57 GOP State and Local Officials Were at the Capitol Insurrection << Christopher Mathias, Reader Supported News: “At least 57 state and local Republican officials attended the Jan. 6 rally in Washington that turned into a deadly insurrection, according to an updated HuffPost tally. Almost all of them are resisting calls to resign.”
Ma Joad’s final lines from The Grapes of Wrath: “Ain’t ever gonna be scared no more. Was, though. For a while I thought we was beat–*good* an’ beat. Looked like we didn’t have nothin’ in the worl’ but enemies–wasn’t nobody frien’ly anymore. It made me feel bad an’ scared too–like we was lost… an’ nobody cared. Maybe taken a beatin’ is what makes us tough. Rich fellas come up an’ they die, an’ their kids ain’t no good, an’ they die out. But we keep a-comin’. We’re the people that live. Can’t nobody wipe us out. Can’t nobody lick us. We’ll go on forever, Pa. We’re the people.”
The Trumpers Among Us << Katha Pollitt, The Nation: “Liberals call for unity, but 74 million Americans voted for its opposite.”
Poll: Almost Half of Republicans Would Join Trump Party << Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill: “Nearly half of Republicans say they would abandon the party as it is currently structured and join a new party if former President Trump was its leader, according to a new poll.”
Disinformation Fuels a White Evangelical Movement. It Led One Virginia Pastor to Quit << Dalia Mortada, Rachel Martin and Bo Hamby, NPR: “Jared Stacy is still processing his decision to leave Spotswood Baptist Church in Fredericksburg, Va., last year. Until November, he was ministering to young parishioners in their 20s and 30s.”
As Moderates Flee in Droves, Republican Party Pushing Further Right . Reuters: “More than 68,000 Republicans have left the party in recent weeks in Florida, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, crucial states for Democrats’ hopes of keeping control of Congress.” >> https://theworldnews.net/il-news/as-moderates-flee-in-droves-republican-party-pushing-further-right
Jeep Ad Featuring Bruce Springsteen Emblematic of Lazy Obsession With the Mythical Political “Center .” Elliot Gilfix, Common Dreams: “Sorry, but there is no `seeking the middle ground’ with the GOP. It has gone way off the deep end.” >> https://www.commondreams.org/views/2021/02/12/jeep-ad-featuring-bruce-springsteen-emblematic-lazy-obsession-mythical-political?cd-origin=rss&utm_term=AO&utm_campaign=Daily%20Newsletter&utm_content=email&utm_source=Daily%20Newsletter&utm_medium=Email (from Pete Simon)
Pentagon Report Reveals Inroads White Supremacists Have Made in Military << John M. Donnelly, Roll Call: “A soldier in the Florida National Guard who co-founded a murderous fascist group was chatting with a fellow white supremacist in the extremist ‘Iron March’ online forum in 2016 when the guard member made a remarkable statement.” (from Carol Farina)
Why I, a Lifelong Conservative, Now Call Republicans Enemies of Democracy . Mona Charen, Haaretz/The World News: “I was a Cold Warrior. I worked in the Reagan White House. But thanks to Trump and his GOP creatures, I have severed my association with the Republican Party, and I won’t even call myself conservative anymore.” >> https://theworldnews.net/il-news/why-i-a-lifelong-conservative-now-call-republicans-enemies-of-democracy
From Texas to Hawaii, Republican Officials Embrace QAnon and Punish Party Moderates . Ebene News: “The battle inside the Republican Party is taking place both in the halls of Congress and on the state level – where more and more local officials are spreading the antisemitic QAnon conspiracy theory.” >> https://www.ebenenews.com/news/ebene-news-ua-from-texas-to-hawaii-republican-officials-adopt-qanon-punish-party-moderates/
How the GOP Became the Party of Hate, Lies, and Insanity . Umair Haque, Eudaimonia: “This is how the GOP was always going to end. But will America end with it?” >> https://eand.co/how-the-gop-became-the-party-of-hate-lies-and-insanity-445255f99f65 (from Michele Melio)
“This Crap Means More to Him Than My Life”: When QAnon Invades American Homes << Anastasia Carrier, POLITICO: “What a Reddit forum for ‘QAnon casualties’ can tell us about the conspiracy theory scrambling American politics.”
Lone Star Failed State . Greg Olear, Prevail: “What’s wrong with Texas? Easy: Republicans.” >> https://gregolear.substack.com/p/lone-star-failed-state
Robert Reich, Inequality Media >> Our latest video breaks down the GOP’s plan to hoard power for generations — and how we can stop it.
Why Are Republican Presidents So Bad for the Economy ? David Leonhardt, The N.Y. Times: “G.D.P., jobs and other indicators have all risen faster under Democrats for nearly the past century.” (from Carol Farina) >> https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/02/opinion/sunday/democrats-economy.html?referringSource=articleShare&fbclid=IwAR1afdpkAcMGHBvVQUkEbv5rGcl1tw_RHpCBHct4sJEh2AOS9bt4pIisqcM
Amazon Offers $2,000 “Resignation Bonuses” to Bust Union Drive in Alabama << Mike Elk, Payday Report (from Tim Allport)
Danny Glover Explains Why He’s in Alabama With Amazon Workers << Sarah Anderson, Inequality.org
As Pandemic Profits Put Bezos on Track for Trillionaire Status, Tish James Asks: At What Cost? << John Nichols, The Nation: “Since the pandemic began,” says New York’s attorney general, “it is clear that Amazon has valued profit over people.”
