Rise of Fascism in the United States [SPLIT]

[rareboy]

The Senate willingly gives up its role of advise and consent through a rule change.

Horrifying.

 

[KaraBulut]

^Historic point:

Republicans said "No" when Democrats proposed this in 2023 to do votes for TEN nominees at a time:

Resolution would allow bulk Senate confirmation without UC - Roll Call

Senate Rules and Administration Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar is proposing to expedite the confirmation of certain presidential nominees.

rollcall.com

And Schumer capitulated in Nov 2024 to withdraw 4 Appeals court nominees in order to get other nominees approved:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/22/biden-judges-senate-trump'

Republicans get power and then suddenly it's all okay to cram nominees through en masse.

If Democrats have balls, they will sit silent while the government shutdown happens later this month.

 

[Kulindahr]

It is now official, not farce.

Crap, in the summer I match the fourth one down!

 

[rareboy]

^Historic point:

Republicans said "No" when Democrats proposed this in 2023 to do votes for TEN nominees at a time:

Resolution would allow bulk Senate confirmation without UC - Roll Call

Senate Rules and Administration Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar is proposing to expedite the confirmation of certain presidential nominees.

rollcall.com

And Schumer capitulated in Nov 2024 to withdraw 4 Appeals court nominees in order to get other nominees approved:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/22/biden-judges-senate-trump'

Republicans get power and then suddenly it's all okay to cram nominees through en masse.

If Democrats have balls, they will sit silent while the government shutdown happens later this month.

They don't and won't just sit this one out.

They will once again chicken out and be afraid for their own seats if the Repubs loudly fix the blame on Dems for not keeping government running.

And there will be brinksmanship and some vague compromise proposed and just enough Dems will vote to keep it all running for another 90 days.

 

[KaraBulut]

They don't and won't just sit this one out.

They will once again chicken out and be afraid for their own seats if the Repubs loudly fix the blame on Dems for not keeping government running.

And there will be brinksmanship and some vague compromise proposed and just enough Dems will vote to keep it all running for another 90 days.

Back when the Republicans couldn't get a Speaker elected, I heard Pelosi saying something that sounded very ruthless when she was asked whether Democrats would vote for a Republican Speaker. Basically she said, "Republicans have the majority. Democrats don't. If they can't elect a Speaker, that's their problem and Democrats aren't going to help them out".

I'm hearing a lot of Democratic congress members saying that same thing about the government shutdown. The weak link is always going to be Schumer since he has millionaires and billionaires in NYC to keep happy.

 

[rareboy]

^ Exactly. There are always weak links among the Dems.

And Schumer is one of the weakest.

 

[KaraBulut]

Trump was bragging yesterday about the US blowing up a boat in the Caribbean that had 11 people on it. It was attacked apparently from a drone and on Truth Social (! ) he posted a video showing the moment that 11 people on the boat were killed.

In a statement from the White House, Trump said the boat had drugs on it and was coming out Venezuela. Trump justified the hit by saying that there were "lots of drugs" coming into "our country" and that Tren de Aragua was to blame.

However, objective news reporting (that included a map of the hemisphere) pointed out that the boat was not headed to the United States. The boat left Venezuela and appeared to be going east toward Trinidad, nowhere near the US.

So, who was in the boat? Why was it targeted if it was not headed toward the US?

US military kills 11 people in strike on alleged drug boat from Venezuela, Trump says

It's the first known operation since the recent deployment of warships to the southern Caribbean.

www.reuters.com

More information on the Venezuelan boat murders...

• The video that we were shown of the US military blowing up a vote allegedly transiting drugs from Venezuela showed a single shot. Apparently, the military targeted the boat multiple times before the shot that finally sank the boat.
• When the person captaining the boat heard planes overhead, he changed direction and appeared to be returning to Venezuela. This is important because Trump claimed that the boat was a threat to the United States. Prior to changing direction, the boat appeared to be headed toward Trinidad which is the opposite direction from the United States and any United States territory like Puerto Rico.
• The Administration and the Pentagon have been unable to provide any evidence that the boat contained drugs or terrorists. When asked, the Administration responded that "the evidence is on the bottom of the ocean".

Boat Suspected of Smuggling Drugs Is Said to Have Turned Before U.S. Attacked It

The Trump administration has argued that the summary killing of 11 people it accused of running drugs was legal under the laws of war.

www.nytimes.com

A Venezuelan boat that the U.S. military destroyed in the Caribbean last week had altered its course and appeared to have turned around before the attack started because the people onboard had apparently spotted a military aircraft stalking it, according to American officials familiar with the matter.

The military repeatedly hit the vessel before it sank, the officials added, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. President Trump has said he authorized the strike and claimed the boat was carrying drugs...

Many legal specialists, including retired top military lawyers, have rejected the idea that Mr. Trump has legitimate authority to treat suspected drug smuggling as legally equivalent to an imminent armed attack on the United States. Even if one accepted that premise for the sake of argument, they added, if the boat had already turned away, that would further undermine what they saw as an already weak claim of self-defense.

