THE 50 YEAR PUSH TOWARD AUTOCRACY

 

By Ruth A. Sheets

I have been thinking about when this autocracy spectrum attempt to take over our democracy began.  I still think it was 50+ years in the making.  I have heard it started with George W. Bush,  but nah, he was just the guy chosen to begin this desperate, maybe final push.  He was chosen to set us up for what we have now, but I believe things were in process for more than 20 before that.  It started with Nixon and his corruption.  Ford pardoned Nixon, so people didn’t really get to see the scope of what he and members of his administration had done .  The Republican Party wanted to be certain that in the future no president would be treated so badly as Nixon had been, well, no Republican president.  Reagan was never held accountable for Iran-Contra or pushing “trickle-down economics plunging many into poverty.  Bush,Sr. became a hero for “saving Kwait with Operation Desert Storm, about which little was conveyed to the American people.  In the meantime, a cadre of rich white men began accumulating huge amounts of money with tax breaks and legal assistance, the new oligarchs.

Those oligarchs knew Bush,Jr. would be a good choice in 2000 since he is pliable and mostly ignorant of the way things work.  However, he was a great lead-in, truly appalling, getting thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands of others killed in Afghanistan and Iraq with no real plan for how to end those conflicts.  He and his Cheyney had little positive to offer anyone, but somehow managed to get re-elected, interesting! 

Obama followed Bush,Jr. and brought out the deep racism in our country that a lot of folks thought no longer existed, but filled Republicana with a certainty that they had a force to stand against Democrats.  Obama tried to clean up the economic and war mess he inherited from Bush-Cheyney, but got very little help to do it, on purpose.  It took more than 60 days, so Congress went totally right, into Republicana, just as the oligarchic bullies hoped.  They didn’t care that people were suffering while the oligarchs weren’t, and complained about their losses that were nothing compared to millions losing their homes while the banks were bailed out.  Obama and Democrats tried to address the serious problems with healthcare in our country, but with little support.  They only managed a modest plan that helps about 20 million people.  Republicans have been attacking it from the beginning because the healthcare oligarchs didn’t want affordable healthcare; they prefer corporations deciding what kind of care lower-income people deserve, others too, that’s if they can afford it, and the oligarchs really don’t care about that either.

Hillary Clinton ran in 2016.  Despite being arguably the most qualified person ever to run  for president, she lost due to the slave states agreement, Electoral College or so it seems, even though she won the popular vote by nearly 3 million.  Misogyny was rife, and   Russia did interfere with the election and we aren't quite sure just how much, though it was significant, and with evidence.  Putin wanted Trump, so we got Trump. 

We have headed downhill with Trump constantly in the media, covered more than Obama while he was still president.  Trump rode his golden escalator into permanent media coverage/glory, a requirement that he be the first story  every day.  Trump was covered more than Biden who was President 4 years and Biden was usually the second or third story if covered in the news that day at all, just as planned. 

Trump got away with inciting an insurrection and stealing classified documents which the oligarchic media covered, often sympathetically.  The Supreme Roberts 6 gave Trump presidential immunity even though he was not yet re-elected, certainly not in our Constitution, but that was part of the plan too.

We were primed for Trump even before the 2024 election, but to make sure, Musk and his AIers and their algorithms and Star Link made sure just enough votes were switched in the swing states to ensure Trump's move back into office, dementia and all.  Democrats didn't have the guts to challenge anything, I'm guessing they wanted to see what would happen with Trump in power or to prove they weren’t whiners as Trump was after his 2020 definite loss.  Well, we found out!  It now, seems folks auditioning to get into Trumplandia, can’t acknowledge Trump’s 2020 loss, maybe proof that they will lie for their leader.  

Many people saw what was in the works over the past 50 years, but were not believed if heard at all.  A cadre of rich white-supremacist men with the desire to rule were undermining our government.  It was done primarily by getting Republicans elected who were easily manipulatable, then getting ignoramuses who knew nothing about this nation’s history or our constitution, to run on the Republican ticket, buying seats for them.  Those Republicans then undermined the Democrats in office, making sure the rich white guys got every benefit they could come up with for them:  bail-outs, tax cuts, monopolies, corruption, consorting with countries who are not our allies, etc.

The whole crew of Miller, Vought, and the cadre of oligarchs, once Trump was back in office, helped their Baby Donnie choose the most appalling inept nominees for every single government position and Senate Republicans and a few Democrats latched onto nearly every single first choice, knowing full well none were suited for their position, in fact totally unsuited.  Their purpose, to dismantle our government in favor of rule by folks like Musk, Bezos, the Ellisons, Theil, Vought, Miller, and a cluster of other fools who somehow got the idea that being born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth makes a person worthy of being in charge of anything.  They are at the point of destruction right now, with the help of the world’s autocrats like Putin and possibly Xi. 

Finally, Trump is breaking down mentally and physically.  So, if we as a nation finally realize that Trump isn’t running anything at all, just his big angry, fearful, resentful, hateful mouth, we can work harder to stop the takeover by those who are running Trump like a puppet.  It will be interesting to see who takes over when Trump is so out of it the media oligarchs can't pretend anymore.  Will it be Vance, the guy whom no one likes, but can be used since he is a skilled opportunist? 

Members of the white house toddler pool are calling for some kind of emergency to stop our elections.  Outside of nuclear war, there is nothing that should be able to do that since we have had elections even in our toughest times?  There is nothing normal about what is going on in Republicana/Trumplandia.  It will be interesting to see just what the American people will do next month.  What will our votes bring about?  Is there sufficient courage to stop this 50-year takeover by bratty rich white-supremacist males and their female enablers?  I sure hope so!  VOTE!

POLLUTION IS ABOUT TO RETURN WITH A VENGEANCE

By Ruth A. Sheets

I wrote and just sent a letter to my senators and representative for an environmental organization called “Oil Change International.”  With their help, this is the letter I sent, modified slightly to specifically fit the person I was writing to.  This is sort of the generic version.

What the heck is wrong with members of Congress?  There are even doctors among you, probably some who have had family members die of the effects of pollution!  The level of either utter ignorance or just plain EVIL is remarkable mostly within Republicana, but some Democrats or folks who claim to be Democrats are involved too.  That is a betrayal of the American people and of our planet.  There is no money gains or other benefits that would ever excuse such appalling legislation, yet it is being "fast-tracked in our Senate!  Again, what the heck is wrong with you all, even the staff members who refuse to let you know how We the People feel about such stupidity are involved.  I get it that Trump has a hold on Republicana, but people who know about health and have lived through the past pollution know better and can just say no as Nancy Reagan used to advise.

As you can see, I am writing to you to express my opposition to Congress’s negotiations on so-called “permitting reform.” This is not about real reform!  Like all the Republican-named bills, it is exactly opposite of its name, it is about "permitting return," return to the pollution and greed of the past.  Who wants that?  No one, but you all are either getting paid to go along with it or just don't care about the American people, even your constituents!  That is EVIL!  People of this nation don't want you to vote for any permitting deal under this Congress  or any other.  People want you to stop any deal that aids fossil fuel expansion (including subsidies for gas oil or coal), and weakens community engagement and public health analysis, Tribal consultation, transparency, or judicial review.

I get it that Republicana is trying hard to pretend that global warming is not real, but you/everyone knows it is and that we need to stop using fossil fuels really soon.  You all went to college and must have taken some basic science courses that would remind you that the earth is a closed environment; what happens here is shared everywhere.  It is so shameful to us that China is working harder than we are to stop polluting, particularly when we have the ability to catch up and pass them or actually work with them.

As you know, the “permitting reform” proposals that have been introduced this Congress don’t address the important challenges of reducing energy costs for American families, ending the $35 billion in annual fossil fuel subsidies, or deploying good public infrastructure, including safe and affordable housing, public transportation, and renewable energy or just about anything else.  They are designed to bring mor wealth to the already too wealthy.  That is unacceptable!   These actions weaken bedrock environmental laws like the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and National Historic Preservation Act that communities depend on, while reducing review processes for dangerous fossil fuel projects.  All of those acts were not passed under Democrats, some under Republicans too.  One would think even Republicans would have some loyalty to what those who came before them stood and worked for.  Republicans have plenty of loyalty to the hates  and resentments of the past, maybe instead it’s time to have some loyalty to the positive advances we have made.

You should know that efforts to weaken these safeguards are extremely problematic, given that the Trump Administration has already eroded environmental and public health regulations, and for no good reason but the wealth of the oligarchic buddies of Donald Trump and the donors for many in Congress, does that include you?  Such largess is no reason to put our lives at risk due to pollution, including rescinding 80% of NEPA regulations, limiting the waters protected under the Clean Water Act, allowing facilities to construct polluting infrastructure before Clean Air Act permits are granted, and more. Whose idea was this and why are you all, supposedly intelligent people going along with it?  Don't you care about your children and grandchildren's future!! 

