Jul 25, 2022·edited Jul 25, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
As I read Robert's article about the Republican Plan, my mind kept shouting Bannon. That was Bannon's goal. That's why Bannon is so happy even facing jail time. That's why Bannon kept going back to DT as his useful idiot. In a sense, this makes Bannon the most dangerous man in the world even with Putin still in the picture. Putin is failing. Bannon believes he is about to see his dream fulfilled of destroying government. Not just in the United States but around the world. Personally, I think he is underestimating the People of America. Perhaps we non-Republicans are about to become the Greatest Generation of the 21st century. I believe the younger generations are about to take the baton and show us all how its done. And the older generations, like my own, can add the knowledge and encouragement that we are exceptional and will win against this form of fascism. Saving the world quite literally. We also need to keep an eye and ear on Orbán, Hungary's far-right Prime Minister, who is a role model for Republicans to set up their illiberal democracy. An illiberal democracy describes a governing system in which, although elections take place, citizens are cut off from knowledge about the activities of those who exercise real power because of the lack of civil liberties; thus it is not an open society. Orbán will be speaking at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference, in Dallas August 4 to 7. We, the exceptional People, all of us this time.
Thank you for finally saying what I knew to be true. Especially when reporters and newscasters say record setting inflation … blah, blah, blah. I remember quite clearly that not only was gas unaffordable in the early 70’s but there was no gas even if we could pay for it. I remember people waiting in mile-long lines to get two or three gallons of gas. And when Carter retained Paul Volker… that was unpopular. But Volker was instrumental in bringing down inflation … and what Volker did is what the Federal Reserve appears to be doing this time around, as well. History does, indeed repeat itself. I pray it works again. Just like the approval ratings. If I wrote it, people would say I did not know what I was talking about, but what you say is true. All of the past Presidents back to JFK, had low approval ratings, at times during their terms, and, honestly, had JFK lived, who knows what would have or could have happened.
One solution: pass the John R Lewis Voting Rights Act:
CALL these Senators who voted for the filibuster : "I am _____. My voice is my vote: protect it. No filibuster of H.R. 5746 The John R Lewis Voting Rights Act : End racial gerrymandering and other barriers to the ballot box. Debate H.R. 5746 on the floor of the Senate and then vote."
Call any US Senator in their DC office: 1-202-224-3121 or their district office:
But THESE ARE THE LIKELY SENATORS TO RECONSIDER THEIR FILIBUSTER VOTE AGAINST VOTING RIGHTS.
Collins : Bangor, ME (207) 945-0417)
Murkowski : Ketchikan (907-225-6880)
Romney: Has closed district offices (202-224-5251)
Portman: Cleveland (216-522-7095),
Sinema: Phoenix (602-598-7327)
Manchin:Charleston (304-342-5855)
Share this action with your family and friends and please report back any feedback from the Senators' offices. Ask your grandkids to help this message go viral, please.
Go into their district office or CALL your Senator's district office and demand these Senators support H.R 5746: The John R Lewis Voting Rights bill. Congress needs to stop the obstructions to voting already passed by 18 states with 34 new laws since 2020. State Sovereignty has been the end game of the Koch Brothers and Donor's Trust, The Federal Society and now 6 members of the US Supreme Court. BUT CONGRESS CAN STOP THAT: Make sure your Senator hears from you. ideally, walk into their offices and tell them they have a duty to protect our democracy. We need federal standards for elections.
This may help to keep one going in the face of difficult times: Acting without knowing if your efforts will yield results is a condition well known to democracy advocates living under authoritarian leaders abroad, where even small gains can be extremely hard-won. The Russian activist Boris Kagarlitsky reflects this tough history when he says, “Struggle does not always lead to victory, but without struggle not only can there be no victory, but there cannot even be elementary self-respect.”
Reading about Trump’s plan for government workers all of the traditional buttons got pushed. Realizing how pointless my rage has been, I have been trying to find the the best use of my time, energy and talent. And so I thought I would share a small but potentially meaningful effort.
