Opinion

Voting Rights and Infrastructure

The Democrats have confronted COVID19 with vaccines, resources, and plans to put America back on a path to normalcy. Now the Biden Administration and Congressional democrats must confront more existential threats to the future of the United States as a republic. Republicans pursuing policies of white supremacy and voter disenfranchisement in states must be confronted by a strong voting expansion and protection measure. Currently we are nowhere near 100% participation by eligible citizens in our elections, although high turnout is a worthy goal that strengthens democracy and justice. Climate Chaos is a regular feature of life today with the Texas power grid fiasco being the latest manifestation of the danger to our civilization. An infrastructure bill that puts Americans to work strengthening our physical capacity to protect citizens and commerce from strengthening weather events is existentially important. Any failure to immediately begin development of a resilient society is to accept large-scale Climate Chaos death that will make the half-million souls lost to COVID19 look small in comparison. Joe Biden and the Democrats have to move mountains, and do it quickly, because Republicans just want to play politics with race and economics, they aren’t ready for this moment. America could not afford Trump and his wasted 4 years that damaged the country while morally bankrupting the Republicans. We are climbing out of another ditch as we did under President Obama (after the markets crashed), but this time we cannot afford to wait for, or count on, Republicans.

Opinion

Action on voting rights

To protect the right to vote congress must take action with HR-1 and other legislation to expand access to the ballot for all citizens. Republican legislatures have declared war on high percentages of American citizens voting and that is intolerable. We should want more people voting and not fewer. Trump’s election proves that low percentages of Americans voting can be disastrous. Voting by mail should become the default way to cast a ballot with safeguards that have traditionally worked. Every state should race to increase participation and education among voters, with dark money in campaigns made illegal. Anyone with a viewpoint on an election should have to state who they are and what their interest is. We came close to losing our Republic on January 6, 2021 and before with Trump. America must make voting transparency, security, and participation high priorities to defend our republic.

Opinion

Biden administration has to move mountains

It appears the Biden administration has COVID in retreat after Trump refused to deal with it seriously. A new book says that Trump was totally fooled by the Chinese leadership and then became angry. He could not admit being tricked so kept lying to cover up and protect his fragile ego. Biden now has to deal with a range of issues that the previous administration ignored or just made worse. From climate to low social mobility and voting rights our country is in danger. Democrats have seen that Republicans are not dedicated to the US Constitution, but focused on power. Lies about the election, the need for masking, climate change, and massive corruption are major issues today. Lies flow too easily from too many Republicans. The old saying that ‘the first casualty of war is the truth’ rings true for today’s America. Joe Biden and the Democrats must continue to make significant progress against major real world threats. while preventing civil war and fighting for the soul of America.

Opinion

Recognize Heroes

We need to recognize heroes regularly in America. We elect presidents and public officials who are contemptible and we expect our future to be good. We cannot have a good future when we hold up corrupt figures (like Donald Trump) as leaders of our society. We look at our politics and both sides shake their heads while one side (Republicans) consistently lies to uphold their viewpoint. America is in a moral valley of epic proportions. We will either break towards fascism and deep evil, or rise towards hope and saving our species from self-destruction. Heroes like the two white men in Portland who stood up on May 26, 2017 to defend minority women from threat by a crazed white supremacist and lost their lives. They should be recognized. Do you know their names? Talliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, and Rick Best were killed protecting the lives of two Somali women on a light rail train. MIcah David-Cole Fletcher was wounded in the fight. These men are heroes and we should recognize their heroism regularly as a part of what decency means in modern America after the filth of Trump. It is not enough to label the evil and hold them accountable, we must recognize selflessness and what we should all strive to be.

Opinion

One White privilege – voting your class or your race

Heather McGhee in her new book “The Sum of Us” says that white Americans have voted their race more than their class, which is why Republicans are where they are. I have observed this phenomena and not known what to call it. Republicans can behave badly, lie, be corrupt, and attack working people and still win. I knew that it was due to racism, but had never heard it put more concisely than Ms. McGhee put it. America is on the edge of choosing fascism over democracy as Republicans in state legislatures propose laws to restrict voting because they lost. Trump has spun his lie of the election being stolen into a movement to restrict voting access. Republicans believe they can destroy democratic norms and still win due to racism in the American electorate. The near future will tell us if America as the shining city on a hill is dead. The world sees us for who we are because it is so obvious. Trump is not hard to figure out. He is a corrupt, racist, sociopath for all who observe him without hoping he will damage their fellow humans of another race/class in America. For those wretched souls who believe he can help them he is reportedly a savior. There are sad days ahead unless Joe Biden can restore hope in America. Research, vote, and work to restore the American dream and republic!

