Category: Society

Someone Please Rescue Our 250th

We are rapidly approach the 250th anniversary of the founding of this country….and to celebrate Donny is making it all about himself and not this great nation.

There has got to be some way to rescue this event from the claws of Donny and his egotistical mind.  A auto race, state fair, BBQ or a UFC match is not the way to commemorate our beginnings.

I was around for the celebration in 1976 and its was the way to celebrate the beginnings of the US of A….it was and will be heads above the silliness the Donny thinks will celebrate our country.

On the 250th anniversary of the United States, some details of the celebrations might seem familiar from the celebrations in 1976 of America’s 200th. People sip from cans decorated with the Liberty Bell and a big round number. Commemorative vehicles drive or fly around with founding documents. Federal dollars and private donations flow toward politicians’ goals. A president directs federal funding toward his pet projects.

A big difference is just how prominent Trump is making himself this time around. It wasn’t always headed this way: Congress created the United States Semiquincentennial Commission in 2016, during the Obama administration. In 2020, Trump created the 1776 Commission—an advisory body committed to propagating whitewashed American history—which Biden disbanded on his first day in office in 2021. Trump reassembled it in 2025, more determined to make the national birthday about him, his followers, and their shared visions of the past. While Richard Nixon sought to leverage bicentennial funds to motivate political support in the 1970s, Trump uses the semiquincentennial moment to promote himself. Trump is even attempting to align a semiquincentennial UFC match with his own 80th birthday.

As historian Marc Stein traces in Bicentennial: A Revolutionary History of the 1970s, a national birthday can launch a much broader, more inclusive, and ambitious national project. Yes, the bicentennial too involved politicians advancing their own aims, and it involved selling things, with a proliferation of commemorative objects. But the events and their backlash also helped promote broader goals. Stein writes of the urban planners who sought to direct bicentennial resources toward remaking cities and revamping tourist destinations. He writes of the contingent of the New Left that hoped to rekindle what they viewed as the radicalism of the founders, and of marginalized communities, who mobilized for a reexamination of American history and for reform in contemporary society. Sometimes these groups disagreed about the past and agreed on the future. Sometimes they disagreed about the future, despite shared ideals of the past.

https://newrepublic.com/article/209315/rescue-america-250th-trump

I will not participate in anything the Donny and his clowns have planned for this point in our history.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Tacky Is As Tacky Does

We are celebrating our 250th year of existence and Uncle Donny has the perfect event that will explain his administration to the nation and the world.

The White House South Lawn is getting a temporary makeover, the BBC reports. Construction is underway on an octagonal wire-mesh UFC cage and temporary arena outside the White House, ahead of a June 14 fight card marking 250 years of American independence that President Trump has billed as UFC’s “biggest event” yet. (June 14 is also Trump’s 80th birthday, the New York Times reports.)

UFC Freedom 250, as the event is called, will feature two title bouts: Brazil’s Alex Pereira vs. France’s Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight belt and Georgia’s Ilia Topuria vs. interim champ Justin Gaethje at lightweight. UFC president Dana White says about 4,300 people—largely military personnel—will watch on the lawn, while as many as 100,000 people will be allowed to watch the fight for free at the nearby White House Ellipse grounds. Ringside, there will be a full marching band providing music, the Guardian reports.

There will be no public ticket sales, though VIP “high roller” special access packages are reportedly being offered to some for $1.5 million. Parent company TKO Group says the UFC won’t profit and is treating the spectacle as a long-term investment. It will be the first professional sporting event staged on White House grounds and comes amid a series of Trump-era renovations, including added gold accents in the Oval Office, a new patio over the former rose garden, a refurbished Lincoln Bedroom bath, and a rebuilt East Wing to accommodate Trump’s new ballroom. The president is also planning an IndyCar street circuit racing event in August that will go past the US Capitol, Washington Monument, and other iconic sites.

How fucking tacky is this?

No public access it is for the making of obscene profits at the expense of this country’s dignity….but how can we be surprised look at who’s is pushing this abortion of an event.

Only an idiot with no sense of honor would consider a gladiator game a rich example of celebrating this country’s independence.

This is a pathetic attempt a from pathetic individual.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Support Our Troops

Memorial Day has come and gone and all day long we heard (if you were out and about) just how massive our support for our troops is….sorry but Memorial Day is not about supporting the troops but rather those that had their lives taken from them in a time of war.

“Support our troops” is a catchphrase, almost a mantra, often used by cynical politicians to suppress dissent about their disastrous wars of choice. Basically, dissenters are accused of being unpatriotic because their criticism allegedly betrays the troops and weakens national resolve. It’s a BS argument but it’s often compelling and even convincing to some.

