Can Hope & Trumpism Coexist?

EXTRA EXTRA:  URGENT ACTION REQUESTED

Dejoy can be indicted.  You were perhaps wondering as I was why no one had suggested saying like that aloud.  New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell. Jr. seems to have thought of it. According to Daily Kos. Pascrell has made a criminal referral in New Jersey, asking that a grand jury be empaneled to indict DeJoy on charges of deliberately interfering in a federal election—not destruction of government property, but interfering with an election. This is the water tight case to get behind. 

 

IMMEDIATE ACTION: Call 202-225-3121 and tell your senators and representatives to join Pascrell in asking for a criminal indictment against Louis Dejoy for deliberate interference in a federal election.

 

Hope & Trumpism

From my own perspective. I gave up hope for Lent years ago, way before our current Saturnalia. I think hope tends to be a slippery, misleading word, evoking an equally fuzzy concept. It strikes me what it’s angling for is evasion of personal responsibility. Often when they use the word “hope,” people really mean “Let Joe Do it.” But Joe retired some years ago and there is no forwarding address. Instead, I favor a thing people call faith, faith in human kind and its ability to learn to feel its own pain, and feeling that, to feel the pain of others—and faith in this week’s “roses amidst the thorns” because they reflect the work of millions of people of good will pushing against the tide.

 

We already know the obvious: anyone, even a functionary like Dejoy, committing more than $1,000 damages to government property is a felon, yet Congress—so far at least—seems to be doing its regulation skirt swishing. The great majority of people living in America like to defer to higher authority, it knows best, otherwise it wouldn’t be a higher authority, now would it? And whenever functionaries or politicians make a promise, of course they intend to keep it, don’t they? Of course they do!

 

That’s a mold that never quite appealed to me. I disfavor circular reasoning. I like to question accepted truths, and I am fortunate to know a number of people who indulge in that type of speculation as well. So this week, I prefer not to bore my readers by repeating myself. Not having worn skirts for a number of years, I’m not given to skirt swishing and this newsletter has already talked about a coup before any other news sources got around to it, not any that I know of anyhow.

 

Let me share something else I’ve learned, not so much by my own efforts, but from the kind people who’ve shared bits of knowledge with me this week as I write postcards to some of the reluctant or intimidated voters in states like Texas, and Michigan. A web site exists that instructs people in the exact particulars of voting state by state. How to request an absentee ballot. How soon votes can be cast. Where to deposit completed ballots in their signed envelopes (preferably with county and city clerks offices or in dedicated blue post office box drops explicitly designed for that purpose). It is an active website and asks that, as knowledge changes—which it invariably does—people contact its authors and bring those changes to their attention. Its very magnitude is a thing of beauty, and I invite all readers to take a look. Fivethirtyeight (538) is the name of project behind it and the website link is   https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/how-to-vote-2020/ 

 

The newsletter has always been free, but this week I ask my readers please to forward the link (and if you like the entire newsletter) to everyone you know and please ask them to forward it (like one of those letters we used to receive telling us that if ten people forwarded it in an uninterrupted chain, each one of us would receive manna from heaven, and other assorted treats.) By a very long shot, this treat just might be Democracy!

 

Note: My blogger keeps changing its template in the true American tradition of always needing to make things better, a dangerous idea, because it doesn’t always work. But no matter, it keeps people in their jobs inventing better ways of doing things. As a result, I had trouble loading pictures and no self-respecting newsletter can breathe without pictures. So this week I will try again to load one or two of last week’s  particularly good pictures. Wish me luck!

 

                                        ACTION

Call 202-225-3121 and tell your senators and representative to join Pascrell in asking for a criminal indictment against Louise Dejoy for deliberate interference in a federal election.

 

JOIN the #SaveThePostOffice August 25 National Day of Action  

 

Phone Bank to call inconsistent voters in swing states

 

Oppose hauling dangerous nuclear waste across America

                 ROSES AMONGST THIS WEEKS THORNS

 

Takoma and Wenatchee postal workers defy order to not restart sorting machines.

 

Despite an  Aug., 14 gag order, postal workers from carriers to union chairs and processors are sounding the alarm about what they’re seeing.

 

UN Secretary General calls for a global cease fire so people in war torn regions can have life-saving air to fight the pandemic.

 

Belarus gets it, why can’t we: factory workers heckle Belarusian strongman “go away!”: as nationwide general strike kicks off.

 

West African mediators arrive in Mali to push for coup reversal.

 

Nice try: Belarus color revolution already dead as west-back candidate flees to Lithuania.