Stripping these environmental and public health protections is already costing people’s lives. The Institute for Policy Integrity, reports Trump’s environmental and public health deregulation is costing 3,299 lives and $156.6 billion in benefits annually.  So much for getting rid of waste! 

Further deregulation will mean exposure to oil spills, gas leaks, air pollution, water pollution, and premature death in communities burdened by pollution. I get it that many there in Congress are OK with those communities suffering because it appears you think those folks are expendable!  Such attitudes are EVIL!  Trump’s policies are designed to not support an equitable transition to renewable energy.  Trump doesn’t want such a transition because it will mean his oil buddies won’t have the funds to keep him in the cash he craves.

I am guessing you all think you live in your gated neighborhoods and mansions, so won't be impacted by the pollution; that is truly insane.  Of course you will, at a lesser risk, but certainly at a higher risk than with those regulations in place.  I keep hearing that gutting these environmental protections in this proposal will reduce rising energy costs, it won’t. Recent analysis from Oil Change International shows U.S. wholesale fossil gas prices will likely double by the 2030s if the Trump administration’s energy and AI policies succeed in pushing gas demand to levels that can only be met with more expensive gas production, clearly something that would be bad for everyone, well, except the fossil fuelers.

At this time, when communities across the country are facing environmental and public health rollbacks, loss of healthcare funding, and increasing climate disasters, we must protect and develop stronger environmental and public health protections, not weaken them.  It does not take a doctorate in public health and disaster management to understand that.  OK, there probably aren’t any holders of such Doctorates in Trumplandia!

I don't expect you to pay any attention to this communication, which is why I am hoping my Republican senators will be voted out of office as soon as possible.  You have done nothing for Pennsylvania and as far as I can see, plan to do nothing but work for Donald Trump, an old man with dementia who lives for his vengeance and resentments, displaying his ignorance daily.

Thank you Representative Scanlon for your efforts to stop global warming and have our nation produce more renewable energy.  I regret you, My senators, Fetterman and McCormick will not because of your inability to stand with the people and our planet instead of with Donald Trump who cares for no one and nothing but himself.  How sad for all of us.

Sincerely,

Rev. Ruth A. Sheets

 

RFK JR. - ONE SYMBOL OF UTTER IGNORANCE AND CRUELTY

 

by Ruth A. Sheets

I didn’t know until recently that Dolly Parton had donated significant money to Vanderbilt University toward development and testing of a vaccine for COVID 19.  I wasn’t surprised because it fit with her  philanthropic practices, but it was special that she had offered her gift to my alma mater.  I believe her support helped a lot of people to be willing to get the vaccine, particularly in Parton's neck of the woods, where people can be skeptical of medicine, and not without cause. 

It's too bad so many ignoramuses, people who should know better,  think it's clever or holy or something, to undermine the use of vaccines.  Thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of people died because those folks in power lied about masks, hand-washing, being in groups, and of course, vaccines DURING THE covid 19 PANDEMIC.  

Humans have known of vaccines for around 230 years and inoculation (which is related) for far longer than that.  Despite that knowledge, we have a bunch of rich white men in positions of some authority who know nothing of vaccines, but lie about them, which puts people's lives at risk. Clearly their memories are poor enough that they don't remember what those diseases were like. The discomfort and itching of measles and chicken pox, and the agony of mumps are definitely in my memory and I never want anyone to have to go through that. A professor of mine had polio as a kid and at age 58 some of the symptoms were coming back to the point that she often needed to use a wheelchair. Who wants that?

I guess the rich guys who are blurting out the lies and disinformation think they are invulnerable to diseases because, well, they're mostly rich white men, and probably have all been vaccinated for the really bad diseases when they were kids, while telling others not to bother having their kids vaccinated.  The ignorance, hypocrisy,  and cruelty of these folks is beyond comprehension!

What are they doing, trying to create a world of preventable diseases?  Maybe they think it will permit them to control people more effectively, a common goal of such men. Why are we permitting them, in their government roles, to send their lies out so others will suffer? We the People need to curb this insanity!  One way is to heavily promote vaccination everywhere we go and explain why it is critical that as many people as possible are vaccinated, following a tried and trusted schedule.

Then, there’s Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. in the way, A GUY WITH A FAMOUS NAME, who has no business being in charge of anything; he can't even manage himself.  He gets to make pronouncements from his position as Secretary of Health and Human Services, about vaccines, something he knows little to nothing about.  He read some stuff online and listens to the folks more ignorant about vaccines than he is for their take.  That is not a recipe for health.  Of course, they lie that vaccines cause autism and other conditions, as though autism is a horror to be stopped at all costs.  OK, there is no evidence that autism is caused by vaccines.  The guy who claimed that it was, found himself having his medical license revoked for making up the study he cited.  He lied, but many scared parents believed him.   

Donald Trump and his sycophantic white house toddler pool are not good judges of people; they only recognize those they can use, RFK,Jr. was and is useful to them, but why? 

Donald Trump is not smart enough to understand the value of vaccines; he just sees disinforming folks about vaccines as another way to sow chaos, his favorite activity next to insulting and blaming folks, but that’s another blog.  

Trump assumes he will be just fine, with or without vaccines, what’s the difference, after all, he is king, right?  When trump got COVID, he was given the newest drugs and treated immediately because he was president.  Most people didn't have access too those treatments and many died. Trump has no clue about that because he was and still is wrapped up in his pathetic personal world due to his dementia and lack of empathy for anyone.

RFK,Jr. and the rest of the ignoramuses in Trump’s regime definitely are useful to Trump. Their lies and chaos have been responsible for over a million deaths!  Lying about vaccines is part of their death count.  The far larger counts include:  destroying US AID which exposed millions of poor people around the world to a range of deadly diseases and removed vaccines and treatments from them; left millions with polluted water; stopped the desperately-needed food deliveries that eased starvation; participated with Israel by providing weapons used to kill close to 100,000 people in Gaza, Lebanon, and the West Bank, started a war with Iran where so far, thousands have been killed. 

As if that were not enough, immigrants of color have been rounded up and sent to concentration camp prisons (as Jewish, Roma, gay, and other people were by the Nazis before and during WWII).  Conditions in ICE concentration camp prisons are deadly (as intended).  Innocent hard-working immigrants who have been important members of our communities are, in addition to the concentration camps,  deported into dangerous situations from which they had fled, or into “third countries” where they have been imprisoned and threatened with deporting to the countries they originally fled.  Some have already died in this process, and diseases have sprung up among those who are imprisoned.

RFK,Jr., ignoramus that he is, symbolizes the utter depravity of the Trumpian regime.  I am disgusted that the regime proudly proclaims and wants to force on others their brand of Christianity while they do and espouse acts of appalling non-Christlike cruelty.  Yes, Hypocrisy is strong with these Trumplandians! 

Right now, voting is one thing We the People can do, every American citizen over age 18, to stop this hoard of EVIL.  Another is to get vaccinated for flu, COVID, and other preventable diseases.  There are signs that the Trumpian cult is stirring, maybe able to see that their Baby Donnie is no longer functioning and is probably not the person they vowed their loyalty to.  We’ll see if they are willing to remove the scales from their eyes for the sake of their children and others by having them properly vaccinated.  Could happen!  

COURAGE IS EVERYWHERE IF WE PAY ATTENTION

 

By Ruth A. Sheets

We do not effectively honor those who are courageous, but we cover the cowards with incredible fanfare.  We give attention nearly every day to those breaking the law and sometimes the consequences.  Trump's cowardly, illegal actions make the news, but somehow, can't publicly be called illegal, unconstitutional, or well, cowardly. 

We give a day here and there to honor courage as with the nation’s 9/11 commemorations earlier this month.  The media, though, just had to present Trump's lies about himself being at Ground Zero that day.  Because he couldn’t speak at the New York City commemoration, Trump spoke at the Pentagon’s where he rambled on with nothing of value to contribute to the event.  He just had to be front and center anyway.  That is not courage!

We are learning some lessons during Trumplandia II that we do need to act on/respond to. 

First:  there are many heroes in our nation, people willing to stand up for what is right, for our Constitution, for our people.  We should appreciate them and celebrate them more often.

Second:  Some people who faced with a disaster, will jump in to save others with no thought or expectation of honors, acknowledgement, even survival.  At the very least, those heroes should be honored for their courage, but not presented as though such heroic actions are so rare that they are hardly ever seen.

Third:  Many people have opportunities to be courageous, but choose not to be, because their current position is lucrative for themselves and taking a courageous position might interfere with that.  Others act anyway; that’s courage!

