Texas – Friendly or Crazy

Our beloved land was named after the Tejas (Friend) people. By 1973 “Drive Friendly – the Texas Way” was our highway slogan. But in the last 30 years we have been led to road rages, school massacres, razor wire sand wildfires through the policies supported by this administration. Our impotent Governor seeks to cover his inadequacies through a Revenge tour, where he punishes party members who dare to disagree with ANY of his extremist agenda. Bankrolled by religious zealot oil billionaires he imposes purity tests to divide us. His successionist followers do not want the diversity or experiences of outsiders, only their money. His party collaborates in secret meetings through PACs with authoritarian fascist Nick Fuentes. Armed thugs patrol outside his events to stifle reporting and dissent. His owners stir the Rage machine to question Who you love, What you worship, When did your ancestors arrive, and Where are you from. Bless their hearts. Let’s lead guide and direct them at the polls to Make Texas Friendly Again.

Trump Can Win in 2024

I think he can slog through the legal issues by stalling and still keep his 30% of MAGA. If he fund raises enough off the publicity, he might buy another 3-5% of the primary voters. With 6-8 challengers and winner-take-all primaries he can be the nominee. For the general the full employment economy would have to go bad. The Ukraine war is another big unknown. Another year of large military aid could work for Trump. Ukraine would be a wasteland with massive refugees. Although Russia would be weaker, Putin has no option but to press on. If Zelensky is not around, the Ukraine government could agree to a ceasefire. Trump would try to take credit. Americans always hope for a 99 hour war Ala Iraq.

Of course, another known unknown will the Pandemic return in strength?

If this scenario plays out badly, Biden will have his hands full.

Book Banning Alternative

“Now the self-appointed Morality Police are scouring our libraries for Greek mythology e.g. Oedipus, Zeus and others like that guy Onan (You know what book that’s from) to CANCEL. Rather than burning books and witches, I suggest they take the time to read Machiavelli, Greek mythology for Narcissus, and Abnormal Psychology texts concerning sociopaths to better understand their ruling Texas elected officials. The graver problem than just zealots fighting the Culture Wars is the self-censoring effect this campaign has on people just doing their jobs as best they can, e.g., librarians, teachers, and other public servants, i.e., your neighbors. When these hard-working servants are threatened by the power of the State, the mob rule weakens our society and democracy. A local instance is the disappearance of a September Hispanic Heritage exhibit at the city Public Library replaced by a Celebration of the US Constitution. Iran’s leaders would be proud.”

It’s More Than Books

“Now the self-appointed Morality Police are scouring our libraries for Greek mythology e.g.  Oedipus, Zeus and others like that guy Onan (You know what book that’s from) to CANCEL.  Rather than burning books and witches, I suggest they take the time to read Machiavelli, Greek mythology for Narcissus, and Abnormal Psychology texts concerning sociopaths to better understand their ruling Texas elected officials. The graver problem than just zealots fighting the Culture Wars is the self-censoring effect this campaign has on people just doing their jobs as best they can, e.g., librarians, teachers, and other public servants, i.e., your neighbors. When these hard-working servants are threatened by the power of the State, the mob rule weakens our society and democracy.  A local instance is the disappearance of a September Hispanic Heritage exhibit at the Temple Public Library replaced by a Celebration of the US Constitution. Iran’s leaders would be proud. I am just glad this crowd wasn’t around my elementary school library in the 50’s, confiscating the Nation Geographic Society magazines from the 1930’s displaying those African women”

Ownership

What is the right-wing fetish with “Ownership”? Is this concept the “Ownership Society” of George Bush? Is it supposed to be a stand-in for hard work, prudent living, civic-mindedness, patriotism and ultimately a more stable society? I don’t mean “ownership” as in owning up to one’s faults, and one’s triumphs. It is “ownership” as in : “Own the Libs!”, own the natural resources of the world, own property, own businesses, own slaves, etc. Or does “Ownership” really just  mean, you’re on your own.”

Is the isolation and fear of loss that strong? Until we ALL strive to live and work  in harmony with nature and other humans, we will be exploited by the real “owners”.

Moore v. Harper

DATELINE Washington DC November 6th, 2024

 President-Elect Marjorie Taylor Green issued a statement thanking the state legislatures for appointing her to the office of President of the United States.  She thanked her personal Lord and Savior Donald J Trump for leading her to transition the United States of America to Gilead. In her first official act she resigned, allowing her Vice President David Fuentes to assume the Presidency. Fox News and Twitter were live as he took the podium. President-Elect Fuentes acknowledged the obedience of the just-former President and designated her as “Aunt Marge”. He ordered her to drive the Handmaiden movement throughout the nation. He thanked the six members of the SCOTUS who decided Moore v. Harper as they resigned, allowing him to sentence the three remaining Justices to the Wall. Fuentes appointed Ye, formerly known as Kanye, as Reich-Leader in arresting and seizing the stolen assets from the elites, beginning with Soros, Zuckerberg and Jared Kushner. He will be assisted by the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers. Fuentes said he had received congratulations from across the world, namely Putin, Xi, Recep Erdogan, and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Fuentes said he will announce the slate of Commanders by the end of the week.

