation for a morality for all citizens. They seldom think of peace or diplomacy as a means of resolving disputes between nations. They do not see the hypocrisy between their contradictory messages of pro-life and pro-capital punishment. Furthermore, they are generally extremely literal and particularly narrow in their selection of Bible verses to support.

See the following short video for further evidence of what I mean.

Martin Sheen Burns a Hypo-Christian

Whither Goes the Republican Party?

Where should the Republican Party go? A party that has endorsed the immoral in its political campaigning. A party that fosters fear and war mongering. A party that is against immigrants. A party that is intolerant towards minorities. A party that minimizes the role of women in society. A party that discriminates against gay people. A party that will not treat disabled people as respectable members of society. A party that does not believe in the value of science or education. A party supports racism and white supremacists. A party that has no compassion for the poor and underprivileged or those who may not have the ability to “pick themselves up by their bootstraps.”

Time for Questions:

Where should the Republican Party Go? You tell me please.

Life is just beginning.

“But my revulsion at the Republicans doesn’t begin and end with Iraq and Benghazi. It’s spread to many other issues over the years. Frankly, the GOP increasingly looks like a party in the grip of some form of hyper-partisan madness that takes self-destructive delight in alienating everyone who isn’t a far-right ideologue. What else can explain the up-is-down, black-is-white, counterintuitive perversity of the stances Republicans increasingly take in response to national news and trends?” — I’m not a Democrat. I’m an anti-Republican.

Consider:

A gun-toting maniac slaughters 20 children and 6 adults inside an elementary school. The GOP response? Loosen gun restrictions.
Banks and the finance industry nearly topple the global economy. The GOP response? Oppose increased regulation of banks and the finance industry.
Well over 90 percent of climate scientists present research in favor of anthropogenic climate change. The GOP response? Suggest that the scientists have joined forces with liberals in a big-government conspiracy.
Economic inequality is increasing dramatically, especially at the very top of the income pyramid. The GOP response? Cutting taxes on the wealthy.
The food stamp program has grown since the economic meltdown of 2008, which led to millions of Americans losing their jobs. The GOP response? Cut the food stamp program.
Money is playing an ever-greater role in American politics. The GOP response? Cheer on the effort of the Supreme Court’s Republican majority to increase the role of money in politics still further.
Wages have been stagnant or falling for many years, and raising the federal minimum wage is a broadly popular way of addressing the problem. The GOP response? Oppose raising the minimum wage.

Why, Why, Why Would Anyone Vote for Trump?

13 Jun 2022 12 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: Evil, immoral, liars, mindless, mindlessness, republicans, stupidity, sycophants, trump, trump supporters, unethical

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Perhaps no question in history has spawned more theories and more books to explain the “Trump Phenomenon.” Why would anyone with one iota of decency vote for and support someone who lacked all morality and all integrity? Trump is certainly not the first leader to lack any semblance of morality. However, given that he was elected to what some believe is the last great hope for “Democracy,” it boggles the mind that such a person could become President of the United States of America. Trump and his supporters stand against every principle that this nation was founded on.

1_olMzFxyjypYKzro3iFezQg I have read at least a dozen books and heard a different theory each month on why Trump was elected. From racism, to sexism, to xenophobia, to white supremacy, to rural alienation, to immigration, to abortion, to anti-immigration, to income gaps, to blue collar woes, to anti-globalism, to Christianity, to government overreach, to tax issues, to wage gaps, to inflation, to isolationism, to lack of American jobs, to anti-education, each one of these and several more have been promoted as the “reason” for Trumps support.

You can read volumes about these reasons, and you will still be looking for a reason. None of them seem to provide the “whole” explanation and new books are pumped out daily by Trump accusers and sycophants. These same ass-kissing, boot licking followers who now want to throw shit on Trump while exonerating their own culpability.