Fourth:  Heros and cowards both are examples for others.  It behooves us as a nation to promote the heroes as valuable neighbors, then lessen the influence of the cowards who can’t act for the good of anyone beyond themselves, the cowardice only mentioned in passing.  Each day, every newscast, radio, TV, and online, should present at least one positive/courageous action of someone or group in the community, doing something that has helped others, made the community better, stood up for people’s rights.

Fifth:  Being a judge with integrity in the age of Trump is difficult.  Having one's decisions mocked, constantly appealed, and threatened is stressful, and for no reason other than that a bunch of Trumpian lawyers have been hired by someone, probably the American people, to help make their Donald Trump a king and those cowardly lawyers wealthier and more powerful.  Those judges’ courage is amazing!

Sixth:  despite what many think, courage is not just for men in the military and sports.  Anyone can be courageous, even in small ways.  Nonviolent courage in standing against those who would do harm to others, take away people’s rights, and protest wrong actions of those in leadership is especially powerful. 

We really can do better.  We can work together, stand together today, to slow the cowardly actions of too many who capitulate to Trump's whining threats to harm anyone who does not bow to him and kiss whatever he offers to their smooch-prepared lips.  Here's to courage like that of Judge Talwani and the many others who have said "no" to an old man with dementia whose god complex has caused harm to far too many people here and abroad.

We all have within us the seeds of courage.  We the People must water those seeds and provide them with a nourishing soil in which to grow.  Significant coverage of our heroic people today and in our past can increase the chances for those precious seeds of courage to germinate in all of us, but particularly in our young people.  We need this courage now at least as much as at any time in our past, so let’s promote and nourish it and direct it toward peace, caring, love, and service.

THE AMERICAN GOD-KING

By Ruth A. Sheets

A commenter on Heather Cox Richardson’s Substack thread, Joel, talked about his many family connections between Canada and the US.  It is amazing and I am guessing he is not alone with such a tale.  The following is my response to his comment.  

Stories like your family's are the reason the US and Canada have been such strong friends, allies, and trade partners for so long.  Unfortunately, somehow some people of this nation were bamboozled into believing an ignorant toddler-man should be president of this nation and do it twice. 

Donald Trump, possibly enhanced by his dementia,  has a god complex and thinks whatever he wants he should get, and immediately!  Unfortunately, there are many who will respond and try to serve his wants, even if illegal.  They think what their god-king wants he should get. 

• If Trump doesn't like the path of a hurricane, get a Sharpie and change it on the map. 
• If he doesn't like the reflecting pool, destroy it and lie about who did it. 
• If he wants Greenland, just say it belongs to the United States. 
• If he wants Canada as the 51st state, just say it is and, well, it is. 
• If there are boats in waters off of South and Central America, assume they are carrying drugs and blow them out of the water, killing everyone on board. 
• If he wants foreign oil to be Trumpian oil, just send in a force to kill a bunch of people and kidnap the country's president and his wife. 
• If he wants to prove his manhood, attack Iran with his buddy BB Netanyahu and bomb a girl's school and whatever else his military minions can manage to bomb. 
• If he wants to change the names of major waters, just order it and he gets, Lake America and the Gulf of America and major map services, Google and Apple go right along with it.  Oh yes, he is working on getting New Mexico to become New America (Mexico and America must have a place next to each other in his brain, so he needs Mexico on every map to be “America.”.    
• If he wants ignoramuses to fill his cabinet and other posts, just threaten Republican members of the Senate and they will approve them  for him no matter what that does to the American people or to our nation. 
• IF he wants to pretend he didn't conduct an insurrection against this nation, give pardons to those who attacked the Capitol, injured over a hundred police officers, and threatened to kill the vice president and members of Congress if they could be found, he can, and call it “a love fest.” 
• If he wants to prove that he is totally in charge of the entire government, set a bunch of adolescent boys led by an adolescent man, Elon Musk, loose on our departments and agencies and let them as "DOGE" steal private information, fire people at will, leave people around the world DEFENSELESS against the diseases and hunger that are part of their lives, and call it anti-waste and fraud.
• If he wants to cause havoc, set tariffs against all the countries of the world to let them know who is god while lying  to the American people that those countries will pay the tariffs. 
• IF he is scared that his party might lose an election, just rig it in every way his minions can think of:  the SAVE Act which requires documents at the polling place that many Americans don't have and can't afford; make an illegal executive order that tells the Post Office that they should not allow to be mailed any ballots that states haven't given them Americans' private information for; get the Supreme Court to allow racial gerrymandering while claiming it isn't racial at all; tell the Supreme Roberts 6 to allow as much money into elections as anyone wants to "donate, particularly the richest oligarchs like Musk."
• If he decides his  racist misogynistic pig assistant, Steve Miller wants to deport immigrants of color   in large numbers, he can enhance a completely unnecessary intimidation tactical group, ICE and send them into communities to terrorize immigrants who have lived peacefully in this nation for decades and put them in concentration camp prisons or deport them to wherever they can be dumped off, even in countries where they are at risk or know nothing and don't speak the language, and do it on the taxpayer’s money, no problem. 

The question is, what are we Americans going to do about this god-king and his worshippers?  We have to decide pretty soon because the election is just around the corner, and he has every intention to rig the election, and told his worshippers so at his Trump-you-a-luza convention last week, even having them swear allegiance to himself.  All this sounds a lot like “treason” to me!

 

MAXIMUM INCOMPETENCE

By Ruth A. Sheets

In case we wanted to know what a few whiny bratty toddler-men could do to this nation if they got power, we got it!  I am thinking Trump and Hegseth see the war they started together as a video game war, where they say what they want to happen and it is supposed to happen.  They are both clinically narcissistic and either sociopathic or psychopathic, it is unclear which, because they show symptoms of both.

They fear women, people of color, LGBTQ persons, and anyone who doesn't agree with their utter stupidity.  They can't stand it that anyone thinks someone is smarter, more popular (at least well-known), getting more attention, or more attractive than they are.  Both have an enemies list rife with the names of heroes, innovators, journalists (mostly women), immigrants of color, Democrats, and actually, most of the rest of us too.  How anyone can see this as acceptable is beyond comprehension.  Yet, Republican Senators and some Democrats voted for every single fool that Trump and his nuts nominated for every government position the Senate must approve.  This is sabotage of our government. 

Democrats must get the word out in every speech at least briefly, describing the fools approved by their opponents and the harm that nominee has caused the American people.  There are lots to choose from.  The Senators all knew better and approved them anyway! 

Why would anyone vote for that?  They will if they are MAGAs who want desperately to believe whatever Donald Trump says.  He is their hero for reasons they can’t even verbalize; they just know he is.  Trump’s sycophantic gathering, Trumplandia works hard every day to keep those MAGA believers on board and as ignorant as possible of the truth.

The masters of Trumplandia hope the MAGA believers:

• will still repeat the nonsense that Trump was a good businessman; 
• Will believe the economic situation they are in now was Biden’s or Obama’s fault when it is purely Trump’s; 
• will keep working to figure out how the Iran war fiasco could be someone’s fault other than Trump’s and Hegseth’s; no luck so far, but they are trying; 
• will blame immigrants of color for most crimes and will ignore the fact that immigrants commit far fewer crimes than American citizens – racism rules;
• Will be on board with whatever ICE and Department of Homeland Security’s Markwayne Mullins can come up with to make life hell for innocent men, women, and children in the name of “making America safe again;.
• Will Display adoring fascination with the ability of Trump and his buddies to get away with outrageous lies and cheats , even when no lies should be necessary;

The Trumpian leadership (the cadre of Trump’s handlers):

• holds Republicans hostage to the supposed will of an old man who has no clue and treats the “president’s cabinet” like a bunch of toddlers who are learning how to lie and clap on cue;
• pretends Donald Trump is extremely healthy even though everyone can see his mental and physical decline:  Trump needs gilded signs around the white house and people whose job it is to see that Trump doesn’t get lost;
• treats the media and journalism as their private domain where they can get just the right kind of white boys and girls to say what they are told even if everyone involved in that media knows it is a lie;
• will act in ways that are clearly illegal or unconstitutional or both assuming they can get away with whatever they do, whomever they cheat, and they usually do;
• will court the autocrats around the world expecting them to help keep Trump and his incompetents in power.

Democrats need to look no further than the above to show voters what this nation is experiencing.  It will be hard because Trumplandia owns most of the well-known media and has learned that carefully worded little threats and insults can get those media to ignore events or interpret them in “just the right way.”

This Trumplandia crew is highly incompetent which is really a blessing because if they had more skill or gave a damn beyond the money and power they have been able to accumulate, we would be far worse off now than we actually are.  That doesn’t mean we should leave the ballfield to Trumplandia; it just means we have reason not to lose hope!

