When Europeans first came to America they brought smallpox and alcohol with them. The results were a calamity to the native population. Having no previous exposure, they had little resistance to either peril. Our civilization is also at risk to forces that we have not had generations to develop a resistance to. I was the first in my lineage to be exposed to television ads, slanted news, or social media and the bots that are a part of that force. When we have opportunists using these forces, you can explain people waiting in Dallas for the Kennedy reincarnation or the storming of the Capitol.
This new technology is able to give credibility to the outlandish partially because people are already suspicious of current authority. Money has replaced thought or compassion as the driving force behind legislative priority or judicial appointmentss. Where else can a Supreme Court justice drive a free motor home or reform-minded politicians be likely to face a well-financed primary challenge?
My hope is that we can cleanse our political corruption within the structure of our Constitution. Functional visionary governments seldom face agitated masses.
PAUL BENSON, Hawarden, Iowa
Ralph Nader’s superlative column In the Public Interest (1/1-15/24 TPP) exposing fully the obscene fiasco of the feeble Biden Administration’s attempt to check Israel’s genocide since early October perpetrated on the abandoned civilian population of Gaza, a segment of Palestine illegitimately decimated by a vicious Zionist regime, is backed by several other worthy correspondents, such as Wayne O’Leary, Amy Goodman, Dave Zirin and Ted Rall. Meantime, all the decent US citizens left should be demanding of their Wall Street-bribed “representatives” that they must quit their unholy sinecures at once. Each moment this Semitic-sponsored Holocaust goes on, the shame inflicted on US repute intensifies and deepens worldwide. Mostly women-staffed chat shows on “our” futile capitalist media keep on spinning out “the options” unavailable to anyone, pauper or billionaire. The underworld of Orwell’s 1948 novel, “1984,” is “suddenly” here with its soulless, nihilistic despotisms now in firm infirm command.
VIRGE MACLEOD, Bonners Ferry, Idaho
How is it that for the 20 years we attacked Afghanistan we could live with what was going on inside of Iran, but now we can’t live with what is going on inside of Iran and need to attack Iran, yet we now can live with what’s going on inside of Afghanistan, even though 20 years of attacking Afghanis changed nothing in Afghanistan?
Convenient and manufactured “war” enemies, just going down the list, and Iran is next. Washington works hard to keep “war” alive. You don’t find it odd, suspicious, that Washington always has a “war” going on, or one brewing.
And in regards to the Gaza “War,” Washington keeps going on an don about how Israel needs to take better precautions to protect civilians, but credible estimates for the Iraq “war” say a million Iraqis died. How then is it possible that the Iraq “war” was somehow “fought” differently than this current Gaza “war”?
The Israelis look like Boy Scouts, with only 30,000 dead so far. They have a long way to go to get to a million. Why do only the Jews get in trouble when they butcher defenseless innocents?
Our state media is much more comfortable showing us the truth when it comes to Israel’s “war” in Gaza, than Washington’s “war” in Iraq. No censoring of the blood and gore in Gaza, but there was never this type of reporting and photos about the Iraq “war.” It’s as if the Iraq “war” had no violence.
A political primary is a preliminary election in which the registered voters of a political party nominate candidates for office. The key word here is preliminary. The current system allows small states such as Iowa and New Hampshire {assisted by the media} to award front-runner status to the victorious candidate.
From there the candidates travel a path determined by which states wants to “leap frog” the other by moving up their primary dates. Candidates are whisked across the country without any real ability to distinguish regional issues from national issues. Consequently, party platforms are determined by a make-it-up-as-you-go approach. If the primary process were organized on a regional basis, candidates would be able to study the regional issues, campaign to confirm those issues and then receive votes based on the solutions they propose. A regional approach would also prevent a premature selection of a front runner because success in one region certainly would not guarantee success in the next region. This would also further validate the process because each state would still have a say all the way down to the end. Finally, the number of delegates awarded in each state should be determined by the percentage of votes won by each candidate. And yes, convert the caucuses to primaries.
Accordingly, the political primaries should occur between January and June of each presidential election year. Each of the six regions would be assigned a particular month. A lottery held in June of the previous year would determine which month each region holds its primaries.
JOE BIALEK, Cleveland, Ohio
“Only in America,” as journalist Harry Golden would have likely said, would the likes of Donald J. Trump be considered twice to be the most powerful man on Earth. And the mystery remains intact, that untold millions in the US electorate idolize the fellow, while others wouldn’t trust him any farther than they could throw a cow by her tail!
Separating the goats from the sheep is highly unscientific, believe what you will, but please refrain from trying to convert others to your opinion. It could be dangerous.
Talk of political division! It has NEVER been so vocal and conspicuous — nor so deeply held opinion — as we are presently seeing. To paraphrase a familiar comment made by Mark Twain (1835-1910), It’s not what I don’t understand of chatterbox Donald that troubles me; it’s what I do understand that troubles me.
WILLIAM DAUENHAUER, Willowick, Ohio
We have allowed the “societal scourges” amongst us who’ve been literally bought and paid for the dereliction and accompanied incompetence of those who have been charged with serving “We the People” to become an absolutely meaningless lie. We’ve been duped, conned, scammed, lied to, B.S.’d and have essentially become “the servants of our employees.” If “We,” as “an employer” of all it portends is a reality, whereby “We” can, with justified cause, penalize an employee for some form of wrongdoing to our corporation in order to deter or negate the harm caused, we certainly don’t have to wait two to four to six years to do so.
The loss of our democracy and our present plutocratic era of pillaging of “We the People” and the political tactics that are now being primarily and predominantly used by our politicians throughout our nation have now supplanted our humanity and have done so within the hypocrisies of our proclaimed religious realm as well. “We the People”/employer have go to take immediate and expeditious steps to do more than put “a shot across the bow” analogy. “We” need a strong, indisputable, punitive action that puts that other analogy regarding “putting the fear of God in someone” to have them understand clearly “We the People” are your employer!
FRANK G. ROHRIG, Milford, Conn.
You know, Donald Trump and the Republican Party love to dictate to the American people about how, when and where they can vote, who to vote for and how their votes should be counted, and by whom, but now, conversely, they are crying “foul play” and feel threatened by a 34-year-old pop singer, Taylor Swift, because she “might” have the audacity to influence voters, who “might” vote against them …
This just in!
Ex-President Trump has just issued an ex-presidential executive order overturning the results of the 2024 Super Bowl, declaring that the San Francisco 49ers are the true champions and winners of the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Trump justified his decision on the fact that the NFL was in existence when he was president, so therefore, he still has presidential powers over them because, back in 2018, he was informed by Vladimir Putin that the Democrats were already forming a coup to groom Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce into Democrats and then have them groom the rest of the American people to only vote for Democrats in future elections.
In addition, according to Trump, the Democrats also groomed the Kansas City head coach, Andy Reid, into the coup by giving him a free five-year supply of “Nuggies” and free home and car insurance for life, paid for by Patrick Mahomes.
Trump’s psychiatrist was unavailable for comment.
MIKE EKLUND, LaPorte, Ind.
From The Progressive Populist, March 15, 2024
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