120 Comments
Mar 18Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

Recently, Robert suggested that people read Biden's Budget Proposal, and said that the introduction provided an impressive list of accomplishments. I have reviewed the budget introduction and offer this edited summary. I apologize if this is too long has to be broken up into two posts, and if the formatting makes it harder to read. It is a very impressive list. Keep in mind that Biden became President in the midst of a global pandemic and a reeling economy, and has had a starkly divided Congress.

AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN

Vaccinated the Nation

Delivered immediate economic relief to people who badly needed it

Sent funding to States and cities to keep key services going

INFRASTRUCTRE

46,000 new projects announced this far

Roads, bridges, railroads, ports, airports, public transit, water systems,

high-speed internet, and more

Supporting advanced manufacturing, by American workers.

RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Rebuild and boost resilience to extreme weather

Cleaner, more resilient and sustainable power grid

Biggest investment in rural electricity since the New Deal

Revitalizing fence-line communities that have shouldered the burden of harmful

pollution for generations

Lowering energy costs

Strengthening our energy security with clean energy breakthroughs

ADDITIONAL RESULTS:

$650 billion in private investment, building factories and moving production back to America, with American union workers

Manufacturing boom

Semiconductor boom

Electric-vehicle boom

Hundreds of thousands of union jobs

Strongest economy in the world

Creation of a record 15 million jobs

Unemployment under four percent for the longest stretch in over 50 years

Growth is strong

Wages are rising

Inflation is down by two-thirds, affecting key household items like gas and milk.

More Americans have health insurance than ever

[[[ALL THIS WHILE REDUCING THE DEFICIT BY $1 TRILLION]]]

CONSUMER SENTIMENT:

Consumer sentiment has surged more in recent months than any time in 30 years.

Sign of hope: 16 million new business applications

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

Fiscally responsible investments

Fairer tax system – E.g., new minimum tax of 15 percent on the Nation’s largest corporations

Saved $160 billion by giving Medicare the authority to negotiate prescription drug prices and limit price increases (capped the cost of insulin for seniors at $35 a month, down from as much as $400)

Boosted funding to the Internal Revenue Service to crack down on wealthy and corporate tax cheats.

CURRENT BUDGE PROPOSAL:

Enable Medicare to negotiate prices of even more drugs and limiting other drug price increases - save another $200 billion

Reduce wasteful subsidies to Big Oil and other special interests

Minimum tax on billionaires (raise $500 billion in revenues)

Budgetary and legislative proposals will cut a total of $4 trillion over the next decade

Additional goals incorporated in the current budget

Further rein in Big Pharma

In 2025, no senior on Medicare will pay more than $2,000 a year in total out-of-pocket prescription drug costs, plus crack down on price gouging by requiring drugmakers that raise prices of certain drugs faster than inflation to pay a rebate back to Medicare.

Continue to protect and expand the Affordable Care Act (21 million enrolled Americans, who save $800 per year on premiums)

Lower costs for working families with proposals for housing, childcare, student loans

Housing

Working to lower costs and boost supply of housing nationwide

Middle-class first-time homebuyers receive a $5,000 annual mortgage relief credit for

two years

Expand rental assistance to hundreds of thousands of additional families, continuing

the largest expansion in 20 years

Ease America’s longstanding shortage of affordable housing, including by cutting red tape, so that more builders can get Federal financing to build more affordable housing. More families own homes today than before the pandemic; rents are easing; and a record 1.7 million housing units are under construction nationwide.

Childcare and education

1) Restores the Child Tax Credit expansion, which cut child poverty nearly in half in 2021

2) Guarantees the vast majority of families high-quality childcare for no more than $10 a day

3) Boosts pay for childcare workers

4) Universal free pre-school for all four million of America’s four-year-olds

5) Helps States expand tutoring, after-school, and summer programs; and boosts recruiting to ease teacher shortages

6) Cancellation of $138 billion in student debt thus far, for 4 million Americans, including more than 750,000 teachers, nurses, firefighters, social workers, and other public servants.

Management of the Southern Border

Emergency request for more funding issued In October [blocked by House Republicans – “We need to pass the Senate’s bipartisan border deal as well, which would make urgent additional investments to secure the border and help to fix our broken immigration system.”]

