33 Comments

The first time I was able to vote as an American citizen I was able to support and Vote for Ralph Nader.....if only.....were it to have been his success, what a different America it would now be...and so it goes.

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How can third party candidates take part in the presidential debates? When will Democrats take 140 million poor/ low wage people seriously? That would bring them out to vote.

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Whom will Team D blame rather than blame themselves?

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I'm thinking of ourselves. This is from Mother Jones daily 11/06/24:

"At this fork in the road, Americans made a decision on what sort of country the United States will be. A judgment has been reached: This is a nation to be ruled by Trump’s politics of hate. It can happen here, and it has.

So I'll say it once more. The sooner folks accept and even embrace that a decisive majority of Americans support the deeply racist, misogynistic, lying, cruel politics of MAGA, that this is indeed who we are, the sooner those opposed to this ugly vision can turn the tide. Just please leave the saccharine narratives out of it."

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If you think anyone in Team D cares about Mother Jones....

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I think Team D only cares only about pleasing the donor class and that is the reason of their failure.

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Hello DNC rag-mag. Six of one, half dozen of the other. The real Mother Jones is turning in her grave if she is watching what is being said using her name.

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William, excuse my ignorance but I don't know what is a rag-mag, so I missed that part of your comment. I believe that what Mother Jones is trying to accomplish in its magazine is to continue with the real MJ progresive tradition. Perhaps MJ would be turning in her grave if she could see what has happened to our country.

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Do you know of any clear evidence that Harris's chances suffered partly because some Dem voters couldn't abide the levels of censorship and surveillance being pushed or acquiesced in by the establishment Dem party? What's your take on whether and to what extent those issues might have played a role?

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One question that went unanswered was the one concerning Democracy Now. I'd like to have heard a response since it appeared to me that DN sort of sold out to the state narrative when it came to covering the Maidan Coup in 2014 and well beyond which was the beginning of what led to Russia's SMO in 2022. I quit supporting them back then and no one there would explain why they sounded like the War Party had bought them. I'm still waiting on a response.

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Sold out to the state narrative? which state are you talking about? I checked democracynow.org 02/24/14 and I found only professional reporting and nothing offending. Here is a quote from it:

"AMY GOODMAN: To talk more about the crisis in Ukraine, we’re joined by two guests. Timothy Snyder is professor of history at Yale University, author of Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin. His latest piece for The New York Review of Books is headlined “Fascism, Russia, and Ukraine.” He joins us from Vienna, Austria. And with us in the Ukrainian city of Odessa is Nicolai Petro, professor of politics at the University of Rhode Island. He has been in Odessa since July 2013 as a Fulbright research scholar.

Nicolai Petro, let’s begin with you in Ukraine. Do you agree with what the president, or now the former president, Yanukovych, said, that this is a coup?

NICOLAI PETRO: Yes, it’s pretty much a classical coup, because under the current constitution the president may be—may resign or be impeached, but only after the case is reviewed by the Constitutional Court and then voted by a three-fourth majority of the Parliament. And then, either case, either the prime minister or the speaker of the Parliament must become the president. Instead, that’s not what happened at all. There was an extraordinary session of Parliament, after—it was held after most members were told there would be no session and many had left town. And then, under the chairmanship of the radical party, Svoboda, this rump Parliament declared that the president had self-removed himself from the presidency."

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Thanks for your reply.

I recall that as well, but I was thinking about later on. After the people voted for limited autonomy in 2014 and in the case of Crimea which voted overwhelmingly to join the Russian Federation then instead of autonomy, that's when the troubles really began. Between 2014 to 2021, over 15,000 civilians in the 4 provinces were murdered by the very govt the U.S. has firmly supported that includes many, many Banderites or Nazis to be accurate. During those years, not only did the Ukraine military attack civilians with all the military hardware available to them, but they also shot people in the head to steal their organs they sold on the black market. There was even an ad on the internet advertising the prices of harvested organs but since time was a huge factor, Kiev had to cooperate, or these organs would have been useless. Point being is that, once these 4 provinces voted to rejoin Russia in a referendum, only after than happened and Russia was asked to come into their lands to help them fight back against Kiev did Russia begin its SMO. When I was watching DM in the leadup to this SMO and after it began, DM made it sound like this was Russian aggression instead of what it has turned out to be. It was at this point that my wife and I quit funding DM or watching it regularly since it sounded like MSNBC and others.

However, last I checked, DM was doing some good reporting on the Israeli genocide and that made us feel better and think there might be hope for DM after all. DM did report on Western Sahara and how Morocco was treating it like a colony and DM reported on the genocide in East Timor western media pretended never happened for the most part. Some exceptions can be found but these should be or should have been front page news in my opinion.

Overall, I think DM does a pretty good job such as, reporting on Standing Rock, Flint, MI, and so on, but after 12/21, I simply didn't trust DM anymore. While we no longer watch DM on a daily basis, I'm not opposed to folks who do. I'd like to believe that decent folk are on the same side if I can put it that way, and open to debate as we all seek the truth. Even when that truth is uncomfortable. I know for a fact that we have changed our minds on certain issues after we waded our way through all the information we could find to arrive at a conclusion we didn't expect or like but accepted nevertheless.