I was looking through some old postcards from the 1920’s and 30’s. I noticed that many had a small safety pin attached on the side or along the top. Not knowing what the meaning was I did a little research and discovered something interesting. The safety pin has been used as a symbol of protest and solidarity for over a century. The German people used it to protest Hitler and the Nazi regime.
It seems to me the safety pin is a perfect symbol of solidarity and protest in this moment. So much anxiety centers around the individual’s safety as threat after threat is embraced and advanced by SCOTUS. The decimation of womens’ rights, gun violence, deterioration voting rights and climate deregulation have all been found life in this SCOTUS in defiance of established precedent and the will of the vast majority of Americans.
We are set to suffer at the hands of a few very wealthy tyrants and they are gunning for more of our civil liberties. I can’t do much but I am going to do whatever I can to prevent further erosion of our rights by the GOP. I will be wearing a safety pin on my shirt every day until the rights we have enjoyed for so long are restored and SCOTUS is apolitical, independent and free from the influence of dark money. I respectfully request that you join me and pass the along if so inclined.
Jul 25, 2022·edited Jul 25, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
I think the time has come for the Democrats to acknowledge with action that old people must give young people the driver's seat. It is the younger leaders who inherit the mess the leaders of the twentieth century have handed them, and we need to trust them and get out of the way. I am the same age as Biden and we're too old to be telling people under 50 how to handle the issues of tomorrow. There are some great people under 50 who need some room to govern. As Albert Einstein (a pretty smart guy) said, "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it."
The Democrats in power should signal that it's time to start trusting younger leaders. I love Pelosi, Bernie, Elizabeth, and the other great men and women who are still carrying the banner of all that is good in our country, but we must hand the baton to those who can defeat the young crazies in the red hats.
I say let's acknowledge Albert's wisdom and admit that advancing the life span of human beings doesn't mean they should get to control government until the next round of leaders turn 65. I know we old people think 65 is young, because our own mirrors distort our vision, but we know where the future lies and we need to step aside -- overtly and soon.
Great newsletter Robert. Ed Lavendara did a piece on A Special CNN piece tonight about Texas and how two Billionaires in that State are controlling elections. It was a fascinating piece and I highly recommend to you. It is very telling about the Christian Right and what they are up to. Helps us to strategize about how to overcome these crazy people in the future. We have to be strategic in the future about passing laws that protect us from these cases. We have to take money out of politics....
When our long national nightmare is over, when Trump is in jail or otherwise indisposed, we have to reckon with Republican hatred of regulation. It is worth looking at Liz Cheney's website for her Congressional campaign. She has demonstrated her courage and integrity, her intelligence and her leadership serving on the January 1 committee. She does not refer to it in her website -- except, perhaps, obliquely. In her issues section, she outlines opposition to regulation -- to regulation of agriculture, to regulation of the fossil fuel industry, to regulation of carrying or owning guns, to regulation of health care (opposing Obamacare), to regulation of the environment (whether that means endangered animals or the estate tax). It is better to have conversations about these issues than to watch the Supreme Court take their own route to ending the authority of agencies that enforce regulations.
AS always, thank you Robert for what you do. It really does make a difference. I would love to be able to synthesize and write like you but I'll just hope for the best.
As far as the issue on what Trump planned to do with Government employees, I believe you hit on the key to the potential harm that now with that plan written it can be used by any Republican [or anyone else who might want to destroy the civil Service] who might get into the White House. Everyone needs to be aware of the potential and encourage their Congresssperson and senator to pass legislation to prevent this from happening. The fact that the plan is already written means that without safeguards, it can be put into effect very early by any new administration. The truth of the matter is that even without the so called Schedule F a lot of damage can and has been done. We have already seen the damage that can be done by putting employees into key positions without proper vetting [see Clark in Justice among others]] Actions affecting the Civil Service are relatively ignored by most people - I guess it's just as sexy as other issues. . Having been a federal employee in a number of agencies, it is already true that new leaders are appointed with every administration and there are problems resulting. Among other things, new leaders appoint their own favorites and simply move others around. Many from the prior administration are moved into Civil Service positions and then moved around by the new administration. Are there problems with the Service as it operates today?- Certainly, but it is amazing how well most agencies work despite the problems from the current system, but the majority of Civil Servants are conscientious and hard working. The potential of this new policy would create total chaos and result in a nonfunctioning service.