WAKE UP DEMOCRATS

 

By Ruth A. Sheets

I have noticed the Democratic Party’s current candidates are willing to acknowledge their Democratic opponents even if they lose to them in the primaries.  That is critical!  A lot of negativity has been coming from Republicans who think they can widen divisions among Democrats.  They want to make breaks between some of the Dems in leadership and the younger, but also, more progressive candidates.  The line is that those leaders are too scared of those coming along with new, powerful ideas. 

It seems though, money for some leaders is a major factor rather than an honest disparity among messages.  Minority Leaders Jeffries and Schumer filled a gap in the party after remarkable leaders stepped down.  The Party now needs something new, people who will lead into the challenges of stopping Trumplandia’s encroachment on our rights and most other aspects of our lives, even if the huge corporate money isn’t there for them. 

We need Democratic leaders to stand up with candidates who don't necessarily connect with the old Democratic agenda.  Maybe everyone can learn something from the newcomers and progressives, as well as support them in their campaigns, not undermine them, call names, and generally take on the Republican role.  Republican oligarchic money is doing a great job of undermining Democrats so Democrats don’t have to participate in it. 

We need a Democratic platform that all candidates can connect with and then add to as appropriate.  Here are a few planks for the platform I like:: 

• universal healthcare that everyone pays into and can use as needed;
• strong well-supported public schools, including Head Start;
• affordable housing for all;
• corporate, foreign,  and PAC money out of elections and every penny of every donation accounted for as to who donated it and how much;
• immigration reform which encourages a streamlined path to citizenship for DACA young people and anyone living in this country for 8 years or longer who has no criminal record and wants citizenship;
• abolish ICE and its cruel unjust, racist deportations (without American citizen family members, often to places where the deported folks don’t know the language and find themselves in war zones), and end concentration camp prisons (where innocent immigrants of color are held in appalling conditions, suffer and even die because the “guards’” and prison corporations’ cruelty has been unchecked);
• Absolutely no wars without strong congressional approval (at least 60 votes in the Senate and 250 in the House).  Acting alone by a president and cabinet is grounds for impeachment for the whole bunch at once;
• strong efforts to halt global warming with an extreme emphasis on renewable energy and  environmental restoration, including subsidies for EVs, solar panels, and other energy savers;
• bodily autonomy for all;
• severe limitations on executive privilege:  no firing government employees without just, non political cause; penalties for executive branch overreach as in destroying public properties without congressional permission and for good reason; no presidential gifts from foreign or domestic sources, nominees for all government positions with experience in the area of their nomination;
• judicial reform with justices having say, an 18 year term limit, a strong code of ethics at all judicial levels with consequences if broken, and increasing the number of justices on the Supreme Court with specific qualifications and approvals for nomination to all courts;
• protection for our public lands, national parks, and monuments;
• end tariffs and work to reestablish good relations with our allies and potential allies;
• restore aid programs around the world with support for effective medical research projects. 

These are a start.  I believe all Democrats can go along with them.  Each candidate should emphasize those that connect best for their town, district, or state and add to them.  Of course candidates must point out how the current administration has chosen cruelty and chooses to ignore our Constitution, rather than working for the American people, using specific examples, but emphasis should be on the above issues. 

Democrats must go on the offense rather than always trying to defend themselves from the lies and cuts of their Republican opponents.  These ideas could get Democratic candidates more attention and win us more victories.  Putting Democratic and Independent candidates in office at all levels who actually want something better for this nation can bring us closer toward establishing a "more perfect union."   

A VISIT TO TRUMPLANDIA

 

By Ruth A. Sheets

August 31, 2026

OMG!  Is there nothing Trump won't lie about. I must admit I am not sure how much of what Trump "tweets" is actually written and sent by Trump.  Now that I know about Natalie Harp, being referred to as Trump’s binky, with her fast fingers on the laptop and portable printer, I am guessing he does very little on his own now, possibly for quite some time.  I get it that Natalie has mastered Trump’s lying, and can put it out here just like her Baby Donnie.  

It is obvious to those who pay attention, Trump is losing his ability to understand much of what is going on.  The things he blurts out in press meetings and when he is on the phone to FoxFraud hosts often make little sense (OK, the things Trump says to FoxFraud have rarely made much sense, leaving the hosts to “fix” them through their Trump translators.).  It becomes more clear each day that Trump is heavily medicated.  When the drugs are working, Trump can rant albeit confusedly for more than an hour.  When they are not, he can hardly stay awake and his voice is barely audible, even with the microphones.  He appears less and less often in public these days, definitely a good thing.

Trump is now nearly totally absorbed with himself and whatever comes into his damaged brain at any moment.  The dementia is increasing despite it rarely being mentioned in our media.  I guess pretending soothes some Americans, but anyone who has lived with someone experiencing dementia knows the truth. 

We have a war going on, 6 months now, started by that old man with dementia who knows little of war and nothing of Iran, its leadership, its people.  He has no empathy or sympathy for our military personnel stuck in the Strait of Hormuz.  He makes up stories about the war as though he is either watching it in a movie in his head or playing the war as a video game, also in his head. 

Trump's picks for candidates for the upcoming election are not winning near 100% of the time anymore, possibly because more people are sick of this old man dictating to them what they should think and feel, who should represent them, and that they should be just fine with this war, gas prices, lack of affordability in general while the rich get richer.  The attacks on heroic Americans like Anthony Fauci and Jack Smith, and the destruction of valuable American properties and monuments are not popular.  Watching immigrant men, women, and children of color dragged off the streets, out of their homes and from in front of schools, churches, and the offices where they are reporting as required to check on their current status is getting to people, even some of Trumplandia’s citizens.  Maybe Trump’s actions and those of other Trumplicans are reaching some of the MAGAs and waking them up to a world they have been pretending isn’t real for over a decade. 

Alas, another Trumpian rule is in the works.  It will, of course, do harm to the American people as usual!  This time, it's about cutting funding for and otherwise interfering with Head Start, a program that has helped millions of our children since its inception.  It has been successful, so of course, Trumplandia has decided to cut it.  Helping disadvantaged children succeed just isn’t what the oligarchs and their minions want; they want a poorly educated servant class.

I have observed, there is honestly not one thing Trumplandia has done or proposed that is a positive for this nation in Trump’s nearly 6 years in office.  He is so desperate to prove he is better than the Democratic presidents (OK all the presidents) who came before him, he spends his time trying to reverse their accomplishments rather than accomplishing something of value on his own, which due to a lack of ideas, he/they simply can’t manage.   

Trumplandia now includes Trump, his white house toddler pool, Trump’s oligarchic buddies who have the money, Republicans in Congress and the Johnny Roberts6 on the Supreme Court.  They all support Trump’s desperate need to create monuments to himself.  That makes them lawbreakers as they ignore the laws against doing anything to our monuments or the white house without congressional approval.  Congressional Trumplicans haven’t gotten around to giving permission yet.  When they do, they will be complicit and can be held accountable by the American people who actually hold those monuments as nearly sacred.

Trump doesn't really need an arch or the Kennedy Center; all he needs is a book or a computer file of his “best” Executive Orders, pardons,  and bills ordered to be passed by Republicans in Congress.  It should also include blueprints of the proposed monuments to Trump and proposed changes to the Kennedy Center and the white house, of course.  These should  suffice to keep the Donald occupied for hours at a time with personal guides to walk him through the material as often as possible.  This fits the task of keeping Trump distracted while the rest of the Klan work to undermine our nation in his name.

We need everyone to be aware that any of Trump's ideas for this nation are poison, just as the one for Head Start is.  It will be hard to get the word out since Trumplandia owns so much of our media and has threatened most of what they don’t own.  There have been points in history when our media has been compromised and people managed to figure out how to get around that.  We can do it too.  One way may be to regularly take people on a visit to Trumplandia, letting us all know just what Trump and the white house toddler pool of sycophants are up to and who is targeted for their venom today.  There are Substack threads that do that, but it isn’t enough!  We need an all-out information barrage to let people know what is really going on!

We must find ways to bridge the gaps between Americans, the divisions mostly deepened by Trumplandia.  Why should anyone either believe or act on anything that comes from Trumplandia’s bunch of child-men and a few child-women?  We need to do smart work arounds to try to limit their power and push harder together for a better nation, not just for Democrats and the other Trumpian targeted groups, but for everyone. 

Maybe, we can try to help people we know get off the drug of FoxFraud and the other Trumpian media.  This will be some of the hardest work we do, but we are America and can do this!  As much as possible, it must be done TOGETHER in community if we are to succeed! 