“If someone is retreating, where’s the ‘imminent threat’ then?” said Rear Adm. Donald J. Guter, a retired top judge advocate general for the Navy from 2000 to 2002. “Where’s the ‘self-defense’? They are gone if they ever existed — which I don’t think they did.”

 

[rareboy]

By the way, Californis did something good this week by banning masks for ICE enforcement. Trump's fascist rule relies on anonymous agents. Strip them of their masks and suddenly they can be exposed to their families, friends and community.

California Lawmakers Pass Bill That Would Ban Masks for ICE Agents

The legislation responds to immigration raids by federal agents who have shielded their identity. It heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has not said whether he would sign it.

www.nytimes.com

 

[cityboy-stl]

Oh yeah, homeless people, "involuntary lethal injection, just kill them". But then these fucking MAGA hypocrites get mad when you call them Nazis.

Like I've said for years; if they're not restrained, they will turn the US into a violent fascist regime that makes Nazi Germany look like a garden party. That's what they want, and they're well on their way, right now.

 

[KaraBulut]

Today in Orwellian double-speak...

Texas, the National Laboratory for Bad Government, has put together a committee to examine and protect free speech on campus after the Charlie Kirk shooting. "We have to do something about protecting free speech because we don't like what college students and university professors are saying about Charlie Kirk!".

Texas legislative committees will study freedom of speech on college campuses in wake of Charlie Kirk killing

The committees were made to honor slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk and come as university faculty have come under online scrutiny.

www.texastribune.org

Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Friday announced the formation of committees to study bias and free speech at universities amid a firestorm of criticism from conservative lawmakers on statements made by university faculty and students.

The House and Senate Select Committees on Civil Discourse & Freedom of Speech in Higher Education were formed “honoring the life and legacy of Charlie Kirk,” according to a press release. Kirk, a Christian conservative activist who frequently traveled to college campuses to discuss controversial politics, was shot and killed on Wednesday at Utah Valley University during one of his events.

In the wake of Kirk’s death, Republican lawmakers and activists in Texas and across the state have harshly criticized online commentary mocking Kirk and his killing. Several lawmakers have called for the removal of school teachers, professors and public officials who criticized Kirk, which Burrows said highlighted the necessity of the committee.

Meanwhile in Texas...

After college students protested Israel-Hamas war, Texas Senate votes to restrict time, place and manner of future events

Sen. Brandon Creighton says the bill will prevent disruption. Critics say it walks back conservative lawmakers' previous pledge to protect campus free speech.

www.texastribune.org

The Texas Senate on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a bill that would restrict protesting on college campuses in reaction to the pro-Palestinian demonstrations last year.

The bill’s author, Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, said he wants to prevent disruption and unsafe behavior, but opponents have said it contradicts the Legislature’s previous commitment to campus free speech, championed by conservative lawmakers six years ago.

Senate Bill 2972 would give university systems’ governing boards the power to limit where protests can take place on campus and more tools to police them. Lawmakers voted 21-10 to advance the bill without debate.

Texas Senate Bill 17 - Prohibition of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Activities

SB 17, TEC Code 51.3525 Webpage

compliance.utexas.edu

In 2023, Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 17 into law, “Responsibility of Governing Boards Regarding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives,” which amends Texas Education Code § 51.3525 effective January 1, 2024. Under this law, public institutions of higher education cannot engage in certain specified diversity, equity, and inclusion activities as defined in the statute.

UT Policy and Working Guidance

The University of Texas System implemented its policy, UT System Policy 197, to require consistency among UT System institutions in their compliance with Senate Bill 17 and Texas Education Code § 51.3525. This law prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”) offices, and the programs, activities, and trainings, among other things, traditionally conducted by those offices. It also prohibits institutions from implementing hiring and employment practices and treating individuals differently or providing special benefits based on protected characteristics.

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www.chronicle.com

A Tenured Professor Spoke Hypothetically About Overthrowing the Government. He Was Fired 3 Days Later.

Children’s literature professor fired by Texas university over ‘gender’ content

Texas A&M also removes two senior administrators from roles after student’s video sparked Republican pressure

www.theguardian.com

A children’s literature professor at Texas A&M was fired on Tuesday after a video showing a student objecting to course material about gender identity and sexuality went viral.

The dean of the school’s college of arts and science and the head of department were also removed from their roles, the university president, Mark Welsh III, said in a statement.

The undated video does not show the professor or the student involved.

“I’m not sure this is legal to be teaching,” the student says. “According to our president, there’s only two genders and he said he would be freezing agencies’ funding programs that promote gender ideology. And this also very much goes against not only myself but a lot of people’s religious beliefs.”

You can expect other Republican States to follow suit. They'll put together legislation that will protect the kind of free speech that they want to hear and continue to punish "the left" - including students who protest against Israel, professors who discuss "diversity, equity and inclusion" or race issues, or slavery or anything that doesn't find into the White Christian Nationalist definition of "free speech".

 

[rareboy]

This is what Project 2025 and TrumpCo. want...so badly they can taste it.

