Sometimes I pull covers over my head, metaphorically, like I did for real as a little girl in a frightening boarding school. So, I am ignoring the hurricane devastation, the endless manipulations of authoritarians such as Putin, possibly Bolsonaro, and certainly Trump. (Just why do those guys go through such twist and turns of "legality" when we all know they are depraved?) Instead, for just one day, I will say Happy October! It is a month of color, The Great Pumpkin, and crisp nights here in Vermont. Since I no longer celebrate Halloween, I will say instead Blessed Dia de los Muertos, when we celebrate the memories of our ancestors, for better or for worse, since without them we would not have a chance to make a better world.
First, enjoy the starry night sky at your cabin, Rob. Goodness knows you've earned it...and it literally and figuratively transcends all of the things -- however urgent -- that we address here.
Second, I host get-out-the-Democratic vote letter writing parties at least once a month and am concerned about dwindling participation. This is no time to take our foot off the gas. I implore everyone to lean in and exhort your friends to do similarly from here until the election!
Finally, as Putin issues vague nuclear threats, however empty they may be, I am so profoundly grateful that we have a seasoned, sober-minded statesman in the oval office office rather than someone obsessed with nicknames like "Rocket Man" and sound bites like "My button is bigger than yours."
For what it is worth, I just filed a formal complaint against Judge Cannon with the Eleventh Circuit Court. If you are interested, their address is www.ca11.uscourts.gov. Type “complaint” into the search box, then follow instructions for Complaint of Judicial Misconduct. Note that complaints about decisions are dismissed. So, I emphasized that Judge Cannon had abused her judicial power to favor her benefactor, Trump.
Thank you, Robert, for providing information, analysis and hope!
On Putin's nuclear threats, they are simply signs of his utter desperation, not evidence that he's insane enough to follow through with them - he's trying to intimidate the world. And he's failing. Most military experts take his threats seriously, but not literally. The hard military fact is that Russia using a nuclear weapon in the Ukraine war would not fundamentally change nor improve the military position of Russia.
By doing so, he would incur the wrath and condemnation of every government on earth, even those who have struggled to remain neutral (such as China), and practically ensure the direct military involvement of NATO and the United States. We would likely not undertake a nuclear response, but we would absolutely have to respond militarily. I suspect that Russia's Black Sea fleet would be on the bottom within a week, just to begin with.
Using a nuclear weapon would not ensure victory, in fact, it would greatly accelerate Russia's humiliation and likely mark the end of the Russian Federation as a political entity. There is always a very small chance of such a tragedy based on the simple fact that the weapons exist, but there is no chance Putin would actually order it. What I suspect we will actually see in coming months is Russia trying everything to stalemate Ukrainian gains on the battlefield until the rainy season makes movement difficult and winter comes.
The fake annexation elections are one aspect of that effort. Putin is buying time to try to consolidate support within his junta. He knows he's lost this war. I fully expect that this war ends in one of two ways: either with Putin's sudden demise under unknown circumstances, or Putin finding someone to lead his junta who will protect his person, freedom, and stolen fortune, the way Putin protected Yeltsin in his own rise to power.
I recently attended a training sponsored by Indivisible.org, from their Truth Brigade project. You can go to Indivisible.org and find Truth Brigade…it’s a fascinating and important project to help people fight back against disinformation using simple, non combative language. They are asking folks to choose a specific topic you care about from a handful they are focusing on, and they provide a template for how to do posts on the topic on Twitter, Facebook, whatever Social Media you use, or even in conversations with people you know.
One really important thing I learned at the online training is that it’s critical NOT to engage with disinformation that you see online…don’t retweet it with a reply, don’t put a thumbs down, nothing at all. I didn’t quite realize that ANY kind of response, even one which is an attempt to let people know how dangerous the disinformation is, that includes the disinformation, amplifies it by spreading it.
It occurred to me that a number of folks I respect and follow on Twitter, for example, will post a tweet by some heinous GOP person, and then they post their reply. But Indivisible is saying that even doing that is NOT good…so I learned something important. Do not engage at all w disinformation you see online.
If you want to reply to it, paraphrase what you heard but don’t retweet the post. That was very helpful. Also, it’s an easy project to get involved in so you might want to check it out at Indivisible.org
And IF you post any kind of answer re disinformation, use the hashtag #TruthBrigade.
I know everyone is tired. I’m tired too. But we can do this for the next 40 days. Then we take a short break and gear up again. I am amazed at all the postcard groups , voter registration groups, text bankers, phone bankers. Have you ever seen this level of enthusiasm? This is what gives me hope.
