Donald Trump

Once Again America Turns to the Youth of Our Country to Defend Our Democracy.

/ Stephen Sovie

Picryl – Imperial War Museums

Eighty years ago the youth of America, your grandparents, and great aunts and uncles, rallied to defend our democracy from the evils of fascism, racism, and hatred, in Europe and in Asia. Many returned, broken and maimed and many never returned. They fought and died to defend the freedoms and rights that we all enjoy today.

Today those rights and freedoms that our relatives fought and died to preserve, are once again severely threatened. Already women’s right to make decisions on their health has been taken away by an extremist right-wing court, whose majority of Conservative justices were installed by Donald Trump, a wannabee dictator. Voting rights, earned in the past 50 years are slowly being stripped away. As we speak this same Supreme Court is planning on abolishing affirmative action which will virtually destroy the ability for minorities to be able to compete on a level playing field with whites. The Voting Rights Acts of 1965 is slowly being dismantled, limiting or abolishing the right to vote for Blacks and other minorities. The right to marry the one you love will soon be destroyed, as promised by Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. Hard-fought LGBTQ rights earned in the past 50 years will soon be just a memory.

The foundation of our American democracy, the right to vote, has become the target of the new Trump Republican Party. Many election-denying Republican candidates have openly stated that they would not accept the results of the midterm elections if they lost. According to the Republican Party, the only elections that count are the ones they win. Just like elections in Russia, China, and Iran.

This upcoming midterm election could possibly be the last real election that we may participate in. If the Republicans regain control of Congress, it’s all over. It’s all over for women, seniors, immigrants, Black, the LGBTQ community, and the middle class. Once again our country, our democracy, needs the nation’s youth to come to our rescue. We need you to vote. Your relatives fought and died for over 4 years in WW II to save our democracy. We need only that you take the time to vote to save our democracy. Youth of America, PLEASE VOTE!

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To My Fellow Senior Citizens, Are You Senile or Just Plain Stupid?

/ Stephen Sovie

Wikimedia Commons

With the midterm elections just a few short weeks away I am shocked and saddened by the stupidity of some of my fellow senior citizens. Like most seniors, I depend on my monthly Social Security benefits to stay alive. Fortunately, I also have a pension and an annuity to support myself in my final years. But there are millions of people who rely solely on their monthly social security benefits. Like all other seniors, I also depend on Medicare to help with my medical expenses. Also like other seniors, I have health needs that include numerous prescription drugs, many of which are extremely expensive. For many seniors, these prescription drugs are not affordable on their meager monthly income.

This Democratic administration has managed to pass a bill that would allow Medicare to negotiate for lower drug costs for Medicare recipients, set the cost of insulin at $35, and set a cap of $2000 for drug costs. Every single Republican in Congress voted against the bill to help senior citizens live a comfortable, worry-free life. Seniors are also affected by the high gas prices and higher cost of groceries. The Democrats passed the Anti-inflation Act that will lower costs to families and lower the deficit. Once again every single Republican voted against it. Democrats also introduced a bill that would impose a windfall profits tax on oil companies charging exorbitant prices at a time when the poor and middle class are suffering economically. And guess what? It didn’t pass because every single Republican voted against it.

The Democrats are asking voters to give them a larger majority in the Senate and to maintain their majority in the House so they can continue to lower drug costs for everyone, provide effective healthcare for everyone, strengthen Social Security, lower inflation and the deficit, strengthen voter rights, codify Roe vs Wade and same-sex marriage. The Republicans are promising to abolish the Anti-inflation act and repeal the legislation to lower the cost of insulin for Medicare recipients. They have promised to block the debt ceiling vote until the Democrats agree to make major changes to Social Security, including lowering the benefits, extending the age for retirement, and even the possibility of denying benefits to those who also have a pension in addition to Social Security.

Yet many of my fellow senior citizens stupidly and ignorantly sit their fat asses on the couch while they watch Fox News spread hate and fear that some non-white immigrants are coming after their way of life. They cruise around in their golf carts in places like “The Villages” wearing their little red “Made in China” MAGA hats praising everything their fat, orange god, Trump, has done and will do for them. They’re all rallying around the Republicans either not caring or not aware that their democracy, their social security benefits, and their Medicare will soon be gone if they vote Republican.

When our Social Security and Medicare are gone, who will you blame? Biden, immigrants, Blacks, Democrats, gays? I’m sure you won’t accept any responsibility, just like Trump and the Republican traitors you voted for.

Ukrainians Know How to Fight for Their Democracy and They Put Most Americans to Shame.

/ Stephen Sovie
The Kit – Pixabay

I’ve had nothing but hope and admiration for the people and President of Ukraine, since Russia’s horrific invasion of the country, for no reason other than to destroy the young democracy and fulfill Vladimir Putin’s desire to bring back the Soviet Union. Ukraine has never been a threat to Putin’s Russia, but its successful fledgling democracy and the accompanying freedoms are.