TAXES AND THE VERY RICH

By Ruth A. Sheets

August 26, 2026

The word that came into my mind when years ago I read about Republican negative responses to paying their fair share of taxes, since Reagan days was "GREED"!  It seems that once one gets more money than he needs, he MUST keep accumulating just to think himself successful.  One house isn't enough, he must have more.  When he has no interest in sailing, he must still have a yacht.  He never has sufficient funds, and thinks his brilliance deserves a ton of children by acceptable women so he can produce a super race (Musk).  If he doesn't think his corporations have gotten to where he thinks they should be, he will bribe or threaten the Department of the Interior to let him take over and drill, mine, log, or otherwise steal our public lands.  He leaves messes for the rest of us to clean up, while his profits rise. 

It never ends, and taxes just get in the way.  It doesn't matter that the white male oligarch and his corporations use the roads, the air space, the utilities, and all the other services of a nation, he just doesn't see that he should have to pay more than a pittance for the peons. And, you know, those peons just demand too much, so we had better cut out the waste (the peons). 

That is still not enough, so those super rich white boys need a paramilitary force that can intimidate everyone into doing whatever those rich white guys want in their rich-boy paranoia targeting:  immigrants, protesters, women, medical folks who provide services to the peons, journalists, and anyone who gets in the way.  The oligarchs need distractions to cover their “bad” behavior, so threaten and lie about trans women, people on the Mall in DC who touch the Reflecting Pool (they must have vandalized it), and an assortment of groups they believe they can use to pacify their MAGA base.  Let’s be clear, it is the oligarchs’ MAGA base!  

Through ownership of our media platforms, those whiny rich white child-men lie, gaslight, misinform, and most of all, disinform everyone that somehow the people are ignorant and need to be ordered about by somewhat attractive men and women whose only talent seems to be that they can read what they are given to read, ask the questions they are told to ask.  The people don't need rights, they don't need to vote, they do need to pay taxes though.  Everyone who doesn't look like Whitelandia is evil or a criminal, depending on the race or gender.  History and science are what those ignorant rich white child-men say they are. 

As one would expect, those super rich guys and their “partners” are nearly all Republicans because that party is easiest to manipulate and keep in line with money and threats.  Republicans under the thumb of the super rich buy candidates and rig elections, while claiming the rigging is all on the part of the Democrats/Communists/left-wing terrorists (all the same thing as far as MAGA is led to believe). They order their purchased legislators to lower taxes for the oligarchs whenever they can get away with it. 

Republicans prodded by the oligarchy heavily promote the myth of wealth which lets ordinary people think they will be rich one day too.   Therefore, they should support those tax cuts for the very rich to make them even richer, because they will be them some day.  There is next to no chance of that, but the myth lives!  It serves those childish rich folks to have a bunch of those wealthy-wannabee peons waiting on them. 

We the People need to stop this insanity!  The question is, HOW?  You might guess I would have some ideas; I do.  Here are a few of them.

• Show less respect for the guys I think of as users.  They use everyone to get what they want and somehow are called “brilliant” for doing it; they’re not, they’re users or in other words, “the takers.”  Among them are Musk, Zuckerberg, Bezos, Theil, Vought, and the owners and CEOs of the other huge media and tech corporations.  They, however, see themselves as “the givers.”

If we are to put those oligarchs in their place, we have to act.

• We need to be aware of where the worst of them operate from, then boycott their operations as much as possible.  We make that boycott public so everyone will know who is being targeted this week/month/year.
• We must laugh at their antics as though they are little spoiled bratty children trying to rule the playground.  We must find ways to avoid revering them.
• Point out loudly, whenever possible, when the truth of their shenanigans has been revealed, that they need to feel shame for what they have done and/or are doing and stop it!  Maybe some strategically-placed signs or billboards would work.
• Journalists should dig more deeply into the activities of the whiny white boy oligarchs.  When the truth is known about their encroachment on people’s rights, or stealing of our public lands, or abuse of people in their prisons comes out, make it more than a one-day news item.  Then say things like, “we give them tax breaks and look what they do to us.”
• Get Congress to clean up the tax law, close rich white boy loopholes, and significantly raise the taxes on everyone whose income is say $10 million and above in a progressive manner as in the past.  Begin with Social Security which should be calculated on all income.  Even tax income that which comes from trading stocks and interest, EVERYTHING.  Maybe, if they have to pay a lot more in taxes, they might be willing to be more careful how they do business. Nah, but we will have more money for critical programs!
• Install a one-time say 5% wealth tax, call it something clever like dignity tax on all income over $2 billion, to be renewed in the future as needed to work down our debt and reestablish the programs Americans need.

These are a few suggestions for dealing with the insanity of people in power.  Whether in politics or business, they think the rest of us are either dust on their shoes or obstacles they need to kick out of the way.  We should not be willing to accept either role.  We need to  work together to end their bullying, then push or vote them out of power.  We have been victims of wealth abuse for a long time.  It’s time now to have enough courage to stand up and say “I’m not going to take it anymore,” and mean it!

A POSSIBLE DEMOCRATIC STRATEGY

By Ruth A. Sheets

There is an enormous amount of lying, cheating, theft, corruption, assault, and disregarding of our laws these days, and it is not done by the people we have been told all our lives are the criminals.  Who is doing this vast damage to our nation?  I call it Trumplandia! 

Many supporters of Trumplandia just want their cut of the spoils.  That is not likely to happen when one considers the level of greed involved with the members of Trumplandia.  Their goal is to rule the United States of America so they can continue to accumulate the wealth and power they crave.  Everyone else is just a pawn in their game or a minion to be used and abused at will.  All of this is clearly an abuse of the American people.  Trumplandia with all its oligarchic support and influence works really hard to hide as much of it as possible behind more lies, insults, blaming, incompetence, and whatever money can buy.  Since these folks pay as little in taxes as they can get away with while stealing government contracts and collecting interest on our national debt,, they have a lot.

I hope we can keep the Trumplican misuse of the American people in the forefront of this midterm election.  It is critical.  We must name names when we have them to let the people know who is orchestrating this appalling attack on our democracy:  Trump, Miller, Vance, Vought, Musk, Bannon, the members of Trump’s cabinet, Republicans in Congress, the Roberts 6 on the Supreme Court, state governors and legislators.  Trump is mostly in the background due to his dementia, but he is trotted out when Trumplandia has something they need him to say:  the war is over; we will obliterate Iran; I got Roberts to OK my ballroom and it is going to be the best . . . .; those criminals wrecked the beautiful reflecting pool,” for example. 

Republicans and a few Democrats in Congress, rubber-stamp the prescribed actions on behalf of Trump and the others.  I suspect they don’t even read the bills they are agreeing to because that might make their fractured moral compass start to nudge them a teensy bit.  Can’t have that!

They all want power and money and think their oligarchic buddies will let them in on the haul.  None of them realize that this insanity/EVIL has been in the works for a half-century and more and it has pushed deep into our lives. 

Back in the ‘70s, it only involved a few power-hungry rich white men, a small number compared to the number of people on board now.

It is essential we expose this Trumplican mess to the American people throughout the entire nation.  Democratic candidates across the country in every level election can get the ball rolling, really fast if they try the approach used by Jon Ossoff of Georgia and Abdul el Said of Michigan. 

Those two and some others have taken to the offense rather than trying to defend themselves against the ridiculous lies and disinformation Trumplandia is tossing out, hoping some will stick.  The most important part is that Democrats must have a united plan  of aggressive action that all candidates will use, adapted for the local and state needs. 

Some of Trumplandia’s most appalling lies are tied to attacks on Muslim candidates with VP J.D. Vance throwing out insults and Nancy Mace saying that every Muslim including candidates is a terrorist.  How does one defend against that insanity?  One stands up proudly and claims Islam as their faith and moves right on, as Omar, Mamdani,  and el Said have been doing.  Then, they hit their opponents hard, with the truth about our economy in stories of peoples’ actual struggles compared to what the “poor” abused oligarchs and their rich friends whine that they are going through.

In addition, rarely mention Trump’s name, but allude to him often as the contrast to the people’s actual issues.  Use phrases like, “You’ll notice that the guy in the white house blames everyone for what he has done while the American people work hard, care for their families, and try to live our democracy while experiencing the results of our Republican congressional inaction or actions designed to do harm to us all.

Then, with humor and empathy,  describe a list of a few of the presidential, congressional, judicial, and oligarchic injustices against the American people and give specific, easy-to-follow examples and the names of those who are participating, particularly those at local, state, or federal-level that people will recognize.  Ask a lot of rhetorical questions:  What do you think of a man  who would leave department heads and journalists on a decoy plane while he took a woman with no credentials, Natalie Harp with him on the "escape plane?"  A few more such questions might be:

• what kind of ‘commander-in-Chief’ would leave sailors in a ship for 9 months without relief on the open ocean, living in appalling conditions, then tell us all that wasn’t long enough;
• why are Republicans so worried about the Epstein Files that they won’t force the DOJ to release all of them as ordered by the courts, Congress, and the president’s signature, and won’t continue investigating Epstein’s collaborators who did enormous damage to the lives of many women and girls;
• who is Natalie Harp and what right does she have to be so close to Trump and advising him when she was never vetted or passed a security check – could she be a plant for a foreign or corporate entity;
• y were Republicans OK with DOGE invading our government and wrecking departments whose job it is to keep us safe, like the Food and Drug Administration that used to inspect for parasites and bacteria on our food;
• why is a paramilitary, ICE allowed to roam our streets, masked and heavily armed to murder, kidnap, separate people from their families and jobs, and run concentration camp prisons for innocent immigrants of color? 

