It's like this:
Protest is born out of pain.
Progress is born out of struggle.
Freedom will be born out of persistence.
Mark that down.
Larry Middleton
8/29/20
6 subscribed
Oct 7 β’ 4 tweets β’ 1 min read
The red state governors who are in full panic now about Trump, Musk, and others putting out lies and conspiracy theories about FEMA to terrify and manipulate hurricane victims are reaping what they sowed. They thought they were cute and smart enough to have it both ways:ππΏ
To support Trump just to be associated with political power, and still be independent so that they could pretend that they were in charge and not accountable to the MAGA machinery. It's their fault. Did they think that there wouldn't be a political price to pay?ππΏ
Oct 1 β’ 6 tweets β’ 1 min read
Why we need to pay attention: In one interview, JD Vance said that we need a "de-bathaafication process" in America. The question is WHY? I suspect that many people don't even understand what that means, but it's essentally the same process used in Germany to get rid of Nazis.ππΏ
Originally, Baathism and the Baathist party were created as a means and political force to break away from British colonialism. Decolonialism also meant being separated from western domination and control (keep that in mind.)ππΏ
Sep 14 β’ 6 tweets β’ 1 min read
It's bizarre how republicans' positions change when situations become inconvenient. When it comes to guns and mass shootings, they insist on blaming people, specifically, especially the MH populations - whether or not they're involved. But they try desperately to ignore guns.ππΏ
But, oddly, when it comes to instigating pogroms against Haitians who are guests in Ohio doing job that'd otherwise go unfilled specifically so that violence can be instigated against that community, cowards like Mike DeWine blame the internet, not the people inciting violence.ππΏ
Sep 11 β’ 4 tweets β’ 1 min read
Liars claim that Biden "created" inflation when they know that inventory and raw matierials shortages existed, many businesses were closed, and lots of people were out of work for at least a year after Biden took office and still dealing with the COVID-19 mess Trump left behind.
It was fundamental supply and demand. And when inventories and supplies started coming back, businesses reopened, and people began returning to work, many corporations confessed to keeping prices artificially high strictly for profits, and some of that continues through to today.
Sep 5 β’ 16 tweets β’ 3 min read
Every republican who thinks that if Trump gets defeated and if they just wait long enough that the GOP they love will return is delusional. They obviously haven't paid any attention for the past 20 years. The GOP doesn't have a Trump problem. They have a GOP problem.ππΏ
For years before Trump came on the political scene in earnest, the tea party was aggressively purging the GOP of it's elder statemen/women, stalwarts, and conservative stars. They were hell bent on ideological purity even if it was unclear what that ideology was.ππΏ
Sep 1 β’ 10 tweets β’ 2 min read
One of the things that makes the the "explain or justify your race" trope so infuriating is that the news media is sczhophrenic (no slight to schophrenics intended.)
It's the same media that puts black people on the spot for an individual to explain, account for, or take responsibility for all black people on the one hand, but on the other hand it blindly asks black people do validate or defend their blackness because others question it.ππΏ
Aug 31 β’ 21 tweets β’ 3 min read
Let's play a game called "Remember When"
- Remember when Biden and Kamala extorted the Ukrinian president and wound up being impeached for it all in an effort to extort dirty information on his election opponent?
Oh, that was Trump.ππΏ
- Remember when Mueller indicted many folks in Biden's and adm foreign nationals, and Biden was accused multiple times of obstructing jutice?
That was Trump.ππΏ
Aug 25 β’ 9 tweets β’ 2 min read
I am deeply grateful to President Biden and VP Harris for fighting to lower the cost of prescription drugs. That will save lives and improve the quality of life for millions. But there is one deeply toubling area that remains addressed.
Prior authorization for medications.ππΏ
Anyone who has ever been throught the prior authorization process knows what I'm about to say.ππΏ
Aug 25 β’ 14 tweets β’ 2 min read
Black women are at the center of the universe when it comes to saving democracy. That's just a fact. But too often I hear, "What about black men?"
Well, what about us?
In every fight, step of progress, and deadly, devoted sacrifice, black men have been there for generations.ππΏ
From the beginning of this nation, we have been - and still are - in the vanguard and in the trenches of the battle of civil rights and to save democracy. We haven't gone anywhere. But, it's not about us. Pretending that it is is a distraction and a mistake.ππΏ
Aug 21 β’ 21 tweets β’ 4 min read
Last night, I felt lifted in ways I haven't felt in quite some time. It was comfortable, soothing, assuring, familiar, and validating, ininspiring. But for all that it was, there was something else.ππΏ
I hate to think it, let alone say it. But after listening to the profound oratory balm that bookends Barack and Michelle gave our souls, I almost wonder if we needed to go through the devastating Trump period to get to where we are today and to really appreciate our task?ππΏ
Aug 18 β’ 8 tweets β’ 1 min read
Happiness and joy are used synonymously. But they have always connoted slightly different things to me. Happiness can be motivated by outside stimuli: smiling babies, seeing dear friends, achiving a big goal. ππΏ
But joy is from within, like coal burning in an engine even during hard times and under the worst of conditions. Either you have it or you don't. One seems to be born of pleasure, or perhaps even contentment or satisfaction: The other of hope and optimism. ππΏ
Aug 15 β’ 5 tweets β’ 1 min read
Deep, abiding, defective misogyny:
The GOP hates babies, or they'd feed them.