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So imagine my surprise when I came across this explanation for why people followed Hitler written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He wrote this while in jail for his resistance to Hitler’s policies. Bonhoeffer was a famous Lutheran pastor and theologian who threw caution to the wind when he decided that he had to speak out against Hitler. He was arrested, tried, and found guilty. He was too well known for Hitler to immediately execute. Hitler put Bonhoeffer in prison but on April 9^th, 1945 just three weeks before he died, Hitler opted for his trademark vindictiveness and cruelty. He ordered Bonhoeffer hung along with several other conspirators.

This writing was done while Bonhoeffer was in prison. In a very short piece, he sums up why anyone would support someone like Trump, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin or any other actual or would be dictator. It explains “Why Trump” better than any of the long-winded studies I have read. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

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Bonhoeffer: On Stupidity

Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice. One may protest against evil; it can be exposed and, if need be, prevented by use of force. Evil always carries within itself the germ of its own subversion in that it leaves behind in human beings at least a sense of unease.

Against stupidity we are defenseless.

Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here; reasons fall on deaf ears; facts that contradict one’s prejudgment simply need not be believed — in such moments the stupid person even becomes critical — and when facts are irrefutable, they are just pushed aside as inconsequential, as incidental. In all this the stupid person, in contrast to the malicious one, is utterly self-satisfied and, being easily irritated, becomes dangerous by going on the attack.

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For that reason, greater caution is called for than with a malicious one. Never again will we try to persuade the stupid person with reasons, for it is senseless and dangerous.

If we want to know how to get the better of stupidity, we must seek to understand its nature. This much is certain, that it is in essence not an intellectual defect but a human one. There are human beings who are of remarkably agile intellect yet stupid, and others who are intellectually quite dull yet anything but stupid.

We discover this to our surprise in particular situations. The impression one gains is not so much that stupidity is a congenital defect, but that, under certain circumstances, people are made stupid or that they allow this to happen to them.

We note further that people who have isolated themselves from others or who live in solitude manifest this defect less frequently than individuals or groups of people inclined or condemned to sociability. And so it would seem that stupidity is perhaps less a psychological than a sociological problem.

It is a particular form of the impact of historical circumstances on human beings, a psychological concomitant of certain external conditions. Upon closer observation, it becomes apparent that every strong upsurge of power in the public sphere, be it of a political or of a religious nature, infects a large part of humankind with stupidity.

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It would even seem that this is virtually a sociological-psychological law. The power of the one needs the stupidity of the other.

The process at work here is not that particular human capacities, for instance, the intellect, suddenly atrophy or fail. Instead, it seems that under the overwhelming impact of rising power, humans are deprived of their inner independence, and, more or less consciously, give up establishing an autonomous position toward the emerging circumstances.

The fact that the stupid person is often stubborn must not blind us to the fact that he is not independent. In conversation with him, one virtually feels that one is dealing not at all with a person, but with slogans, catchwords and the like that have taken possession of him. He is under a spell, blinded, misused, and abused in his very being. Having thus become a mindless tool, the stupid person will also be capable of any evil and at the same time incapable of seeing that it is evil. This is where the danger of diabolical misuse lurks, for it is this that can once and for all destroy human beings.

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Yet at this very point it becomes quite clear that only an act of liberation, not instruction, can overcome stupidity.

Here we must come to terms with the fact that in most cases a genuine internal liberation becomes possible only when external liberation has preceded it. Until then we must abandon all attempts to convince the stupid person.

This state of affairs explains why in such circumstances our attempts to know what ‘the people’ really think are in vain and why, under these circumstances, this question is so irrelevant for the person who is thinking and acting responsibly. The word of the Bible that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom declares that the internal liberation of human beings to live the responsible life before God is the only genuine way to overcome stupidity.

But these thoughts about stupidity also offer consolation in that they utterly forbid us to consider the majority of people to be stupid in every circumstance. It really will depend on whether those in power expect more from people’s stupidity than from their inner independence and wisdom.

