I have a dream for 2023

 I have a dream - that the Russian people will say NO to their pathological crazies. Just like the American people said no to our right wing crazies. Only the Russians can stop Putin and his cruel inner circle of crazies. It can be done. America said no to most of the election denier extremists running this November, severely crimping their planned fascist overthrow of American democracy. 

Some got elected in America, sadly, and will assault our democracy as best they can. The crazies will still be there and be repugnantly in the news - Jim Jordan and Rand Paul and Ted Cruz and Margery Taylor Green and Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham to who knows who all.  

 But I sincerely hope they just become a disgusting and embarrassing clown show that forces the Republican Party to override them and push them out of their obsessive need to control the Party and the country.

America has the tool of elections and the Russians don’t, but maybe pathological insane tyrants cannot hang on if they get crazy enough.  Maybe the people can find a way…

Hotter climate coming

 Apparently, the cooling effects of La Niña are fading and the warming effects of El Niño are coming. Not happy news.  Already the mighty Colorado river is dangerously low, with a reduction in hydropower and water for humans and agriculture at serious risk. And the Mightiest of all, the Mississippi is so low that its waterway transport of commerce is threatened. Here from the article:

“ In 2023, the relentless increase in global heating will continue, bringing ever more disruptive weather that is the signature calling card of accelerating climate breakdown.   According to NASA, 2022 was one of the hottest years ever recorded on Earth. This is extraordinary, because the recurrent climate pattern across the tropical Pacific—known as ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation)—was in its cool phase. During this phase, called La Niña, the waters of the equatorial Pacific are noticeably cooler than normal, which influences weather patterns around the world.  One consequence of La Niña is that it helps keep a lid on global temperatures. This means that—despite the recent widespread heat waves, wildfires and droughts—we have actually been spared the worst. The scary thing is that this La Niña will end and eventually transition into the better-known El Niño, which sees the waters of the equatorial Pacific becoming much warmer. When it does, the extreme weather that has rampaged across our planet in 2021 and 2022 will pale into insignificance. … ”  Read more from WIRED here: El Niño is coming—and the world isn’t prepared”

Tear down these statues

 West point is removing statues that honor confederate traitors and insurrectionists. Finally. 

The capital is finally removing a statue of Roger Taney, infamous Supreme Court Justice who wrote the dreaded Dred Scott decision declaring whites to be superior to blacks who were nothing more than property of whites  

There is hope for America.  Thank you  

Criminal referrals to the DOJ

 Finally, a criminal referral from the January 6 Committee Tuesday.  A summary from PBS:

Criminal referrals for Trump
 
The committee concluded there is enough evidence to convict former President Trump and recommended that the Department of Justice make the following criminal charges:

• Obstruction of an official proceeding. The “proceeding” being the Jan. 6 meeting of Congress itself.
• Conspiracy to defraud the United States. The committee argued that this happened in multiple ways, including Trump’s lies about the 2020 election and then-Vice President Pence’s role in certification among other issues.
• Conspiracy to knowingly make a false statement. The committee said Trump broke this statute by participating in a plot to submit fake slates of electors.
• Assisting, aiding or comforting an insurrection. The committee believes Trump incited the U.S. Capitol attack, but notes he was impeached on that charge already. The report summary specifically concludes there is enough evidence to convict and, therefore, to charge Trump with “assisting, aiding or comforting” the insurrection. The focus here is on his actions as the attack unfolded — and his lack of action in not moving to stop it.

Prison please…

And, oh yes, “others”….

Prison please…

Crypto scams

 It seems to me that Americans are especially susceptible to scams these days. Two that come to mind are cryptocurrency and NFTs. 

I have a written against crypto currencies many times in the past. My first big problem with them is that in a time of global warming and climate change, cryptocurrencies require huge, warehouses of computers, using enormous amounts of energy in order to make the system work. Most electrical power comes from fossil fuels which are major contributors to our climate crises. There is no need for any of this. Dollars and banks work just fine.

My second big problem with crypto currencies is that it is the preferred currency for drug cartels, money launderers, and criminals all around the world. Why? Because there is no government regulation looking at what is going on, and criminals love that, of course.

And now we see a third major reason to distrust cryptocurrencies, and it is that without regulation, without a government oversight, cryptocurrencies become natural vehicles for Ponzi Schemes. The FTX scam stole nearly $4 billion from investors – better thought of as victims. This Ponzi Scheme apparently dwarfs the previous record holder, Bernie Madoff, for evil. I personally have been the victim of a real estate Ponzi Scheme and I’m more sensitive than most to the terrible assault that these kinds of crimes are.

And then there are NFTs – non-fungible tokens. Apparently these also use Blockchain, so my problem with them starts with environmental damage caused by extraordinary needs for electrical power. And we recently had the former president offer a series of NFT “cards” available for $99 each. Having this lifelong criminal use NFTs as a way to scam his gullible cult is reason enough to be suspicious of their nature. Apparently his sale was quite successful, and does that mean that thousands of cult members paid out this money, or does it mean this was simply a way for him to get a hostile foreign power like China, Russia, or Saudi Arabia to give him vast sums of money?

We live in a time of great economic turmoil. So I suppose it is natural that scams and thieves come with the territory.

I believe in normal investments, using normal money, The United States dollar with government rules, regulations, audits, and oversight.

Too powerful to take down?

Is the Former Guy too powerful to face Justice?  Is he immune? Will he always get away with it?

Well, that is what everyone thought about Harvey Weinstein - in prison, and more convictions to come 

That’s what they thought about Jeffrey Epstein. And was arrested then killed himself in prison.  Same with his co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell - in prison awaiting trial. 

That’s what they thought about Madoff - in prison.

That’s what Stewart Rhodes, head of the extremist Oath Keepers thought - convicted of Seditious Conspiracy.

That’s what they thought about Bill Cosby - prison and a ruined life. 

That’s what they thought about Qaddafi and Mussolini - beaten to death by their former subjects. 

That’s what they thought about Saddam Hussein - hanged. 

That’s what they thought about Goebbels and Hitler - killed themselves. 

They are too powerful - until they aren’t. 

The Former Guy is not immune. And the law is closing in. And he’s terrified. And he will destroy anything and anyone he can to save himself. I would not want to be his children, his lawyers, his employees, his Republican Party now. Watch out, for them, and for America, and American democracy.  

The forecast is incoming Ugly with storms of Crazy.

But I think he may be just a spent force, a one foot wave who thinks he is a fifty foot tsunami. 

Prison please. 

Desperate call to overturn the Constitution

The Former Guy is feeling the law closing in on him from all sides, and in keeping with his poisonous pathological narcissistic nature he is now calling for his cult to overthrow the Constitution and make him king.

“A massive fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution.”  And he repeats for the gazillionth time his preposterous lie that the 2020 election was stolen from his majestic self.

Actually, he is in severe danger of indictment for Seditious Conspiracy, for espionage for stealing top secret documents and hiding them, and for tax evasion and bank fraud. 

So, what is left for a psychopath to do except call for a violent coup - again?

And, by the way, Republicans are meeting this call to overthrow the government with - silence.  Silence?  

Are they declaring that the Republican Party is actually an autocratic fascistic party whose whole being is dedicated to forceful rule of a dictator and ignore the Rule of Law and the Constitution?

I expect this desperate raving will have little effect and the Gears of Justice will grind on, and this pathetic little man will shrink into the sunset, whining and whimpering. 

By the way, I wonder who wrote that for him?  It used kind of big words and the spelling and grammar were correct.