After weeks of failed diplomacy, Putin invaded Ukraine with the full might of 2/3 of the Russian military forces. But Ukrainian President Zelinsky and the Ukrainian people would have nothing to do with Putin’s attack on the peace-loving nation. The Ukrainian people, women, and children of all ages rallied behind their duly elected leader and their military to defy the Russian troops at every step of the way. Putin miscalculated the Ukrainian people’s strong will to defend their freedoms and their country. The capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, was supposed to be Putin’s prize for the taking, but after 3 days the Ukrainians still hold the capital.

We have seen photos and newsreels showing Ukrainian women making Molotov cocktails and brandishing weapons in defense of their homes. We have seen old men volunteering to join the military to defend their homeland. We have also seen President Zelinsky, in full military gear ready to die for his country, along with his fellow countrymen. We have heard him refuse to be evacuated to safety, choosing to fight rather than seek his own personal protection.

I am amazed at the unity of the international community in standing up to Putin. Almost the entire airspace over Europe has been closed to Russia and the rest of the world, except for China and North Korea, have imposed economically crippling sanctions that will bring down Russia’s currency and hit Putin’s oligarch friends in their pocketbooks.

Tyler Merbler – Wikimedia Commons

And then we look at what’s happening at home. As the world rallies around Ukraine, Donald Trump and the Republicans in Congress are rallying around Putin. Remember it was Donald Trump who was impeached for attempting to extort Zelensky by threatening to withhold military aid unless he fabricated lies to help Trump’s re-election campaign. From the first day of the Trump administration, Trump tried to eliminate Russian sanctions imposed on Putin for his earlier incursion into Crimea. All during his term, Trump bent over backward to weaken NATO and curry favor with Putin. Trump tried to destabilize NATO, Europe and divide the American people to pave the way for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

When I see the brave patriots of Ukraine fighting for their lives, their freedom, and their country I can’t help but think of Trump and his cult of ragtag supporters attacking the U.S. Capitol because their cult leader lost the election. I remember Trump firing up his followers saying “follow me to the Capitol” and then running back to the White House to hide ( I guess those bone spurs were acting up) and letting his supporters face the dangers in the midst of the violent attack.

Then I see his supporters attacking healthcare workers, government officials, and even school children for trying to take away their freedoms, by having to wear a piece of cloth to help protect themselves and other people from dying of COVID-19. These brave patriots are willing to attack the Capitol, but they’re too damn afraid to get a simple vaccination, to protect themselves from a severe illness. Now they want to form a convoy of trucks to disrupt the flow of food and goods to their fellow citizens, goaded on by Fox News and reprobates like Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, because of non-existent mask mandates.

These pathetic excuses for Americans would drop dead of fear if they had to face the real losses of freedom that Ukrainians have been facing since the invasion. The Ukrainians stand to lose their government, their country, their homes, their businesses, and their lives. The so-called American patriots are a disgrace to America and every freedom-loving democracy in the world. They have brought shame to every veteran who put on a uniform to fight for America’s freedom far from home.

Remember the people of Ukraine in your prayers and thank God for people like them. If only all Americans valued our democracy as much as they do. They are a model to freedom-loving people all over the world.

What in Hell is Merrick Garland and His DOJ Doing While the Leaders of the Insurrection Run Free?

/ Stephen Sovie
Wikimedia Commons

It’s been 13 months since the January 6th insurrection when we came very close to losing our democracy. I, like many in this country, have been following activities of the House Jan.6th Committee investigating the attempt to overthrow the government and the continuing coverup. On an almost daily basis, we learn from the committee and the media, just how deeply Trump was involved in the planning, execution, orchestration, and coverup of the attempted coup.

We have learned of the myriad of ways Trump and his minions have committed crimes against our government and the Constitution. We have also learned that high-ranking members of Trump’s administration and even sitting members of the Senate and House of Representatives were deeply involved in the insurrection and in the continuing coverup.

We have learned about the Trump team faking documents sent to the National Archives in an attempt to certify fake Electoral College electors to falsely certify Trump as the winner in 5 swing states instead of Biden. We have recently learned that Trump had illegally removed documents, as well as furniture, from the White House and moved the items to Mar-a- Lago, in clear violation of the Presidential Records Act. We have also learned that Trump had even ripped up and burned some of the documents before they could be turned over to the National Archives.

We have seen a steady stream of low-level footsoldiers involved in the attack on the Capitol indicted, arrested, convicted, and imprisoned for their actions on January 6th. Unfortunately, some of the traitors received nothing but a slap on the wrist, but at least they were held somewhat accountable.