Part of the problem today is that in addition to ignoring the past, we cannot and/or will not look at what can happen in the future and how what we do today impacts on the future. The prime example right now is with climate change. As long as the naysayers can bring in a snow ball,[you may remember the incident when a Republican bought one into congress to prove warming was not true] the potential for effective change will be a never ending struggle. I would say that those who do not vote deserve what they get - the problem? it drags the rest of us down. The solution is to vote and help those who need it whether to register and/or to actually vote - in person, by mail or ballot box.
Thank you again, Robert. You noted that "The FBI would need to do background checks on each and every appointee. That would take years." But part of Trump's Plan F would be to replace people in the FBI with loyalists, so background checks would be, um, quaint.
Thanks for the Jane Coaston article. It is spot-on. All too frequently I’ll be watching MSNBC and someone will be peddling doom and gloom about something or other and I’ve noticed that the host, be it Chris Hayes, Rachel Maddow or some one else simply thinks them for their information, almost never asking the obvious question “what can our viewers do about it?” Sometimes there even are readily available good answers to this question but it’s almost never asked.
However, the younger generation has provided us with a ready retort, with simply the change of a single letter: “OK Doomer - what should we do about it?”
Jul 25, 2022·edited Jul 25, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Great newsletter again, although I disagree with your description of several “easy” solutions as holding the house will not be easy, nor getting Manchin to do ANYTHING that changes the filibuster. Having said that, there is one point that I want to highlight. Painting doomsday scenarios without solutions won’t do anything to help. We must make these elections a “choice”. Do you want an authoritarian government that takes away your rights, or do you want to be able to have family planning rights, the right to vote and the right to read what you want? Do you want white nationalists threatening you openly or do you want to live peacefully? Do you want guns everywhere or do you want sensible gun reform? Framing each and every election in these terms makes the threats real and at the same time gives people an option to do something.
By the way I watched an excellent movie on Netflix. “A Call To Spy” is a true story of the women in WWII who became spies during the war. Anyone who is wavering on standing up for democracy must watch this movie.
So important to keep emphasizing, as you do, that Trump is only the front man. He has the snake oil barkers skills and charisma, but he is not the brains of the operation. It began before him and will continue after him. Murdoch is by far the much more dangerous person, not least because his tentacles are global, and because he cannot be removed by elections....I'm looking forward to more focus on everything Murdoch, including ideas of how to stop him.
In the midst of all the threats and bravado on Trump's part, it's helpful to remember that "united we stand; divided we fall." As in facing the threat of the climate crisis, which when all is said and done, actually determines everything that happens politically, We, the People, "have a choice," as U.N. Secretary General António Guterres said recently, "Collective action or collective suicide." The same axiom applies in the matter of Donald Trump's war against Democracy. If we rise up together to resist Trump and his warriors against the Rule of Law, we have a chance of winning, a good chance, if history is any predictor. Divided, however, we lose, not only our Constitutional liberty, but our precious planet as well, given the failure of GOP policy makers to offer any sane strategies for addressing the reality of global warming. Anyway, I'm sticking with Robert Hubbell as my strategist in this fight now that the GOP has rallied around a sociopath as its commander and drawn its battle line in the sand. If it proves to be a fight to the death, so be it. At least we have a compelling reason to die for something noble and just in defense of the common good, instead of the obscene profits of American defense contractors and the investor class, as has been the case with the Empire's "forever" wars since the fiasco in Vietnam. A las Barricadas!