Americans have a civic religion defined by the Pledge of Allegiance, the flag, the National Anthem, military parades and pageantry, and U.S. history taught as heritage and as a celebration of American goodness and greatness. When you step outside of that, when you criticize it, dissent from it, you must be prepared to be attacked as a heretic.

Back in 2010, I wrote an article for TomDispatch in which I argued that not every American troop is a hero. I argued instead that real heroes are few and far between, and that the ideal of heroism shouldn’t be associated so closely, even almost exclusively, with military service. These are obvious points (to me, at least), but I took some flak for suggesting that merely donning a military uniform doesn’t and shouldn’t make one a “hero.”

I remain convinced that hyping the troops as universal “heroes” isn’t a form of support. The troops know better. If you truly want to support them, listen to them. Be an informed and knowledgeable citizen. Speak your mind and don’t be afraid to criticize those who seek to use the military for dishonorable or indefensible purposes.

Since this is America, theoretically land of the free, feel free as well to speak out against the military. Our founders were suspicious of large standing armies and were wary of wars as being especially pernicious to democracy.

We Americans celebrate our troops for defending freedom, yet we paradoxically attack those who try to exercise their freedom by denouncing war and militarism. You can’t have it both ways. Unless you want hypocrisy instead of democracy, you can’t celebrate freedom while denying it.

This was, of course, the so-called original sin of the American republic: celebrating freedom while also enshrining the institution of slavery. Rank hypocrisy led inexorably to the U.S. Civil War.

https://original.antiwar.com/william_astore/2026/05/24/support-our-troops-what-it-really-means/

This pseudo-religion is practiced everyday….with the singing of the anthem or the reciting of the Pledge, etc….but most participate because everyone around them is doing it….

I have a hard time with people that blindly thank me for my service but know nothing about me or how I was treated when I returned home.

If you want to ‘thank them for their service’ then become more engaged in what they must go through to return to civilian life….in some cases it is not an easy transformation.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

From Debs To The DSA

As we count down to our next election and then the next general we should start looking beyond the silliness that is this two party system that has actually given this country nothing but grief.

Just have to throw some light on the Left in this country from late 19th century and into the 20th….yes it is a boring history lesson but a lesson that should be taught and learned….there is so much we can do as Americans and we need to be reminded of our strenth and power.

Eugene Debs….a tireless fighter for worker rights and unions….jailed several times for his work and even ran for president from prison….actually he ran for president 5 times starting in 1904 through 1920 and each time he got over 3% of the vote.  He was a tireless antiwar spokeman which got him arrested again for his opposition to American involvement in WW1….his voice lead the way for countless others, like myself, to see the problems and protest for a better nation.

Much of U.S. political commentary today oozes with pessimism: red-blue tribalism, the government shutdown, the alt-right … the list of fracture points is long. But for revolutionary socialists—those of us who believe an equitable world is possible if working people rise up and end capitalism—the picture is not all bad. A historic strike wave of teachers rolled across many regions of the country last spring, followed by the recent L.A. teachers’ revolt. Class struggle remains on the agenda, and many want an alternative to capitalism.

Given the increased interest in socialism, it’s worth defining the S-word: Does it refer to European Social Democracy (a la Sweden), the early Soviet Union, Cuba or something else entirely? Many people believe that socialism is foreign to the United States, a view that only reinforces the bourgeois status quo. In reality, socialist politics has a rich tradition in the U.S. and has influenced, as well as led, a variety of social movements. Today’s generation of radicals have the challenge of rescuing the best elements of the American socialist tradition from oblivion so we can effectively learn from the past and prepare for tomorrow.

When Bernie Sanders identified himself as a democratic socialist, Google searches for “socialism” spiked. Millions want to understand the legacy of socialist politics—what was achieved and what failed. In the United States, the Democratic Socialists of America has become the greatest beneficiary of renewed interest in socialism, with membership surging beyond 50,000. As a multitendency organization, the DSA has certain commonalities with the old U.S. Socialist Party (SP), the first anticapitalist party with real influence on American soil.

Most radicals today recognize the important achievements of the SP in the first decades of the 20th century. It led historic strikes, elected hundreds of its members to local and national offices and developed an array of newspapers—in a word, it made socialism relevant to American workers. That Eugene V. Debs, the SP’s most notable public figure, gained about a million votes for president while sitting in a jail cell for opposing World War I is proof positive that the Socialist Party is worth learning from.

https://www.leftvoice.org/from-debs-to-the-dsa-rescuing-americas-revolutionary-tradition/

The argument will be that the US is not going to embrace socialism…..and that is true only because of the distorted visions that the centrist want to present as facts.