Add, “Inquiring minds want to know!”

You get the idea.  With all the current issues, candidates can find which work best with which audiences.  Iin short videos on YouTube and  social media, in interviews on MS-Now and Substack, and on billboards, flyers, bumper stickers, etc., make comparisons, point out the injustices, the racism, the misogyny, the xenophobia, the homo/transphobia and how those are being used to divide our nation by the representatives of Trumplandia, for their own purposes of course, you know, the old “divide and conquer” tactic.

Our Democratic candidates as a whole must stand up for all of us, not just their donors and rich, white, men as Trumplandia’s candidates do.  Find out the voting record of opponents, then show where the candidate stands on the critical issues and how you know. 

Because we deserve better than what we have running our country with almost no limits on their corruption, Democratic candidates must step up and be their kind, decent, empathetic, competent, intelligent selves, who do honestly want the best for their constituents and this nation, no fakes.  We did that with Manchin and Synema and this time we need to try to keep such self-interested people out of office if we can, although at this point, it is really a bit too late.  Next time, though . . . .

We Democrats do have weapons; it is time our Democratic candidates ignore the "oligarchic quid pro quo donors' wishes" and tell the truth and stand for what is right.  Most of all they must hold the American people, our democracy, and our constitution as paramount, all the time!  IT’s doable!

IS THERE A LINE REPUBLICANS WON’T CROSS?

By Ruth A. Sheets

I can't help but wonder, nearly every day, where is the line that Republicans won't allow their Baby Donnie to cross, and will stop him? 

- One would have thought it would have been when Musk's DOGErs ransacked our government offices and agencies, or when they stopped nearly all government aid to the desperate people around the world who are suffering from treatable diseases as well as severe hunger. 

- It might have been when Trump demanded that they put in place massive cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, and other critical programs. 

- It could have been when Trump put massive tariffs on our allies as well as others for no honest reason. 

- Maybe it could have been when Trump started a war, completely for personal reasons which has cost probably at least $100 billion and killed and wounded thousands in Iran and who knows how many of our own military personnel. 

- It might have been when Trump had a significant part of the white house that he thinks he owns demolished for a gaudy unnecessary ballroom and used our taxpayer money to "decorate" the white house.

- It should have been when Trump and Miller unleashed an army of thugs called ICE on our communities allowing them to commit murder, to run concentration camps, and force innocent immigrants of color to die in custody because, I guess it is fun for those naziesque bratty toddler-men  

- It should have been when Trump tore up a lot of the grounds near the white house and beyond for his personal birthday party and used the mall for a sham "state fair," then wrecked our reflecting pool. 

- It could have been when Trump and his personal DOJ/FBI stole documents from Fulton County, GA and threatened other states and cities too, Democratic of course.

- It could be now that our service men and women are being treated like dispensables who should still serve who knows how much longer on ships that are in terrible condition. 

- Maybe now it will be when Trump tries to deny American citizens the right to vote, ignoring our constitution as he tried to do by getting rid of birthright citizenship which is clearly the first sentence of the 14th Amendment. 

- And, it could also be now when Trump is trying to turn his crypto scam into an official bank. 

Does anyone think any of this will be the stopping point for Republicans?  Not likely!  They have known for many years that Trump is suffering from dementia and that on top of his inability to think clearly and reason, they pushed that he be able to run for office after committing insurrection.  It seems the only way to stop this insanity is to get Democrats, Republicans who care, and Independents to vote in huge numbers this November, so many that if there is AI interference as in 2024, it will be found out and countered. 

Republicans can't or rather won't stop their Baby Donnie because they are getting a whole lot by staying in his corner, probably mostly from the oligarchic donors.  Thank you Johnny Roberts and your Supreme 6 for ignoring our Constitution and giving an utter fool immunity so he could commit his collection of crimes against this nation.  You all are complicit along with the entire Republican Party!  

OUTLANDISH ATTACKS ON THE MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY

By Ruth A. Sheets

Last Tuesday’s column by Heather Cox Richardson on Substack was difficult to read because it presented many false claims about the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History (NMAH), stated by Trump and his minions.  I worked 4 years at the Smithsonian, and found it to be a remarkable place, fairly trying to present an honest overview of our past.  I served as a volunteer weekend docent at the Museum of Natural History.  I guess Trumplandia hasn't gotten to that museum yet; they describe evolution there!  (OMG!  How can they stand knowing the truth!  Oh wait, they can’t!) 

It is clear the truth about American history is not what Trumplandia, in its ignorance and fear of reality wish to know.  If NMAH were telling the full truth about White America, and had enough space to do it, those whiny white boys and girls of Trumplandia would learn of some real horrors. 

• the tortures and murders committed from the beginning, against Native peoples because white men wanted their land and shaped the law to do whatever they could to get it, even driving whole communities from their land and holding massacres regularly. 

• The museum would show enslavement as a business proposition with torture chambers for any enslaved persons who didn't do exactly as their "masters/owners demanded, including amputations, beatings, and tortures that my brain just can't contemplate and my fingers can’t type here. 

• It would show the massive rapes committed by white men on enslaved women, Native women, and nearly any other women white men could get hold of without being accused of rape, even their own wives. 

• The museum would show the white male use of religion as a cudgel against women and poor folks to make them believe that being treated like slaves, like dirt or ignored altogether was god's will and tolerating it would get them into Heaven, along with their abusers, of course. 

• They would see how the people of Hawaii, Cuba, the Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico, and other locations were beaten into submission and white men put in charge of those people's lives.  Now Cuba is being blamed for American unrest?  Are you kidding me! 

• No, the United States was not where the beginnings of the end of slavery happened; it was Britain, then Spain.  Brazil kept enslavement after us, but we only had it "officially" dumped after a horrific war led by white men, half of whom thought slavery was god's will and doing massive harm to Black and Native people somehow drove out their savagery or something.    Whitelandia still can’t all agree that people of color are worthy American citizens.

• The museum would have the myriad of inventions by Black Americans, examples of the architecture designed and build by Black Americans, the foods that came from the creativity of Black women trying to figure out how to use everything they could to survive.  There would be the evidence that often white men claimed those inventions and innovations as their own.  It would also show the effective Native farmers’ use of the land in contrast to the ways white farmers along with drought caused the Dust Bowl in the 1930s. 

Some of this information is in the Museum of African-American History and the Museum of the American Indian.  I am guessing the Museum of American History for Trumplandia is supposed to be the white male museum.  Well, white male American history is incomplete, violent, sometimes has some courage, some invention, some creativity, but a whole lot of violence and dismissal of everyone who is not rich, white, and male, pretending that white men did everything by themselves; of course, they didn't and the "supporters" were not just enslaved persons, handmaids, and apprentices.  They were full actors in the history of America!

I thank Historian, Heather Cox Richardson for spotlighting this.  It took a long time for me to read the disgusting lies being told about NMAH’s curator/director who knows far more about America's history then the entire Klan of Trumplandia combined.  Then Republican Reps. Mace and Boebert had to prove their anti-woman Bonafides to please their master, Donald Trump.  The writers of the ridiculous anti-Smithsonian report got all the buzzwords in:  slavery, transgender, founders (about whom they know nothing), and demonstrated their racism, misogyny , xenophobia (all of which they protest the museum shows when it is they who exhibit them every day).  These are trigger words for the ignorant MAGAs who want so badly to believe they are superior to everyone else when they are just mediocre whiny white people who have privilege but can't stand anyone else having anything.      

Signs are being produced that will be posted outside the National Museum of American History.  They will tell everyone to go to other museums to get “the truth.”  I hope the employees and visitors to NMAH will look at those signs and be reminded of the utter ignorance, power-grubbing nature of those who forced them to be posted.  I hope people will just laugh out loud when they see them.  That might be the best way to handle this childish toddleresque sign-posting.  JUST LAUGH OUT LOUD IN FRONT OF THOSE SIGNS, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM!!, EVERY DAY, then march right into the museum to learn about us, the American people! 

