STUDENT LOANS = ECONOMIC SLAVERY

Premise: A society benefits when members of the society are educated.

Premise: The more educated a person, the greater benefit to society that person becomes.

Premise: Slavery is immoral.

If the premises are true, then the moral question is: who should pay for the education of one to enable that one to benefit society? The individual, or society?

Is it moral for a society to make the cost of an education that benefits the society so high that the individual must become indebted through loans that cannot be discharged in bankruptcy, loans that are amortized over 30 or 40 years? In such a society, does not the society reap the benefits of the individual’s education yet place the burden on the individual?

Analysis: A society that forces individuals to bear the burden of the cost of their education is based upon placing their educated members of the society in economic slavery.

Conclusion: If slavery is immoral, economic slavery is immoral.

Moral societies bear the burden of educating their members.

Thoughts?

When in the Course of human events…

it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

245 YEARS LATER…

The Supreme Court tacitly approves political gerrymandering, guaranteeing a minority of the population legislative majorities across the country. The Electoral College, designed to give more power to less populated states, has resulted in electing presidents who were not chosen by a majority of the people.

The minority rules, the majority suffers taxation without representation.

The people no longer have a Constitutional right to privacy. Although the 9th Amendment reads “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people” only those rights then in existence are retained by the people.

Once, the governing philosophy commanded majority rule, while protecting the rights of the minority. Now the governing philosophy is: minority rule, and the rights of the majority be damned.

When, in the course of human events….

Thinking ahead…Looking back

DATELINE: 2047

Twenty-five years ago the Supreme Court declared that women don’t have the right to bodily autonomy, and that States are free to prohibit abortions from the moment of conception. This was followed soon thereafter by allowing States to prohibit any form of birth control. The burden fell most heavily on poor women who lived in Republican-controlled States. Women of color bore the brunt, if you will, of the ensuing population explosion.

A quarter of a century ago, a large faction of white Americans believed that minorities were trying to take over the country by weight of sheer numbers. The Dobbs decision turned this fear into a reality. The birthrate for minorities jumped significantly in 2023 and has climbed ever since. Meanwhile, the birthrate for white, suburban-class families either stayed the same or decreased slightly. By 2040 these unwanted minority children were old enough to vote. Now, they represent a demographic of such proportions that the most extreme gerrymandering is unable to dilute their influence at the polls.

The minority has become the majority, and the pro-life faction that opposed every measure to care for these “Dobbs Babies” are finally losing their advocates on the Supreme Court and in Congress. The demise of the United States as a “Christian Nation” is at hand, due in no small part by white evangelical Christians getting everything they wanted.

Two Big Lies

Big Lie #1:

Four commercial jet liners crashed on dry ground, all in the same day, and vaporized. Not enough pieces were recovered from any of the aircraft to piece together the jetliner. Engines, landing gear, seats, luggage, etc. vanished.

Big Lie #2:

The 2020 election was stolen through election fraud committed in several states. No trace of the fraud could be found.

The divisions:

Some people rejected both big lies.

Some people accepted both big lies.

Some people accepted Big Lie # 1 and rejected Big Lie #2.

The similarities behind both Big Lies are striking. In both instances there was precious little evidence to support the Lie. And in both instances, millions accepted the Lie and rejected any contrary explanation.

There is a passage for those who accepted the first Big Lie but condemn others for accepting the second:

Judge not, that ye be not judged.

 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

Matthew 7:1-5

BREAKING GNUS: TSA UNION SUGGESTS MANDATING TSA SECURITY CHECKPOINTS ACROSS AMERICA

Seizing an opportunity to greatly increase its membership, the head of the TSA labor union is floating a proposal amongst Congress to fund airport-type checkpoints at all public schools. “That way,” a spokesperson commented, “No one gets in without their backpack scanned and undergoing a full body x-ray for weapons.” She acknowledged students would have to show up for classes at least two hours ahead of the start of the school day, but added it’s a small price to pay for their safety and security noting that there have been no mass shootings past the security checkpoints since TSA began enforcing airport security in the wake of 9/11.

If the security checkpoints at schools takes hold, the union plans to expand its scope to include shopping malls, Walmarts, grocery stores, movie theaters, places of worship, and freeway on-ramps.

Republicans Reportedly Working on Gun Proposal

In the wake of multiple mass shootings several unidentified Republican members of Congress are meeting in an undisclosed bunker to craft a solution to stop the carnage in America’s streets, schools, cemeteries, homes, houses of worship, and places of employment. According to a leaked version of their proposal, Republicans are crafting a $2 billion bill to arm every American citizen over the age of 18 with an AR-15 and 1000 rounds of ammunition of their very own.

The draft recognizes that currently only deranged, mentally ill people are arming themselves to the teeth with assault rifles and committing mass murders. By arming everyone, Republicans figure to even the equation by providing lethal firepower to all “responsible” citizens. The group acknowledges that Congress is unable to pass any law restricting gun ownership and thus the only solution is to allow citizens to take the law into their own hands.

The enclave hopes to push the bill through this winter’s lame-duck session of Congress in time to ship assault rifles to every household for Christmas.

Texas Governor Promises Safe Schools

In the wake of yet another massacre of young children in their classrooms, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) proposed a sweeping reform to guarantee school safety. Noting that murderers are safer in prison than children in school, the governor proposes a massive swap.