Current Budget renews that request: 1) 1,300 more Border Patrol agents; 2) 375 immigration judges; 3) 1,600 asylum officers; 4) Cutting-edge technology to help detect fentanyl.

Global leadership - Restoration of America’s leadership on the world stage

Rallying more than 50 nations to support Ukraine in the face of brutal Russian aggression

Strengthening and expanding NATO

Revitalizing our alliances and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific—including with Japan, South Korea, and Australia

Issued national security supplemental request for funds for Ukraine and Israel, land humanitarian aid and relief for Palestinians, in October 2023

Budget reiterates that request

Strengthened deterrence capacity in the Indo-Pacific

Maintain the best-trained, best-equipped military globally

Over 30 significant bipartisan bills to support veterans, signed thus far, including the PACT Act, the biggest-ever expansion of benefits for servicemembers exposed to toxic burn pits during their service

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THANK YOU, GARY! For this, you should receive an award for typing these accomplishments out! Seriously though, it is absolutely amazing what Biden and his very capable administration has done. Kamala too, continues to advocate heavily for women’s rights. They all literally cleaned house after the previous inhabitants left such a mess.

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YOU ARE WAY WELCOME, MARLENE! ["First, I have to acknowledge some of the many people that made this post possible...] It is a very impressive list, and, as you have pointed out, it is absolutely not comprehensive and leaves out important additional accomplishments. One example is how the comparison between the U.S. economic recovery from the pandemic and that of other countries around the world is a very favorable one, thanks to Biden's economic policies that focus on reanimating the economy with well-paid work, workers' rights and safety, and other measures directed to the economic life of the average person, rather than the already-wealthy. The Treasury Department said that, relative to pre-pandemic levels, the U.S. "has performed better than other G7 economies (and the Euro area), and called it a "fast recovery." This is the link:

https://home.treasury.gov/news/featured-stories/the-us-economic-recovery-in-international-context-2023#:~:text=Relative%20to%20pre%2Dpandemic%20trends,complete%20recovery%20in%20domestic%20consumption.

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This is an incredible list. Thank you!

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Thank you Gary! I will copy, paste and share throughout this election season!

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Perhaps a van driving the neighborhoods with speakers on top, just reading this stuff off, over and over. That could be a viral video, no? Absolutely - get the word out. The contrast between this list, and Biden's predecessor's viciously unrecognizable and dystopian-fantasy America is literally day (Biden) and night (Trump). It's so black and white it reminds me of Gandalf the White and Sauron's black world of true evil. Remember, things didn't turn out so well for Sauron, in the end.

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Mar 18·edited Mar 21

Biden is the man and I am so happy to have this list. I do have a mention:

I was watching Biden’s SOTU … when Biden said the CHIPS act was to be used for American manufacturing only- my hubs said “That Is Not So”!

OK I will attempt to explain. Hubs supplies a product that is used in the building of the manufacturing facilities where the chips are made.

US companies are quoting for Chips Manufacturing Facilities all over the US, however Chinese companies are now undercutting the US companies by HUGE amounts. The contractors who build the sites are accepting the bids from foreign companies The American companies cannot compete and will probably go out of business.

How can we say that the CHIPS ACT is for American Manufacturing Only. Ya sure- the Chips will be made here but the facilities are paying CHIPS money to foreign companies for parts of the build. I’m not belly-aching – I’m saying that if we see it others will too.

Hubs is a supporter of Biden and the list that Gary shared is beyond fantastic. But, is that list realistic? How accurate is it really. I get that Biden makes it happen - divvies out the money and like PPP some benefit while others don’t. I am not speaking from our personal circumstance- hubs is retiring anyway but it’s killing him that this is happening. American companies are going to go down because of undercutting by foreign companies.

It may be abstract but to me this is not much different that sending our projects over seas to the detriment of American people and companies.

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Again, thank you Gary.

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Correction! I wrote Japanese but meant Chinese Companies.

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I guess it is what it is… if the amount that is paid to foreign companies is less than 5% of the facility (which cost $2-3B…),then it is allowed. Even though they undercut american made products by 50% … and put Americans out of business. Sad. Our tax paying dollars are being used to inadvertently put our American businesses out of work.

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Thank you for this comprehensive list of the Biden administration's accomplishments!

