News bits: American democracy eroding, etc.

Radical right propaganda and tactics are succeeding:

Voters are losing faith in democracy

The NYT writes:

Seventy-one percent of all voters believe that democracy is at risk, according to a recent New York Times/Siena College poll, but only 7 percent identified that as the most important problem facing the country. Americans face more immediate concerns: the worst inflation in 40 years, the loss of federal abortion rights after 50 years and a perception that crime is surging, if not in their communities then in cities nearby.

But another factor is dampening people’s motivation to save America’s representative system of government: Some have already lost faith in its ability to represent them.

And Wisconsin, perhaps more than any other state, is suffering through the erosion of democratic ideals already. Though virtually every elected statewide officer here is a Democrat, extreme gerrymandering of state legislative maps has given Republicans near supermajorities in the State Senate and House. 

But that democratic erosion may have sent many of Wisconsin’s citizens on a downward spiral of feeling powerless, apathetic and disconnected as one-party control becomes entrenched.

One can see the anti-democratic power of all out Republican Party opposition and gridlock. As time passes and people increasingly accurately or falsely perceive that democracy is failing them, their willingness to fight for democracy wanes. This is where the propaganda advantage the Republican Party and radical right activism over Democratic and liberal messaging is really causing major damage.

Instead of seeing democracy failing to serve them, Democrats and independents are starting to buy into the Republican propaganda narratives that democracy has failed them and the left is hell bent on fostering socialism, tyranny and the death of Christianity. The left has simply been unable to counter the power of that false, negative propaganda.

 

The Middle East peace mirage

The NYT writes:

Resisting Israeli Efforts to Displace Them, Palestinians Move Into Caves

Israel’s Supreme Court has ordered the removal of about 1,200 Palestinians from their villages in the occupied West Bank. The United Nations says that could amount to a war crime.

Faced with expulsion from their villages and the demolition of their homes by Israeli authorities, hundreds of Palestinians are trying to stay by reverting to an older form of shelter: living in underground caves.

“We have no home to live in and no tent — we have no option but to live in the cave,” said Wadha Ayoub Abu Sabha, 65, a resident of the village of Khirbet al-Fakheit, in a rural area of the Israeli-occupied West Bank that the military is planning to seize. “The beginning of my life was in the cave, and the end of my life will be in the cave.”

Living in a cave

The Republican election integrity mirage

The NYT writes:

G.O.P. Voter Fraud Crackdowns Falter as Charges Are Dropped in Florida and Texas

Dealing setbacks to Republican-led voter fraud prosecutions, judges in Florida and Texas this week dropped charges against two former felons who had been accused of casting ballots when they were not eligible to do so because of their status as offenders.

A lack of evidence of widespread voter fraud has not stopped Republicans from aggressively pursuing it in states where they hold power. Now, the unraveling of the two high-profile cases has compromised the legitimacy of those efforts. 

Bryan Griffin, a spokesman for Mr. DeSantis, said in an email on Friday that the state disagreed with the dismissal of charges against Mr. Wood and would appeal the ruling.

“The state will continue to enforce the law and ensure that murderers and rapists who are not permitted to vote do not unlawfully do so,” Mr. Griffin said. “Florida will not be a state in which elections are left vulnerable or cheaters unaccountable.”

The NYT article goes on to point out that the court rulings have not dampened Republican enthusiasm for hunting people down for vote fraud, even when there was no intent to commit fraud for votes cast out of ignorance of laws, often new laws.

Who is victimizing whom?

Prominent Republicans and Christians constantly howl about being persecuted, under dire threat and insulted by the left. From the looks of it, that amounts to what psychologists call projection. The NYT writes:

As Representative Mary Miller embarked on her first congressional campaign, she described herself in salt-of-the-earth, all-American terms: a mother, grandmother and farmer who embodied the “Midwestern values of faith, family and freedom.”

But there is another side to Ms. Miller’s wholesome image. Since entering Congress, she has routinely vilified Democrats and liberals, calling them “evil” communists beholden to China who want to “destroy” America and its culture. And President Biden’s plan, she seethed on Twitter this spring, is to “flood our country with terrorists, fentanyl, child traffickers, and MS-13 gang members.”

Ms. Miller’s inflammatory words underscore the extent to which polarizing rhetoric is now entrenched among Republicans in the House of Representatives, especially among those like Ms. Miller who voted against certifying the Biden victory, according to an examination by The New York Times of partisan language over the past 10 years.

