Joe McCarthy's influence continues in other ways both Dem and Republican. Growing up in Wisconsin and living about an hour north of where McCarthy lived, his influence lives on. Last year I visited his grave, took a photo ... and cursed him. Roy Cohn was Trump's consigliere and the one most responsible for Trump's corrupt business practices, brutal worldview and fascism. As a young lawyer, Cohn was McCarthy's right-hand man ... or perhaps McCarthy was his. Roy Cohn may well be the most significant single influence in the collapse of the US into failure and world irrelevance.
He is claw-in-claw with Ayn Rand, the mother of Libertarianism, and while not the best American fiction writer of the 20th century, she is certainly the most influential.
Cohn, a not-so-closted gay man and a partner of J. Edgar Hoover in sexual blackmail, was one of the early AIDs victims. As he wasted away in his final months, Cohn wondered to friends why Trump wouldn't visit him. Because you had run to the end of your usefulness, Roy.
I certainly didn't need to provide the name of that ugly mug for you, did I? It's funny that I was taught who he was and what he did and how much of a threat to the Bill of Rights he was in Texas public schools in the 1970s, but now I see all this stuff about what a great patriot he was.
McCarthy was no patriot, but he DID provide fuel to the stereotypical fodder of the drunken Irish demagogue for quite some time.
My father was active in the John Birch Society (founded in Wisconsin), so McCarthy was a big presence in life, though I do think my father was a bit embarrassed by him after his fall at the Army hearings. Of course now Trump makes McCarthy look like a statesman.
Oh, I think Hillary/Obama/Dems/government agencies were more like McCarthy - how much time and money and reputation/respect of our government agencies did they piss away, trying to make Trump a "Putin puppet"? All done cynically, too, trying to win an election. But leaving lots of Dems in their greasy wake labeling anyone they don't like as Putin puppets.
The Democrats are McCarthyites but Trump learned well from Cohn.He learned how to handle the press and play them like a fiddle,and he still does.He also learned the value of endless lawsuits,tying up the courts-a favorite Cohn tactic.
Meanwhile, the world's most bloviating Dem website is considering possible coup situations and also detailing how the 2024 election was stolen. Which, if I remember correctly, are considered treasonous or something by the Dems if done by the GOP. Certainly illegal and eligible for a visit from the FBI.
Speaking of bloviating, Trump may be bloviating himself into a corner with Russia. Trump could do a lot of good, but he cannot be King of the World, and I do not think he understands that. Yes, the US is run pretty much like a corporation, but the rest of the world is not interested in becoming subsidiaries. No matter how much they are threatened.
Accusing Russia of stealing the hypersonic stuff from the US seems ridiculous. Anyway, so why doesn't the US have hypersonic missiles? Forgot to make copies?
I saw a video on Youtube that said the Library of Congress is looking for people who can read cursive. Don't they teach that any more?
American designers refusing to design for Melania, and the harsh criticism of Carrie Underwood - some from Kelly Clarkson, who can now kiss my ass - just show how incredibly petty and spiteful the Dems are now. I hope CNN and The View are sued into non-existence.
Yes, on Trump and his ignorance of Russia +++.....it seems we have traded the 'crash test dummy posing as President of the US' (attribute to Escobar) for a loose cannon.....The ruling class on both sides of the aisle is equally ignorant (i.e., believes their own propaganda) on foreign diplomacy as it is on domestic/economic policy.
I hope Trump's bluster towards Russia is just his usual over-the-top opening negotiating position. From what I'm seeing in Russian media, Putin is at least hoping that's all it is.
I guess this is how big changes are gonna unfold... It takes a lot of self-control to not want to curse out loud or spit up when seeing the various reactions to a list of county/municipal management across the U.S. Today's Pittsburgh headlines show their mayor Ed Gainey pushing back on any cooperation for illegal migrants. Meanwhile, all these surrounding municipalities can't fill pot holes fast enough.
Predictions are easy, but I'll make one about this pushback. When it comes to having less and less money to manage the infrastructure all over, we will se it calm down in a few months. Meanwhile, Trump, the "answer to Biden's awful 4 years" is gonna get severely schooled on international affairs. I have already decided that the WH doesn't want to hear straight from public. Some of the most clueless Democrats think they'll make a statement by using Blue Sky's rather than "X", but who's gonna see what you have to say? I've begun my Twitter/X posting to @POTUS.
