21st Century News: Bullets from today's Headlines....

 

The notes from the headlines that have impacted our lives the most over the past few months are included in this newsletter. Here are the top takeaways from the past months that were compiled from the daily headlines and news that has been part of our lives during the Trump era.

 

Please remember to follow along on Twitter @mljtpa and also to sign up for the monthly newsletter at 21^st Century News! And follow us on Facebook at 21^st Century News!

 

1. What Fox News hath wrought: The damage done and lives ruined, people targeted by lies and disinformation campaigns run on a nightly basis at Fox news is part of the ongoing story....

 

2. A Letter of Support for Steve Schmidt & Fellow Patriots; The line from The Verdict is this: Steve, people will believe you and listen to the truth. The Silent Majority needs to be heard. Those who voted for Joe Biden and don’t believe the lies and know that you are out there working hard every day. Thank God for The Lincoln Project!  Thank God for Conservatives like Liz Cheney who value democracy over party power!  Thank God for Jim Clyburn and Scott Kelly and Nancy Pelosi...for Joe Biden and Barack Obama. They know the value of the truth and engagement and compromise. Thank God for David Plouffe and James Carville and Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. All of them are needed, and they all need to get along!

 

But there has been a revelation of sorts in the past few days. You, Steve, have come out with some startling truths about someone we all thought was inviolate and above reproach. John McCain, the hero, had an Achilles Heel. And you did your best to protect and hide it for years.

 

We all knew his role in giving us Sarah Palin. And thankfully, we never had to deal with the nightmare of having her in a position of power. Only to find that the alt-right extremists decided to put their own supremely unfit individual in a dangerous position of ultimate power.

 

I believe it was Jerry Springer who mused about those who voted for Trump: “Why do they hate America so much?” I believe perhaps in the end, that will be the ultimate offense. We are all mortal, we all have flaws and we all have failed at times.

 

But those who hate the success that was the American system, the glory of thinking, of striving for American Exceptionalism, or talking of the “Shining City on the Hill” are all concentrated in  those who do nothing but hate the American way of life.  And with it, that means they hate over half of the people who live here and work hard every day.

 

The MAGA crowd is a crowd of hate-filled people and they are led by a mean, vicious and small-minded thuggish individual who doesn’t believe in any of the ideals of America. The Make America “Great” crowd is not so much about greatness as it is about grievance.

3. The Bullies of this World:  include  Judge Clarence Thomas and other faux-victims;  Please read more about Judge Thomas on our post at Medium. Com. Here is an excerpt:

 Poor Clarence Thomas. I am so sorry you feel bullied and harbor a sense of victimhood. Is it another ‘lynching’ that you spoke of in your confirmation to defend yourself against allegations of sexual harassment? Did you know that’s a familiar pattern for those who bully and abuse women?

Suggestion: Get over it. Isn’t that what Scalia said about Bush v Gore? We need to just “Get over it” and shut up and stop bullying you, poor baby. Build a wall around the Ivory Tower and you won’t hear any crybabies except wife Ginni when she tells you she believes the election is rigged. Or perhaps you don’t listen to her and cover your ears and go “Nyah Nyah Nyah!” really loud so your pure vessels of truth that are your earlobes don’t hear such partisan filth. She is a hater and you are just a seeker of truth.

 

Get over it, people, you don’t always get the outcomes you want. Just because we are in a faux-democracy, we can’t expect the inconvenient truth of the unwashed masses to impede your puritanical Republic ideals. Just look in the latest findings from buddy Alito, straight out of the 13^th Century Reformation. This is the Reformation, isn’t it? Time to restructure America in the image of you & Ginni and all the people who want to live in 13^th Century Europe.....more on Medium.com

 

4. What Fox News viewers believe vs Facts and Reality: This may be the outline for a long book if I’m not careful! That is a very tricky title to cover, the many lies and falsehoods that Fox News spreads daily. .They are purveyors of lies who have long lived in Putin-esque glory with their propaganda: “Fair and Balanced.” Fair to say that they are the one organization calling itself news that doesn’t live up to its calling after about 4 pm every day. And Balanced in that there is a balance of extremist far-right propaganda with Bat Bleep crazy MAGA conspiracy theories that have no basis in truth or reality. The kernels of truth that begin to spread the layers of lies and disinformation makes the organization poisonous.