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You are welcome, KMD. Spread the word.

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Wow!!! I am so grateful for this, Gary! I've been collecting notes for my writing, but now I have it all in one place....and so fully impressive. This is a real service to any (I hope all!) of us who are working at the grassroots level for Nov 5. Blessings,

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It’s impressive but unfortunately not well read.

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Totally agree - I feel like I had a pretty good handle on what the Biden administration has been doing, and this list was an eye-opener for me, too. We just have to get the word out as much as possible, so people on the fence have something concrete they can think about and point to as to why Biden should be re-elected.

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100%

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Outstanding. Sharing. Thank you, Gary.

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Wonderful Gary, just what I am looking for to help my efforts to re-elect Biden/Harris❤️

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founding

Wow! Thanks for posting this, Gary

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How is this man still a candidate for the highest office in the land? He said, "Now, if I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a blood bath for the whole — that’s going to be the least of it. It’s going to be a blood bath for the country.”

And the predictable GOP response..."you're taking it out of context." There is no context to declaring you have no regard for the law.

And add this lovely headline from our "friends" at the New York Times..

"How Trump’s Allies Are Winning the War Over Disinformation"

The Unites States is upside down and we must right the ship. GET THE VOTE OUT 2024!!

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The once revered NYTimes is now a blood bath of its own making. Disinformation, bent editorials, biased headlines.

There are still serveral great journalists on their staff - they need to become as brave as Liz Cheney! Stand up against their bosses and return to us the former great paper it was.

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Isn't it time for him to be in pre-trial detention?

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When asked in a televised debate to disavow the Proud Boys:

“Stand back and stand by.”

Pre Jan 6:

“Be there. Will be wild.”

Pre 11/5/24:

“If I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a Bloodbath”

As George W. Bush once said…

“Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, ain’t gonna fool me no more.”

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If you haven't seen it, check out Biden's new digital ad:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qbj5e0pea1I

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Thank you Torquil. I hope these Biden ads keep coming this fast and this blunt.

Reminds me of the cartoon (though this is not at all funny) of the man who follows the elephant and immediately sweeps up its big messes. Only this time they are being swept up and offered in the media for those who don't follow the dangerous and evil aspiring dictator who is showing his "cards" to the whole world.

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I offer an Election Chant

2016: Fool me once, shame on you.

2020: Fool me twice, shame on me.

2024: Fool me thrice, tyranny.

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founding

EDMV…Every Democrat Must Vote!

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I think in this case the headline is not in fact misleading. The cases before the Extremes create a real danger that the government will be HELPLESS to stop disinformation even by pointing out that something being posted on social media in massive viral amounts IS misinformation. Want to have a Congressional Committee look into the new wave of Russian or Hungarian propaganda on social media? Nope. That would be "coercion" if the Extremes take the extreme positions being argued. Even government funded researchers into the effects might be squelched.

That headline isn't bias. It's a freakin' WARNING.

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Bob, have you been writing to any journalists when you see them stuck in the anachronistic horse-race paradigm that effectively equates the two candidates as just two sides of the same coin? It's like saying an an engineering textbook and the novel Dune are just two equally valid ways of describing how the world works. I would encourage you to respectfully point this out to the journalists you are reading. I have seen a subtle shift in reporting that is more openly referring to how "unhinged" (the media's favorite word for outrageous, insane things people say) Trump's speeches have become, and even some headlines that are not giving Trump the pass he usually gets because acceptable journalistic language just doesn't capture how far off the charts he has become. I have found that I can usually find an email for most journalists or editorial writers.

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founding

The sub-head for the article is “Their claims of censorship have successfully stymied the effort to filter election lies online.” What’s wrong with that?

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see my comment elsewhere on this thread. A recent Law Dork post had a First Amendment expert raise the danger I identify in that comment.

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When does it end? When does his ass get hauled off the stage? When is invoking a "bloodbath" enough evidence to throw him in the clink? How is threatening a society while meeting with a known dictator who later meets with the most arch right-wing policy group in our nation creating an alliance of resources not "seeking to overthrow our government"? It is said that the law intervenes when "your right to swing your arm fails to stops at my face". Has the nation not been slapped, punched, kicked, bully-whipped and had a match taken to the flammable forces of our society? How and when do liberal institutions fail? Follow the money.

