State of the Disunion Address

On September 9, 2009, when then-President Barack Obama was giving the State of the Union address, he outlined his healthcare reforms and said, "There are also those who claim that our reform effort will insure illegal immigrants. This, too, is false. The reforms I'm proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally." It was then that a then-little-known congressman named Joe Wilson from South Carolina's 2nd district shouted "You lie!"

Obama calmly replied, "Not true, not true."

History, of course, proved Obama 100% right, and Joe Wison 100% wrong. Obamacare did not insure illegal immigrants, and still doesn't. (Only legal immigrants are covered.)

Joe Wilson later apologized, but afterward doubled down, saying "one apology is sufficient," as the strength of the Right-Wing Disinformation Media Machine grew. In fact, the entire Republican party doubled down. It went out of its way to disrespect and insult President Obama with lies and misinformation.

In fact, that really was the beginning of it all - the beginning of the Right-Wing Media Machine's realization that they could be racist as fuck and get away with it! It was the beginning of the Tea Party movement.

Right there. Two little words. "You lie!" Which, of course, were themselves a lie.

For 16 years I've wanted Democrats to dish out some measure of goddamned vengeance upon the Right-Wing Media Machine, and the Republicans, for fomenting such utter disrespect, and the continued disrespect that followed. I've craved vindication! And over all that time, I've gotten exactly the opposite.

Until last night. After Trump's "State of the Disunion" address (as I think it's fair to label it historically), I finally feel like I have it.

Hey, I'll admit it: I have been very disappointed with the ineptitude of the Democratic Party at times. Well, most of the time, in fact. The way they stumble into one unforced error after another has always frustrated me. The way they have never countered the Right Wing Media Machine has been baffling and infuriating to watch.

Well, finally, for once, they did something I am deliriously proud of!

Democrats stood (or, technically, sat) in solidarity for the truth. Representative Al Green of Texas stood up, waving his cane, when Trump said he had a "mandate." Green shouted over and over again Trump had no mandate, and certainly no mandate to cut Medicaid!  And he was so right! 49.8% is, by definition, NOT a mandate! Nevertheless, for that, he was thrown out of the chamber by the Sergeant-At-Arms at the direction of Speaker Mike Johnson. But he held his head high on his way out, and rightly so.

Several other Democrats of high moral character walked out afterward. Reps. Jasmine Crockett of Texas, Maxwell Frost of Florida, Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, LaMonica McIver of New Jersey, and Lateefah Simon of California, were among the first to walk out. As they did, some removed their outer jackets to reveal t-shirts which said, "RESIST!" or "NO KINGS LIVE HERE." Other Democrats began to leave, including Mark Pocan of Wisconsin (love that guy!), Lloyd Doggett of Texas, Judy Chu of California, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Veronica Escobar of Texas, Pramila Jayapal of Washington, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Jared Huffman of California, and (of course) Bernie Sanders of Vermont. 

Several others simply didn't attend, such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Don Beyer of Virginia, Kweisi Mfume of Maryland, Diana DeGette of Colorado, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico.

Many other Democrats held up signs saying "FALSE" or "SAVE MEDICAID," or "MUSK STEALS," or "PROTECT VETERANS." One even had a small, erasable whiteboard to tailor her responses to what Trump was lying about.

But my personal favorite was when Representative Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, held a sign saying "This Is Not Normal" right next to Trump as he walked into the chamber. Rep. Lance Gooden of Texas eventually reached across the aisle and ripped the sign away from her, but the statement had been made.

After Jasmine Crockett left, Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina thoroughly embarrassed herself on X.com by posting, "I love when the trash takes itself out."

Bitch.

See, THIS is the kind of passion I've been craving from Democrats for decades! THIS is the kind of fight I've wanted them to have ever since I realized I was more liberal than conservative. (Not sure when exactly that was. 1999, I think?) I FINALLY get to see that level of fire and fight directed towards the absolute, empirically verifiable LIES that the Right-Wing Media Machine revels in!

Now that it might well be too late, that is.

Even so, I'm delighting in seeing the Dems finally doing what I want them to do! For a change.

How very refreshing!

#RESIST!

Eric

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Trump F*cked Putin

Well, Trump and Vance made America into a laughing stock last Friday, as their meeting with Volodomyr Zelenskyy degenerated into an absolute shouting match, with themselves doing all the shouting and Zelenskyy largely remaining calm. To hear the Right-Wing Media Machine tell it, Trump and Vance did excellently when they embarrassed us all this way. The Russian media machine is also overjoyed.

But look beneath the surface and you can see that Trump may have actually fucked Putin over.

Trump insisted to Zelenskyy that he "didn't have the cards." But that simply isn't true. Russia is on the verge of economic collapse. It is dealing with runaway inflation which is approaching 10%. The Rubel is down against the dollar, making it far more expensive to import basic foodstuffs at a time of year when such imports are key to its survival. Russia's central bank has been forced to spike interest rates, making it much harder for businesses to borrow money, and the tactic isn't even working.

In short, Russia is in deep, deep trouble! All Zelenskyy really needs to do is hold out just a little longer, and Ukraine will win the war. With Europe backing him, this will almost certainly happen, with or without the U.S. Putin needed that deal signed, and needed it signed immediately.

Thanks to Trump, that might not happen. Trump fucked Putin!

Now, the peace deal isn't going to happen right away. But there are rumors that Zelenskyy will sign the ceasefire/minerals deal sooner rather than later. This will realistically only achieve a temporary ceasefire rather than a true end to the war, but Zelenskyy will take it. And, if I were in his shoes, I'd have a backroom deal in place beforehand to fast-track Ukraine's admission into NATO immediately afterward, with or without the support of the U.S. (In fact, preferably without.) Such a ceasefire would also give Ukraine and all of Europe the breathing room it needs to re-arm and re-militarize.

If Russia falls, historians will point to this moment, the moment Trump and Vance all but ambushed Zelenskyy, and say how the failure to get a ceasefire through in time allowed the economic instability in Russia climb to untenable levels.

Trump, in his zeal to appease Putin, actually may have ended up undermining him.

We shall see. But right now, a collapse of the Russian government may be exactly what this world needs right now.

Eric

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