——————————————————————————————–

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You can keep looking for explanations. I think there surely will be more raised. However, I am content to stop here with Bonhoeffer’s explanation. I may not agree with everything he says but he explains quite well why discussion and debate with these people are a total waste of time.

The Great Divide: An America Torn Asunder by Divisions

15 Sep 2021 9 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: democracy, democrates, discrimination, great divide, greed, hate, intolerance, libel, lies, media, newspapers, paradox of tolerance, Politicians, prejudice, republicans, slander

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I published the following blog a few months ago. I think it needs to be more visible. If you agree with the ideas in this blog, would you please share it with other people or groups that it might help. Democracy is in crisis today in America as never before. It has not ended with Trump being defeated since his followers and minions are still out doing their best to overturn Democracy in America. Only an informed and literate citizenship can defeat these efforts.

The number one subject for bestselling non-fiction books in the USA today concerns the chasm that separates Republicans from Democrats. Rural voters from urban voters. College Educated people from non-college educated. Conservatives from liberals. Fox viewers from CNN viewers. Your facts from my facts. Your truths from my truths. Your lies from my lies. Your views of reality from my views of reality.

This divide is decried by all the pundits and experts. Not one of the writers on this subject has anything good to say about the divide. Perhaps they harken back to the old saying, “United we stand and divided we fall.” Or the adage that, “A house divided cannot stand.” Whatever the reasoning, no one thinks that a USA as divided as it is with nearly 75 million people voting for Donald Trump and 80 million people voting for Joseph Biden is helpful for our nation. Keep in mind, it is not just the sheer numbers that alarm people, it is the magnitude of the crevasse that scares people.

hate-spesech The abyss It is so big that there is no bridging it. None of the sides can see the other side. None of the sides has any common ground with the other side. None of the sides understands the language that the other side speaks. We might as well be earthlings talking to Martians. There is no lingua franca. Many of the “well-meaning” experts exhort both sides to try harder to bridge the gap or to work more diligently to listen to the other side. It seems to be assumed that all it will take to jump the gulf is good intentions. I cry bullshit on this. As the old aphorism goes, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” It will take more than good intentions to heal the wound that infests our country.

Before we can fix what ails America, we must clearly understand what brought this divide about. What are the causes for this divide, and can they be healed? I see three main causes for this chasm. They are: 1. Greed, 2. Demonization, and 3. Media. Let’s look at each of these three elements and see how they contribute to the divide and what if anything can be done about them.

Greed:

Corporate greed and materialism have driven a wedge between the haves and the have nots in America. A larger gap than ever before exists between the rich and the poor. The number of people seeking free food and standing in line at food banks has only been higher during the Great Depression. The requirements for a digital elite versus a computer illiterate fuels the growing income gap. The Opioid Epidemic is only one symptom of this inequality in the USA. Many people cannot afford medical care or adequate housing as well as food.

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For years now, materialism has been touted as the backbone of American commerce by corporations and the media. Inflammatory news events sell advertisements which drive people to the shopping malls, ball parks, restaurants, and performances. Special events like “Black Friday” abound where people, “shop till they drop.” There is a vicious spiral to these events since the final outcome is to keep people needy and wanting more. The theologian Matthew Kelly says you can never satisfy wants only needs. Pursuing wants will always leave you wanting more. Eating, sleeping, exercise and love are needs that can be satisfied and will bring you happiness. You can never be happy pursuing wants.

materialism and spending The wants advertised on the TV and in the media are never fulfilling. We have a nation of brainwashed consumers who mistakenly think that more toys, bigger houses, more guns, and luxury cars will make them happy. We are a nation on a never-ending treadmill of consumer materialism where like rats we keep spinning the wheel and hoping to find happiness, but happiness never comes, and drugs take its place.