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David he will not being going trial anytime soon and he must be overwhelming defeated and then convicted.

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founding

Yes! He must be overwhelmingly defeated. And then sent to jail and a mental ward within the prison system.

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David, Robert, and all:

Thank you all for standing in the water of the fire hose of so much craziness, nastiness, and lies from Donald Trump. It is easy to forget the awfulness of yesterday or last week in the blast we get each day. Thank you Robert for helping us see this and David for your questions that also slow us down and remind us that Trump is NOT and cannot be the new normal of American politics. We need to keep some of the things said about and by Trump in mind beyond the latest outrage. When we are shocked at the damage the bull has done to the expensive vases we tend to forget the way he got into the china shop in the first place. Please take a look at the V. Orban's love letter to Donald Trump that Robert posted for us in the long ago (i.e. last week). Viktor Orbán: "President Donald Trump was a president of peace."

Thanks.

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I was at a different postcarding party today (Sunday, 3/17), and I'd like to THANK YOU for calling out the importance of this effort. It's great to see the photo of the San Fernando Valley Indivisible group gathered together. While our group was smaller -- about 15 people altogether -- it's heartening to know that people ARE coming together across the country to reach out to others and remind them to vote. We were writing postcards today to Alabama voters, urging them vote for a pro-choice woman in a special election at the end of this month. We have to keep doing this for the next 7 months or so, but if we don it, we will win!

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I am with SFV Indivisibles and heard Robert’s hopeful, inspiring talk today. I am so glad your group and so many others are working to make sure our democracy survives and thrives!

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I’m with you, Debbie, and with all the others who’re joining the grassroots efforts that are popping up all over the country!

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Here is the campaign Debbie referenced - I am writing for Marilyn too!

www.PostcardsToVoters.org

Campaign #341 - Democrat Marilyn Lands for State House District 10

Note: PTV currently has an issue with getting addresses by sending a Text to the address bot - find alternate methods here: https://postcardstovoters.org/addresses/

ETA: It looks like all the addresses have been distributed for this campaign! Yay!

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The so-called "Christians" who support Trump, i.e., the FundieScum, wouldn't know an actual 'Christian principle" if you grabbed hold of it and slammed them in the ace with it repeatedly. Fundamentalists are not "christians" or "muslims", or "jews" or "hindus." They are all Fundeamentalists because Fundamentalism is its own religion - the opposite of every truth taught by the religions it masquerades as.

And so far as a "second insurrection" is concerned, this time it needs to be met with machine guns and the bodies left on the field as "encouragement to the others." Regardless of the outcome of the ballot count, Trump cannot be allowed into Washington, let alone the White House. If that civil war his more moronic supporters claim to want is to come, let it be for keeping him out. As many have noted, the Constitution is not a suicide pact, and we are not required to hand over the republic to those whose announced intention is to destroy it and say "you won, here it is."

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I cannot support mowing down people even insurrectionists with machine guns and leaving our streets strewn with dead bodies. That would be a bloodbath. I do, of course, agree that we are facing the most dire of circumstances.....in spades!

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We "mowed them down" 160 years ago. We just weren't thorough enough.

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I agree with everything you’ve said today, Robert, with the exception that we need only convince Independents and non-MAGA-cult Republicans to vote for Biden— I believe we also have a major problem with the youth vote right now. Many of them are upset about Gaza and disillusioned with Biden’s response, leaving them feeling unheard. They do not get news from MSM sources, so they don’t necessarily understand the true threat Trump poses to them personally. They feel they’ve been told every election (which is, like, one or two they’ve actually participated in), that “this is a 5-alarm fire!”, so they don’t believe the threat is real.

Long winded way of saying, we MUST get the message— Biden’s, Snyder’s, yours, — to young voters!!

PS they all seem to trust & like Pete Buttigieg & AOC. They should be front & center in messaging!

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Add Taylor Swift.

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Mar 18·edited Mar 18

Rachel, I support these groups working to GOTV the youth vote.⬇️

https://civicinfluencers.org/

https://www.turnup.us/turnup-online

https://nextgenamerica.org/

https://www.peoplepowerforflorida.com/

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And this one too. Focusing on registering high school students.

https://www.thecivicscenter.org/

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Thanks, Jenny ! I also support Civics Center and should have included. Many great orgs working to get out the youth vote.