 

Australia secures deal for potential COVID vaccine, will provide it free to all citizens.

 

Australia rules out mandatory immunizations.

 

#45 backed Venezuela regime change alliance dwindles.

 

Venezuela’s Maduro thanks Iran for helping oil industry overcome U.S. sanctions.

 

As U.S. vaunts “Plan Colombia,” Colombia opens case against Ivan Duque over financial scandal.

 

Historic bill would penalize Israel for annexation and apartheid.

 

Global South  calls for sanctions on apartheid Israel.

 

Extinction Rebellion activists launch ocean-focused offshoot with direct actions targeting luxury cruise liner.

 

“We’re back”: after meeting with Merkel  Greta Thunberg kicks off third year of Fridays for Future protests in Germany.

 

In Ontario near Caledonia city, 1492 Land defenders begin reoccupation in opposition to construction of a housing development on unceded lands.

 

Federal government agrees to protect green sea turtle habitat.

 

A stunner: U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which represent many of the corporations which would benefit most from suspension of FICA—has announced its opposition to #45 attend to defund social security by fiat.

 

Headline “first” by Daily Kos: Postmaster General Louis Dejoy can be indicted, impeached, sued, and removed! (Actually this newsletter said it first.)

 

Rep. Bill Pascrell asks grand jury be empaneled to indict Dejoy on charges of election tampering as well as filing an indictment against #45 and other White House functionaries negating #45 immunity from the law.

 

Very bad news for #45 as federal judge reject his claim that tax records subpoena amounts to “harassment.” putting Manhattan DA one step closer to #45 tax returns

 

Watch that pardon clock ticking: Greasy White House strategist and Nazi wannabe Steve pulled off billionaire’s #28 million yacht, arrested by law enforcement agents from the USPS, and charged with conspiracy to commit fraud for stealing up to a million bucks, and money laundering.

 

More than 6 years after Flint water crisis began, Michigan officials announce $600 million settlement for city residents.

 

War Resister activists block entrance to Combined Systems with giant tear gas cans and masks, calling out the names of all cities where tear gas has been used against people.

 

Protesters bang pots and pans nice and early last Saturday at PM general’s Dejoys condo.

 

Community-based farms rise to the occasion as big food supply chains stall.

 

State attorneys General appear ready to sue #45 over changes at the USPS.

 

Congressional candidates and voters sue to stop #45 sabotage of USPS.

 

Public Citizen and LDF announce suit  to stop sabotage of USPS. ahead of Nov. elections.

 

Dems demand McConnell bring Senate back into session to “protect USPS and our election.”

 

Rep, Katie Porter demands IG probe into whether #45 violated ethics laws by putting pharma exec in charge of COVID vaccine effort.

 

Katie  Porter ready to grill DeJoy  as he agrees to testify before House Oversight Committee.

 

Postal Service board member who resigned over #45;s meddling will brief House Democrats.

 

“It’s going to take everyone”: demonstrations planned nationwide to ‘save the Post Office from #45.

 

Kentucky relaxes absentee voting requirements.

 

LA places “Reimagine LA “ with provision for community investment, opportunity and care on Nov. Ballot

 

N.Y.C. Mayor DeBlasio shifts $1 billion from NYPD, at least on paper. and Minneapolis city council members vow to dismantle police department and build new model of public safety.

 

BLM, antifa overwhelm armed white racists in Stone Mtn., Ga.

 

After organizing mass sick-out, Arizona teachers and school staff applauded for bold collective action to stop unsafe reopening.

 

Campus workers sue UNC system over unsafe working conditions.

 

School bus drivers lead protest to safely reopen Los Angeles Schools.

 

Detroit teachers vote overwhelmingly to authorize safety strike.

 

New York teachers union to strike against school reopening.

 

“It ain’t gonna happen, #45: Goodyear workers rally in Akron after #45 calls for boycott. because of company regulations prohibiting MAGA hats at work.

 

DNC workers at 9 local in 23 airports win pandemic negotiations victory.

 

Jailer who organized assault on inmate sentenced to prison.

 

Georgia police officer fired after viral TikTok showed him tasing a Black woman outside her home.

 

                             SUNDAY FUNNIES

 

Three surgeons compare notes:

First surgeon: I  removed a patient’s testes, and in 6 weeks he was looking for work.

Second surgeon: That’s nothing: I replaced a patient's brain and within two weeks he was looking for work.

Third surgeon: That’s nothing: I excised a man’s testes, replaced his brain, and any day now, he’ll be trying to run for a second term!