Best regards,

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Thank you for your instructive reply. I would have been much more delighted and enlighted if you had shown the particular piece where "DM made it sound like this was Russian aggression instead of what it has turned out to be" I'm not good at sounds so, I will check in their archives any part of their transcripts to verify your statement. If I find one I will gladly reply it to you.

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Greetings from Australia. Why would Harris concede the election when deliberately not doing so on the grounds that Trump is a felon unfit to serve would also highlight his hypocrisy, were he to demand it of her? But thanks to her for the good example, trying to teach him civics.

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Chris - Advice from a friend: get some rest. You look and sound exhausted and unwell (so I'll go easy on you in terms of posing loaded questions!)

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We could all use some rest. Hard times a'comin'

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“Pacifism is objectively pro-Fascist. This is elementary common sense. If you hamper the war effort of one side you automatically help that of the other. Nor is there any real way of remaining outside such a war as the present one.… others imagine that one can somehow “overcome” the German army by lying on one’s back, let them go on imagining it, but let them also wonder occasionally whether this is not an illusion due to security, too much money and a simple ignorance of the way in which things actually happen.… Despotic governments can stand “moral force” till the cows come home; what they fear is physical force.”

—George Orwell, author and journalist

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I have and continue to pay a monthly subscription and yet, I continue to get "upgrade your subscription." Please check your receipt of my monthly subscription appearing on my credit card.

And correct my status to "paid." Sincerely,

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Chris,

Do you have a theory on why there is so much resistance to the idea of a 3rd party acting as a wedge between plutocracy and the duopoly?

I realise the hurdles that are erected to counter this but when talking to people, I notice many are resistant.

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So, if you see Trump as a fascist do you agree that referencing him as a fascist in regard to his comments about Liz Cheney is valid, , which in my mind was as an anti-war statement? No doubt the word fascist will be used to define him by the democrats and those in the media who support them. They are already beginning to align him with a Hitler or Mussolini, so do you agree?

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I am a Muslim in California, I voted for Cornel West but welcome DT. I hope he will pull the plug on the aid/business with the fascist Military/ General Asim Munir in Pakistan. The Military has leashed unprecedented abuse on journalists, citizens who support Imran Khan of PTI. Pakistan does not need any $$, (most of it goes to corrupt officials and Generals anyway), it only needs a dignified bilaterally respectful foreign policy. I hope that the US stops hiring Pak. Army as mercenaries.

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In the race to the bottom, is it possibly better to drop like a stone than to have a long drawn out decline? Assuming, somewhere down there, is a foundation for reformation.

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The election—a grand display of apathy so staggering it could only be a referendum on moral bankruptcy and betrayal. As of November 11, 2024, the preliminary popular vote count tells the story in no uncertain terms: Donald Trump received approximately 71.7 million votes, while Kamala Harris pulled in only 66.8 million—a catastrophic loss of 14.2 million from Biden’s 81 million in 2020. Trump’s support dropped too, but only by about 2.3 million, a mere ripple compared to the exodus from the Democratic camp. The message couldn’t be clearer: a massive portion of former Biden voters refused to turn out for a party that treats genocide as policy, and not even the specter of Trump could compel them to support a Democratic Party that has twisted "Never Again" into a hollow slogan. The Democrats once sold themselves as the moral choice; now, millions see through it for what it is—moral posturing draped over complicity.

And who can blame them? Millions of disillusioned Americans couldn’t, in good conscience, rally behind a party that chants "human rights" while greenlighting war crimes—a party whose actions expose a fundamental contempt for the very values they claim to uphold.

The Democratic Genocidal Joy Convention was a grand fiesta of doublethink and moral gymnastics. Who needs ethics when you’ve got a clever narrative? They managed to wrap themselves in the banner of "democracy," while backing genocide as if it were an unfortunate hiccup in their plan for "compassionate leadership." But why bother naming victims like Hind Rajab or acknowledging the humanity of an entire population? Much easier to keep the horrors faceless—it’s far less messy for cocktail circuits and media sound bites.

But according to the Democrats, there’s no genocide here! Nothing to see, folks—just "self-defense." Convenient, isn't it? Their idea of "self-defense" involves daily bombings, forced displacements, and entire families erased from existence. Don’t worry—it’s all perfectly moral because they said so. Let’s not ignore the doublespeak: "Israel defending itself" is marketed so well it could be a fitness craze, if fitness involved flattening hospitals and refugee camps. The Democrats have mastered the art of doublespeak—if you can’t dazzle them with decency, baffle them with euphemisms.

But this isn’t self-defense; it’s willful blindness. As UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese so aptly put it, “If you go to a doctor because you have cancer and you're diagnosed with just a fever, you have a big problem. It's the same with people who are being genocided.” To ignore the reality on the ground—starvation, displacement, massacres—is to deny the moral truth.