The latest allegation was that Fox News allowed the broadcast of the physical home address of Steve Schmidt & other Lincoln Project members to be aired. And the FBI revealed there was a “Trump Bombers” list that also mailed large amounts of human excrement to his home....So the question becomes not just “How low can you go?” but how long are we going to have to exist with Fox News and its ilk as a faux-“News” outlet?

 

5. Why Atheists argue that Religion is Opiate for the Masses:  Arguing from the position of a Presbyterian who is a practicing Christian, this is a subject that has long been off limits in most news services. The fact that those who purport to be Christian are the ones who wear hoods and attack other people in the name of Religious Freedom is not an easy one to defend as a Christian.

 

6. The Not-so-Secret Society of ultra-rich and wealthy vs the rest of us; Recent stories have indicated Corporate America is trying to hedge their bets. The Lobbyist class and dark money are the controlling factors behind which laws get passed. The one to ask is Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who knows more about the Dark Money groups that anyone else in Congress.

 

7. Note: Democrats could win if enough people stopped obsessing about how flawed Democrats are! The enemy of the perfect is a large portion of the Democratic base. This is why we can’t have nice things.  No good things can come from the dark hole that is the enemy of the good.  Carville looks at the numbers for Biden & sees his erosion for popular support comes from his own base...those who are younger and those progressives who believe they can only seek perfect solutions, and if they can’t have their way, they will walk!?-It seems the  “Bernie Bros” are always looking for ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of Victory.  This has often been part of the progressive movement that has set us back several decades if not centuries.

 

8. Remember Obama saying to Romney: “ The 80’s called and want their Foreign Policy Back?” Now the 13^th Century is calling, and they want their Enlightenment back, Justice Alito! The knock for years on Roe within the Conservative Right community was that Roe was “Wrongly Decided.” Now they have decided to lean heavily on opinions from the 13^th and/or 18^th Century. So we are stuck in a Time Warp again. There is no text or precedent for the times we are living in. We are told that a basic right we were afforded is being taken away by a minority of Americans.  And that same minority of people on the planet don’t favor a free and open society. After the Bush v Gore ruling, Scalia said “Get over it”

 Agree with Obama or not, he was trying to say that we need to live in the world as it is now. Not the world that was created during the Cold War, in which we fought with a Cold War mentality. The 21^st Century problems would seem to be looking for 21^st Century solutions.

 If those who valued life so very much truly wanted to help, there seems to be a way to simply use the many clinics in existence for these people to create safe havens for women. They could come and feel safe in working out solutions for their pregnancies. Some would have abortions, but if there was a way to introduce lists of those who want the precious lives they are saving to be nurtured, they should step up now. They could work with the women to give them support and money and take their babies and raise them. But that is not what they want, and this is not really about helping women.

It's about making a spectacle of abortion and health care and women’s health care specifically. And it’s not pro-life, it’s pro-fascist.

 9. The Problems in American Democracy include problems in Bright Shiny Objects for Media! As we go over the myriad number of problems facing our society, we cannot overlook the problems that have been glossed over or completely ignored surrounding the nation’s press. Although we are quick to support the right of the press to speak out, most of the time there is either a political bent to their work that comes from the bias of the corporate ownership, or it comes from the press itself. They are all too eager to embrace “What About-ism” which led to Trump’s Presidency.  The fact is, there were way too many news outlets obsessed with Hillary’s e-mails.

Steve Schmidt recently tweeted an alarming story of how the Trump Smear Machine, orchestrated by Don Jr, unleashed a torrent that included Fox News publishing pictures of Schmidt’s home, included the FBI informing him there was a Trump MAGA Bombers list that included him. This also including a disgusting anecdote about human excrement being sent in large amounts to his home and others who opposed Trump.

 This is not just unacceptable. It is downright disgusting and nasty and filthy work from people who have dirty and filthy minds and mindsets. Revenge is never best when served up so hot that others can actually document the ways in which you use your toadies and lackies to pursuit it. There was never a plethora of geniuses lurking about the Trump Campaign. It has turned from a Confederacy of Dunces who all went to jail into a group of mafioso wanna-be’s who are all too eager to carry out the whims of a bloated and brash Crime Boss.

 Where is the press? Why didn’t they document this mess that Fox News contributed to unleashing? Why are they still obsessed with “What-About-ism?” I still hear asinine questions from mainstream press that telegraph their ignorance as to what is happening in our society.