Eighty-four percent of independent voters told pollsters last fall that “the United States is in a political crisis.” Democrats and Republicans flip back and forth on these kinds of questions depending on which team won the most recent election. But unaffiliated voters, the largest part of the electorate, are deeply concerned in ways that can’t be soothed by the next swing of the pendulum. Indeed, each “vibe shift” further convinces them that the system is see-sawing out of control.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5873079-american-dissatisfaction-political-system/

All this leaves open for a new way of politics….but will the American have enough energy to find the alternative?

AS it is today I do not think they will….they are too set ion their ways to change…..but as the society deteriorates all things are possible…..and now is the time to start the search for a better tomorrow.

Will we?

Or will we just pick ‘not the other guy”?

What will it be?

Change or more of the same?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Memorial Day (Observed)–2026

Today is Memorial Day (observed) and this will be my only post today for I must attend to the traditional stuff I do on this day.

There are many things that we as Americans should do on this solemn day….it is a day of remembrance not partying.

Ways to honor on Memorial Day….

  • Attend a Memorial Day Ceremony: Many communities organize Memorial Day ceremonies at local cemeteries, memorials, or Veterans’ organizations. Participating in these events provides an opportunity to pay tribute to fallen soldiers alongside fellow citizens and Veterans.
  • Visit a Military Cemetery: Take a moment to visit a Military cemetery in your area and place flowers or flags on the graves of fallen soldiers. This simple act of remembrance is a powerful way to honor their memory and show appreciation for their service.
  • Support Veterans and Military Families: Consider volunteering with organizations that support Veterans and Military families. Whether it’s organizing care packages, providing assistance with job placement, or offering emotional support, there are countless ways to give back to those who have served. Visit our volunteer page if you would be interested in volunteering with us at Soldiers’ Angels. We offer in-person and virtual options!
  • Educate Others: Use Memorial Day as an opportunity to educate others, especially younger generations, about the significance of the holiday and the sacrifices made by our Military personnel. Share stories of valor and heroism to ensure that the memory of our fallen heroes lives on.
  • Moment of Silence: At 3:00 PM local time on Memorial Day, observe a moment of silence to honor the fallen. This simple yet profound gesture is a way to collectively pause and reflect on the sacrifices of those who gave everything for our country.
  • Give a gift in memory of a fallen hero: Soldiers’ Angels, along with countless other Military and Veteran nonprofits across the country, rely on donations in order to continue providing support to current and future generations of military-connected families. Giving a gift in memory of a fallen hero not only helps to memorialize their service but also pays it forward to other Service Members and Veterans who may be in a situation of need.

Just as there are things Americans can do to honor our fallen heroes….there are also things that should NOT be done….

  • Don’t wish someone “Happy Memorial Day.” This isn’t a joyful holiday like Christmas or the Fourth of July. It’s a solemn time set aside to honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.
  • Don’t thank active-duty service members—at least, not specifically for this day. While we deeply respect and honor those currently serving, Memorial Day is not about them. It’s about remembering the fallen. (We honor all veterans on Veterans Day in November.)
  • Don’t disregard the meaning of the day. It’s easy to let the long weekend become just about barbecues or big sales. But especially after the many conflicts our country has seen in recent decades, we must not let the memory of those who gave their lives become an afterthought.
  • Don’t let politics get in the way of respect. Whether or not we agree with any particular war or military decision, this day isn’t about politics. It’s not a day to glorify war—but to remember its cost and honor those who gave their lives in service.

This day is close to my heart as I always take the time to remember my friends that gave their all in Vietnam.

Please honor the Fallen in a proper manner.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Opposing The War Machine

Anti-war is a movement dear to my heart for I was a participant in the 1970s after I returned from Vietnam….it pains me to see just how compliant the American people have become to the nightmare of war….but there are some that will not look the other way because they are told to do so…..

Let’s revive the movement on a massive scale….especially now when the government is staring war after war with no clear reason other than their lies and misinformation.

Time for Americans to return to the days of confrontating the war machine….

