A couple of things before we get going: I had the privilege of hosting Sarah Kendzior on my Mucrake Podcast this week and, if you haven’t had a chance you should give it a listen. Also, this is a free post, but most of DISPATCHES FROM A COLLAPSING STATE now exists behind a paywall. If you appreciate my writing and work, please become a subscriber in order to support it.
"Instead, the party should spotlight the stolen Supreme Court, providing necessary reform to cut the influence of donors and dark money, while reserving the right to expand the court. Basing the 2024 Campaign across the board on this issue, with uniformity and purpose, is a no-brainer."
I voted no. I am unhappy with the Republicans’ hostile takeover of our state government, and I am happy the Republican attempt to undercut state voters failed.
"An actual, legitimately populist party dedicated to both protecting the past but also the future from an oligarchical attack, fueled by vehement and widespread dissatisfaction, is a clear and undeniable winner."
I think this is the key thing the Democratic establishment refuses to contend with. Those Bernie Sanders to Trump voters were obviously people fed up with the status quo and willing to embrace a form of populism. They apparently weren't even freaked out by the dreaded taint of "Social Democracy." When the Democratic party walked back from the candidates (and chastised, silenced, and devalued) willing to boldly discuss BIG CHANGES TO HELP THE AVERAGE AMERICAN, is where Trump got to slide in with loud promises to do "something" ("Drain the swamp" "Destroy the Deep State") without having to even provide meaningful details to a plan he never had.
Your average American is desperate to feel like our economy, our society, and our government function in some meaningful way to make their lives worth living... instead of just perpetuating a status quo where our standards of living, health, wellness, and happiness all end up in the meat grinder for corporate profitability.
LOVE that you're in contact with Sarah. I view you both as the few voices actually telling the truth about this country. I've read American Rule, They Knew, The Midnight Kingdom and I'm half way through The Man They Wanted Me to Be. All of these books have been transformational and I can't help but see so much of myself in you, Jared. I grew up in an abusive patriarchical Conservative Indian Christian family and community that lusted for the apocalypse. Thankfully I educated myself and left. I also was very elitist and hated Southerners and those in the Midwest for their ignorance and hate in how they voted but you and Sarah and have given me new perspectives.
You and Sarah are modern day American heroes and you both need to be famous and the entire country and world needs to know who you are and your stories. Empathy and Progress forever!!
Maybe my perspective is a little more distanced, but that article sounds like they didn't support Cuellar when he had a realistic progressive challenger, but the current challenger is a complete noob who hasn't done much ground work and fundraising on his own?
And I'm also not sure I'd characterize his position as "pro forced birth"
... it seems like he's trying to tread a careful line that will satisfy his heavily Catholic district, while not actually voting in favor of any anti-choice legislation. I'd suspect his stated "support for a 20 week ban on abortion" comes from ignorance of the actual data, which pretty much makes the idea of such a ban unnecessary and counter productive. Maybe if you're one of his constituents it would be worthwhile to give him a primer on the actual stats? (See below)
"Among the 41 areas that reported gestational age at the time of abortion for 2020, 80.9% of abortions were performed at ≤9 weeks’ gestation, and nearly all (93.1%) were performed at ≤13 weeks’ gestation (Table 10). Fewer abortions were performed at 14–20 weeks’ gestation (5.8%) or at ≥21 weeks’ gestation (0.9%). Among the 33 reporting areas that provided data every year on gestational age for 2011–2020, the percentage of abortions performed at ≤13 weeks’ gestation changed from 91.3% to 92.5% (Table 11). However, within this gestational age range, a shift occurred toward earlier gestational ages, with the percentage of abortions performed at ≤6 weeks’ gestation increasing 17% and the percentage of abortions performed at 7–9 weeks’ and 10–13 weeks’ gestation decreasing 2% and 21%, respectively."
The essential take away should be that LESS THAN 1% of abortions occur after 20 weeks of gestation, and they nearly always constitute a *medically necessary* termination because the life of the mother is in jeopardy or the fetus is found at screening to be non-viable. Creating legal hurdles at this late juncture only serves to make an already terrible situation for a pregnant person and their family even more fraught, dangerous, and emotionally traumatizing.
No. He's pro forced birth. Full stop. He's also guilty of taking Russian money. This is why our democracy is burning down. The neo liberals, including, Bill and Barack are complicit, so is Biden. Bill repealed the Glass-Stegall Act which contributed to the housing market crash. Obama let those corrupt bankers get away with it and bailed them out. And Joe is responsible for the mass incarceration of POC and he's partly responsible for the student loan debt crisis.
Why the fuck would I do that. I'm pointing out the reality of the situation and how it lead us down this path for either voting for a fascist or a neo liberal. Fascists are decidedly worse, especially when aided and abetted by the "centerist" Democrats. Read: Dixiecrats.
"Instead, the party should spotlight the stolen Supreme Court, providing necessary reform to cut the influence of donors and dark money, while reserving the right to expand the court. Basing the 2024 Campaign across the board on this issue, with uniformity and purpose, is a no-brainer."