The GOP hates little girls, or they'd prevent abuse, and would allow abortions if they get pregnant.
The GOP hates teen girls and young women, or they'd stop oversexualization and predation.ππΏ
The GOP hates women of child bearing age, or they'd be more than just breeding stock, and able to make their own choices and decisions.
The GOP hates pregnant women, or they'd enable the availability of all necessary health care for all pregnant women including abortion.ππΏ
Aug 14 β’ 7 tweets β’ 1 min read
I remember when not too long ago rightwingers insisted that the MSM was "lamestream media," and that the press had a liberal bias. Palin was good for that trope, but second part was mostly true because the press was mostly interested in facts. Then media consolidation occurred.ππΏ
Rich manipulative conservatives purchased and hoarded all of the media outlets of any kind they could get their hands on in order to craft and control the message - their message - rather than transfer facts, data, and information.ππΏ
Aug 7 β’ 10 tweets β’ 2 min read
We need to keep repeating this until it sticks. Some people, no matter how few, will catch on.
When Trump and republicans tell you about Pizzagate and child ttrafficking, or immigrant caravans, or the danger and violence of cities, they're literally calling you stupid.ππΏ
Why? Because they are terrifying you with all kinds of stuff that has nothing to do with you and that's untrue despite the hype and noise they make. It's not just liberals or progressives, with whom you disagree, telling you stuff just to set you off. Examine it for yourselves.ππΏ
Aug 4 β’ 10 tweets β’ 2 min read
I really would like for someone to explain to me why the people who support Jill Stein support Jill Stein. She possesses and has demonstrated zero in substance, experience, accomplishments, and apparently in knowledge. Her entire schtick is one of a disruptor, not a builder.ππΏ
She is the old lady with no kids who wants to run the school board and fire the board members because she hates the cookies and milk served after the meetings. The only election she's ever won was to her local town council - and even they never made that mistake again.ππΏ
Jul 30 β’ 6 tweets β’ 1 min read
After decades, wages are finally beginning to rise. But they have been depressed for decades, and have NEVER caught up. Some people - MOST OLDER PEOPLE - have worked their entire careers for the past 40 years yet they have been underpaid for their entire work lives.ππΏ
That means if they are fortunate enough to receive a pension, they're even being underpaid in their retimrement benefits because their retirements are based on calculations using their lifetime salaries. No one ever talks about that.ππΏ
Jul 25 β’ 5 tweets β’ 1 min read
For all of the Trekkies, you understand that the needs of the few do not outweigh the needs of the many. But greedy, selfish rich donors believe that their needs and voices are more important and should be heard and considers over and above everyone else's.ππΏ
Why? Because they have money. Therefore, they believe they have the right and entitlement to drown out everyone else's voice, which directly contravenes the spirit and intent of the first amendment.ππΏ
Jul 22 β’ 25 tweets β’ 4 min read
I'm old enough to mostly remember the latter day transformation of the GOP. It wasn't the first or only transformation (such as Republican progressive reform period at the start of the 20th century), but it's probably the most radical.ππΏ
Due to limited space, I'll sure to skip some stuff, so bear with me. But as briefly as possible, it went something like this:ππΏ
Jul 19 β’ 7 tweets β’ 1 min read
How deep does Project 2025 go?
The federal Civil Service System was rproposed in 1881 and established by law in 1883 by Chester A. Arthur in the wake of William A. Garfield's assassination to establish a merit based system for federal hiring.ππΏ
It was proposed by a frustrated individual who couldn't get a federal job, and the legislation was introduced by a senator who supported slavery.ππΏ
Jul 11 β’ 18 tweets β’ 3 min read
Just 4 weeks ago, it was the GOP that was coming apart at the seems. But like clockwork, the Democratic Party - NOT DEMOCRATIC VOTERS - said hold my beer. Whenever repubicans are in chaos, the Democratic Party finds a way to try to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.ππΏ
While the circumstances are different, the theme for democratic self-defeat in 2024 is shaping up in much the same way in 2016. Hillary lost as much because if the Democratic Party's implosion, lack of support, and chaos as she did from FBI mendacity and Russian interference. ππΏ
Jul 4 β’ 13 tweets β’ 2 min read
There's baby, and there's bathwater. I suspect that most responsible adults can tell the difference. Some people simply don't care, especially if it matches what they already want to believe. After all, confirmation bias is a helluva drug.
But for right now, folks should probably calm down and breathe. So, let's consider calmly and rationally for a moment:
- Were there problems with the Afghanistan withdrawal regardless of who cause them? Sure.