Just got an email from a friend who is worried about Trump bringing on the end of the world. 🤦♀️ How she felt safe with Joementia in charge, I don't know.
The TDS at my work got so bad management, who is lockstep Democrat, has had to step in and quash it a few times. I saw lots of silly emails and messages like that.
Sure it is. No one is saying Republicans are wonderful.
The Dems, though, believe the First Amendment is very very bad. Inconvenient, as Muskie put it. The Dems believe free speech is terrible, and actually put people in place to monitor and punish free speech if that free speech was not what the Dems wanted anyone to hear or read.
Besides, the Dems are not being spiteful and petty because of banned books, IMO - they are pissy because they laundered $1.5 BILLION and still lost their gravy train. That's the Dems at the top; the rest are just pissy because they lost. The folks who live for divisive politics kinda died on that hill. And they are not going to shut up about it - it was not their policies that made them lose, it was the betrayal of the Latinos (or Taco Belt, as Hillary's folks called them), women, black men, etc. - the "special interest" groups that the Dems created and played against each other. Turns out - the Dems over-played that tactic. Nothing about policy - just celebrities and faux celebrities gnashing their teeth because folks did not vote the way they were told to, by hucksters who were using the same tactics used to sell toothpaste and cars. And mRNA jabs.
Anyway, again IMO, the Dems only care about banning books as a campaign issue, like everything else. And complaining about banning books whilst employing teams of folks to monitor and control and punish what is said on the internet is a new level of hypocrisy.
And that has gotta be the most ridiculous and childish thing ever. Won't stick the landing, hopefully. How Trump can say that with a straight face is beyond me. How his inner circle can hear that with a straight face is also astonishing. Sounds like an SNL skit.
Also someone should tell Trump that Canada's higher taxes were (supposed to be at one time) used for things like universal health care. Nowadays, I really question why we would want a fifty-first state that strongly encourages assisted suicide, much less a state that feels hey, as long as we are going to kill you, we may as well list cause of death as "donated organs while still living".
Lol, I hear there are oil tankers in something officially called the Arabian Gulf since Dubya, but I still call it the Persian Gulf. I swam in the Gulf of Mexico as a child. Sorry Donald, that one won't catch on, either.
Mt. McKinley may. Every time it was referred to as Denali I kept thinking it had to be in Africa.
Omg…I’ve lived my entire life on the Gulf of Mexico. I don’t plan to call it anything else. However, luckily for Trumpers, we all just call it “The Gulf.” 😂
And while you folks are concentrating on the small picture, let me paint a big one for you ... All those wars, fought through latin America, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and the cold war itself; was waged, not with your tax dollars but with printing more dollars - and it continues, the grift is so serious that even the merry go round finance for Israel, and previously to sustain the proxy war in Ukraine does not come from tax dollars. This is why you have a $37 trillion debt, and it is why your economy faces catastrophy. The chickens let loose in Bretton Woods in the 1940s are coming home to roost. I do not think the loss of a single life, let alone the millions you have done away with, was worth squandering the integrity of a nation.
Yes, it is that simple !!!
And why are those chickens now coming home to roost ? This happened about 15 years ago, roughly, when the nations of the world examined the above, realising, that it was time to end your impunity and formed two organizations: The SCO (look it up - the US tried to join this and was refused membership), and BRICS and it is their actions that spell the death knell for the US economy and an end to it's irresponsible behaviour. Ok, it hasnt ended yet, but that's coming !!
I think it's all very well to strut the world flaunting your powerful armed forces but you, the people, can see how badly your government has served you, health services, education, infrastructure etc all seemingly beyond your reach and in sway to powerful interests. I have a lot of sympathy for armed forces personnel that join out of a misplaced sense of patriotism, what's needed is better education. No improvements happen without a radical restructuring of your social and political systems. In this day and age, you need another Paul Revere - and a whole lot of good people to band together and build some strength. You're going to need it !!