By the start of the 2022-2023 school year, all children who attend public school and all people in prison will trade places. “That way,” the governor explained, “no one will care if there’s a mass shooting at a school site. Our children will be safely locked away in a maximum security fortress where they can learn about the history of the Second Amendment in an environment free from worry about outside attacks.”

The GOP controlled legislature initially signaled its approval, but then squabbles erupted over the fact that each “classroom” had only one toilet. A committee was proposed to study the bathroom issue and submit a report by the end of June.

The Texas Prison authority had no comment, but a prisoner’s rights group immediately complained – about meals. “Anyone who’s ever had a school lunch knows,” a spokesperson said, “it’s inedible. To force prisoners to eat school cafeteria food morning, noon, and night is cruel and unusual punishment and violates the Eighth Amendment.”

Florida “Gender Identity” Law Includes Animals, Electrical Outlets

A recent press release from the Florida Governor’s office clarified that the Gender Identity, aka “Don’t say Gay” law is not limited in its application to just humans. Teachers in Florida cannot refer to genders of animals, nor electric outlets.

Identifying a cat as a “Tom” or a dog as a “Bitch” is instruction in gender identity. Instruction regarding gender identity is strictly forbidden in grades k-3 and is not limited by species. Even instruction in something as basic as plugging into a household electrical outlet can run afoul of the law, opening the door to lawsuits by those who object to the terms “male plug” and “female receptacle.”

On a related note, parent’s groups advocating in favor of the law are drafting lists of pre-k – 3rd grade books to be banned for using gender specific pronouns like “he” and “she”. A spokesperson, who preferred to remain anonymous, said their next target would be clothes and hair styles that are associated with either a male or female gender, as those also promote gender identity. After that? “Names,” the spokesperson replied. “We can’t allow teachers to address children by names that infer a male or female gender identity.”

DeSantis to invoke Eminent Domain – Take over Disney World

In response to Disney’s stance against Florida’s “Don’t say gay” law, Gov. DeSantis announced he’s beginning eminent domain proceedings to buy Disney World. The governor’s office released a press release stating “Once the State of Florida owns Disney World, we’re going to cancel its ‘woke’ culture and rename the park ‘Family Values World’.”

Trump Sues for Breach of Contract

Trump’s lawyers, running out of legal arguments to overturn the 2020 election, have filed a lawsuit alleging breach of contract. The lawsuit names The Devil, aka Satan, as the sole defendant and alleges a contract between Trump and Satan. Trump alleges he fulfilled his obligations under the contract, i.e. that he gave his soul to the Devil, and the Devil did not live up to his contractual obligations.

Trump is seeking a court order to force the Devil to overturn the 2020 election plus pay punitive damages in excess of $1 billion. If the Devil fails to respond to the litigation, Trump will win by default. Legal scholars disagree as to whether U.S. courts have jurisdiction over Hades, and the matter will likely head to the Supreme Court, assuming Team Trump can show personal service of the lawsuit on Satan.

Update: Nancy Pelosi’s office refused to accept service of the summons and complaint late yesterday. In a press release, the Speaker’s office stated, “Contrary to popular belief, the Speaker of the House of Representatives in not the Devil’s Advocate.”

Deep State

Someone should tell those QAnon folks that, per Trump, the deep state runs deep in the Republican Party. Governors, Secretaries of State, even Trump-appointed judges are all part of a massive conspiracy to deprive Trump of 4 more years in office. The only way they can avoid being swept up in this massive conspiracy is to leave the Republican Party and start their own party.

Must my 2 ¢.

VOTE !

Back in 2016, I posted this prior to Election Day. A friend found me the video, so here it is:

I feel this is even more appropriate this year than it was back then, although that was really the beginning that is culminating in today’s choice between good and evil.

And here’s the Lincoln Project’s “America the Beautiful” ad – see if Ray Charles’ version of “America” doesn’t bring a tear to your eye.

That’s it. I can’t say or do anything more to change the tide of history, except to vote this evening with Wayne. Hopefully, this time America will stop its slide into hell.