As always, your letters were fantastic this week, Robert. Thank you for the great work, and for the chance to have us sound off on our thoughts and concerns here in the comments section.
We’ve been lucky to have Biden’s leadership as well as two years of majority rule in both houses of Congress, even though the senate side has had numerous (or more specifically, two) frustrations. When things are going well, people won’t think you’ve done anything at all. These two years with Biden in office we’ve seen a president that tries to treat people fairly while his opponents have heckled him during his State of the Union address, including while talking about his deceased veteran son, and worked tirelessly to drag the nation backward and blame the regression on him. GOP hardline politicians also tried to take credit for the funding they voted against that Biden gave to numerous red states in his infrastructure bill. And now as Florida has been devastated by a terrible hurricane, Biden has promised every bit of necessary funding. All this while the governor of Florida has stated repeatedly that he hates government overreach and says blue states don’t deserve funding when their states need help, and as of just last week wasted $12 million dollars to be nasty to his Democratic opponents. And yet they say Biden is so mean and divisive.
We should be so grateful to have someone in office that cares about EVERY state and citizen, and not his own ego like the former guy. Tonight I’ll be sitting in gratitude that we’ve had a good run these two years with someone that cares and a government that has tried to be of service to its citizens, not a force for revenge. No government always does the right thing, but we can be proud that so much resistance was overcome in the legislative branch. Let’s keep up the good fight in the weeks ahead, remember what we believe in, and all the good we can still do.
I am in Michigan. We are writing postcards to encourage turn-out among Democratic voters who need a little "nudge" to get them to vote. We are The Michigan Postcard Project. We will continue writing until Mid October. If you live in Michigan, and would like to help, you can still request post-cards at : https://forms.gle/8GUbpb6eH4FWhNDJ7
I should add that the complaint form about Judge Cannon should be sent to: Attn: Clerk of Court, US Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, 56 Forsyth Street, N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303. The envelope must say “Complaint of Misconduct,” but NOT have the judge’s name
on the envelope. You have to attest that the facts in the complaint are true, under penalty of perjury.
For those of you living in California, Commit to Democracy is making a final push to Get Out The Vote to hold the House and increase the number of Democrats in the Senate.
We need to prevent Kevin McCarthy from becoming the Speaker of the House (EEK!) and reduce the power of Senator Manchin and Senator Sinema so the dynamite duo no longer blow up Biden's and Democrats' progressive agenda to improve the lives of ALL Americans (except the ones going to jail for sedition and stealing top secret government documents!!!).
Here is the link to join the effort. I just signed up to send 100 postcards! You can too!!!
Many Kremlin-watchers are calling Putin's annexation speech "unhinged," and it certainly was. It was mainly a concoction of delusional history and a reading out of a list of resentments against the West, especially the United States. As one well-connected Moscow source noted to Shaun Walker: “Nobody knows what happens next, it’s clear there is no grand strategy. If one thing doesn’t work, we will try something else, and nobody knows where it will lead. Decisions are taken in the head of one man.” The joker in the deck is that the Ukrainians may be on the verge of another breakthrough around Lyman (Donetsk region). If Russian troops are routed again, it could make Putin even more desperate and dangerous.
Here are some conclusions I drew from the article:
(1) Putin is already well past some of the red lines that he had already implied would provoke the use of nuclear weapons, and yet he hasn't done anything except bluster.
(2) The only nuclear weapons readily available for immediate launch are strategic and intermediate range.
(3) Tactical weapons, which would likely be Putin's weapon of choice, are in storage facilities and are partially disassembled. Their deployment could be detected, and perhaps countered, at several points before they were used.
(4) Washington policymakers have a plan to deal with Putin should he do the unthinkable, and it probably involves heavy conventional strikes on Russian forces.
(5) A good reason for keeping embassies in Moscow and Washington is to have more points of contact with the Russian government. During the Cuban missile crisis, back channel contacts were crucial to overcoming misunderstandings that could have led to all-out war.
(6) Russian commanders are well aware of the risks of first use of nuclear weapons, and might well resist an order to do so.
(7) If Putin uses a nuclear weapon on a military target in Ukraine, general war might be avoided. If he uses a second, it probably cannot be.
Sometimes I pull covers over my head, metaphorically, like I did for real as a little girl in a frightening boarding school. So, I am ignoring the hurricane devastation, the endless manipulations of authoritarians such as Putin, possibly Bolsonaro, and certainly Trump. (Just why do those guys go through such twist and turns of "legality" when we all know they are depraved?) Instead, for just one day, I will say Happy October! It is a month of color, The Great Pumpkin, and crisp nights here in Vermont. Since I no longer celebrate Halloween, I will say instead Blessed Dia de los Muertos, when we celebrate the memories of our ancestors, for better or for worse, since without them we would not have a chance to make a better world.