There is no sanity in our economic system. It is a zero-sum game. It is a great deal like the lottery. Next week there will be 100 million losers, but one winner will get a billion dollars or more. The value for the lottery keeps going up which entices more and more people to buy lottery tickets, but the number of losers also keeps going up. Where do the profits for the lotteries go? Not back to the people, regardless of what they tell you. Our society is being sold hope where hope is the most elusive product in the marketplace.

images As the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, the tensions in society grow ever more divisive. We see more road rage, more senseless shootings, more violence between men and women, less loyalty between employers and employees. The underpinning of society that should be based on human integrity and morality is replaced with an opportunism based on an amoral value system. Whatever we can get as long as we break no laws is considered to be moral. We see most politicians that have no commitment to anything except to collect more money so that they can stay in office. Their highest goal is to help the rich get richer, which of course includes themselves.

Jesus said that money is not evil, it is the pursuit of money that is evil. The evil in America comes from a frenzy for more that separates Americans from each other. Like a horse race where there can only be one winner, there are only going to be a few rich Americans and many more poor people scrambling to be the “King of the Hill.”

I do not believe that the divide in this country can be erased until we eliminate the gap between the rich and the poor. It is not simply a matter of conversation or discussion. It is a matter of inequality. A poor person cannot talk to a rich person unless they can shout over gated walls and armed security guards. The biggest divide in America is between the haves and the have nots. It is between the will haves and the may never haves. The haves in America expect to have more and probably will get more. The have nots do not know where their next paycheck will come from or whether they will be able to buy food for tomorrow. No amount of discussion or listening skills is going to solve this problem.

Demonization:

Speech-Bubble-Montage_2-1 (1) I am not talking about the devil here or about spirituality. I am talking about a kind of insidious propaganda that has been spread by many groups and individuals. In this propaganda, one side of America is labeled as moral, ethical, righteous, and just. The other side is the opposite. The other side is everything negative. The other side is a composite of all the demons and evils that Americans believe in. The other side are communists, fascists, atheists, anti-democratic, anti-patriotic and un-American. One side is good. The other side is evil incarnate. You cannot talk to evil. You cannot discuss with the devil why he wants your soul. You cannot debate with Satan over the values that he has. Heaven and hell do not have weekly discussion groups. The language heard today, and what the media publishes drips with hate, innuendo, and disdain. The language fosters violence. I doubt the Founding Fathers ever conceived that the First Amendment would protect such speech. There are three elements that contribute to a hate speech culture that demonizes the other side:

Malicious Labeling:

freehatespeech Malicious labeling is the name calling that goes on between both sides today wherein each side is labeled. You can hear it on almost every talk show program in America today. Name calling and name labeling. Commie pinko leftists! Intellectual elites! Radical socialists! Racist rednecks! Fascist dictators! Politicians, commentators, newscasters, and radio talk show hosts all use malicious labels to insult and demean those they disagree with. What have we let this country become when we allow such name calling? This kind of hyperbole demonizes the other side and creates a divide that cannot be overcome by rational conversation.

“I think the political process has degenerated into name-calling and extremism, and I think that that’s unfortunate.” — Bill Bradley

Anti-Government Diatribes:

extremismword_hp111319.1200x0 I do not think that the Founding Fathers of our nation believed that Government was evil. Certainly, they felt that there could be too much government intrusion on the rights of the populace. They invoked certain safeguards to protect both human rights and states rights. Nevertheless, they did not demonize government and not a single one of the Fathers ever referred to government as evil. Edmund Burke, the famous English conservative said, “The government that governs best is the government that governs least.” He never said, “government was evil.” It has become common place to hear refrains denigrating the role and necessity of government. This steady drumbeat of antigovernmental rhetoric has created a group of people that have no value for government and who support the idea that government should be abolished.