If you haven’t voted yet, VOTE TODAY!

~~~~~~ OPEN THREAD ~~~~~~~

So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish

Our dear friend Paul Jamiol has officially hung up his ‘editorial cartoonist’ hat for the election season, and will be focusing more on his photography, his wife, and his dogs. To keep up with his future endeavors, you can visit Jamiolsworld.com.

Paul’s ‘toons have graced TheZoo’s pages for most of our 16 years, and his custom header artwork depicting the original Critters was a wonderful and thoughtful gift to us.

Here are the last few ‘toons from Paul’s mind and hand. Note, the Kanye one is actually from August, but I forgot to post it – it still fits in with the current events.

No, Paul, “Thank YOU!”

Open Thread, say whatever you want.

Zoo Gnus and ‘Toons

First, again, our Zookeeper needs our help. She’s staying temporarily, during the current heat wave, at an inexpensive hotel (near the shelter that she’s in.) It’s the Regency Inn in Springfield Oregon, phone # is 541-746-5621, she’s in Room 18. As far as I know, Zooey’s there (and is paid up) until Friday, but if anyone can help out with an extra day there, or with any other help, it would be wonderful.

Please text Zooey first: 541-731-2398 – she has limited minutes on her phone.

Just let me know if anyone can help – thanks, Zoosters!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next: Our good friend Paul Jamiol will soon be hanging up his political cartoonist hat, at least for the 2020 election season. Here’s a couple of his recent works:

A few older ‘toons that are still quite relevant:

These last three are the most recent, and go straight for the heart:

I will continue to post Paul’s excellent ‘toons as he winds down towards the end of this month.

THIS IS OUR OPEN THREAD – FEEL FREE TO POST OR COMMENT ON ANYTHING.

Hey, a New Thread

A new baby in the family – especially in our family – deserves a brand new thread.  Our niece Emily (daughter of my brother Bobby and Wayne’s sister Judy) and her husband Michael brought Arlo James Johnson into the world shortly after midnight on August 13th.

Like all babies, Arlo James looks just like Winston Churchill, especially in this photo:

But like all babies, he’s adorable when he’s asleep:

Sadly, this world into which little Arlo was born is a crazy and dangerous place, but knowing Emily and Michael, they’ll be wonderful parents with the intelligence, humor and moral convictions to prepare Arlo to take on the world.

Moving along…I know it’s a little late for International Cat Day, but here’s some cuteness to make up for it:

Unfortunately, we now turn to politics.  Our old friend from ThinkProgress, Judd Legum, now runs a site called Popular Information.  He delves into the latest U.S. Postal Service sabotage here, but here’s an excerpt from his newsletter:

 On Wednesday, facing an avalanche of criticism, DeJoy announced that he was suspending his most controversial initiatives, including limiting overtime, decommissioning mail sorting machines, and removing mailboxes. 

Whether DeJoy, a Republican fundraiser and political operative, can be trusted is an open question. The conduct of the USPS warrants further scrutiny.

If you don’t want to take a chance, nearly every state has ways to return your mail-in ballot without using the USPS. Popular Information has compiled all the details for each state HERE.

Speaking of the USPS, here’s Paul Jamoil’s most recent ‘toon:

That’s enough of politics.  While I’m heartened now that the Biden/Harris ticket is ready to begin our fight to unseat trump, it’s going to take a lot of good news to dispel my depression and fear over everything else that trump is doing to undermine the upcoming election (along with every other institution he’s destroying.)

Until the election, I’ll continue to distract myself by watching the birds and critters outside my window during the day, and watching my Mets play baseball at night.  It’s as close to ‘normalcy’ that I can get.

Open Thread, talk about whatever you’d like.

 

Right-Wing Bogeymen

Just like in the old days, when I used to get the Newsmax ‘newsletters’ for oppo research, I now get all kinds – and I mean ALL kinds – of newsletters from various trumpian groups.  I delete most of them, but sometimes the subject headline is just so whacked out that I have to take a look.

Here’s one from American Patriot Daily, with the headline, “George Soros is Linked to a Coronavirus Attack – this is why You’ll be Seeing Red.”  Here’s part of this laughable article:

Donald Trump and the rest of his administration are doing everything in their power to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
But now the President is fighting the invisible enemy on a new front.

Democrats are worried that polls showing the American people supporting the President’s response to the coronavirus will lead to Donald Trump’s re-election in November.

Top party officials also can read the polls that show the American people approve of the President’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak.

Polls not only show that the public approves of how Donald Trump is managing the crisis, but that his overall approval numbers are also rising to the highest levels of his presidency.

Priorities USA responded to that anger with an announced TV ad campaign falsely attacking President Trump for a supposedly sluggish federal government response to the coronavirus pandemic.

And George Soros is helping to bankroll this smear campaign by pumping three million dollars into Priorities USA’s coffers.

These folks don’t actually care about the attack of the coronavirus pandemic, they only care about how trump is perceived to be handling it.  I have not yet seen a single poll indicating that the majority of citizens “approve of the President’s handling”  Au contraire, right now the polls are showing that approximately two-thirds of “the American people” DISAPPROVE of trump’s spastic and contrarian responses to the pandemic.  And as of this writing,worldometer shows that 112,639 Americans have died of COVID-19.

Next, another right-wing bogeyman:  Antifa.  From a recent NBC news article:

“A Twitter account claiming to belong to a national “antifa” organization and pushing violent rhetoric related to ongoing protests has been linked to the white nationalist group Identity Evropa, according to a Twitter spokesperson.”

