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authoritarian regimes, Deutschland, Dictatorship, Donald Trump, elections, Fascism, Germany, History, January 6 Capitol Insurrection, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Neo-Nazis, propaganda, Trump Coup d'état, U.S. Congress, U.S. Constitution May 6, 2021

Liz Cheney and the Republican “Gleichschaltung”

There is a movement afoot in the House of Representatives to strip Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) from her post in the House Republican Leadership. Her opponents are furiously trying to remove her because she has refused to endorse the Big Lie that Donald Trump won the November election, and that it was stolen from him by massive fraud. Cheney survived a similar challenge a few weeks ago, but she has apparently lost the support of House Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and is being challenged by a proponent of the Big Lie and everything Trump. Cheney says she will not tell lies to keep her position. The whole development reminds one of what took place in Germany in the 1930’s.

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cancel culture, Caronavirus, Culture and Communication, demonstrations, Donald Trump, elections, freedom of speech, Impeachment, propaganda, Rule of Law, Satire, television, U.S. Constitution, U.S. news coverage March 15, 2021

Gov. Cuomo–Democracy and rule of law, or cancel culture: We must choose

The current campaign to force Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign may lead to his impeachment, but is not likely to lead to his conviction and imprisonment for a crime.

Instead, he is the latest object of a phenomenon in the United States, and some other places, which seeks to bypass legal and constitutional processes to achieve the immediate objective of a frenzied mob, often made possible or strengthened through the internet and social media. Non-public and dark forces may be behind some of these campaigns.

In the United States, at least three different “mobs” have contributed to what is often termed “cancel culture”, the abuse of power to achieve goals without due process and without following legally-established procedures for determining the truth of allegations, and determining appropriate and proportionate sanctions for crimes or infractions that may be found to have occurred.
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(T)he critical distinction between predatory sexual conduct–the coercion of a woman by a man to engage in sexual intercourse or other sexual conduct, on the one hand, and sexually inappropriate speech or other conduct (measured by contemporary standards), such as touching or verbal comments, on the other, has frequently been lost.
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The Democrats, and their cancel culture mobs, are serving up a powerful cultural wedge issue for the Republicans to exploit.
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So, small-minded and cynical Democrats are now endorsing mob action and circumvention of rule of law procedures to not only ascertain the veracity of the allegations against Cuomo–including those concerning nursing home death statistics, but also the nature of the punishment that would be proportionate and appropriate for the alleged infractions, should he be found guilty as charged.

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authoritarian regimes, Biden Administration, Donald Trump, elections, extrajudicial execution, Intelligence, International Law, Joe Biden, Political assassination, Rule of Law, Russia, sanctions, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Torture Convention, Vladimir Putin March 1, 2021

Khashoggi assassination: To really sanction MBS, minimize U.S. and allied dealings with him

Now, the U.S. can send a subte message to King Salman and the Saudi Royal family by having minimal contact and interaction with the Crown Prince.

The Saudis can choose whoever they want to be King.  But they should know that Americans will never forget or forgive the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi.

If the Saudis enthrone MBS they are likely to have one kind of relationship with the United States. 8ut if they choose someone else to be King, they could have another kind of relationship.

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authoritarian regimes, Dictatorship, Donald Trump, elections, Fascism, Germany, Impeachment Trial, Nazism, Neo-Nazis, propaganda, Republican Senators, Rule of Law, Trump Coup d'état, U.S. Constitution February 23, 2021

Fighting the American fascists: Just imagine they are wearing Nazi military uniforms

They tell monstruous lies. They are not acting in good faith. They are silent in the face of violence. For two months they were complicit and co-conspirators with Donald Trump to overthrow the election and the Constitution.

They pay obeisance to Donald Trump, even today, after his attempted coup d’état and the Capitol Insurrection.
We should simply imagine that they are all wearing Nazi military unifirms.

When you see Senators Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and Ron Johnson,
in the Senate, for example, just imagine they are wearing Nazi military uniforms. It will clear your mind.

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U.S Foreign Relations February 21, 2021

Truth or Consequences: “A Boycott for Truth”

The idea is simple: If you invite a guest on your program who has been telling big lies anywhere, or if you invite a guest back who has lied on your program, we will boycott all of the advertisers who support your program with their ads.

In a word, we propose a program of Truth or Consequences. The Consequences will be that millions of Americans will boycott your company and all of its products, because you support a program that spreads lies.

If the idea catches on, it could have a huge impact.

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Capitol Insurrection, Dictatorship, Donald Trump, elections, Fascism, History, Impeachment, Impeachment Trial, Justice Department, Nagarno-Karabakh, propaganda, Republican Senators, Rule of Law, Trump Coup d'état, U.S. Congress, U.S. Constitution, U.S. news coverage February 16, 2021

In Memoriam: The Republican Party (March 20, 1854-February 13, 2021)

While severely ailing for the last four years, The Republican Party entered its death throes and died on February 13, 2021.
This constitutional argument had been twice rejected by the full Senate, which under the Constitution has the sole authority to determine how it will proceed in impeachment cases.

Consequently, not only did the 43 Republican Senators violate their oaths of office and their oaths to do impartial justice, but they also violated the Constitution’s provision that the Senate is the sole arbiter of how it should proceed in an impeachment case, and the decision on constitutionality the Senate reached in exercising that power.
Journalist’s have been too intellectually lazy to understand and
report these details. Instead, they glibly write that Republican Senators who voted to acquit Trump justified their actions on a “technicality”.

Far from being a “technicality”, the bad-faith argument these apologists for Trump used to try to hide their craven cowardice involved fundamental precepts of the Constitution, including binding Senate determinations of whether the trial was constitutional or not.
Although the House Impeachment Managers lost their case for conviction in the Senate, they put forth a brilliant case, which convinced 57 of the 100 Senators to vote to impeach Trump.

Now, the battle must be taken to the court of public opinion, and to the polls in 1922, 1924, 1926, and beyond.

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authoritarian regimes, Capitol Insurrection, Dictatorship, Donald Trump, elections, Fascism, Germany, History, House Democrats, Impeachment, Impeachment Trial, January 6 Capitol Insurrection, Justice Department, Nancy Pelosi, Nazism, Neo-Nazis, propaganda, Republican Senators, Rule of Law, Trump Coup d'état, U.S. Congress, U.S. Constitution February 13, 2021

Democrats blow huge opportunity at impeachment trial, losing 57-43. But work must continue to tear down Trump’s propaganda wall.

The great political challenge we all now face is to find a way to dismantle Trump’s propaganda bubble and alternative universe, so that rational people, no longer fearful of fascist mobs and voters, can resume a politics of reason.
Yet let us not lose sight of the great success of the House Impeachment Managers in presenting a compelling case,  Let us also not lose sight of the fascist challenge that America faces, and the hard work that remains to be done to overcome it.