PURSUING A HERO

By Ruth A. Sheets

In the years since COVID, Trump, Senate Republicans, and others have been trying to prove some kind of criminal activity on the part of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the long-time head of the National Institutes for Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.  His service to our government spanned 54 years in both Democratic and Republican administrations.  It seems, just as one might expect from today’s Republicans, they would prefer to ignore science and truth in favor of their chosen beliefs in conspiracy theories while they perpetrate their own conspiracies.

Anthony Fauci is a true American hero, although he would not say that about himself.  In his half-century of service to this nation and the world, he helped to save hundreds of thousands of lives, probably far more than that.  I can't think of one Republican in office who is now trying so hard to smear Fauci's name who has saved even one life, and has most likely been assisting in the deaths of many: 

• allowing US-AID to be dismantled (by a troop of unelected DOGErs), an organization whose loss is probably responsible for 700,000+ lives lost in the past 18 months;
• supporting utterly unnecessary but destructive wars in the Middle East -at least 4 in the past 37 years;
• sitting back while our military blows up small boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, killing at least 200, claiming they were running drugs, with no proof;
• permitting a masked, heavily armed paramilitary force, ICE to terrorize our communities causing havoc, disruption, and murder, dragging off the streets, people who have lived here often for decades, and just gave that poorly trained bunch of thugs  a huge financial injection of money to do more;
• keeping concentration camp prisons operating in the United States where the imprisoned, nearly all innocent victims are being treated far worse than decent people would treat animals, where they die of torture, beatings, and lack of medical attention;
• permitting a bunch of sex traffickers who hung out with Jeffrey Epstein to have their names concealed while outing and dyssing their victims leading to more than one suicide;
• encouraging American families not to be vaccinated for horrific diseases because a total ignoramus RFK,Jr. was approved by Republicans in our Senate to be in charge of medical research and vaccines. 

Republicans, following the orders of an old fool with dementia should be ashamed of themselves for targeting Dr. Fauci.  I do know that one of the qualities necessary for anyone in this administration who has any authority is that they MUST do whatever their ignoramus of a leader, Donald Trump and his white house toddler pool of Vance, Vought, Miller, Musk, Bannon, and the rest tell them to do.  Actual logical thinking or rather thinking in general is not permitted.   

I had the honor of hearing Dr. Fauci speak about HIV/AIDS nearly 40 years ago at a conference and to briefly meet him.  He and his colleagues were working hard to understand the disease and find ways to fight it.  He listened to people living with HIV/AIDS and his team around the world worked with them to get a better idea of what the disease was and how to serve those living with HIV/AIDS.  Their efforts have led to medications that keep people with the disease living full lives, well, except in places where US-AID is no longer present and neither are the drugs the people need to live. 

We have medical men in Congress who are Republicans, yet they have done nothing to stop the white house assault on universities, medical research, and you know, the truth.

Last week, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky led a witch hunt trial against Fauci.  They called it a hearing, but the lies Paul and the other Republicans on the committee who have no clue, spewed,  were  about Fauci’s handling of the COVID pandemic and developing a vaccine, THE VACCINE THEY NOW SCORN WHILE SOME PEOPLE STILL GET SICK AND DIE.  The COVID vaccine was developed more quickly than anyone should have expected due to massive research on similar vaccines for 2 decades and Fauci was involved with that among many other TALENTED RESEARCHERS.  The utter ignorance AND HATE displayed by the Republicans at that “hearing” just proved that Trump and his fan Klub were trying to find someone they could use to distract the nation from Trump’s massive failures.  Those Repubs came off sounding like a bunch of bratty toddlers trying to bully someone they knew was better than they are. 

I have some advice to Senators and other Republicans who see Fauci as a worthy target of their ignorance and hate.  Drop your attacks!  Leave Anthony Fauci alone unless you plan to honor his incredible service to this nation and the world.   Then, work a teensy bit harder to become decent human beings yourselves.  That will take all the time you would otherwise use to pursue this ridiculous action against a real hero.  In the meantime, growing up would help too.

JOY IN THE MOMENT

By Ruth A. Sheets

Life is tough right now for so many and with little improvement on the horizon.  In this moment, it is critical that we all find moments, hours, events of joy where it occurs and not ignore it when it shows up for us.  I just finished the book "Joyful Anyway" by Kate Bowler.  She is a cancer survivor who has had numerous difficulties in her life and had to teach herself to take in joy where it is, often unexpected, unprepared for, and startling. 

I have been trying to do that and it truly helps since I plan to stay connected with what this ignorant, heartless, blustering, hateful, disgusting Trumplandia is doing to us, our communities, our nation, and the world and respond to it wherever I can.  I admit that sometimes I find joy in responding to their toddleresque behavior with comments about them being rich white toddler-men with a few toddler-women on the side.  They have nothing positive to offer anyone and seem to get their "joy" from hurting others, particularly vulnerable people, people of color and women.  That’s just what one should expect of whiny bratty rich white toddler-adults who somehow never had to grow up. 

The reality is that if people who don't pay attention hadn't given them far more power than they deserve, they would be nothing, just small men pushing people around locally and seen for what they are, nobodies who deserve no power. 

When I need a lift, I imagine Miller, Vought, Mullins, Musk, Vance, and the flavor of the moment in one of the concentration camp prisons they have cobbled together to destroy immigrants of color and our communities.  (I don’t imagine Trump there only because of his serious illnesses and dementia.)  Republicans' backbones have been melted down to create Trumplandia.  The Pathetic Republican members of Congress have no place there because they are just fodder for those whose goal in life is to use people and to gain as much of everything as they can, and at everyone else's expense, even Congressional and state legislature Republicans and the MAGAs.  They prove this every single day.

Working together to build better after we have removed these appalling examples of humanity from our government is a strong source of joy, hope, and well-being, as are the commentors I follow like Prof. Robert Reich on Substack.  A couple of years ago, I attended online each week Prof. Reich's "last class" at Berkley on the economy, and learned a lot to add to what I had already learned from an amazing economics professor back in undergrad days.  It gives me joy to remember Prof. Shirley Newton, an extraordinary woman who believed and taught that the government and our economy should work for the people not just for the lucky and the rich. 

In these difficult times, for the sake of our mental and physical health, let's all go find joy; it's out there just waiting for us!  Oh wait, we can help to create it for others too!

It is critical that we all find moments, hours, events of joy where it occurs and not ignore it when it shows up for us.  I just finished the book "Joyful Anyway" by Kate Bowler.  She is a cancer survivor who has had numerous difficulties in her life and had to teach herself to take in joy where it is, often unexpected, unprepared for, and startling. 

I have been trying to do that and it truly helps because I plan to stay connected with what this ignorant, heartless, blustering, hateful, disgusting Trumplandia is doing to us, our communities, our nation, and the world.  I admit that sometimes I find joy in responding to their toddleresque behavior with comments about them being rich white toddler-men with a few toddler-women on the side.  They have nothing positive to offer anyone and seem to get their "joy" from hurting others, particularly vulnerable people, people of color and women.  The reality is that if people who don't pay attention hadn't given them far more power than they deserve, they would be nothing, just small men pushing people around locally and seen for what they are, nobodies who deserve no power. 

When I need a lift, I imagine Miller, Vought, Mullins, Musk, Vance, and the flavor of the moment in one of the concentration camp prisons they have cobbled together because Republicans' backbones have been melted down to create Trumplandia.  That is where those pathetic Republican members of Congress have no place because they are just fodder for those whose goal in life is to use people and to gain as much of everything as they can, and at everyone else's expense, even the MAGAs.  They prove this every single day.

Working together to build better after we have removed these appalling examples of humanity from our government is a potential source of joy and well-being, as are the commentors I follow like Prof. Reich.  I attended online each week of Prof. Reich's "last class" at Berkley and learned a lot to add to what I had already learned from an amazing economics professor back in undergrad days.  It gives me joy to remember Prof. Shirley Newton, an extraordinary woman who believed and taught that the government and our economy should work for the people not just for the lucky and the rich. 

Let's all go find joy; it's out there waiting for us!  Oh wait, we can help to create it for others too!

WHITE HISTORY - WHY

By Ruth A. Sheets

Way back in the 1950s, I faced a challenge.  I started kindergarten and thought I was just like other kids until some of my classmates started calling me “Four Eyes.”  I had no idea what that meant until one of my friends told me “you know, your glasses.”  I still didn’t get it.  My parents explained that this was an insult.  I didn’t get it  because my glasses let me see stuff better.  Over time, though I got it.

I was carefully put in my place as inferior.  I was supposed to stay out of everyone else’s way because I couldn’t see as well as they could, so shouldn’t try for anything more than what I was given, sometimes sitting in front of the class to see the board.