“The antifa movement — a network of loosely organized radical groups who use direct action to fight the far-right and fascism — has been targeted by President Donald Trump as the force behind some of the violence and property destruction seen at some protests, though little evidence has been provided for such claims.”

The tweets in question have been removed by Twitter, but here’s a screen shot – IMHO, all you have to do is read them to know that they’re a clumsy attempt to target Antifa:

Note the misspelt hashtag #BlacklivesMaters.  Yeah, these guys at Identity Evropa are real fucking pros.

And here’s a question from an interview I started to read on Raw Story.  It’s a question that should be asked by EVERYONE in America:

Many people in the news media and among the American public are upset that Donald Trump is not acting “presidential” in response to the nationwide protests and the apparent murder of George Floyd. They keep expecting Trump to behave like a responsible leader who can help calm and heal a country in pain. He is incapable of doing such a thing. This is honestly pathetic: Why do so many public voices keep pleading with Trump to be something he is not?

Lastly, just for fun,  some cute dog pics from Bored Panda – here’s two of my favorites:

There’s always ONE family member who refuses to pose normally for the cameras:

THIS IS OUR OPEN THREAD – AS ALWAYS, TALK ABOUT ANYTHING YOU WANT.

 

A Room with a View

Even though I spend much of my day sitting at the computer gazing in despair at all of the continually horrifying headlines, I often end up turning instead to watch the various birds and squirrels enjoying our bird feeders.  Right now we just have two feeders:  one is set up about six or seven feet outside the computer room windows; the second is maybe fifteen to twenty feet beyond the first.  In addition, I sprinkle some seed under the feeders for the ground-feeding birds, plus I put a layer of seed on the bench on the back deck.

So far this season, the usual suspects have been hanging out each day:  cardinals, mourning doves, chickadees, titmice, sparrows, red-winged blackbirds, brown-headed cowbirds, blue jays, grackles, starlings, a family of groundhogs, and the ubiquitous gray squirrels.  In addition, we’ve had a couple of newcomers visiting recently – a male and a female turkey have wandered through separately, but only the female stopped to snack on the seed, and she’s come back more than once.  Red squirrels started encroaching on the gray squirrels’ territory last year, so I’m seeing a few of them in the last week or so.  And we’ve had another bird visiting that I’ve only seen once or twice before in my life, despite their supposedly being ‘common’ in our area: a rufous-sided towhee (aka ‘Eastern Towhee’), which looks like this:

I’ve been very pleased to see that, in addition to the smaller downy woodpeckers, a pair of red-bellied woodpeckers have become regular visitors, particularly enjoying ‘perching’ on the edge of the bench where the seed is easier to access than at the feeders.  A pair of them is shown in the brief video below – turn on the sound for both videos so that you can hear the birdcalls, most of which I’ve recognized for much of my life.

 

 

The few times we’ve been able to open the window, listening to the birds has been a distinct pleasure and distraction during this time of ‘shelter-at-home’.  And when I listen to them, I can’t help thinking about our dear departed friend Ebb (“ebb and flow”, “to ebb and flow”) and her love of all things “on the wing or under the sea.”  I miss her serene outlook, her insightful empathy, and her beautiful soul

This thread is dedicated to the memory of Ebb, whose spirit is flying free.

Open Thread – enjoy this little oasis whenever you need to.

Happy Easter!

Even though we’re all homebound for this holiday, I hope that a little ‘spirit of the season’ remains with everyone.

Little things like bunnies and chicks, daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths, can help to brighten things up –

Some members of our family celebrate with the “Easter Rat” – this year having special ‘pandemic’ themes –

This one’s from my brother Bobby and Wayne’s sister Judy:

And this one is from our niece Emily and her husband Michael:

Whatever way you celebrate, or if you celebrate at all, I hope that everyone has a special day!  And don’t forget how the tradition of the Easter Bunny started –

OPEN THREAD – HOP ON BY AND TALK ABOUT WHATEVER YOU WANT.

People or Profits?

Trump wants people to go back to work, now.

Texas’ Lt. Governor Dan Patrick is willing to risk getting sick and dying for the sake of the economy…”for keeping the America that all America loves for your children and grandchildren”.

Here’s what will happen if we end “shelter in place”:

https://covidactnow.org/state/CA?fbclid=IwAR2LsASB2Xn0WgnOrCFr9unH06zWn-ts1930gXahG6Rlw2ZQVFpVvCHXxIY

In Italy, where the healthcare system is already overwhelmed, people over 60 are taken off ventilators and left to die. California would hit that point in about 2 weeks if we end “shelter in place.” With a projected infection rate of >70%, within 2 months the population of citizens over age 60 could virtually disappear. Some 70 million U.S. citizens. Dead. 70 million. Sacrificed. To keep the wheels of commerce turning. To further the economic interests of some 120,000 – the richest 1/10th of 1%.

On the other hand, the economic shutdown due to the coronavirus is just what the planet needs to prevent catastrophic climate change that could lead to the extinction of all humans.

The choice is clear. The math undeniable.

People, or profits?

ICYMI: Yeah, We’re Fucked

First and foremost, I hope that none of our Critters and Zoosters, especially those of you in California and the Northwest, are in imminent danger of contracting the “novel coronavirus”, aka “COVID-19.”

New York state’s main COVID-19 epicenter of New Rochelle, previously only known for being the home of fictional Rob and Laura Petrie, is maybe 35-40 miles south of us.  The illness is cropping up in other NY counties besides Westchester and NYC’s 5 Boroughs, so I’m going to assume that its spread northward is inevitable.