So there we have it. Many or most people who are not radical right Republicans or Christians are evil communists beholden to China who want to destroy America and its culture. Right Wing Watch reports:

We’ve Got to Make Them Hurt’: Ali Alexander Says Republicans 

Must Be Willing to ‘Jail Democrats’

Far-right activist and so-called “Stop the Steal” leader Ali Alexander appeared Tuesday on a program hosted by far-right streamer Anthime “Tim” Gionet, where he declared that conservatives have to be willing to do whatever it takes to gain political control and then start putting Democrats in jail.

Alexander, who recently openly advocated for Christian fascism and “a violent Christian crusade” against his perceived political opponents, said that the next three months are likely going to be among the top five most important moments in American history.

“It’s all about willpower,” Alexander said. “Are you willing to set yourself on fire for what you want? To win? And our side has got to be a higher concentration of ‘yes.’ Right now, [Democrats are] willing to break the Constitution, break the law, imprison prison political prisoners, act like Soviet punks, and do all of that. We have to plus-one that. We have to jail Democrats. We have to censor their asses. We have to make them beg for a peace treaty with us, for an understanding. There’s no point in coming to an understanding before we have buy-in from them, so we’ve got to make them hurt.”

So, who is canceling whom? It is not just Democrats as Republican elites are publicly claiming. Republican elites want to cancel Democrats and liberals into jail for merely opposing what the GOP wants to do. The right wants to do mass incarceration of people who broke no law,. They want to jail innocent, honest people for opposing radical right, uncompromising Republican and Christian theocratic fascism. 

There just isn’t equivalence between radical right Christians and Republicans and the Democratic Party and liberals. It’s not even close, morally, legally or rationally.

Is anti-Semitism a new frontier for Republicans?

 

Insider asked 38 Republicans whether they're concerned about growing anti-Semitic sentiments in their party. Their responses included silence, deflection, and rehashing old statements.

• Republican leaders have seemingly adopted a wait-and-see approach to antisemitism.
• Frustrated supporters say the party should automatically condemn "any divisive and hateful commentary."
• "A lot of these people vote," Donald Trump once said when advised to keep bigots at bay.

Insider contacted more than three dozen Republicans, both in and out of Congress, to find out what's kept them from denouncing recent antisemitic outbursts by the party's current idols. 

Almost everyone ignored the multiple emails, calls, and text messages asking whatever happened to the cookie-cutter "there's-no-place-for-INSERT DESPICABLE THING-in-the-Republican-party" statements politicians typically fired off as soon as someone baselessly attacked anyone's race, religion or ethnicity. 

Insider reached out to House Republican leaders, GOP senators auditioning for the 2024 presidential race, the Republican National Committee, retired GOP lawmakers, seasoned Republican strategists and former Donald Trump administration officials about this disturbing phenomenon. 

The non-respondents included RNC chair Ronna McDaniel, former Vice President Mike Pence, National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Rick Scott, House Republican Conference chair Elise Stefanik, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, and former Speaker Newt Gingrich, among others. The brush-offs ranged from total radio silence to promises to circle back "if we're able to provide comment by your deadline" to immediate hang-ups and finger-pointing at Democrats. 

More on this disturbing story:

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/other/insider-asked-38-republicans-whether-they-re-concerned-about-growing-anti-semitic-sentiments-in-their-party-their-responses-included-silence-deflection-and-rehashing-old-statements/ar-AA13g9aY?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=24c33dec497e47e8aaa3505cd26878f0#image=AA13fUJ5|3

Kanye: “The thing about it being Adidas — I can say antisemitic things and Adidas can't drop me. Now what? Now what?”

They've had plenty of opportunities in just the past few weeks. They've not implored Pennsylvania GOP gubernatorial hopeful Doug Mastriano to rise above calling Democratic challenger Josh Shapiro elitist for attending a Jewish day school. 

They've not publicly rebuked Trump-backed Senate candidate Mehmet Oz for attending a fundraiser featuring one of Adolf Hitler's vintage cars as a backdrop.  

And then there is this:

Kari Lake endorsed an antisemitic Oklahoma Republican who says ‘the Jews’ are evil

https://www.azmirror.com/2022/08/19/kari-lake-endorsed-an-antisemitic-oklahoma-republican-who-says-the-jews-are-evil/

Medical fraud, conflicts of interest, capitalism and regulatory capture

This 20:25 video discusses the basis for a high premium increase in 2022 for Medicare Part B and the history of the Alzheimer’s drug that drove the premium increase. The drug was and still is a failure, but it is bleeding billions from taxpayers. 