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That’s great! I’m working with The Civics Center to organize a national Zoom fundraiser in April to spread the word about their great work. Let me know if you (or anyone else!) would like to learn more and/or would like to be a cohost for that event. If so email me at. JennyAltshuler@gmail.com.

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“I believe we also have a major problem with the youth vote right now. Many of them are upset about Gaza and disillusioned with Biden’s response, leaving them feeling unheard.”

They have been heard – more than people with a different viewpoint have been heard. “Not being heard” really means not getting their way.

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They slowly ARE getting their way to the extent that they are Pro-Palestinian and not pro Hamas.

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yes, I think the youth vote is critical and they are upset about Gaza. I worry what will happen if TikTok is banned

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Until I read Today’s Edition I never read a single word about the speech Biden made to the Gridiron Club but the media was a flamed by the comments Trump made about “ a bloodbath”. It’s ironic that the media who attended the Gridiron Club event seemly ignored the message Biden delivered about their role and responsibility this election year. The reality we all must face is the courts , the outrageous and egregious comments made by Trump and the media are not going to defeat Trump and only we working hard in grassroots organizations recruiting our neighbors can defeat Trump. I am send excerpts from Biden’s speech to my local newspapers not to be published but to remind them of their responsibility and part in this election year.

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It's just as Robert has been saying for months. Additionally, I believe the info about Trump's declining cognitive ability is reaching Republicans. Does that mean they will vote for Biden? No, it doesn't. If Republicans stay home, that is almost as good as voting for Biden! We just have get out the Democrats, and that is what so many of us are engaged in!

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Thank you for another excellent piece, Robert. I was proud of the Biden campaign immediately denouncing Trump’s “speech” on Saturday. I posted their well-worded response in several liberal Facebook groups I participate in. The disturbing thing was how many of “our people” bought the out-of-context narrative hook, line, and sinker. One even went so far as to say he was ashamed of the Biden response and that the campaign needed to stop responding to Trump’s word salad as if had sinister meaning. Now, these were not trolls. These responses were in relatively small private groups; I know most of them personally, yet here they were buying the GOP line of “take him seriously but not literally.” I rarely confront allies of democracy for wrongheadedness, but I did yesterday repeatedly. There is room for all sorts of opinions in this coalition, but buying the bullshit is not among them. If you see this from people you know, call it out. It’s hard enough of a fight without our own people amplifying Trumpist lies.

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Mar 18·edited Mar 18

In my red,Fl coastal community we receive a monthly ,locally produced magazine. I wanted to throw it out after reading but something made me save it for future reference.The mag contained an ad for “Range Day” hosted by local Praetorian Group International. Range Day included➡️ “Optional unique shooting experiences are available including shooting from a helicopter,an ATV “drive and shoot”lane,a night vision shoot and firing machine guns.”

Yes, I will address any out-of-context narrative…while doing all I can to GOTV !

✍️📲💲

👕🛒

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I live in Sanibel Fl. Is “Range Day” a moveable feast ? Or is it just a local event ? Do you have to bring your own arms or are they for sale or rent ? I wonder what passes for entertainment these days ? Are gladiators versus lions next since we seem to be going back to biblical times ? There is even a war on ancient biblical lands. The End Times bunch must be in full swing as things are lining up. And we have to elect a President in the midst of all this. Heaven help us !

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The grassroots groups are strong! If you’d like to join our group, Markers For Democracy, here’s info about our weekly Zooms, postcarding, etc. We meet multiple times a week to chat and to hear candidates and other speakers while we write postcards together. Feel free to join if you are not yet writing postcards or doing other forms of activism. We’ll help you get started! And if you just come listen and learn more about what is going on and about the wonderful Democratic candidates running throughout the country, that’s great too.

https://linktr.ee/markersfordemocracy?fbclid=PAAaZ1qM7KDe9tyT1nUxp0vn-DU-YWEEl7F3FpxZOotxdIFbpm4fgdVaElKek_aem_AQp-i_WEv8iZ0VzViarAKWr24GrUy6YroPHE7AxEFe6nLrvraVUbKITrg0YrZZzLi6s

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Wow, thank you, Robert, for this mostly good news!