 

They usually play out along the line of: Is it wise for you to put this vote up? ...Because it is divisive, and you may cause the other side to accuse you of hyper-partisanship. In other words, be careful or someone like Mitch McConnell might do something drastic such as not allowing a vote for the Democratic Presidential Supreme Court nominee! Or while the voting is underway for the Presidency, the losing candidate in the Presidential race quickly might just ram through a nomination on the Supreme Court!?...

 

 One of my favorite cartoons was from a debate where Lincoln & Douglas were involved, and the vitally pressing question that was asked by the press was: “Why no Flag pin?!”...Recall that the idea of wearing a flag pin on your lapel, or labeling French Fries “Freedom Fries” was also well documented by the main stream media.

 The other foreboding image that comes to mind was the idea of the “Embeds” from major networks that were in the army vehicles that invaded Iraq in the first & second Gulf War excursions. It was so completely mindless and so lacking in a deeper understanding of how and why we should be engaged in a war, (which has been borne out with the 20 year debacle we set up in Iraq),  I remember watching the BBC exclusively to try and get any type of perspective other than that of the weak and vain-glorious American Press.

 The press reminds me of an old joke from a Bob Newhart show.  It was a bit where Newhart warned the impetuous Michael about the many things to consider when making the momentous decision of deciding to get married. The young man ran off with some line like, “Never mind about that! We’ve got a WEDDING to plan!” That seems to be the way we have decided on wars and Presidents and policies in this country. Very little thought is involved in prior planning, and deeper questions are not allowed.

 We never see members of the media actually sit down with those in power and ask them the tough questions anymore. It seems that sort of journalism may have died along with Tim Russert! Flying off in love with an idea or ideal seems to be our standard operating procedure in America. And then having to deal with all the negative consequences that accompany our bad decisions in the days and weeks and years that follow has been our inevitable fate.

 10.  Want to Trigger MAGA? Ask them what Trump did to make America Great Again! This was an innocent question that came to mind recently.   It was after I noticed the Soybean Farmers were still having to reap the many negative consequences of Trump’s impetuous ideas on Trade, on Foreign Policy, and on domestic matters. Trump set us back, and I posit he did nothing to make us great.

 So this was the question I asked of rampant MAGA supporters in the heat of January 6^th. The shock and completely baffled and mystified expression that they exhibited in their demeanor and attitude made it clear that this was a concept that is never asked or questioned in MAGA-world. What does that mean- to make America Great again?

 Those of us who don’t drink Kool-Aid know that this trite slogan is code for rolling back the times we live in. Back we would go to a day when Roe v Wade wasn’t even on the horizon.  And most people of color would just be relegated to separate schools and everything else. That was the America they love. We know America was Great because we built roads and won the Great war and because we evolved. We were able to change and to change with the times.

 There was an Internet to conquer, there was science in landing a man on the moon. There was Woman’s lib and a Civil Rights Movement. That moved America forward along with the other fun stuff like movies and fast foods (plus an economy that was on the move!). We were able to adapt to remain a Great Power. We also won the Cold War by championing Democracy as an Ideal,

 Donald Trump did nothing to make America Great Again. There are so many signs he has been a stifling influence that is designed to move us backward in time. And the one question to ask now is: How can he be allowed to run for President again? That is the question of our time.

 11. Under the Radar News Flash: Price Increases caused by Inflation have skyrocketed Corporate Profits The Under the Radar news has been a magazine I created that often talks of the different stories that we have advanced that are not covered as often by the news media. Most deal with environmental issues that are Global, as well as stories from other countries around the world that reflect our own current political and domestic problems. One recent story has been dealing with the documenting of data suggesting that there is a real price gouging that has occurred in the wake of recent inflationary concerns and supply chain issues.

 

Most of this has been dismissed as simply political excuses that are hiding the lack of momentum or the mistakes made by the current Administration. None of this can excuse the real fact that corporations have been marking record profits. That is not an excuse or any kind of defense, but instead hearkens back to the idea and messaging that we are not hearing.

 

Corporate America has paid lobbyists to pass laws in their favor; and the Dark Money from Citizen United runs our elections and our society. There are more of us than there are of them, this is true. But the money and power they wield has been enormous, and it has been a story that is not heard. The silence is deafening, as we have talked in an earlier piece of how the press corp as a whole remains largely silent.