We have seen the Committee issue many subpoenas to high-level Trump administration officials, including White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows. But we have also seen those subpoenas ignored in blatant contempt of Congress. We have only seen two of the subpoena recipients referred to the Justice Department for criminal actions. With only one of these people, Steve Bannon, arrested and scheduled for trial months into the future. It’s been 2 months since Meadows was referred to the DOJ for contempt of Congress. There has been nothing but silence from the DOJ.

We have seen Trump continue to push the “big lie” at his hate rallies and threaten violence if he is ever indicted for what he has done. He has tried to intimidate those prosecutors investigating him and has promised pardons to anyone convicted of crimes related to the insurrection, in an attempt to stop anyone on his team from testifying in front of the committee.

We have heard pundit after pundit, former DOJ officials, and prosecutors alike explain how Trump has broken the law and how much trouble he is in. We’ve been hearing this ad nauseam for months. Trump continues to spread his lies, hate, and threats with impunity.

What we haven’t heard or seen is anything from Merrick Garland! Why?

Could it be he’s being very secretive and is ready to announce numerous indictments for Trump and the rest of the organizers? Is he waiting for more evidence to cast a wider net? Is he afraid to make a decision, one way or the other, because he fears the consequences from the right or the left? Or is he just afraid of Donald Trump and doesn’t want to offend him?

In my opinion, Garland is afraid of appearing partisan. He is afraid of becoming the first AG to indict a former President. So instead of appearing to be a real patriot, he will do nothing in hopes that people will forget the whole situation and another insurrection will not take place. I hope I’m wrong, but I have seen nothing to convince me otherwise. I have lost complete confidence in Garland. Please AG Garland, prove me wrong!

You may want to read “Time is Running Out on Our Democracy”https://stevesothinks.com/2022/01/06/time-is-running-out-on-our-democracy/“

Is the Dream Coming to an End?

/ Stephen Sovie
Pixabay

Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream where all people had a right to vote, regardless of the color of their skin. He lost his life to a racist assassin as he fought for equality for all people and especially people of color. Since his death, there have been other notables, such as the late John Lewis, who continued his fight for voter equality. Slowly, but surely, those rights, that have been passed since King’s death have been eroded by a Conservative Supreme Court and Republicans in Congress. Today King’s dream is on the verge of being destroyed.

President Biden has been trying to pass his voting rights legislation, to protect the rights of people of color and minorities to vote. Trump was defeated, as Biden was elected with massive support from the Black community. Because of the strong support of minorities for Democrats, Republican legislatures in Red states, have been passing laws severely restricting the ability for Blacks and other minorities to vote. In states, such as Texas and Georgia, districts with a predominance of Blacks have been limited to only one voting place. They have even passed laws making it a crime to offer water to anyone standing in line to vote. With these restrictive voting laws, it is highly unlikely that a Democrat can ever win an election again. And if they do the Republicans have made it possible for the Republican legislature in those states to overturn the results.

The House has passed Biden’s voting rights bill, but Senate hasn’t voted on it, and it appears that it will never pass in that chamber. With the Senate split 50-50 the bill has run up against the antiquated filibuster rule which requires a majority of 60-40 to pass legislation. The filibuster rule is only a rule formulated years ago to protect the rights of slave owners. It is not in the Constitution and can easily be changed, as it has been numerous times, including twice this year.

Even though there are 50 Democrats in the Senate, 2 of them are DINO’s acting and voting like Republicans. Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin have refused to support voting rights (as well as “build back better”) professing that the bill should pass on a bipartisan agreement. They have refused to support carving out an exception to the filibuster rule to pass voting rights. Mitch McConnell and his fellow Republicans, naturally are dead set against this, even though McConnell carved out an exception to add 2 Trump appointees to the Supreme Court.

Biden and the real Democrats have been negotiating with Sinema and Manchin to support the change in the filibuster to no avail. Today Sinema on the Senate floor announced that she will not support a change in the filibuster, literally killing the bill. Manchin most likely will do the same. Instead of coming out and saying they are against the right to vote for all Americans, including Blacks and minorities, they are hiding behind a fake bipartisanship concern. I don’t know if there are financial concerns involved or if this is pure and simple racism.

One thing that everyone forgets, in attacking Biden for not doing enough, or Sinema and Manchin for trying to destroy Biden’s agenda, is that there are also 50 Republicans in the Senate. Isn’t it strange that not one single Republican supports the right of Black people to exercise their right to vote, without having to overcome insurmountable obstacles? Could it be that the Republican party, the party of Trump, has officially become the White Supremacist party?

We must not allow the media to convince us that Joe Biden and 48 Democrats have failed Blacks, the poor, and minorities. 50 Republican senators do not want Democrats to ever be in power again and the best way to assure this is to prevent Black people from voting. This nation cannot survive the return of Donald Trump, nor can it survive as a republic under Republican rule.