First, enjoy the starry night sky at your cabin, Rob. Goodness knows you've earned it...and it literally and figuratively transcends all of the things -- however urgent -- that we address here.
Second, I host get-out-the-Democratic vote letter writing parties at least once a month and am concerned about dwindling participation. This is no time to take our foot off the gas. I implore everyone to lean in and exhort your friends to do similarly from here until the election!
Finally, as Putin issues vague nuclear threats, however empty they may be, I am so profoundly grateful that we have a seasoned, sober-minded statesman in the oval office office rather than someone obsessed with nicknames like "Rocket Man" and sound bites like "My button is bigger than yours."
For what it is worth, I just filed a formal complaint against Judge Cannon with the Eleventh Circuit Court. If you are interested, their address is www.ca11.uscourts.gov. Type “complaint” into the search box, then follow instructions for Complaint of Judicial Misconduct. Note that complaints about decisions are dismissed. So, I emphasized that Judge Cannon had abused her judicial power to favor her benefactor, Trump.
Thank you, Robert, for providing information, analysis and hope!
Can Aileen Canon be impeached?
On Putin's nuclear threats, they are simply signs of his utter desperation, not evidence that he's insane enough to follow through with them - he's trying to intimidate the world. And he's failing. Most military experts take his threats seriously, but not literally. The hard military fact is that Russia using a nuclear weapon in the Ukraine war would not fundamentally change nor improve the military position of Russia.
By doing so, he would incur the wrath and condemnation of every government on earth, even those who have struggled to remain neutral (such as China), and practically ensure the direct military involvement of NATO and the United States. We would likely not undertake a nuclear response, but we would absolutely have to respond militarily. I suspect that Russia's Black Sea fleet would be on the bottom within a week, just to begin with.
Using a nuclear weapon would not ensure victory, in fact, it would greatly accelerate Russia's humiliation and likely mark the end of the Russian Federation as a political entity. There is always a very small chance of such a tragedy based on the simple fact that the weapons exist, but there is no chance Putin would actually order it. What I suspect we will actually see in coming months is Russia trying everything to stalemate Ukrainian gains on the battlefield until the rainy season makes movement difficult and winter comes.
The fake annexation elections are one aspect of that effort. Putin is buying time to try to consolidate support within his junta. He knows he's lost this war. I fully expect that this war ends in one of two ways: either with Putin's sudden demise under unknown circumstances, or Putin finding someone to lead his junta who will protect his person, freedom, and stolen fortune, the way Putin protected Yeltsin in his own rise to power.
Someone remarked this is the most important election ever. I think ALL ELECTIONS from now on will be the most important unfortunately!
I recently attended a training sponsored by Indivisible.org, from their Truth Brigade project. You can go to Indivisible.org and find Truth Brigade…it’s a fascinating and important project to help people fight back against disinformation using simple, non combative language. They are asking folks to choose a specific topic you care about from a handful they are focusing on, and they provide a template for how to do posts on the topic on Twitter, Facebook, whatever Social Media you use, or even in conversations with people you know.
One really important thing I learned at the online training is that it’s critical NOT to engage with disinformation that you see online…don’t retweet it with a reply, don’t put a thumbs down, nothing at all. I didn’t quite realize that ANY kind of response, even one which is an attempt to let people know how dangerous the disinformation is, that includes the disinformation, amplifies it by spreading it.
It occurred to me that a number of folks I respect and follow on Twitter, for example, will post a tweet by some heinous GOP person, and then they post their reply. But Indivisible is saying that even doing that is NOT good…so I learned something important. Do not engage at all w disinformation you see online.
If you want to reply to it, paraphrase what you heard but don’t retweet the post. That was very helpful. Also, it’s an easy project to get involved in so you might want to check it out at Indivisible.org
And IF you post any kind of answer re disinformation, use the hashtag #TruthBrigade.
I know everyone is tired. I’m tired too. But we can do this for the next 40 days. Then we take a short break and gear up again. I am amazed at all the postcard groups , voter registration groups, text bankers, phone bankers. Have you ever seen this level of enthusiasm? This is what gives me hope.
As always, your letters were fantastic this week, Robert. Thank you for the great work, and for the chance to have us sound off on our thoughts and concerns here in the comments section.