 

The Corporate Mentality runs the news organizations also. And there are not enough stories that focus on some of the real reasons we have current inflationary concerns. And one of the many unspoken concerns that have often concerned myself and others deals with the weakness of local news and press. And it also touches on the strength of the Dark Money connections that can silence the truth.

 

When Barack Obama was running for a second term, one business owner memorably sent a message to his employees informing them that Corporate would have to lay off workers if Obama was re-elected. This is a telling story in that there may be forces at work from those current employers who are much smarter than someone who says the quiet part out loud. How many people in positions of power are working to thwart the energies and wishes of those who want to live in a participatory democracy vs those who would like to lean towards authoritarianism and totalitarian rule?

 

12. New White House Strategy: Tell the Truth about the Whackadoodle Wing of the GOP; Why are we holding back from saying the quiet part out loud. A short while ago, I talked about Rep Louis Gohmert’s infamous “You’re casting aspersions on my Asparagus” line that he had for AG Eric Holder. There is every day of Marjorie Taylor Green’s life as a politician to document her dangerously psychotic and unstable behavior. There is Lauren Boebert and her interruption of Pres. Biden’s SOTU address to Congress. There is Matt Gaetz strutting around with nude photos, and associating with underage prostitutes, and then talking about lonely women with their microwaves and cats who want abortion rights.

There is Boebert and others wishing everyone Merry Christmas with their assault rifles, because everyone knows Christ was all about the business of assault rifles and their deadly and lethal payloads!?...

 

The more serious dingbat moments are tells about what occurred on Jan 6. Mo Brooks and his flak jacket when he told everyone to ‘Kick Ass” should have been clear evidence that he was unfit to serve. Jim Jordan was also someone who remained silent in the light of allegations of a doctor at his college who committed criminal abuse and sexual molestation of students while Jordan was a coach.

 

Which brings us to Coach Denny Hastert. Hastert,(the Hastert Rule Guy!) was the Speaker of the House and is a convicted Pedophile. This happened not so long ago. And yet the Dems allow Republicans to basically get away with calling them pedophiles with no basis in fact or data to back that up.

Newt Gingrich sanctimoniously railed against President Clinton on the floor and then was also seen to be guilty of lying and adultery. The man poised to be Speaker of the House then had to step away because HE was having an affair while the GOP hypocritically went after Bill Clinton.  Gingrich continues to be a point of the spear to identify when the tide began to turn for the poisonous partisan atmosphere that now hangs over Washington. There is nothing new here. But it is time to call out those who are not just a bit off, but are crazy as loons.

 

13. Ted Cruz & Vlad Putin & Donald Trump attend the PT Barnum Sucker Born every minute school of Political Honesty & Truth: Cruz is so much of a joke that it is hardly worth documenting the many times he has sanctimoniously lied and his latest: “Are Babies Rapists?” is right up there with his Green Eggs and Ham soliloquy on the Senate Floor. Harvard should be so proud to claim him...

 

14. We are so over COVID....News Flash: COVID is not over us

 I am the only one who is wearing a mask these days. There are stray pictures of someone who is frail or elderly, a lone person that is wearing a mask. But for the most part, the Florida people don’ t wear masks. And they are the ones who have had more reason to do this. And there is so little surprise that they don’t wear masks.

 Many of them are MAGA folks who don’t believe in science, only superstition and conspiracy theories. DeSantis, the Governor who doesn’t seem to know better about anything, yelled at college kids for wearing masks. His plea to see kids “smiling faces’ was a throw-up worthy moment in political history. Many of us who are students of history recalled the reality of those ‘smiling faces’ from a past century. They were death photographs for children that were taken in the 19^th Century ...after the child had already died! 

 This is salient as DeSantis would fervently love to send us back to the Victorian age before medical research helped us survive childhood diseases. He is a Victorian man for sure, along with this faux-doctor Surgeon General who can’t bring himself to tell us vaccines WORK!

  Please visit us on Twitter each day, sign up for the monthly newsletter, and sign up and like us on Facebook at 21^st Century. And if you are a Medium.com follower, you can check out some of my recent pieces there....

 Stay tuned for upcoming segments this summer from my Ebook: “Notes from the Underground: My Life in the Resistance!”