As I read Robert's article about the Republican Plan, my mind kept shouting Bannon. That was Bannon's goal. That's why Bannon is so happy even facing jail time. That's why Bannon kept going back to DT as his useful idiot. In a sense, this makes Bannon the most dangerous man in the world even with Putin still in the picture. Putin is failing. Bannon believes he is about to see his dream fulfilled of destroying government. Not just in the United States but around the world. Personally, I think he is underestimating the People of America. Perhaps we non-Republicans are about to become the Greatest Generation of the 21st century. I believe the younger generations are about to take the baton and show us all how its done. And the older generations, like my own, can add the knowledge and encouragement that we are exceptional and will win against this form of fascism. Saving the world quite literally. We also need to keep an eye and ear on Orbán, Hungary's far-right Prime Minister, who is a role model for Republicans to set up their illiberal democracy. An illiberal democracy describes a governing system in which, although elections take place, citizens are cut off from knowledge about the activities of those who exercise real power because of the lack of civil liberties; thus it is not an open society. Orbán will be speaking at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference, in Dallas August 4 to 7. We, the exceptional People, all of us this time.
Thank you for finally saying what I knew to be true. Especially when reporters and newscasters say record setting inflation … blah, blah, blah. I remember quite clearly that not only was gas unaffordable in the early 70’s but there was no gas even if we could pay for it. I remember people waiting in mile-long lines to get two or three gallons of gas. And when Carter retained Paul Volker… that was unpopular. But Volker was instrumental in bringing down inflation … and what Volker did is what the Federal Reserve appears to be doing this time around, as well. History does, indeed repeat itself. I pray it works again. Just like the approval ratings. If I wrote it, people would say I did not know what I was talking about, but what you say is true. All of the past Presidents back to JFK, had low approval ratings, at times during their terms, and, honestly, had JFK lived, who knows what would have or could have happened.
Keep on keeping on. You keep me sane!!!
Thanks as always, Robert.
Re optimism ... Winston Churchill said it all: "I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else. "
One solution: pass the John R Lewis Voting Rights Act:
CALL these Senators who voted for the filibuster : "I am _____. My voice is my vote: protect it. No filibuster of H.R. 5746 The John R Lewis Voting Rights Act : End racial gerrymandering and other barriers to the ballot box. Debate H.R. 5746 on the floor of the Senate and then vote."
Call any US Senator in their DC office: 1-202-224-3121 or their district office:
But THESE ARE THE LIKELY SENATORS TO RECONSIDER THEIR FILIBUSTER VOTE AGAINST VOTING RIGHTS.
Collins : Bangor, ME (207) 945-0417)
Murkowski : Ketchikan (907-225-6880)
Romney: Has closed district offices (202-224-5251)
Portman: Cleveland (216-522-7095),
Sinema: Phoenix (602-598-7327)
Manchin:Charleston (304-342-5855)
Share this action with your family and friends and please report back any feedback from the Senators' offices. Ask your grandkids to help this message go viral, please.
Go into their district office or CALL your Senator's district office and demand these Senators support H.R 5746: The John R Lewis Voting Rights bill. Congress needs to stop the obstructions to voting already passed by 18 states with 34 new laws since 2020. State Sovereignty has been the end game of the Koch Brothers and Donor's Trust, The Federal Society and now 6 members of the US Supreme Court. BUT CONGRESS CAN STOP THAT: Make sure your Senator hears from you. ideally, walk into their offices and tell them they have a duty to protect our democracy. We need federal standards for elections.
This may help to keep one going in the face of difficult times: Acting without knowing if your efforts will yield results is a condition well known to democracy advocates living under authoritarian leaders abroad, where even small gains can be extremely hard-won. The Russian activist Boris Kagarlitsky reflects this tough history when he says, “Struggle does not always lead to victory, but without struggle not only can there be no victory, but there cannot even be elementary self-respect.”
Reading about Trump’s plan for government workers all of the traditional buttons got pushed. Realizing how pointless my rage has been, I have been trying to find the the best use of my time, energy and talent. And so I thought I would share a small but potentially meaningful effort.