History is filled with people being told covertly or brazenly that those doing the speaking were superior and that the receiver of the comments, insults, dismissal was inferior and worthy of what the superior chose to say or do to them.  The inferior is never supposed to object, try to escape the judgment, or go beyond what is expected/permitted as Black people, indigenous persons, immigrants, the LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY, WOMEN, and others HAVE DONE AT VARIOUS TIMES THROUGHOUT HISTORY.  All of our groups have been targeted at one point or other by those “conservative” white men, some white women and a very few token others.

There are a lot of markers in society to divide people:  race, gender, ethnicity, language, religion, education level, wealth, job, parentage, place of origin, height, weight, physical ability, disability, intelligence, and more.  There are supposed superiors and inferiors in each of these categories.  ?Who determines who is which?  In our society from the beginning, it has been mostly white men in power. They like having this power.  It has enabled them to decide who belongs here in the good old USA, who can live in certain parts of town, who can shop, and where, who can walk on this sidewalk, who can own a home or car, who can attend quality schools, who can serve in certain offices. 

Those “superior white guys” have made a lot of money, influenced a lot of people, and done enormous harm because of their supposed superiority.  They have used their wiles and privilege to gain control throughout our government.  They think it is what the American people want because no one has actually stopped them yet.   

Now, and for decades, those rich white boys think it is not enough to decide who is superior and inferior throughout the society and broadcast it everywhere, they want to “alter” our history with what they are calling “the Real American History.”  They want that history to be white and male, kind of what it was when I first started learning history in 3^rd grade, 65 years ago.  Their expressed reason, so white children won’t feel uncomfortable!

That of course is a lie.  It is not their kiddies they are worried about because it is likely they have already indoctrinated them into whatever stories of history their white dads want to push on them.  This is about the white men feeling uncomfortable and they just can’t stand it.  They might be related to those white men who perpetrated enormous crimes throughout our history.

I am reading two books right now that make this pretty clear.  The first is Mother Emmanuel, Two Centuries of Race, Resistance, and Forgiveness in One Charleston Church by Kevin Sack.  The second is The Killing of Crazy Horse by Thomas Powers.  In the first book, a horrific crime was committed 11 years ago when a young white man killed parishioners in a Black church, Mother Emmanuel A.M.E. in Charlston, SC.  The author describes the history of the work and struggles of the church, its members, and the segregation, lynchings, and other violence perpetrated on Black residents of the city, until very recently with no accountability.  The murderer of the members, who had invited them into their Bible Study,  had no remorse, claiming those he killed deserved it.  This is not even ancient history.  Where did the killer’s intense hate come from?  Hmmm!

White male relations with the various indigenous populations of North America have been fraught at best. If white men wanted land the people inhabited, too bad for the people because they would be driven out, murdered, or imprisoned so those white men could get hold of the land and its resources, Again, no accountability, even today. 

People were horrified when Custer’s troops were killed at the Little Big Horn, but those troops were out to murder as many of the Lakota as they could, assuming their superiority would give them automatic victory. That was in 1876.  Fourteen years later, other white troops massacred some old men, women, and children at Wounded Knee, for nothing, just because they could.  They imprisoned Native children and people with disabilities in horrible schools where the children were used and abused which should have been shocking, well, maybe they wouldn’t.  For all the cruelties done over time, they made up excuses, and  still do, just check out ICE and its attacks on immigrants of color, again with impunity!    As has often  happened, the military leader who ordered the massacre at Wounded Knee has been made a hero.

Yep, that’s how it has gone throughout history.  White men have raped and murdered women while blaming those women for “making them do it.”  They shoot LGBTQ+ people, leaving them to die, not because the person did anything to them, just because they exist.

The problem for rich and other conservative white men is that they are scared everyone else will learn the truth that they are just scared children who have learned to use privilege, money, and power to keep themselves from the knowledge that they are not superior, in fact, like everyone else, just ordinary.  They can’t have that, so they must rewrite history to suit their desperate need to be superior and have everyone around them under their heel.

Yo Conservative white men, we know who and what you are!  You are only fooling yourselves.  You forget that we the vast majority, have had to live with you forever.  We know!  You don’t need to white wash history because there will always be people who know the truth no matter how much you try to escape it.

This is not a condemnation of white men in general, just a chance to let those white supremacists who want to do harm to everyone who is not them, know that we a are not going to take it anymore.  We will be calling you out on your childish narcissistic need for recognition you don’t deserve. 

And, women, teachers, mothers, aunts, and grandmothers of white boys, do your best to keep those boys from developing the ego that puts all of us at risk, even themselves.  Help them develop a strong positive moral compass and encourage them to ask questions, Listen to others, communicate with and respect people different from themselves, and read them all sorts of stories, poems, and articles about or written by members of those groups.  The earlier you begin, the better.

I did learn I was different, but my family and friends will say that I didn’t let it stop me and nor should our differences stop anyone else from being the person you need to be, doing the things you need to do.  Then, we need to find ways to, as often as possible, remind the “superior” white boys they aren’t superior to us, no matter how hard they wish it to be true. 

EMBARRASSED, HORRIFIED, DISGUSTED!

Ruth A. Sheets

July 9, 2026

I once thought I just had some differences with Republicans and things could be worked out THROUGH HONEST DISCUSSION.  That is no longer the case no matter what Republicans may plead.  I realized that I now have 3 basic responses to whatever Republicans come up with since Trumplandia absorbed the Republican Party:  embarrassment, Horror, and Disgust, sometimes all present in a single speech, action, or declaration of Trumplandia.

This morning, I learned that our dear Congressional Republicans and possibly some Democrats too are planning to lower safety REGULATIONS on toxic chemicals, putting all of us, even the bribed recipients from chemical lobbyists AT RISK.  In my note to Congress below, I indicate which of the 3 (E,H,D) is my response to the statements.

“Do you all realize, particularly my senators, that lowering chemical safety standards will impact you too (D).  I think Republicans have forgotten to reason clearly while blinded by Trump's "glory" or something.  The earth is a closed ecosystem for the most part and when bad chemicals are released somewhere, they will eventually do harm other than at their starting point (D).  Those chemicals are often released on unsuspecting people,usually folks who are poor, non-white, or women and children (H). 

In my begging mode, I ask you to please oppose any effort to roll back the health protections in the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) (E).  That is really the least you should be doing in this time of environmental destruction and global warming.  Alas, you might need to take things a tiny bit at a time, just not making things worse. 

As you would know if you cared, current proposals being pushed by the chemical industry would dramatically weaken our nation's chemical safety law, making it easier for dangerous chemicals to enter the market (H).  It would also be harder for EPA and states to protect people from toxic chemicals linked to cancer, Parkinson's disease, impaired brain development, and other serious health problems (H).

In some cases, these proposals would provide fewer safeguards than Americans had more than 50 years ago.  Yeah, it is just so superior to go backward!  Even children know that makes no sense, but alas . . . (D).

As I mentioned, We the people need stronger protections from toxic chemicals—not weaker ones. OK, here comes the  begging again, please oppose any legislation that rolls back TSCA's health protections and stand up for the health of our families, workers, and communities (E).  We will be paying attention because it may well be our lives you are putting at risk.” 

There are many other instances of E,H,D.  The E is ever-present when Donald Trump speaks these days; he has no clue what he is talking about and simply does not care:  calling Democrats Communists, saying the war is over or will be over or something, getting the president of FIFA to release a player from a red card penalty, representing the US at a NATO meeting in Turkey. 

The H relates to the regime’s violence perpetrated without congressional approval:  Trump’s vanity war with Iran that our Baby Donnie and his inept, incompetent “negotiators” can’t figure out how to end if they even want to end it:  bombing a girls’ school on Netanyahu’s orders, using missiles to destroy small boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific claiming they were drug smuggling but with no proof, setting masked ICE nuts on immigrants and peaceful protesters.

The wrecking of our 250^th Birthday celebration of the “Declaration of Independence” was a resounding “D,” along with his reflecting pool stupidity and blaming innocent people for the destruction caused by an incompetent pool company and Trump’s need to run a motorcade over unset materials, etc.  I thought these would be embarrassing, but when the person orchestrating the events is an ignoramus with dementia, surrounded by a pool of incompetents, disgust is the thing I feel.  There is also some anger that Republicans, Musk‘s AIers, and some judges, returned Trump, an insurrectionist, to office.

Identifying whether this regime’s actions are E, H, or D, is like keeping score.  It helps me remember, when one votes for incompetence and incompetents, that is what we get.  Keep that in mind as the primaries wind down and the November midterm elections near.  We must be aware that Trump and his white house toddler pool are scared they might lose, so will do anything, including wrecking or stopping our elections to keep their ignorant, undeserved power.  They are already actively pushing again, the lie that non-citizens are voting.  They are threatening members of Congress that they must vote for the SAVE Act which would keep many American citizens from voting.  Their desperation is embarrassing, but disgusting and could be horrific if they win in November.  Beware!