A reader over at Heather's Letters from an American, Jason Anthony, posted his own substack where he explained how Project 2025, if enacted through Trump's election, would affect the U.S. efforts toward climate change. I found it very informative. Perhaps others here will, too.

https://jasonanthony.substack.com/p/over-the-cliff

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If you have not yet read Heather Cox Richardson’s latest post, please do so. The plans that are afoot are positively chilling and I believe that Trump is just a tool to further the frightening goals of The Heritage Foundation. Yes, we need to soundly defeat Trump, but the goals of The Heritage Foundation (and those who fund it) need to be widely publicized!

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Agree, Alice. More chilling:

https://wyofile.com/wyomings-catholic-cowboy-could-remake-government-if-trump-wins/

This is the guy who heads the Heritage Foundation (Kevin Roberts)

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Yes, Alice, the Heritage Foundation goals are frightening. What a group of evil, self-righteous, self-serving and least deserving "human beings!"

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Mar 18Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

Maybe it's time to recognize the contributions of seniors. I say that because in every one of Robert's photos, there we are! Seniors know where we were and how much we stand to lose. While acknowledging the warts, imperfections and injustices, Americans of a certain age (on the whole) understand, I think, that what we had the good fortune to be born into must be protected and defended - especially from corruption within. Though seniors are often undervalued, we have the power, if we use it, to pull this country back from the brink.

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founding
Mar 18Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

Louise, I have been thinking exactly this same thing. We lived through the repercussions of WWII, and we TRULY understand the stakes. My millennial kids sort-of get it, but they don't viscerally understand the urgency like we do. My husband clearly laid it out for them a few weeks ago, right after Prez B's exceptional SOTU speech. They will vote for Biden, yet they reserve their right to criticize him (we live in the liberal heart of Michigan). My spouse replied: "Exactly! That's why your Democratic vote this Nov. is so fundamentally crucial; you are PRESERVING your democratically protected right to criticize your government!"

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author

Agree 100%!

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Thank-you,Robert, for another excellent and informative piece today.The progressive group that I belong to is having it’s fundraising event”Rocking The Vote” this coming weekend where 5 local bands who have donated their time will each perform a set.We have people who will register new voters,raffles , food and drink and a table shuffleboard tournament.We had this event last year and it was quite a success.It gives me hope that is is being done in a very red area in red Ohio.

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💙 the idea of “ Rocking The Vote” !🕺💃

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Robert, thank you for pointing out Timothy Snyder's 'The Strongman Fantasy' essay - a very ground level mapping out of the results of a dictatorship. As I went over it, found myself repeatedly thinking "Yes! This is what trump supporters (and 3rd party/stay at home voters) don't 'get' what will happen if he wins". But they won't and wouldn't probably believe it if it was read to them. Nonetheless, everyone supporting democracy should read/reference it.

One advantage Boomers have in this timeline is our parents and communities remembrance of the fallout and destruction from WW2 dictatorships. I believe our current situation is easily as perilous.

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Everyone should read Heather Cox Richardson today on Victor Orban’s underreported meeting with the Heritage Foundation this weekend. Orban did not meet with anyone from the Biden administration - only with those who seek the end of democracy! My question is what action should Biden take against this head of state who openly seeks the end of American democracy?

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Since I completely agree with Robert's sentiments, and HCR's writings, and Timothy Snyder's excellent and scary memo, what I don't comprehend is: how can people with college degrees (or not) and military service backgrounds (or not) think the USA will be a better place to live and bring up their children if Trump and his consilgieres at the Heritage Foundation prevail in November? Don't they get it? It'll be Germany in the 1930s all over again. It'll only further shift the nations' wealth to the top 1%. A Free Press will become a memory. Women will lose what autonomy they currently have. The stock market will crash and inflation will run rampant.

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When I was at Paris Island in 2002 to watch my son's graduation from boot camp, I picked up a bumper sticker that hangs in my home office. It says: All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing. We, the grassroots activists, have taken that to heart; and there are more of us every day. As long as we stick to the task, and refuse to be side-tracked or discouraged by the evil that emanates from the MAGA camp, good will prevail. The less time we spend agonizing over the lies, treachery and slander, the more time we will have to work for the values and principles that uphold democracy, and the sooner we will prevail in this significant battle for the soul of America.

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