I was looking through some old postcards from the 1920’s and 30’s. I noticed that many had a small safety pin attached on the side or along the top. Not knowing what the meaning was I did a little research and discovered something interesting. The safety pin has been used as a symbol of protest and solidarity for over a century. The German people used it to protest Hitler and the Nazi regime.
It seems to me the safety pin is a perfect symbol of solidarity and protest in this moment. So much anxiety centers around the individual’s safety as threat after threat is embraced and advanced by SCOTUS. The decimation of womens’ rights, gun violence, deterioration voting rights and climate deregulation have all been found life in this SCOTUS in defiance of established precedent and the will of the vast majority of Americans.
We are set to suffer at the hands of a few very wealthy tyrants and they are gunning for more of our civil liberties. I can’t do much but I am going to do whatever I can to prevent further erosion of our rights by the GOP. I will be wearing a safety pin on my shirt every day until the rights we have enjoyed for so long are restored and SCOTUS is apolitical, independent and free from the influence of dark money. I respectfully request that you join me and pass the along if so inclined.
I think the time has come for the Democrats to acknowledge with action that old people must give young people the driver's seat. It is the younger leaders who inherit the mess the leaders of the twentieth century have handed them, and we need to trust them and get out of the way. I am the same age as Biden and we're too old to be telling people under 50 how to handle the issues of tomorrow. There are some great people under 50 who need some room to govern. As Albert Einstein (a pretty smart guy) said, "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it."
The Democrats in power should signal that it's time to start trusting younger leaders. I love Pelosi, Bernie, Elizabeth, and the other great men and women who are still carrying the banner of all that is good in our country, but we must hand the baton to those who can defeat the young crazies in the red hats.
I say let's acknowledge Albert's wisdom and admit that advancing the life span of human beings doesn't mean they should get to control government until the next round of leaders turn 65. I know we old people think 65 is young, because our own mirrors distort our vision, but we know where the future lies and we need to step aside -- overtly and soon.
Great newsletter Robert. Ed Lavendara did a piece on A Special CNN piece tonight about Texas and how two Billionaires in that State are controlling elections. It was a fascinating piece and I highly recommend to you. It is very telling about the Christian Right and what they are up to. Helps us to strategize about how to overcome these crazy people in the future. We have to be strategic in the future about passing laws that protect us from these cases. We have to take money out of politics....
When our long national nightmare is over, when Trump is in jail or otherwise indisposed, we have to reckon with Republican hatred of regulation. It is worth looking at Liz Cheney's website for her Congressional campaign. She has demonstrated her courage and integrity, her intelligence and her leadership serving on the January 1 committee. She does not refer to it in her website -- except, perhaps, obliquely. In her issues section, she outlines opposition to regulation -- to regulation of agriculture, to regulation of the fossil fuel industry, to regulation of carrying or owning guns, to regulation of health care (opposing Obamacare), to regulation of the environment (whether that means endangered animals or the estate tax). It is better to have conversations about these issues than to watch the Supreme Court take their own route to ending the authority of agencies that enforce regulations.
AS always, thank you Robert for what you do. It really does make a difference. I would love to be able to synthesize and write like you but I'll just hope for the best.
As far as the issue on what Trump planned to do with Government employees, I believe you hit on the key to the potential harm that now with that plan written it can be used by any Republican [or anyone else who might want to destroy the civil Service] who might get into the White House. Everyone needs to be aware of the potential and encourage their Congresssperson and senator to pass legislation to prevent this from happening. The fact that the plan is already written means that without safeguards, it can be put into effect very early by any new administration. The truth of the matter is that even without the so called Schedule F a lot of damage can and has been done. We have already seen the damage that can be done by putting employees into key positions without proper vetting [see Clark in Justice among others]] Actions affecting the Civil Service are relatively ignored by most people - I guess it's just as sexy as other issues. . Having been a federal employee in a number of agencies, it is already true that new leaders are appointed with every administration and there are problems resulting. Among other things, new leaders appoint their own favorites and simply move others around. Many from the prior administration are moved into Civil Service positions and then moved around by the new administration. Are there problems with the Service as it operates today?- Certainly, but it is amazing how well most agencies work despite the problems from the current system, but the majority of Civil Servants are conscientious and hard working. The potential of this new policy would create total chaos and result in a nonfunctioning service.