We’ve been lucky to have Biden’s leadership as well as two years of majority rule in both houses of Congress, even though the senate side has had numerous (or more specifically, two) frustrations. When things are going well, people won’t think you’ve done anything at all. These two years with Biden in office we’ve seen a president that tries to treat people fairly while his opponents have heckled him during his State of the Union address, including while talking about his deceased veteran son, and worked tirelessly to drag the nation backward and blame the regression on him. GOP hardline politicians also tried to take credit for the funding they voted against that Biden gave to numerous red states in his infrastructure bill. And now as Florida has been devastated by a terrible hurricane, Biden has promised every bit of necessary funding. All this while the governor of Florida has stated repeatedly that he hates government overreach and says blue states don’t deserve funding when their states need help, and as of just last week wasted $12 million dollars to be nasty to his Democratic opponents. And yet they say Biden is so mean and divisive.
We should be so grateful to have someone in office that cares about EVERY state and citizen, and not his own ego like the former guy. Tonight I’ll be sitting in gratitude that we’ve had a good run these two years with someone that cares and a government that has tried to be of service to its citizens, not a force for revenge. No government always does the right thing, but we can be proud that so much resistance was overcome in the legislative branch. Let’s keep up the good fight in the weeks ahead, remember what we believe in, and all the good we can still do.
I am in Michigan. We are writing postcards to encourage turn-out among Democratic voters who need a little "nudge" to get them to vote. We are The Michigan Postcard Project. We will continue writing until Mid October. If you live in Michigan, and would like to help, you can still request post-cards at : https://forms.gle/8GUbpb6eH4FWhNDJ7
Your local League of Women Voters produces nonpartisan voters guides. Check it out
I have done a couple thousand postcards to voters. It is easy to do and at 80 years old it is my way of staying political active.
I should add that the complaint form about Judge Cannon should be sent to: Attn: Clerk of Court, US Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, 56 Forsyth Street, N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303. The envelope must say “Complaint of Misconduct,” but NOT have the judge’s name
on the envelope. You have to attest that the facts in the complaint are true, under penalty of perjury.
Maybe it’s useless, but it made me feel better.
For those of you living in California, Commit to Democracy is making a final push to Get Out The Vote to hold the House and increase the number of Democrats in the Senate.
We need to prevent Kevin McCarthy from becoming the Speaker of the House (EEK!) and reduce the power of Senator Manchin and Senator Sinema so the dynamite duo no longer blow up Biden's and Democrats' progressive agenda to improve the lives of ALL Americans (except the ones going to jail for sedition and stealing top secret government documents!!!).
Here is the link to join the effort. I just signed up to send 100 postcards! You can too!!!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdadlOh6Gg8Y_6e3XQOAGRg_JOJD9v_otB8PlIY482JtCfwcw/viewform
Many Kremlin-watchers are calling Putin's annexation speech "unhinged," and it certainly was. It was mainly a concoction of delusional history and a reading out of a list of resentments against the West, especially the United States. As one well-connected Moscow source noted to Shaun Walker: “Nobody knows what happens next, it’s clear there is no grand strategy. If one thing doesn’t work, we will try something else, and nobody knows where it will lead. Decisions are taken in the head of one man.” The joker in the deck is that the Ukrainians may be on the verge of another breakthrough around Lyman (Donetsk region). If Russian troops are routed again, it could make Putin even more desperate and dangerous.
On the nuclear issue, perhaps it might be useful to revisit an article by "Command and Control" author Eric Schlosser in the Atlantic, which the editors reran today. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/06/russia-ukraine-nuclear-weapon-us-response/661315/?fbclid=IwAR1fGqDy0llTCaRKz3s388J8mBb6P3UWuEPbpUmxV19jChUL-NaJy92vLlE
Here are some conclusions I drew from the article:
(1) Putin is already well past some of the red lines that he had already implied would provoke the use of nuclear weapons, and yet he hasn't done anything except bluster.
(2) The only nuclear weapons readily available for immediate launch are strategic and intermediate range.
(3) Tactical weapons, which would likely be Putin's weapon of choice, are in storage facilities and are partially disassembled. Their deployment could be detected, and perhaps countered, at several points before they were used.
(4) Washington policymakers have a plan to deal with Putin should he do the unthinkable, and it probably involves heavy conventional strikes on Russian forces.
(5) A good reason for keeping embassies in Moscow and Washington is to have more points of contact with the Russian government. During the Cuban missile crisis, back channel contacts were crucial to overcoming misunderstandings that could have led to all-out war.
(6) Russian commanders are well aware of the risks of first use of nuclear weapons, and might well resist an order to do so.
(7) If Putin uses a nuclear weapon on a military target in Ukraine, general war might be avoided. If he uses a second, it probably cannot be.
Pleasant dreams.
Can the DOJ ask the district court to overrule Judge Cannon's decision?