This is a sad and infuriating story of what happens when capitalism takes control of government regulatory agencies. Capitalism subverts the regulators. Regulators go from protectors of the public interest to powerful instruments that serve the special interests at the expense of the public interest. Those special interests are said to have captured the agency that was supposed to be regulating the interests for the public.

For me, the saddest part of this is the shocking failure of the FDA and leaders of the research community that influences spending of tax dollars for biomedical research. Both institutions have been captured and corrupted. Outright fraud and grotesque conflicts of interest have been normalized and accepted.

In my opinion, this is another example of the deep moral rot that has settled into American society, government, politics and religion. The rot is spreading everywhere. It has become accepted in institutions that originally served the public interest, honest government and defended democracy and inconvenient truth. 

This is how capitalism wants to work. We get endless highfalutin rhetoric and endless bloviation from capitalist ideologue blowhards about wonderful free markets, benign invisible hands, healthy fair competition, honest dealings and prosperity for all. All of that is just lies growing in the fertile soil of deep moral rot. 

In the US, there is no mechanism to justify any cost for any new drug. In the American drug approval process, there is no cost-benefit analysis for new drugs whatsoever. American taxpayers just pay whatever drug companies demand. That’s what capitalism does when it can run free and wild after government regulation has been captured and corrupted. We’ve been betrayed and ripped off.

This is one of the information sources the narrator cites as what he bases this video on:

Newly launched U.S. drugs head toward record-high prices in 2022

• Median annual price for new U.S. drugs this year is $257,000
• Eight of 13 drugs launched in 2022 priced over $200,000 per year
• Some drugmakers disclose less information on pricing

Acknowledgement: Thanks to Larry Motuz for bringing this video to my attention.

Thoughts on a citizen’s moral responsibility in a liberal democracy

CONTEXT

The news lately has been dismal. It looks like Russia is going to pound the Ukraine into sand. Millions of Ukrainians now face a possibility of starving, dying from thirst and/or freezing to death. If the GOP takes control of the House or Senate, aid to the Ukraine will probably be mostly or completely cut off. 

At the same time a veritable hurricane has been unleashed in American law after the radical right Supreme Court began taking aim at secularism, church-state separation, civil liberties, business regulations and the rule of law itself. Gun regulations are now falling in multiple states after a radical Supreme Court ruling made it almost impossible for any regulation to stand. We all know what happened to abortion rights. Not surprisingly, tragic stories of adversely affected women and families are now coming out. The GOP wants a national abortion ban, so the situation could go from bad to much worse.

Equally concerning, in its 2022-2023 term the Supreme Court will decide a critically important case, Moore v. Harper. Experts are predicting the court will probably rule to end free and fair elections in states that choose to give the legislature essentially unlimited power over elections. That outcome will mean the end of free and fair elections nationally, to the extent they have existed in recent decades. State legislatures will be free to openly ignore what a majority of voters voted for and simply install the candidate they choose. Voters who do not like it can just go pound sand. Elections will go from mostly democratic to mostly tyranny-theocracy-kleptocracy. 

In another target for radical right attack on consumers and consumer protections, the brass knuckles capitalism wing of the GOP has always hated the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. That federal agency is a major financial regulator. The capitalists want to get rid of the CFPB because it has passed consumer protection and other regulations. Republicans and the capitalists call the CFPB a rogue socialist, deep state tyranny operation. Now it looks like the CFPB is going to be completely obliterated by the Supreme Court, probably in its 2023-2024 term. A federal appeals court panel of three Trump judges has just held[1] that funding for the CFPB has been unconstitutional right from the get-go. All CFPB regulations are now susceptible to being nullified once the case gets appealed to the Supreme Court and the lower court ruling is upheld. Being hard core brass knuckles, government-hating capitalists, the six Republicans on the high court are going to want to get rid of the CFPB. That tells us how that case is very likely going to turn out. 

The CFPB and all of its regulations are probably toast (~90% chance?). Bye-bye consumer protections. Here come the predatory lenders, snake oil sellers and grinning grifters running free, wild, and butt naked unregulated. Fine products and services, such as those provided by the former Trump “University” will be out there trolling for dollars with no accountability for anything. We are going right back to something akin to the capitalism of the 1800s. Corrupt capitalists just can't wait to feast.