Members of Russian Punk Band and Art Collective Sentenced to Prison In Absentia

Five members of the Russian punk band and art collective Pussy Riot have been sentenced to prison in absentia by a Moscow court.

www.vice.com

 

[KaraBulut]

One of the media outlets dug up old podcast videos from Vance where he's talking about punishing universities and starving them of Federal funding until they purge liberal professors and liberal bias from their midst. The videos go back to 2020.

This goes to a narrative that Vance and Stephen Miller are the ones who are actually behind a lot the things that Trump is touting.

 

[rareboy]

It is why I pray for Trump's health every day.

Without Trump, Vance and Miller would lose a huge amount of their influence an power. What sounds appealing to the MAGAts when Trump spouts it will sound silly coming directly from Vance without a Trump behind him.

 

[KaraBulut]

It is why I pray for Trump's health every day.

Without Trump, Vance and Miller would lose a huge amount of their influence an power. What sounds appealing to the MAGAts when Trump spouts it will sound silly coming directly from Vance without a Trump behind him.

The cult leader is Trump. He's the one that MAGA worships.

Vance has no constituency. Hopefully the Democrats have been pack-ratting evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors on Vance. He's a much easier problem to remove from office.

 

[rareboy]

Note to America. Antifa is not an organization. There are no chapters or cells, dues or national headquarters.

But this is the opening for the DoJ and TrumpCo. to use the charge of being anti-fascist to imprison anyone who says they are opposed to fascism.

Oh. And once again, Trump didn't write this. This is Stephen Miller.

 

[rareboy]

Trump's reach even extends to the foreign press now. And shame on Downing Street for capitulating on this. Removal of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from the press conferences only indicates panic and weakness from Britain.

 

[rareboy]

 

[KaraBulut]

An unexpected outcome of Trump's little fascism show in DC: it's overwhelmed the Superior Court System in DC and has resulted in up to 80% of the cases getting no charge, a misdemeanor charge or being dismissed altogether.

An important note about the District: it has no District Attorney. These cases have to be tried by US Attorneys from the DOJ.

NPR did an analysis and found that over the course of 14 days, nearly 1,100 people were charged; 8 out 10 of the charges were minor offenses like traffic offenses.

What is missing from the NPR analysis is how many millions of dollars were wasted on this empty show of power. Using the military to conduct police actions is expensive and likely cost millions of dollars per day since the government must house, feed and pay the National Guard that was misused during Trump's little fascism show. US Attorneys are expensive to use as line prosecutors for low-level offenses. Keeping Federal courtrooms open for 16 hours a day is expensive.

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www.npr.org

The vast majority of people arrested or formally charged over the Aug. 11 to Aug. 25 timeframe — nearly 1,100 defendants — saw their cases go through Superior Court.

Lawyers who work in the courthouse say they are swamped. The courtroom where defendants are arraigned has on some days been working past 1 a.m., which attorneys say is almost unheard of.

Of the more than 1,050 defendants whose cases have gone to Superior Court, prosecutors charged around 20% with felonies: more serious offenses that include drug and gun crimes.

The remaining 80% of the cases were misdemeanors, warrants, traffic offenses or prosecutors dropping the case.

 

[KaraBulut]

More banana republic stuff...

In normal times, this would be grounds for impeachment.

US attorney whose office is investigating Letitia James is told he's being removed, AP source says

The U.S. attorney whose office has been investigating mortgage fraud allegations against New York Attorney General Letitia James has been told he is being removed.

apnews.com

The U.S. attorney whose office has been investigating mortgage fraud allegations against New York Attorney General Letitia James has been told he is being removed from the position, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Friday, amid a push by Trump administration officials to bring criminal charges against the perceived adversary of the president.

The move to replace Erik Siebert, a career prosecutor in the prestigious Eastern District of Virginia, was described by a person who was not authorized to discuss the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity. It was unclear which official told Siebert he was being removed, what reason was given or who might replace him.

 

[KaraBulut]

Not too big of a surprise here. Trump filed this ridiculous lawsuit in the State of Florida, thinking he would find another Aileen Cannon to play along.

The complaint filing read like a high school student wrote it. The judge was not happy that the complaint was nearly 90 pages and 80 pages were "Dear Leader" nonsense about how successful Trump has been in his business career.

What was a surprise is how strident the judge was in throwing out the suit saying, "A complaint is not a megaphone for a public relations or a podium for a passionate oration at a political rally...".

The judge in question has been on the bench since the 1990s- he was appointed by George H. W. Bush. He was not having it.

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www.politico.com

Judge tosses Trump’s $15B lawsuit against New York Times

The judge gave Trump’s attorneys 28 days to refile the lawsuit and ordered it to be limited to 40 pages, saying Trump must follow the rules requiring complaints to be clear and precise.

A federal judge threw out President Donald Trump’s $15 billion lawsuit against The New York Times, calling it an undignified public relations exercise meant to “rage against an adversary” rather than present a well-reasoned legal case.

“As every lawyer knows (or is presumed to know), a complaint is not a public forum for vituperation and invective,” U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday, an appointee of George H.W. Bush, said of Trump’s 85-page grievance-laden lawsuit. “A complaint is not a megaphone for public relations or a podium for a passionate oration at a political rally or the functional equivalent of the Hyde Park Speakers’ Corner.”