I agree completely.
I voted no. I am unhappy with the Republicans’ hostile takeover of our state government, and I am happy the Republican attempt to undercut state voters failed.
"An actual, legitimately populist party dedicated to both protecting the past but also the future from an oligarchical attack, fueled by vehement and widespread dissatisfaction, is a clear and undeniable winner."
I think this is the key thing the Democratic establishment refuses to contend with. Those Bernie Sanders to Trump voters were obviously people fed up with the status quo and willing to embrace a form of populism. They apparently weren't even freaked out by the dreaded taint of "Social Democracy." When the Democratic party walked back from the candidates (and chastised, silenced, and devalued) willing to boldly discuss BIG CHANGES TO HELP THE AVERAGE AMERICAN, is where Trump got to slide in with loud promises to do "something" ("Drain the swamp" "Destroy the Deep State") without having to even provide meaningful details to a plan he never had.
Your average American is desperate to feel like our economy, our society, and our government function in some meaningful way to make their lives worth living... instead of just perpetuating a status quo where our standards of living, health, wellness, and happiness all end up in the meat grinder for corporate profitability.
LOVE that you're in contact with Sarah. I view you both as the few voices actually telling the truth about this country. I've read American Rule, They Knew, The Midnight Kingdom and I'm half way through The Man They Wanted Me to Be. All of these books have been transformational and I can't help but see so much of myself in you, Jared. I grew up in an abusive patriarchical Conservative Indian Christian family and community that lusted for the apocalypse. Thankfully I educated myself and left. I also was very elitist and hated Southerners and those in the Midwest for their ignorance and hate in how they voted but you and Sarah and have given me new perspectives.
You and Sarah are modern day American heroes and you both need to be famous and the entire country and world needs to know who you are and your stories. Empathy and Progress forever!!
The neo liberal Democrats are 100% complicit. They're still pushing the pro forced, Russian money taking Cuellar.
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/03/henry-cuellar-texas-2024-00109596
Maybe my perspective is a little more distanced, but that article sounds like they didn't support Cuellar when he had a realistic progressive challenger, but the current challenger is a complete noob who hasn't done much ground work and fundraising on his own?
And I'm also not sure I'd characterize his position as "pro forced birth"
( https://www.texastribune.org/2022/10/06/henry-cuellar-texas-2022/ )
... it seems like he's trying to tread a careful line that will satisfy his heavily Catholic district, while not actually voting in favor of any anti-choice legislation. I'd suspect his stated "support for a 20 week ban on abortion" comes from ignorance of the actual data, which pretty much makes the idea of such a ban unnecessary and counter productive. Maybe if you're one of his constituents it would be worthwhile to give him a primer on the actual stats? (See below)
"Among the 41 areas that reported gestational age at the time of abortion for 2020, 80.9% of abortions were performed at ≤9 weeks’ gestation, and nearly all (93.1%) were performed at ≤13 weeks’ gestation (Table 10). Fewer abortions were performed at 14–20 weeks’ gestation (5.8%) or at ≥21 weeks’ gestation (0.9%). Among the 33 reporting areas that provided data every year on gestational age for 2011–2020, the percentage of abortions performed at ≤13 weeks’ gestation changed from 91.3% to 92.5% (Table 11). However, within this gestational age range, a shift occurred toward earlier gestational ages, with the percentage of abortions performed at ≤6 weeks’ gestation increasing 17% and the percentage of abortions performed at 7–9 weeks’ and 10–13 weeks’ gestation decreasing 2% and 21%, respectively."
(from: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/ss/ss7110a1.htm , Weeks of Gestation and Method Type)
The essential take away should be that LESS THAN 1% of abortions occur after 20 weeks of gestation, and they nearly always constitute a *medically necessary* termination because the life of the mother is in jeopardy or the fetus is found at screening to be non-viable. Creating legal hurdles at this late juncture only serves to make an already terrible situation for a pregnant person and their family even more fraught, dangerous, and emotionally traumatizing.
No. He's pro forced birth. Full stop. He's also guilty of taking Russian money. This is why our democracy is burning down. The neo liberals, including, Bill and Barack are complicit, so is Biden. Bill repealed the Glass-Stegall Act which contributed to the housing market crash. Obama let those corrupt bankers get away with it and bailed them out. And Joe is responsible for the mass incarceration of POC and he's partly responsible for the student loan debt crisis.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/22/russia-cuellar-latest-democrat-to-distance-himself-from-koch-industries.html
So what's your plan?
Vote third party and let Trump and friends ride again?
Why the fuck would I do that. I'm pointing out the reality of the situation and how it lead us down this path for either voting for a fascist or a neo liberal. Fascists are decidedly worse, especially when aided and abetted by the "centerist" Democrats. Read: Dixiecrats.
*Birth.
If you click the "..." under your posts, you can actually do an edit if you so choose. :)
I tried that🤷♀️ Must be a glitch, because I didn't get the edit option 🧐