And the voters? The Democrats seemed shocked that people were appalled by their actions. Internal polling warned that ending arms sales to Israel was wildly popular—especially with younger voters who, silly them, actually thought human rights mattered. But no, the Democrats marched forward as if the only opinions that mattered belonged to their friends in the weapons industry. When faced with a choice between supporting genocide and staying home, millions decided that they could no longer reward these so-called "humanitarians" with another four years.

Remember the 2016 primary debacle? Bernie Sanders resonated with the base, but they had to rig the system to shove him aside for someone more, shall we say, Wall Street-compliant. The Democrats have this fascinating habit of asking people to vote for change, then ensuring the only change is a slightly different shade of moral depravity. Bernie stumping for Hillary, the man with the platform of "justice," forced to back the establishment’s puppet—it was almost Shakespearean. Now Bernie offers up his "I told you so" as if he didn’t see it coming from a mile away.

And let’s not forget the Democrats’ true nightmare. Spoiler alert: it’s not Trump. Their real terror lies in the fact that Americans are no longer buying the "moral choice" facade. They thought they could wrap their wars, hypocrisies, and backroom deals in a blanket of "progressive values" and fool us all. But guess what? Americans aren’t blind. They see the hypocrisy, the empty platitudes, the atrocities, and finally, the reality that the Democrats’ moral high ground is nothing more than a house of cards built upon the bones of the children of Gaza.

Let’s not overlook U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield’s attack on Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories. In a bold deflection from the issue of Israel’s actions in Gaza, Thomas-Greenfield declared, “As UN Special Rapporteur Albanese visits New York, I want to reiterate the U.S. belief she is unfit for her role. The United Nations should not tolerate antisemitism from a UN-affiliated official hired to promote human rights.” By branding Albanese’s call for accountability as "antisemitism," Thomas-Greenfield and the Democratic establishment tried to silence the truth, accusing Albanese of the very thing they stand accused of: spreading harmful, inflammatory propaganda to justify an unjust war. The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention responded to the smear, calling out her "criminal complicity in an ongoing genocide." They stated bluntly, “Is there any trick from the genocidaire’s playbook that you will refuse to carry out?” And the public’s mood was summed up by the most-liked response: “You disgusting piece of sh!t. You absolutely irredeemable scumbag. Not only have you fought tirelessly to defend a racist genocide, you now weaponize fake anti-racism for your bullshit imperialism. There will be no fires in the lowest depths of Hell hot enough to do you justice.”

Americans concerned with these atrocities should make it an everlasting red line: complicity in genocide, partnering in atrocity propaganda, shielding war criminals, and refusing to uphold the rule of law must disqualify any party. And here’s a radical suggestion: a political party committed to true reform could vow to never again accept a dollar from any public fund, corporation, or lobby that buys influence only to twist and sell out the truth to Americans. The Democrats' continued reliance on military-industrial money reveals, at best, their inability to act independently and, at worst, their willingness to stand as a partner in slaughter.

They have been no strangers to atrocity propaganda either. Just look at Hillary Clinton’s infamous lie, revealed by WikiLeaks, where she parroted false intelligence claiming Muammar Qaddafi was supplying his troops with Viagra to commit mass rape, all to justify the destruction of Libya. Clinton’s deception has left Libya in ruins to this day—a policy built on lies, now openly documented, but glossed over by Democrats in the name of “national interest.”

And then there’s the Cheney issue, a testament to bipartisan hypocrisy. Dick Cheney, one of the most notorious war criminals in U.S. history, lied the country into Iraq, leaving a legacy of bloodshed and instability. His actions go unpunished, and even now, establishment Democrats remain silent about Cheney’s crimes, unwilling to acknowledge their complicity in the machinery of war, while attacking their own members for standing against these atrocities.

Finally, the American public was treated to the spectacle of Prime Minister Netanyahu addressing Congress, greeted with thunderous applause, breaking records for standing ovations for a foreign leader. This was no small honor—Netanyahu has been invited to speak before Congress more times than any other foreign leader. Yet, let’s not forget, there are arrest warrants pending at the ICC for Netanyahu for war crimes. While weak-willed members chose to sit out, the rest cheered for a leader accused of some of the world’s gravest offenses. In stark contrast, Representative Rashida Tlaib, standing alone with a silent sign of protest, faced scorn from her colleagues. And where were the voices defending Jamal Bowman or Cori Bush when they were attacked for their principled call for a ceasefire and basic Palestinian rights?

Congratulations, Democrats, on your triumph of self-sabotage. You’ve driven away millions, not just over political differences, but because you thought genocide was a marketable stance. Maybe next time, try running on a platform that doesn’t involve euphemisms for mass slaughter. Perhaps the NonVoters will welcome even more disillusioned Americans next time.

Cry those of us with a conscience and moral clarity regarding genocide a river. We're still counting the bodies and mourning the daily massacres you don’t even hear about from mainstream corporate media, as The General's Plan unfolds in all its horror across social and international media.

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Thanks again....I read but I also enjoy the spoken experience. Very grateful.

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