The war resides mostly in the background here in the aggressor nation. Most of those who think about it at all tend to oppose it and seem to think it’s a task forced on the US by the zealots running Israel. Some take it even further, presenting an argument that blames the relationship between the mad rulers of Israel and the United States for the entire catastrophe. The argument varies, but its essence is that Bibi Netanyahu is the individual responsible for convincing the sundowning Donald Trump to bomb Iran for the sake of Israel. There are those who argue that the reason for this is because Israel’s Mossad has compromising materials on Trump and his escapades with Jeffrey Epstein, while others place Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in the role of instigator. Of course, no one has produced a smoking gun for either possibility, even though both have a potential element of truth. It is likely that Epstein had some working relationship with Mossad and it’s an established fact that Kushner’s family have a long-term relationship with Netanyahu. Furthermore, Kushner is financially connected to Saudi Arabia and UAE’s monarchies. It’s an established fact that Israel, the Arab monarchies and the United States all oppose the Iranian government—its support of national liberation and anti-imperialist movements and its existence in general. Furthermore, all of these governments are more interested in maintaining the political situation in West Asia as it is and has been for decades. They are not interested in bringing popular democracy to the region, with some more than willing to maintain a constant state of war and occupation to maintain the current hierarchy of power.

https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/oppose-the-war-and-its-machinery/

To build a sustained anti-war movement one must look to the past and its many failures….

Before discussing the strengths and failures of the last major anti-war movement, we need to step back and look at US history. What that history shows is that the inability to build and sustain an anti-war movement or mass presence is directly linked to the absence of what one might call an anti-imperial/pro-democratic foreign policy on the part of progressive movements. As a result, those who adhere to the notion of a need for peace and justice find ourselves in a Groundhog Day scenario on a regular basis, trying our best to ignite or reignite a mass movement against US aggression each time that aggression raises its ugly head.

https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/anti-war-movement-history/

The only way to make sure that there is always opposition to any worthless war we need a movement that will be there for the long run and not one we need to rebuild with every war the government decides it needs to fight.

We need this movement now more than ever…..we cannot turn our backs on the opposition to senseless violence in the name of our country.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Racial Resentment

For many years now those religious nationalists have been plugging away at anything that smacks of equality….then in the past decade these creeps have been winning this fight.

What is it about racial resentment?

 

https://www.psypost.org/how-racial-resentment-relates-to-political-conservatism-across-different-white-religious-groups/

 

It is silly when we allow any one group to lead on trying to return this country to yesteryear.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

We Are ‘Domestic Terrorists’

Do you actively criticize or protest Donny and his merry band of crooks?

If so you may be labeled a domestic terrorist…..Donny and the Hand Job Gang has defined it as….

The brainchild of National Security Council official Sebastian Gorka, the “Counterterrorism Strategy” weaves together Trump’s war on the wider world — which stretches from interventions and wars in Yemen and Iran to Nigeria and Somalia to Venezuela and the Caribbean Sea — with the administration’s war on dissent at home, which has targeted immigrants, legal observers, activists, protesters, and the press.

…

Now, according to the Trump administration, the nation is battling three major types of terror groups: “Legacy Islamist Terrorists,” the long-standing focus of America’s counter-terror efforts; “Narcoterrorists and Transnational Gangs”; and “Violent Left-Wing Extremists, including Anarchists and Anti-Fascists.”

This last group is defined in the document as people the administration deems to be “anti-American, radically pro-transgender, and anarchist.” This puts antifa — a fictional foe that is actually a collection of ideas and not an organization — on par with actual terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and the Islamic State group, and drug-trafficking syndicates such as the Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

How Trump’s New Counterterrorism Strategy Puts You at Risk

According to these slugs that definition would be me….

I will not deny that I think that Donny and The Slugs are a cancer on our society and the sooner we can eliminate the tumor the sooner we can rebuild this once great country….

So since I am a big mouth opponent am I worried that they will come get me while I sleep?

I will lose little sleep worrying about that….but will they charge me with being a ‘domestic terrorist’?

Unless something changes….there is no federal statute to charge anyone as ‘a domestic terrorist’….you can be charged for a lot of things but a domestic terrorist is not one of them in a legal sense.

Despite officials’ proclivity for the phrase, there is no federal statute to charge someone with domestic terrorism. Federal law does define domestic terrorism—criminal acts “dangerous to human life,” intended to intimidate civilians or influence government policy. But as the FBI noted in a November 2020 memo, “This is a definitional statute, not a charging statute.” The bureau prefers the term domestic violent extremism “because the underlying ideology itself and the advocacy of such beliefs is not prohibited by US law.”

Federal sentencing guidelines already allow for an “enhanced penalty….if the offense involves international or domestic terrorism,” and it’s easy to see its potential for abuse. When leaders of the far-right Proud Boys were convicted for organizing the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, prosecutors alleged the mob violence that day was “no different” than blowing up a building.

U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly disagreed but still felt “the constitutional moment we were in that day is something that is so sensitive that it deserves a significant sentence.” Kelly applied terrorism enhancements and sentenced them each to over a decade in prison. (All participants received a presidential pardon in 2025.)