If all this seems a little dire let me just express the view that there are many good people in the US and they deserve better !! ... so dont shoot the messenger !!!
We are all aware, thank you very much. We are also aware that all we can do, really, is discuss it and not be surprised. One of the reasons the US has trouble recruiting for wars is that every year more folks see through the bullshit. We just consider Trump the lesser evil, at this point in time, that's all. Watching the Dems' corruption play out in public.
But thanks for the detailed admonishment, however misplaced. Unless you are just taking potshots at Americans in general. We pretty much have no say in what the oligarchs do. They pull the strings in the EU/UK, too. All will fall down, IMO.
I and others have always been big BRICS fans. And one of my favorite giggles was when Macron asked to participate. Now, there's some delusion. I cheer on every new country that joins. Watching to see what they do with Turkey. Turkey plays all sides against its middle, and the BRICS folks know that. Know about SCO too, no need to look it up! I know that China builds infrastructure and not military bases, too. All I can do is watch it play out, and not kid myself that I know what the oligarchs are up to.
Thanks! Also wanted to note that while Trump ostensibly (who the F knows what he is thinking) believes threats of more sanctions will get him what he wants, BRICS is against sanctions. Also, seems to me that threatening to seize dollars assets - and doing just that - might be a super way to persuade other countries to Not Use Dollars, or at least not keep them as reserves. Which seems like a duh! thing to me, but again - either Trump is bluffing, or is just too full of himself, or is getting very bad advice.
The TQ community still getting a lot of airtime on Canadian state radio.
But for how much longer?
Good question, but I'm in the States so I don't know enough to speculate right now.
Not long I think. Was mostly being rhetorically hopeful there lol
Joe McCarthy's influence continues in other ways both Dem and Republican. Growing up in Wisconsin and living about an hour north of where McCarthy lived, his influence lives on. Last year I visited his grave, took a photo ... and cursed him. Roy Cohn was Trump's consigliere and the one most responsible for Trump's corrupt business practices, brutal worldview and fascism. As a young lawyer, Cohn was McCarthy's right-hand man ... or perhaps McCarthy was his. Roy Cohn may well be the most significant single influence in the collapse of the US into failure and world irrelevance.
He is claw-in-claw with Ayn Rand, the mother of Libertarianism, and while not the best American fiction writer of the 20th century, she is certainly the most influential.
Cohn, a not-so-closted gay man and a partner of J. Edgar Hoover in sexual blackmail, was one of the early AIDs victims. As he wasted away in his final months, Cohn wondered to friends why Trump wouldn't visit him. Because you had run to the end of your usefulness, Roy.
I certainly didn't need to provide the name of that ugly mug for you, did I? It's funny that I was taught who he was and what he did and how much of a threat to the Bill of Rights he was in Texas public schools in the 1970s, but now I see all this stuff about what a great patriot he was.
McCarthy was no patriot, but he DID provide fuel to the stereotypical fodder of the drunken Irish demagogue for quite some time.
My father was active in the John Birch Society (founded in Wisconsin), so McCarthy was a big presence in life, though I do think my father was a bit embarrassed by him after his fall at the Army hearings. Of course now Trump makes McCarthy look like a statesman.
Oh, I think Hillary/Obama/Dems/government agencies were more like McCarthy - how much time and money and reputation/respect of our government agencies did they piss away, trying to make Trump a "Putin puppet"? All done cynically, too, trying to win an election. But leaving lots of Dems in their greasy wake labeling anyone they don't like as Putin puppets.
The Democrats are McCarthyites but Trump learned well from Cohn.He learned how to handle the press and play them like a fiddle,and he still does.He also learned the value of endless lawsuits,tying up the courts-a favorite Cohn tactic.
HIs real estate deals and scams gave him some experience there as well.
Meanwhile, the world's most bloviating Dem website is considering possible coup situations and also detailing how the 2024 election was stolen. Which, if I remember correctly, are considered treasonous or something by the Dems if done by the GOP. Certainly illegal and eligible for a visit from the FBI.