I checked in on our pregnant(!!!) niece Emily and her husband Michael, who live near Boston, which is having its own outbreak subsequent to a recent Biogen conference.  One of the companies which had had a presence at the conference is Michael’s employer; and, even though no one from his particular office was an attendee, the company instructed all employees who could to work from home through May 31st.  Both of them are fine, which relieved me greatly.

I was going to compile some of the many lies that trump has told since COVID-19 arrived on our shores; however, since starting this post, the progression of both the disease and the lies have made that idea pretty much pointless.

So I’ll just include a couple of items along those lines.

First this, from March 7th at Salon, regarding trump’s awful presser at the CDC.   Here’s the video – sorry it’s posted twice, but it’s from the original on the twitter feed of @ddiamond:

AZAR tries to explain that more tests are coming, but Trump waves him off to jump in.

TRUMP: “Anybody that needs a test gets a test…. the tests are all perfect like the letter was perfect. The transcription was perfect. Right? This was not as perfect as that but pretty good.” pic.twitter.com/A3hgYOJLUt

— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) March 6, 2020

And this: after trump finished his recent “presidential address” about the pandemic, apparently he got caught on C-SPAN showing just how seriously he takes this:

Trump immediately after his #COVID19 speech, when he didn’t realize the cameras were still on—you have to see this for yourself.

WATCH 🚨👇🏼🚨pic.twitter.com/DEpaqE4L85

— Leah McElrath (@leahmcelrath) March 12, 2020

In case you no longer trust the info from the CDC, here’s a site that is keeping track worldwide.  You can refresh it throughout the day for updates.

I won’t inflict any more trumpness on you, so I’ll end on a high note.  Crank the music to 11  🙂

Feel better?

OPEN THREAD – DO WHAT YOU WANT

Are You Ready for IMPEACHMENT?

With the Senate’s Impeachment Trial of “donald john trump” beginning tomorrow, here’s some light reading to prepare yourselves regarding each team’s basic arguments, should you wish.

Okay, it’s not really “light reading” – well, the trump team’s “Answer” to the House impeachment managers’ “Trial Memorandum” was “light reading” as far as substance and credibility go. It’s also literally light in weight: at a mere six pages, maybe an ounce?, vs the weightier (in all aspects) 110-page House Trial Memorandum.

Since I haven’t actually read the House’s tome, let’s start with the trump team’s “Answer.”

“Ridiculous” is the best way to describe it, starting with its heading:

IN PROCEEDINGS BEFORE
THE UNITED STATES SENATE

ANSWER OF PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP

Seriously, they won’t even use the word “impeachment” in the heading, as if not saying it means it didn’t happen.

The opening paragraph repeats the tired arguments that the Dems have been trying to impeach trump since his inauguration, and trying to “overturn” his election:

The Articles of Impeachment submitted by House Democrats are a dangerous on the right of the American people to freely choose their President.  This is a brazen and unlawful attempt to overturn the results of the 2016 election and interfere with the 2020 election – now just months away.  The highly partisan and reckless obsession with impeaching the President began the day he was inaugurated, and continues to this day.

It has already been argued by smarter people than me that, if an election were to be “overturned” (and the second paragraph also mentions “nullifying an election”), then the candidate who lost would become the winner, and all of the current president’s actions would automatically be null and void.  This idea is just as impossible as it sounds, and no one except an idiot would believe it.  Therefore, trump’s minions all subscribe to this notion.

The trump team’s arguments continue by stating that Article 1 of the Impeachment doesn’t indicate any “crime or violation of law whatsoever”, and claims that “At all times, the President has faithfully and effectively executed the duties of his Office on behalf of the American people.” At this point, they go into the so-called “perfect call” to Zelenskyy, trying to push that the call was about corruption and about other countries “not carrying their fair share.”

Here’s the fun part (and from this and other details included in trump team’s arguments, you can see why many say that trump had direct input or wrote some of this himself):

…the transcripts of the April 21 call and the July 25 call disprove what the Article alleges.  When the House Democrats realized this, Mr. Schiff created a fraudulent version of the July 25 call and read it to the American people at a congressional hearing, without disclosing that he was simply making it all up.”

Anyone who watched the first impeachment hearing knows that Chairman Schiff both preceded and followed his ‘mob’ parody of trump’s call with a disclaimer stating that he was paraphrasing.  Conservatives simply don’t get ‘irony’, ‘sarcasm’ or ‘satire’.

In trump team’s argument against Article 2 of the Impeachment, regarding obstruction of Congress, they state, in part:

…the notion that President Trump obstructed Congress is absurd.  President trump acted with extraordinary and unprecedented transparency by declassifying and releasing the transcript of the July 25 call that is at the heart of this matter. [emphasis theirs]

This is an out-and-out lie.  The actual “transcript” is still hidden in the ultra-secret server (gee, I can’t imagine why) and all we have seen is the call memo, which is damning enough.

Here’s one part that I really don’t get:

Following the President’s disclosure of the July 25 call transcript[sic], House Democrats issued a series of unconstitutional subpoenas for documents and testimony.  They issued their subpoenas without a congressional vote, and, therefore, without constitutional authority.

Huh?  AFAIK, a congressional committee doesn’t need a full vote of the House in order to issue subpoenas.  I have no idea whose ass this came out of, but it smells pretty bad to me.

You can read the rest of the trump team’s arguments and see for yourself how pathetic and, indeed, ignorant they sound.

Now the House’s “Trial Memorandum”: as I said, I haven’t read it yet, but here’s a brief synopsis from Raw Story.:

The document divides the argument by the House of Representatives into three points.