MORAL RESPONSIBILITY?

What is behind all of this upheaval? When asked about specific things, most Americans say they do not want the things that radical right elites are now getting handed to them. Most Americans say they want things like free and fair elections, reasonable access to abortion services, reasonable consumer protections and gun regulations, a separation of church and state, and secular public education. Most of the authoritarian-Christian theocratic impacts are things that transfer both power and wealth from government and consumers to special interests who stand to accumulate even more power and wealth than they have now. When government loses power to protect consumers or the environment, that power flows to the interests and people in a position to benefit from those lost protections. 

So why do so many Americans still vote for Republicans who are imposing a corrupt autocratic theocracy on all Americans? There are multiple reasons, but first and foremost, decades of ruthless, relentless dark free speech is a major cause. America's radical right has spent billions to deceive, poison and distract tens of  millions of Americans into false beliefs that lead them to support corrupt and bigoted autocracy and Christian theocracy. In 2016, few understood who and what Trump was. Even fewer understood what the Republican Party had significantly degenerated into by that time. Both Trump and the GOP were and remain steaming piles of moral rot.

For a while, one can mostly excuse rank and file voters for being deceived and manipulated. But only for so long. Now it is years later. There is plenty of evidence that Trump and his Republican Party are anti-democratic, anti-civil liberties, pro-autocracy, pro-Christian theocracy and corrupt. None of that is reasonably debatable any more, just like the major aspects of climate change are not reasonably debatable any more. 

Why don’t most rank and file Republican voters see that what they are supporting is anti-democratic and bad? Yes, the endless lies, slanders, irrational emotional manipulation and crackpot reasoning is still here. It’s still poisonous. But in time adults in our democracy have to take responsibility for their behaviors and the beliefs that cause them. Failure to do so arguably constitutes moral cowardice. Reality is too painful, self-disaffirming and socially unpleasant for most people to face honestly. So, they do not face it. Instead they accept the lies, and slanders that comfort them and make them feel self-affirmed and part of a righteous tribe or cult. 

Time has run out for there to be any reasonable defense of what is obviously indefensible. To stay with Trump and the Republican Party, moral courage would dictate that the rank and file be honest about what they are supporting. What they support is acceptance of all means to the radical right cult’s stated ends. That includes lies, slanders, and all the rest of the dark free speech weapons that radical right elites have used successfully to get the power they now control to destroy democracy, civil liberties and inconvenient truth.

Is it time to call rank and file Republicans moral cowards? Domestic terrorists at least for the ones who openly support radical right violence in the name of the elite’s causes, e.g., stopping the non-existent steal or allegedly rigged elections? Or, are those judgments too harsh or irrational? If so, why? 

Why give as much weight to a person’s opinion when the opinion is based on anti-democratic, pro-autocratic-theocratic lies, falsehoods, slanders, emotional irrationality and/or crackpot reasoning? Is there equivalence between a true, well intentioned opinion and one that is false and without serious regard for truth? 

Footnote: 

1. The NYT writes:

A three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit said the funding method improperly ceded too much authority to the bureau and insulated it from being accountable to Congress and the American people.

“Wherever the line between a constitutionally and unconstitutionally funded agency may be, this unprecedented arrangement crosses it,” Judge Cory Wilson wrote in the ruling. All three judges on the panel were appointed by former President Donald J. Trump.

The ruling, if it stands, could upend every regulation and enforcement action undertaken by the bureau since its creation in 2011. The decision is widely expected to be stayed pending appeal. The consumer bureau can ask the full Fifth Circuit to reconsider the case, or it could appeal directly to the Supreme Court.

On abortion: Two short campaign ads worth considering

These two are ~90 seconds long each. Just consider them.

Acknowledgement: Thanks to SNOWFLAKE for bringing these fun-filled campaign ads to my attention.

An argument for Ukraine-Russia-US negotiations

At 18:34 to 26:20 of this video, Jeffrey Sachs discusses the possibility of peace negotiations and what went wrong earlier this year. His analysis is clear and worth at least being aware of, even if it is not persuasive. If Sachs is right in his facts and reasoning, this make me quite uncomfortable with what the US and done and failed to do.

 

Acknowledgement: Thanks to PD for bringing this video to my attention.