Speaking of bloviating, Trump may be bloviating himself into a corner with Russia. Trump could do a lot of good, but he cannot be King of the World, and I do not think he understands that. Yes, the US is run pretty much like a corporation, but the rest of the world is not interested in becoming subsidiaries. No matter how much they are threatened.
Accusing Russia of stealing the hypersonic stuff from the US seems ridiculous. Anyway, so why doesn't the US have hypersonic missiles? Forgot to make copies?
I saw a video on Youtube that said the Library of Congress is looking for people who can read cursive. Don't they teach that any more?
American designers refusing to design for Melania, and the harsh criticism of Carrie Underwood - some from Kelly Clarkson, who can now kiss my ass - just show how incredibly petty and spiteful the Dems are now. I hope CNN and The View are sued into non-existence.
Yes, on Trump and his ignorance of Russia +++.....it seems we have traded the 'crash test dummy posing as President of the US' (attribute to Escobar) for a loose cannon.....The ruling class on both sides of the aisle is equally ignorant (i.e., believes their own propaganda) on foreign diplomacy as it is on domestic/economic policy.
I hope Trump's bluster towards Russia is just his usual over-the-top opening negotiating position. From what I'm seeing in Russian media, Putin is at least hoping that's all it is.
Me too.
I guess this is how big changes are gonna unfold... It takes a lot of self-control to not want to curse out loud or spit up when seeing the various reactions to a list of county/municipal management across the U.S. Today's Pittsburgh headlines show their mayor Ed Gainey pushing back on any cooperation for illegal migrants. Meanwhile, all these surrounding municipalities can't fill pot holes fast enough.
Predictions are easy, but I'll make one about this pushback. When it comes to having less and less money to manage the infrastructure all over, we will se it calm down in a few months. Meanwhile, Trump, the "answer to Biden's awful 4 years" is gonna get severely schooled on international affairs. I have already decided that the WH doesn't want to hear straight from public. Some of the most clueless Democrats think they'll make a statement by using Blue Sky's rather than "X", but who's gonna see what you have to say? I've begun my Twitter/X posting to @POTUS.
Just got an email from a friend who is worried about Trump bringing on the end of the world. 🤦♀️ How she felt safe with Joementia in charge, I don't know.
The TDS at my work got so bad management, who is lockstep Democrat, has had to step in and quash it a few times. I saw lots of silly emails and messages like that.
And she called Trump a Nazi. She obviously doesn't know shit about Ukraine.
Isn't it Republicans banning books?
Sure it is. No one is saying Republicans are wonderful.
The Dems, though, believe the First Amendment is very very bad. Inconvenient, as Muskie put it. The Dems believe free speech is terrible, and actually put people in place to monitor and punish free speech if that free speech was not what the Dems wanted anyone to hear or read.
Besides, the Dems are not being spiteful and petty because of banned books, IMO - they are pissy because they laundered $1.5 BILLION and still lost their gravy train. That's the Dems at the top; the rest are just pissy because they lost. The folks who live for divisive politics kinda died on that hill. And they are not going to shut up about it - it was not their policies that made them lose, it was the betrayal of the Latinos (or Taco Belt, as Hillary's folks called them), women, black men, etc. - the "special interest" groups that the Dems created and played against each other. Turns out - the Dems over-played that tactic. Nothing about policy - just celebrities and faux celebrities gnashing their teeth because folks did not vote the way they were told to, by hucksters who were using the same tactics used to sell toothpaste and cars. And mRNA jabs.
Anyway, again IMO, the Dems only care about banning books as a campaign issue, like everything else. And complaining about banning books whilst employing teams of folks to monitor and control and punish what is said on the internet is a new level of hypocrisy.
Correction: sea turtles rescued from the Gulf of America 😁
And that has gotta be the most ridiculous and childish thing ever. Won't stick the landing, hopefully. How Trump can say that with a straight face is beyond me. How his inner circle can hear that with a straight face is also astonishing. Sounds like an SNL skit.
Also someone should tell Trump that Canada's higher taxes were (supposed to be at one time) used for things like universal health care. Nowadays, I really question why we would want a fifty-first state that strongly encourages assisted suicide, much less a state that feels hey, as long as we are going to kill you, we may as well list cause of death as "donated organs while still living".