Ro Khanna: Audit the Rich, Raise 1.2 Trillion << Ayelet Sheffey , Business Insider: “Wealth taxes have been the subject of much conversation since the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020, but what if you could raise more money from the wealthy just by enforcing existing taxes?”
Billionaire Dallas Cowboys Owner and Oil Man Cashes in on Texas Blackout Crisis << Sharon Zhang, Truthout: “This week is like hitting the jackpot with some of these incredible prices,” touted the billionaire’s gas company.
Scrap the Cap! Today Is the Day Millionaires and Billionaires Stop Paying Into Social Security << Sarah Rawlins, The World in Transition
U.S. Farmers and Food Justice Groups Declare ‘Solidarity’ With Indian Farmer Protests << Common Dreams: “We stand with India’s farmers! Now let’s connect the dots between the forces of neoliberalism that stifle farmers, from India to the U.S.”
America’s Response to Covid-19 Should Long Perforate Our Pomposity About Being the Greatest Nation on Earth << Derrick Z. Jackson, Union of Concerned Scientists: “We’ve been the greatest of fools.”
Texas Proves We Live in a Culture of Toxic Individualism . Jessica Wildfire, The Apeiron Blog >> https://medium.com/the-apeiron-blog/texas-proves-we-live-in-a-culture-of-toxic-individualism-f25b0bfb3360 (from Carol Farina)
Now Is the Time to Revolutionize Policing << Sean Collins, Vox: “The BREATHE Act is a bold plan to address police violence – and it’s made for this moment.” (from Carol Farina and Leigh Peters)
We Could End Homelessness Right Now, If Only Capitalism Didn’t Get in the Way << Matthew Byrne, Truthout: “At the heart of today’s housing crisis is a capitalist economy built on shadowy finances and esoteric debt.”
NY Democrat ‘Better at Being a Texas Senator Than Ted Cruz’: AOC Spends Weekend Raising Millions, Delivering Aid << Common Dreams
Stop Manchin and Sinema From Imitating Jim Crow Dixiecrats and Letting the Filibuster Block Civil Rights and Voting Rights << Miles Mogulescu, Common Dreams
Before Forcing the Vote on Medicare for All, We Must Build Power << Natalie Shure, The Nation: “Overcoming the ruthless opposition of the health care industry will take a mass movement.”
We Can’t Miss the Next Chance to Force the Vote on Medicare for All << Chase Iron Eyes, The Nation: “The tactic helps pinpoint which Democrats value donors over working people.”
Is America’s Soul Beyond Redemption? << Andrew J Bacevich, The Nation: “It’s been over 50 years since MLK called attention to the `giant triplets’ of racism, militarism, and materialism in the U.S. In 2021, not much has changed.”
The Long History of the FBI’s Surveillance of Martin Luther King << Robert Greene II, The Nation: “A new documentary details the bureau’s response to King and how the harassment of left-wing radicals and activists of color was integral to its mission in the 20th century.”
Juan Cole on the Clearest Example of Israeli Apartheid Yet << Informed Comment
Protests Swell After Myanmar Junta Raises Specter of Force << A.P. “Protesters gathered in Myanmar’s biggest city despite the ruling junta’s threat to use lethal force against people who join a general strike against the military’s takeover three weeks ago. In the bloodiest episode of the campaign for democracy the previous day, security forces fired on protesters, killing two.”
Officials Detained, Celebrities Sought as Protests Continue in Myanmar << La Prensa Latina: “Eleven Myanmar foreign affairs ministry officials were detained during the early hours of Thursday morning and the military junta issued arrest warrants against several celebrities as protests continued across the country.”
U.S. Reporting Fails to Note Foreign Roots of Haiti’s ‘Constitutional Crisis’ << Mark Schuller, Common Dreams
Haiti’s Century of U.S. Coups, Invasions & Puppets: 8 min. video with Abby Martin >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaD8KbGtxIw (from Richard Bluhm)
Sister Dianna Ortiz—U.S. Nun Who Survived Guatemala Torture and Became Human Rights Champion—Dies at 62 << Common Dreams: “Dianna walked through the very worst of hell and came out with love… Her legacy is a witness to nonviolence and to love in the face of evil and to redemption. That’s her legacy, to teach us that that’s possible.”
Venezuela Lost Over $30 Billion Due to the U.S. Blockade << teleSUR: “At the 46th session of the United Nations, Human Rights Council held on Monday, Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro repudiated the unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union on his country and recalled that they have contributed to exhausting the epidemiological crisis.”
Iran Says It Will End Snap Inspections by UN Watchdog if Nuclear Deal Terms Not Met . Paresa Hafezi, Reuters: “In challenge to Biden’s hopes of rejoining the accord, spokesman says steps are reversible if `other party changes its path and honors its obligations.‘” >> https://news.yahoo.com/iran-further-scale-back-nuclear-074353088.html
Is Biden Committing Diplomatic Suicide Over the Iran Nuclear Agreement? << Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J.S. Davies, Common Dreams: “American neocons and hawks, including those inside his own administration, appear to be flexing their muscles to kill Biden’s commitment to diplomacy at birth, and his own hawkish foreign policy views make him dangerously susceptible to their arguments.”
“The profit motive, when it is the sole basis of an economic system, encourages a cutthroat competition and selfish ambition that inspire men to be more I-centered than thou-centered.” ~ Martin Luther King