Part of the problem today is that in addition to ignoring the past, we cannot and/or will not look at what can happen in the future and how what we do today impacts on the future. The prime example right now is with climate change. As long as the naysayers can bring in a snow ball,[you may remember the incident when a Republican bought one into congress to prove warming was not true] the potential for effective change will be a never ending struggle. I would say that those who do not vote deserve what they get - the problem? it drags the rest of us down. The solution is to vote and help those who need it whether to register and/or to actually vote - in person, by mail or ballot box.
Thank you again, Robert. You noted that "The FBI would need to do background checks on each and every appointee. That would take years." But part of Trump's Plan F would be to replace people in the FBI with loyalists, so background checks would be, um, quaint.
Thanks for the Jane Coaston article. It is spot-on. All too frequently I’ll be watching MSNBC and someone will be peddling doom and gloom about something or other and I’ve noticed that the host, be it Chris Hayes, Rachel Maddow or some one else simply thinks them for their information, almost never asking the obvious question “what can our viewers do about it?” Sometimes there even are readily available good answers to this question but it’s almost never asked.
However, the younger generation has provided us with a ready retort, with simply the change of a single letter: “OK Doomer - what should we do about it?”
Great newsletter again, although I disagree with your description of several “easy” solutions as holding the house will not be easy, nor getting Manchin to do ANYTHING that changes the filibuster. Having said that, there is one point that I want to highlight. Painting doomsday scenarios without solutions won’t do anything to help. We must make these elections a “choice”. Do you want an authoritarian government that takes away your rights, or do you want to be able to have family planning rights, the right to vote and the right to read what you want? Do you want white nationalists threatening you openly or do you want to live peacefully? Do you want guns everywhere or do you want sensible gun reform? Framing each and every election in these terms makes the threats real and at the same time gives people an option to do something.
By the way I watched an excellent movie on Netflix. “A Call To Spy” is a true story of the women in WWII who became spies during the war. Anyone who is wavering on standing up for democracy must watch this movie.
One more thing, lest you think DeSantis is a better choice. Here is his version of a loyalty test: https://tampabaytimes-fl.newsmemory.com/?publink=259e787b7_1348559
So important to keep emphasizing, as you do, that Trump is only the front man. He has the snake oil barkers skills and charisma, but he is not the brains of the operation. It began before him and will continue after him. Murdoch is by far the much more dangerous person, not least because his tentacles are global, and because he cannot be removed by elections....I'm looking forward to more focus on everything Murdoch, including ideas of how to stop him.
In the midst of all the threats and bravado on Trump's part, it's helpful to remember that "united we stand; divided we fall." As in facing the threat of the climate crisis, which when all is said and done, actually determines everything that happens politically, We, the People, "have a choice," as U.N. Secretary General António Guterres said recently, "Collective action or collective suicide." The same axiom applies in the matter of Donald Trump's war against Democracy. If we rise up together to resist Trump and his warriors against the Rule of Law, we have a chance of winning, a good chance, if history is any predictor. Divided, however, we lose, not only our Constitutional liberty, but our precious planet as well, given the failure of GOP policy makers to offer any sane strategies for addressing the reality of global warming. Anyway, I'm sticking with Robert Hubbell as my strategist in this fight now that the GOP has rallied around a sociopath as its commander and drawn its battle line in the sand. If it proves to be a fight to the death, so be it. At least we have a compelling reason to die for something noble and just in defense of the common good, instead of the obscene profits of American defense contractors and the investor class, as has been the case with the Empire's "forever" wars since the fiasco in Vietnam. A las Barricadas!
A surfeit of Cassandras, indeed! I hope Murdoch is sick enough of 45 to plan an exit for Sean Hannity!