“A primary object should be the education of our youth in the science of government. In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important? And what duty more pressing than communicating it to those who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country?” — George Washington

Legal Advocates of Violence

loyal white knights and aryan nations in texas july 2016 from vkdotcom_0 A few years ago I began to wonder why groups like the KKK, Aryan Brotherhood, Antifa, The Proud Boys and many other such groups advocating violence against the government were not labeled as Terrorist Organizations. I asked a lawyer this question and he replied, “it is all politics.” I found that almost all the groups listed by the Southern Poverty Law Center as “hate groups” were designated as “extremist groups.” This means that they are not illegal, and they have the right to organize, march, rally and basically spread their hate across America. In 2019, The SPLC listed 940 hate groups across the USA. If any of these groups was labeled as a “Terrorist Group,” they would be on the same list as the Taliban, Boko Haram, The Mafia, Mexican Cartels and Al Qaeda. What is the difference between an extremist group and a terrorist group? It might surprise you to learn that a terrorist organization is defined as follows:

In the United States of America, terrorism is defined in Title 22 Chapter 38 U.S. Code § 2656f as “premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents”.

In general, terrorism is classified as:

The use of violence or of the threat of violence in the pursuit of political, religious, ideological, or social objectives
Acts committed by non-state actors (or by undercover personnel serving on the behalf of their respective governments)
Acts reaching more than the immediate target victims and also directed at targets consisting of a larger spectrum of society.

15963 If this definition does not apply to the groups that tried to storm the US Capital on January 6^th, 2021, I do not know what does. Just yesterday the Canadian government labeled the Proud Boys as a Terrorist Organization. This delegitimizes the group and takes their rights away. For Canada, it is a start. I am wondering when we are going to get started in the USA on such an effort. The First Amendment was never construed to allow hate speech and the advocating of violent actions to overthrow the government. Why do we not have the political will to outlaw these groups? We seem to have little compunction in penalizing Black groups like the Black Lives Matter Movement or the Black Panthers. We have a different standard when it comes to White Supremacy groups.

The Media:

000f25f2-6bf0-11e9-994e-1d1e521ccbf6_image_hires_015902 The newspapers, TV and the Internet are today the major carriers for the hate and vituperation that has spread across America. On one side of the divide, we find the NY Times, the Washington Post and CNN News. On the other side, we find the NY Post, the Washington Examiner and Fox News. There are countless other purveyors of extreme and fanatical views. Each side reeks of headlines supporting nonobjective views and biased reporting. If objective reporting ever existed in the USA, it has been murdered and buried by the most pervasive media to ever exist. The media carries the hate and violence that is created by politicians, pundits, radio commentators and hate groups and ensures that it gets widely disseminated. Without the media, much of the divide would never have occurred. Hate needs a platform to be spread and the media is more than happy to host anything that it believes will sell itself and its advertising.

Conclusions:

We are not going to overcome the divide that separates Americans today by platitudes and wishful thinking. No amount of holding hands or singing kumbaya together is going to unite Americans. We have a systemic rot in our system that is caused by the extremism in politics and media that has created this divide. We need to enact reasonable laws to stamp out this rot while also protecting free speech but not hate speech. There is a difference between hate speech and free speech. If we cannot figure this difference out, we will never close the divide that exists in America today. You can defend the First Amendment all you want, but there are limits to everything and that includes so-called Free Speech.

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Then-CIA director Gina Haspel said the US was ‘on the way to a right-wing coup’ after Trump lost the election: book

Aging Capriciously

Why Democrats Lost — and What They Must Do Next

What America May Be Like in the Year 2056

No Supplication to the Democratic Party

Unbreaking America: Solving the Corruption Crisis

All Aboard for a Ride on the Trump Mobile

It’s a Barbie World: A Virulent Attack on Male Masculinity

Free Speech in the Public Arena

Republicans: Why They Were Once a Great Party but are Now the Party of Hate, Bigotry and Greed

Why, Why, Why Would Anyone Vote for Trump?

The Great Divide: An America Torn Asunder by Divisions

Then-CIA director Gina Haspel said the US was ‘on the way to a right-wing coup’ after Trump lost the election: book

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