“The Senate should convict President Trump of abuse of power,” is the first section.

“The Senate should convict President Trump of obstruction of Congress,” is the second section.

“The Senate should immediately remove President Trump from office to prevent further abuses,” is the third section.

Raw Story also includes the outlines for the House’s arguments regarding each point.  If you’re like me, and watched or otherwise kept up with the impeachment hearings, their arguments should be familiar to you.

I’ll stop here in order for there to be time to read more of the details.

And while I was finishing up this thread, the House Impeachment Managers issued their own response to the trump team’s “Answer.” I should have waited a little longer!

Edit:  For reference, here’s White House Counsel Pat Cipollone’s “fuck you” letter to Gerry Nadler.  I think he used trump’s Sharpie to sign it:

THIS IS AN OPEN THREAD – FEEL FREE TO COMMENT THROUGHOUT THE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL.

GUEST ARTICLE: The First American Dictator

The First American Dictator

by

Kenneth R. Mackie

            The people of the United States of America, the first democratic republic the modern world has ever known, have ceded rule to a dictator for the first time in its 200+ year history.

            A dictator is “one holding complete autocratic control: a person with unlimited governmental power” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary); “a person exercising absolute power, especially a ruler who has absolute, unrestricted control in a government without hereditary succession” (Dictionary.com).

            A dictatorship is, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica, a

form of government in which one person or a small group possesses absolute power without effective constitutional limitations. The term dictatorship comes from the Latin title dictator, which in the Roman Republic designated a temporary magistrate who was granted extraordinary powers in order to deal with state crises. Modern dictators, however, resemble ancient tyrants rather than ancient dictators. … Dictators usually resort to force or fraud to gain despotic political power, which they maintain through the use of intimidation, terror, and the suppression of basic civil liberties. They may also employ techniques of mass propaganda in order to sustain their public support.

            No one becomes a dictator without help. A cadre of loyalists is essential to grab and keep power. And support amongst a sizeable portion of the populace, even a sizable minority, can propel a would-be demagogue into power.

THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE

            Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican President, is attributed with saying, “You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” This has been taken to heart by Republicans since the days of the “Christian Coalition”, who found that they only needed to fool enough of the people at the proper times (elections). And faith-based voters belong to the ‘some of the people all of the time’ group. The conservative “Evangelical Christian” block can be counted on to vote Republican for the foreseeable future. Throughout 2109, Republicans approval of the First American Dictator ranges in the upper 80s to low 90s percent[i]. The approval rating among highly religious, white and Protestant Republicans is 92% over the past two years[ii]. This translates into millions of faith-based voters who support the First American Dictator.

            Among these is a growing cadre of white nationalists, encouraged to take up arms against all enemies of the current Administration. When “God’s Chosen[iii]” encourages violence, it is a statistical certainty that some will take up arms. Hence the mass murders of Hispanics, Jews, Muslims, etc.

            The First American Dictator enjoyed sufficient support among a mobilized and armed minority to be propelled into power.

THE POWER OF LOYALISTS IN GOVERNMENT

            In the unique structure of the United States government, all one party needs is 51 Senators to control the Senate (or just 50 Senators, plus the Vice President as a tie-breaker), hence the entire legislative branch, and give carte blanche to a dictator to ignore the Constitution. A bare majority of Senators allows a party to block all legislation, or ram-rod bills through regardless of any opposition. Even a minority of only 41 Senators is all it takes to prevent an override of a presidential veto.

            While the Constitution was designed to establish a legislative branch with the power to check a renegade President, it was not drafted to prevent a political party from obtaining enough power to allow the Constitution to be ignored.

            The First American Dictator enjoys the support of a majority in the Senate. As a result, the legislative branch is incapable of forcing him to act within the powers granted to him by the Constitution.

THE POWER OF LOYALTY OATHS

            It has been widely reported that Trump demands a “loyalty oath”[iv] from subordinates[v].

            The 25^th Amendment provides that the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet can declare the President unfit for office, at which time the Vice President becomes the Acting President. A “loyalty oath” to Trump, and not to uphold the Constitution, ensures that Trump is protected by loyalists to him. Trump has surrounded himself with loyalists that put loyalty to a dictator above loyalty to the Constitution, or to the country. The First American Dictator enjoys the support of an inner circle of loyalists.

THE PROPAGANDA MACHINE

            Fox News and the network’s opinion shows are widely seen as the propaganda arm of the Trump administration[vi]. One Fox newscaster in particular, Sean Hannity, is seen as an unofficial advisor to Trump[vii]. While Trump lambasts CNN as “fake news”[viii] it is Fox which has the worst track record for making false or misleading statements, whereas CNN ranks the best[ix].

            A majority of Republicans for whom Fox News is their primary news source solidly support the First American Dictator and there is nothing he could do that would make them lose their approval[x].