Lol, I hear there are oil tankers in something officially called the Arabian Gulf since Dubya, but I still call it the Persian Gulf. I swam in the Gulf of Mexico as a child. Sorry Donald, that one won't catch on, either.
Mt. McKinley may. Every time it was referred to as Denali I kept thinking it had to be in Africa.
Omg…I’ve lived my entire life on the Gulf of Mexico. I don’t plan to call it anything else. However, luckily for Trumpers, we all just call it “The Gulf.” 😂
So did we. Funny how Texans never even thought to try renaming it to the Gulf of Texas, and Texans aren't exactly known for being shy.
And while you folks are concentrating on the small picture, let me paint a big one for you ... All those wars, fought through latin America, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and the cold war itself; was waged, not with your tax dollars but with printing more dollars - and it continues, the grift is so serious that even the merry go round finance for Israel, and previously to sustain the proxy war in Ukraine does not come from tax dollars. This is why you have a $37 trillion debt, and it is why your economy faces catastrophy. The chickens let loose in Bretton Woods in the 1940s are coming home to roost. I do not think the loss of a single life, let alone the millions you have done away with, was worth squandering the integrity of a nation.
Yes, it is that simple !!!
And why are those chickens now coming home to roost ? This happened about 15 years ago, roughly, when the nations of the world examined the above, realising, that it was time to end your impunity and formed two organizations: The SCO (look it up - the US tried to join this and was refused membership), and BRICS and it is their actions that spell the death knell for the US economy and an end to it's irresponsible behaviour. Ok, it hasnt ended yet, but that's coming !!
I think it's all very well to strut the world flaunting your powerful armed forces but you, the people, can see how badly your government has served you, health services, education, infrastructure etc all seemingly beyond your reach and in sway to powerful interests. I have a lot of sympathy for armed forces personnel that join out of a misplaced sense of patriotism, what's needed is better education. No improvements happen without a radical restructuring of your social and political systems. In this day and age, you need another Paul Revere - and a whole lot of good people to band together and build some strength. You're going to need it !!
If all this seems a little dire let me just express the view that there are many good people in the US and they deserve better !! ... so dont shoot the messenger !!!
All I can say is that this little column is called American Revolutionary for a reason.
We are all aware, thank you very much. We are also aware that all we can do, really, is discuss it and not be surprised. One of the reasons the US has trouble recruiting for wars is that every year more folks see through the bullshit. We just consider Trump the lesser evil, at this point in time, that's all. Watching the Dems' corruption play out in public.
But thanks for the detailed admonishment, however misplaced. Unless you are just taking potshots at Americans in general. We pretty much have no say in what the oligarchs do. They pull the strings in the EU/UK, too. All will fall down, IMO.
I and others have always been big BRICS fans. And one of my favorite giggles was when Macron asked to participate. Now, there's some delusion. I cheer on every new country that joins. Watching to see what they do with Turkey. Turkey plays all sides against its middle, and the BRICS folks know that. Know about SCO too, no need to look it up! I know that China builds infrastructure and not military bases, too. All I can do is watch it play out, and not kid myself that I know what the oligarchs are up to.
I am suitably chastened !!! while you are obviously aware, I am sure that there are others that are not.
Thanks! Also wanted to note that while Trump ostensibly (who the F knows what he is thinking) believes threats of more sanctions will get him what he wants, BRICS is against sanctions. Also, seems to me that threatening to seize dollars assets - and doing just that - might be a super way to persuade other countries to Not Use Dollars, or at least not keep them as reserves. Which seems like a duh! thing to me, but again - either Trump is bluffing, or is just too full of himself, or is getting very bad advice.
Mix John Bolton and Mike Pompeii and you get … Michael Bolton! 😧
Ha! I can do without the singing, though. From all of them!
For mercy's sake don't tell that to the Michael Bolton in Office Space; he'd really have a meltdown then.
He said I remind him of Michael B-B-Bolton!! 😢
The Gaza genocide also cost the Dems.
It cost them Michigan for sure.
The Democrats have been McCarthyitea since 2016.One reason of many I left the party.
however I see no improvement with trump.
Six of one half a dozen of the other.Last election,I went for Stein.