Opinion

Wreckless Republicans

Texas Governor Greg Abbott lifted mask restrictions after the CDC asked that everyone continue to mask up until we reach higher levels of vaccination. The Republican governor of Mississippi did the same after Florida governor DeSantis bragged at CPAC that his state was a bastion of freedom for defying the health experts. Greg Abbott has already been complicit while Texans died and suffered due to Republican leadership’s 20 plus year failure to prepare the power grid for cold weather conditions. Republicans in the Senate refuse to recognize the results of the 2020 elections except for their own victories. Republicans are becoming a divisive and malevolent force as they attack the republic for their failure to hold power. Our country could become increasingly destabilized if character does not become a descriptor of Republicans. Republicans have become too wed to racism hidden under the slogan that “Government is the problem” as Reagan said. Government is the problem when it attempts to guarantee the rights of citizens no matter their color apparently. Research and vote to hold politicians accountable for truth and policy. Fight against greed, lies, and fear to save our republic!

Opinion

American Aces

Winston Churchill is quoted as saying “empires of the future will be empires of the mind”. To me he is saying that the old tribal empires are the past, and the future will be driven ideas. Until recently America was perhaps the most admired nation in the world. Four years of Trump’s xenophobia, fascism, and racism have left even allies feeling that they cannot trust America because Americans put him in power. We allowed our strengths of truth and diversity to be undermined by a clownish wannabe dictator. America is on the comeback trail under the leadership of Joe Biden, but our problem is a Republican party that has surrendered to the ideas of white supremacy and Trump. The fight against the idea that tribalism will give followers a better life than other Americans can be won by truth, courage, and the embrace of the humanity of all. Dr. King said that “we will learn to live together as brothers, or we will die as fools.” The struggle to save our republic is critical on multiple levels. Failure will result in chaos, collapse, and on-coming climate disaster. Be an ace. Research our societal issues and stay active in our politics; activism and voting is better than any alternative.

Opinion

Healthcare is part of national defense

The US does not have a healthcare system that is available to every citizen. The US has a healthcare marketplace that creates huge gaps of underserved people as the COVID19 pandemic has shown. We still don’t know how the pandemic developed. Was it man-made, or a typical animal to human transference? Scientist are still working to discover the origins of the pandemic and to stay ahead of variants. The United States has emerged as a weak player in handling infectious disease because of our lack of a system with equal access and protection for all citizens. An enemy could attack the US with a virus that morphs while remaining virulent. That enemy could watch the wealthy get protected through social distancing, work from home, and access to quality healthcare. The poor would be hit hard early and spread the disease which could then morph to overcome the advantages of the wealthy. Our economy and military would be rapidly overwhelmed because we have not systematically monitored and responded to threats like COVID19. America must build a first rate healthcare system that includes public health, and universal access, because the survival of the nation depends on it.

Opinion

Truth or Consequences?

We are living in a time when half of Republicans say they believe Trump won the election and that Antifa assaulted the US Capitol building. Americans listened to a president who made wearing a mask a political issue; and more people died. People in Texas are living with the results of buying lies. The harsh winter storm was unusual, but is expected to be an increasing occurrence in our climate changed world. The damage the storm did to Texas infrastructure was made much worse because the state government sold the idea that business knows best. Business does know what is best for profits, and that is a good thing in a market economy. It is the government’s job to harness the market to work for the people and not against them. Regulations do not hurt us if they are developed with truth and transparency. America has suffered from the triumph of lies, and we must regulate social media and mass media so that they do not become the tools of our destruction. A media system that is accountable for lies and the damage they cause is not a threat to free speech, but a bulwark for it. Americans can handle opinions that are clearly delineated and supported by facts; but the facts cannot become opinion. Research and contact your legislators about regulating media so that the lies do not lead to more death, or the destruction of our republic.

Opinion

Lies are killing us

Texas GOP leadership of Texas has been in effect for decades and has delivered an infrastructure that has failed to serve it’s citizens. The same leaders urged citizens to not wear masks. The situation is bad enough when citizens face freezing to death in their homes, or being poisoned by toxic water. But Texas politicians have started to spin lies about the Green New Deal, windmills, and how citizens should expect nothing from their government. Texas has been warned numerous times in the past about winterizing it’s energy infrastructure and done nothing. Republican behavior in Texas and across the country is appalling because they continuously get away with failure due to tribalism reinforced by lies. The invasion of Iraq, COVID19, the Capitol insurrection, and more are the result of people not fearing accountability. If Republican wholesale lying does not stop, the destruction will increase. America needs to hold Republicans accountable, to do it we must all stay vigilant, stand up for the right to vote, and the truth.