            When it comes to faith-based voters, nearly all who identify as white evangelical Protestants for whom Fox News is their primary news source oppose Trump being impeached and removed from office[xi].

            The First American Dictator has a propaganda machine spouting falsehoods to help keep him in power.

UNCHECKED POWER

THE POWER TO PROFIT FROM HIS OFFICE

            Trump has the unchecked power to profit from his office, in disregard of the Constitution.

THE POWER TO PROFIT AT TAXPAYER EXPENSE

“The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be encreased (sic) nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them.[xii]”

            Any profit arising from the possession of a public office is an emolument.[xiii] Trump profits off his office in many ways. He still owns numerous hotels and resort properties. He has taken numerous trips to his resorts, billing taxpayers millions of dollars[xiv]. He has directed members of the armed forces to stay at his property in Scotland, at taxpayers’ expense[xv]. His Vice President and members of his administration stay at his properties[xvi], again lining Trump’s pockets.

In using taxpayer funds to pay for golfing trips and hotel lodging at his properties, Trump is causing the United States to pay him over and above his compensation as set for his office by Congress.

THE POWER TO PROFIT FROM FOREIGN STATES

No person “holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.[xvii]” Foreign governments that make use of Trump’s properties are putting their money into Trump’s pockets. In addition, China has granted Trump or his companies about 40 trademarks since he became President. Congress has not given its consent to foreign money flowing to Trump either directly or through his corporations’ profits. Members of Congress filed a lawsuit in June of 2017 seeking an injunction to bar Trump from further accepting emoluments from foreign governments without first seeking Congress’ approval[xviii]. Trump is currently appealing the finding that members of Congress have standing to seek a court order compelling Trump to comply with the Constitution. Meanwhile Trump does not have to produce any documents showing which foreign governments have paid to stay at which of Trump’s properties, nor how much they paid, nor how much of that has gone into Trump’s pockets while he is in office.

Trump has the unchecked power to profit from his office, billing taxpayers for his vacations at his resort and collecting payments from foreign governments for their rents of his properties.

THE POWER TO DIVERT FEDERAL FUNDING AT WILL

            Congress has the “power of the purse”, that is, to pass legislation to raise revenues, and to appropriate funding[xix]. Trump wanted money for a wall between the United States and Mexico. Congress considered, but did not fund Trump’s request. So the First American Dictator declared an “emergency” that didn’t exist, and diverted funds from congressionally approved projects to his border wall[xx]. Congress responded by passing a bill rejecting Trump’s emergency declaration, which Trump vetoed[xxi]. Thirty-six Republican Senators supported Trump and his veto was not overridden. Trump has the power to divert federal funds at will.

THE POWER TO IGNORE INTERNATIONAL LAW

            The First American Dictator inherited the power to ignore international law prohibiting torture, “secret rendition” aka kidnapping, holding prisoners in undisclosed prisons indefinitely without charges, and invading a country for the purpose of regime change.

            This power has been expanded to include separating children from their parents[xxii], and ignoring international law regarding refugees seeking asylum[xxiii].

THE POWER TO OBSTRUCT JUSTICE

            The First American Dictator used the power of his office to obstruct investigations into allegations of misuse of power, first in the Mueller probe looking into potential collusion between his campaign for the office of President[xxiv], then by refusing to let former and present members of his administration testify before Congress as the House investigated possible acts giving rise to an impeachment proceeding[xxv].

            Acting under the First American Dictator’s orders, and without a claim of privilege, Trump’s present and former subordinates have refused to comply with a subpoena to testify before Congress[xxvi]. The First American Dictator has been seen to dangle a potential pardon to influence testimony[xxvii].

Trump’s messages on social media are seen as attempts to intimidate witnesses[xxviii]. He is so bold as to disparage a witness even as the witness testifies before Congress[xxix]. Likewise his administration uses an official social media account to disparage a witness while testifying[xxx].

            Ordering percipient witness to refuse to comply with a Congressional subpoena without a claim of privilege, dangling the possibility of a pardon for witnesses accused of providing false testimony, and disparaging witnesses while they are testifying all point to obstruction of justice.

THE POWER TO BRIBE JURORS

            Republican Senators will make up the majority of the jurors in an impeachment trial of the First American Dictator. “President Donald Trump—who is facing a formal impeachment inquiry in the House—has leveraged his fundraising network to boost the campaigns of struggling Republican senators who have signed a resolution condemning impeachment proceedings.” [xxxi]

            Thus members of the jury who have already come out in support of the First American Dictator are being rewarded with campaign cash to help them keep their jobs. The First American Dictator will not be facing an impartial jury in his impending impeachment trial.

THE POWER TO USE CONGRESSIONALLY APPROPRIATED FUNDS FOR PERSONAL POLITICAL GAIN

            The First American Dictator leveraged hundreds of millions of dollars of aid to coerce a foreign government to announce an investigation against a political rival[xxxii]. The ramifications of this unchecked power cannot be understated. With foreign aid tied to political favors, foreign governments will be highly motivated to comply. Indeed, it does not take too much of an imagination to see federal dollars allocated to the various States withheld unless the State agrees to investigate political opponents. This power, the power to generate countless investigations into political opponents, combined with the power of the propaganda machine and the power of loyalists, is the power to destroy all opposition.