Over the past 25 years, we’ve learned the government won’t waste an opportunity to increase its power in the name of fighting “terror,” whether at home or abroad. The Trump administration already claims the authority to label people “domestic terrorists” based on such perceived offenses as “anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity.” The FBI cited January 6 as justification to dramatically increase surveillance of American citizens who opposed then-President Joe Biden. We should look skeptically at any further expansion of power that will supposedly fight “terror.”

(reason.com)

But I am sure if needed Donny and his Magic Sharpie will do the honors.

If you criticize Donny and his Band of Tech Bro thieves are you worried about them coming for you?

Me?  I just say…’Bring It On!’

Tell me what you feel.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

I Hate Defeatism!

“…Land of the free and home of the brave…”

When I returned from Vietnam I began my campaign of protesting the war and I was met with an amazing amount of defeatism…..I started my protests for after seeing that war first hand I could stand by and turn my head and ignore the horrors and the sacrifices.

Defeatism can be found in most aspects of life….your life, your job, etc but for this post I want to address political defeatism.

Personally I hate defeatism to me it is just throwing hands up and accepting crap and no inclination to change things.

First we need to define the term so there is NO confusion.

Defeatism….is a term used to describe an individual’s mindset or attitude characterized by a pervasive belief that failure is inevitable, and success is unattainable. This defeatist thinking can manifest in various aspects of life, including work, relationships, and personal goals. It often leads to a lack of motivation, low self-esteem, and a reluctance to take on challenges.

There seems to be a wealth of defeatism these days especially on blogs….it is fear that drives this cancerous feeling.

…

I can’t say for certain, but I got the clear sense that there is a wide-spread fear among Americans these days of openly expressing opposition to the aspiring orange tyrant in the White House. Putting an anti-Trump bumper sticker on a car could lead to vandalizing of the vehicle, saying something critical of Trump could mean losing friend, a job, or ruining a family gathering. I even heard that one of my J-School alums didn’t want to sign the Class of ‘69 protest letter or even to have a copy of it sent to his email address, explaining to a mutual friend that “I still have a journalism job” and thus even being associated with such a document!

A common comment I heard from people when I expressed my outrage at Trump’s executive orders like the blocking of already-awarded federal research grants, the revoking of already-approved Green Cards and student visas for foreign students, the deportation of children who are US citizens, and the president’s ignoring of judicial and even Supreme Court orders, has been a dismissive and resigned “Yeah, that’s the new normal now.”

I cannot recall observing that sort of defeatism and fear during the dark years of American atrocities in Indochina. When we learned of massacres of civilians in Vietnam by US troops, or of the carpet bombing by B-52s of North Vietnam and later of Cambodia, the news fueled mass marches across the country and in the nation’s capital.

…

This is the only way to stop what Shipler and I are noticing: a withdrawal from protest. That cannot be allowed to happen. As Shipler writes, “History is still in the hands of the people, for a time. Whether this enters American history as a passing phase or a fundamental turning point will depend on whether Americans mobilize. To make courage contagious. ‘In a free society,’ said Abraham Joshua Heschel during the civil rights movement, ‘some are guilty, but all are responsible.”

https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/05/15/fear-of-protesting-trump-policies-spreads-in-us/

Then there is apathy….defeatism and apathy go hand in hand and to the ruination of the nation….

A new kind of plague has spread across the West: the plague of resignation, marked by diminished voter turnout and a general retreat from political engagement. People feel frustrated by a system that seems to yield little change, regardless of their involvement. But treating this “plague” requires an understanding of its cause. While it’s easy to diagnose public sentiment as apathetic and cynical, we must ask what fuels this mindset and what might reverse it.

At the heart of this apathy is a deep-seated reluctance to self-examine or step beyond comfort zones. Many, especially on the political left, hold fixed beliefs about who holds power and who bears responsibility for society’s ills. There’s a pervasive notion that those in power are inherently to blame, that the powerful are perpetually working against the interests of ordinary people. This perspective is often accompanied by the view that any issue of injustice or inequality can be traced back to the “evil” actions of the elite. The public, in turn, finds a certain comfort in this approach. It allows people to feel moral and justified, focusing their frustrations outward rather than examining their own roles and responsibilities.

Apathy and defeatism: the plague of politics

American history will be written by the people.  Will you be part of the ‘brave’ or part of the defeatism that is striking fear in Americans hearts?

Even at my advanced age I refuse to live in fear and reject defeatism in all it’s forms

Who will stand with me?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”