Donald and Melania

Deepest apologies to John Prine RIP

Slovenian village, dim lights, Saturday night
Oddballs and state security flashing their lights
Making clothes outta rags from a Gulag picture
Sat the bulimic daughter of Amalje and Viktor

Melania

Melania pushed her thougths like a bull
Behind her black eyes sunk deep in her skull
She read dictator propaganda up in her room
And felt just like Tito on Saturday afternoon

CHORUS
But scheming just come natural
Like the first bite from a snakey
Like Facebook feeding crazies
Like the evil deep in their heart

Shared beds, coke heads, Saturday nights

Studio 54 strangers under thousand watt lights
Staring off the rooftop out over the sod
Stood one of too many, a young privileged Fraud

Donald

There were chasms between Donald and whatever he said
Daddy had forced him to live in his head.
He envisioned the details of Teutonic scenes
After midnight in the stillness of the Trump Tower latrine

[Chorus]

Hot case, cold case, no case at all
A portrait of Putin is hung on the wall
Nothing is wrong, everything is right
Donald and Melanie robbed the country blind.

Larceny
They put arsonists in the Cabinet, they put liars on their teams
They put traitors in offices, they put toads on the Supremes
But when they were finished there was nothing to say
’cause all their corruption was pardoned away.

[Chorus]

Stop the Sham

It is time to stop the sham. The current administration of this state is wrecking the populace. They focus on issues irrelevant to ordinary people.  Fear is their tool. Fear: babies are being butchered, gangs of drug dealers from Mexico are flooding in, and minorities are “cancelling” white culture.  They use the full power of the state to force teenage rape victims to care a baby to term, return women and children asylum seekers to their tormentors, allow uninspected chemical plants to explode, and ban books that tell a history that does not match with the myth of the Lost Cause. It’s NOT conservatism. It’s Kleptocracy. only 3% of eligible voters will determine who cracks the whip. To those 2,413 GOP Bell County voters who voted for Marvin Summers for Railroad Commissioner: he died on Feb 8^th, three weeks BEFORE the election. Don’t be misled by a few haters who stir fear. Shame on those politicians, shame on the media and political operatives that legitimize those politicians. shame on voters who fall for this sham.

Predictions for 2022 and what that portends

1, Roe v Wade will be gutted by SCOTUS. The impact in Red states will be immediate. The political battle will move to the states. Blue states will have an avalanche of abortion tourism.  Purple states will be the new political battle ground. The biggest losers will be poor women in Red states who cannot afford to travel to a blue state for healthcare. Maternal death rate spirals.  The fanatics in the Red states will move to other culture war fronts, e.g., birth control, same sex marriage, transsexuals, miscegenation, voting restrictions to property holders. The middle term will improve for women throughout the nation when the morning after pill becomes discreetly available online and there are no clinics for the zealots to attack.

2. Covid becomes endemic. Continued vaccinations will help, but the world to too far gone to eliminate the virus in time. Science may make a breakthrough that defeats the mutation ability, but until then many more will die, and the long-term effects of infections may get worse. The death rate continues to diverge between blue states and red states.

3. Russia invades Ukraine. The western powers will do everything short of military action. Europe will not risk lost of gas for heating in winter over Ukraine sovereignty. After Trump they learned the US is not a reliable partner. Massive refugee fleeing the advance.  Some covert assistance to the resistance. Russia will eventually suffer the same result as Afghanistan in 1980. Ethnic Ukrainians may not have the religious zealotry that the Afghan fighters did, but they will not go lightly. Corruption in Russian society permeates even the military.  Between the economic penalty and Russians coming home in body bags, Putin will be pressed to negotiate the boundary.

4. China seizes Taiwan. Another global disaster. Many deaths. The Taiwanese will resist in everyway possible. Like the Uyghurs they will test the ruling elite. Economic fallout will be global as Covid exacerbates the supply chain problems.  China will kill the goose (global economy) that lays golden eggs. Hong Kong and Tibet will continue to resist. Xi will ultimately be deposed.

5. Climate changes become unstoppable. Just as the public became fatigued with masks and social distancing, the call for action on climate change falls on increasing deaf ears in Washington. Extreme weather events will remind us that our fatigue is irrelevant in the march to disasters.

Dirty Work

Thanks to The Morning Show on AppleTV for playing a Steely Dan hit, Dirty Work . A wonderful, soulful tune about regret, yet acceptance. These lyrics brought to mind the current state of GOP establishment leaders. Having enabled a Mussolini-like President for four years and then seeing the mob attempt insurrection in their own workplace there was a millisecond of regret. But then like Stockholm Syndrome victims they embraced their abductor. They made their deal with the devil and now the debt is due. When Karl Rove opened the door to religious radicals and gun nuts to get pasteboard President Bush II the death spiral of the GOP was full on. Any thought of compromise or negotiation has been burned out of the party. There are of course some disbelievers (Romney, Liz Cheney, Michael Steele, etc.) who look for a party after El Caudillo Del Mar-A-Lago. They will soon be smothered by the mob and banished to their country club estates, western ranches, and clubs. Those still in office, who cower to the mob and their own gun brandishing colleagues, will have their heads next on the block. Our public institutions held on shakily this time. But with the take over in the statehouses and courts the Sans-culottes have been activated. The tools of minority rule, i.e. Electoral College, Senate filibuster, gerrymandering, and voter suppression, have cast the die.