THE FIRST AMERICAN DICTATOR

            President Donald Trump is the First American Dictator. By all indications, he won’t be the last. If, and it appears likely, the Republicans in the Senate refuse to remove him from office, his successors will enjoy the same powers – as long as they have enough loyalists in the Senate[xxxiii]. The courts won’t be able to constrain these powers, as the courts have no power to enforce their rulings[xxxiv]. If Trump is allowed to remain in office because the Republican Senate acquits him of “high crimes and misdemeanors” the above enumerated powers will be ceded to the office of President. The crowning achievement of the Republican Party will be to turn a constitutional republic into a dictatorship, with them in control.

Trump will be known as the first of a long line of American Dictators.

Kenneth R. Mackie is a former educator turned attorney. He studied Constitutional Law under Professor John Cary Sims at University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and “Fundamental Rights in Europe and the United States” under Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy and Sionaidh Douglas-Scott at the Salzburg Institute in Salzburg, Austria.

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[i] https://news.gallup.com/poll/203198/presidential-approval-ratings-donald-trump.aspx

[ii] https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/248384/highly-religious-white-protestants-firm-support-trump.aspx

[iii] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/11/25/why-evangelicals-like-rick-perry-believe-that-trump-is-gods-chosen-one/

[iv] https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-demands-loyalty-oath-from-job-seekers-who-criticized-him-during-election

[v] https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/donald-trumps-grip-on-the-republican-party-just-got-even-tighter

[vi] http://hillmanfoundation.org/sidney-awards/jane-mayer-wins-april-sidney-elucidating-how-fox-news-became-propaganda-arm-trump

[vii] https://political.com/is-sean-hannity-one-of-trumps-unofficial-advisor/

[viii] https://fortune.com/2018/06/09/donald-trump-cnn-fake-news-g7/

[ix] https://www.politifact.com/punditfact/article/2015/jan/27/msnbc-fox-cnn-move-needle-our-truth-o-meter-scorec/

[x] https://www.prri.org/research/fractured-nation-widening-partisan-polarization-and-key-issues-in-2020-presidential-elections/

[xi] https://www.prri.org/research/fractured-nation-widening-partisan-polarization-and-key-issues-in-2020-presidential-elections/

[xii] United States Constitution, Article 2, section 1.)

[xiii] https://thelawdictionary.org/emolument/

[xiv] https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckjones/2019/07/10/trumps-golf-trips-could-cost-taxpayers-over-340-million/

[xv] https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/18/military-trumps-scottish-resort-1501877

[xvi] https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/3/20847247/mike-pence-ireland-doonbeg-trip-180-miles-away-trump-hotel

[xvii] United States Constitution, Article 1, Section 9.

[xviii] https://www.theusconstitution.org/litigation/trump-and-foreign-emoluments-clause/

[xix] https://history.house.gov/Institution/Origins-Development/Power-of-the-Purse/

[xx] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/09/04/trump-diverts-3-6-billion-military-projects-build-more-border-wall/2208166001/

[xxi] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-congress-emergency/trump-vetoes-measure-to-end-his-emergency-declaration-on-border-wall-idUSKBN1WV06P

[xxii] https://ilg2.org/2018/06/10/trump-administrations-family-separation-policy-violates-international-law/

[xxiii] https://time.com/5626498/trump-asylum-rule-international-law/

[xxiv] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/obstruction-of-justice-10-times-trump-may-have-obstructed-justice-mueller-report/

[xxv] https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/12/impeachment-report-trump-obstruct/602938/

[xxvi] https://www.lawfareblog.com/revisiting-criminal-obstruction-justice-impeachment-inquiry

[xxvii] https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-pardon-paul-manafort-obstruction-justice-1237150

[xxviii] https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/11/20/20970572/impeachment-hearing-judiciary-committee-trump-obstruction

[xxix] https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2019-11-15/trump-tweets-on-impeachment-witness-yovanovitch-during-testimony

[xxx] https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/19/white-house-twitter-attacks-vindman-during-trump-impeachment-testimony.html

[xxxi] https://www.forbes.com/sites/isabeltogoh/2019/10/31/trump-accused-of-bribery-after-urging-donors-to-support-senators-defending-him-against-impeachment/#21b769013eb5

[xxxii] https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-house-impeachment-report-highlights-trumps-ongoing-abuse-of-presidential-power

[xxxiii] https://origins.osu.edu/review/imperial-presidency-pushes-back

[xxxiv] https://sustainatlanta.com/2015/04/02/remembering-the-time-andrew-jackson-decided-to-ignore-the-supreme-court-in-the-name-of-georgias-right-to-cherokee-land/

Happy Birthday, RUCerious!

And many happy returns of the day!

So, what kind of birthday cake would you like?

One with your age on it?

One with fruit on it?

Or one in the shape of a fruit?

Something simple?

Or something amazingly elaborate?

I know! How about one with frogs on it?

Or maybe not frogs – okay, lessee, R2D2?

Something a tad more dignified?

Now, I like this one ’cause it comes with matching cupcakes –

Okay, I think I found the right one – it has my birthday wish to you on it ~

PEACE, MY FRIEND!

~ OPEN THREAD ~

President T-Rex?

Tyrannosaurus rex:

A large, carnivorous (see carnivore) dinosaur that walked on two legs. Its name is from the Greek words meaning “tyrant” and “lizard” and the Latin word for “king.”

With small hands.

Trexit!

Anonymous sources deep inside the White House say Trump is negotiating his exit as President. Smirkingly referred to as Trexit, some advisors are hoping Pence will hold firm to a “no deal” Trexit.

The Stock Market apparently took a dive today on “No deal Trexit” rumors.