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Motto: I will never forget. [ Source HouseofNames ]

HUMANITY DOOMSDAY CLOCK - Moves forward to 2125 due to election of US President trump.

Estimate of the time that Humanity will go extinct or civilization will collapse. The HUMANITY DOOMSDAY CLOCK moves forward to 2125 due to US President trump's abandonment of climate change goals. Clock moved to 90 seconds to doom at December 2023. Apologies to Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists for using the name.

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Saturday, November 7, 2020

Two Negative Issues in the United States Today

 There are at least two negative issues in American politics.

GREED / INCOME INEQUALITY - The US has extreme inequalities of wealth and incomes; these inequalities harm the health and well being of much of the population today.

RACISM / FEAR / HATRED - People of color are treated more poorly than white people due to their skin color.

Both of these issues have found a home in the Republican Party.

Greed/inequality - Republicans have been at the forefront of weakening of worker's rights, health care, workplace protections and other issues. Republicans seem to take the position that anything which reduces business profits or increases costs should be eliminated. This trend became pronounced in the 1970's and has continued since then.

There appears to be an idea held by many if not most Republicans that greed and accumulation of riches is good for the security of the United States. The reverse is true - accumulations of material wealth actively harm the health and well being of the population. 

When legislators are encouraged to pass laws favoring wealth accumulations, that harms citizens by promoting monopolies, restricting essential services to those able to pay and etc., etc.

The inequalities today are not sustainable; they create conditions favoring revolution. However, there are minor policy changes which can ease the burden on citizens and, surprisingly, make the rich even richer. 

The United States had installed many of those polices until about 1975 approximately. Since then those policies have degraded.

Racism - It is my considered opinion that the white citizens who fear violence from people of color has led many Americans to hate all people of color. That hate has created policies that actively harm and/or murder people of color. 

This situation is both stupid and intolerable. It will create additional momentum toward revolution unless addressed. As before there are some policies which can reduce the effects of discrimination and thereby make the entire country more prosperous and secure. I believe that several of those policy changes are understood by most people but they are blocked due to fear.

Both of theses issues can be improved by encouraging some Republican Senators to resign. Several of them have taken material support from Putin and helped block policy initiatives passed by the House to benefit the citizenry. One way to encourage their resignation might be to find areas on national concern on which most voter agree and ask them to support legislation to solve those issues. They might face serious efforts to unseat them if they continue to block policies clearly in the national interest.  


Monday, August 17, 2020

Michael Moore, Absolutely, Positively MUST READ

 Michael Moore

 

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MY PLAN FOR HOW TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE AN ELECTION, TRUMP IS REMOVED, AND THE REPUBLICANS ARE GONE FOR GOOD
by Michael Moore

TRUMP HAS DECLARED WAR ON US AND OUR DEMOCRACY.
IT’S TIME FOR US TO PUT OUR LIVES ON THE LINE, IF NECESSARY, AND TO MAKE HIM THE LAST REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT OF OUR UNITED STATES.

Trump, right now, tonight, is up to some very nasty, scary stuff — stuff we can’t even imagine — and of course we can’t imagine it because we don’t think like Trump. Our brains are wired for love, empathy, solidarity, compassion, freedom, person, woman, man, camera, TV.

You know like I know that Trump has a devious, wicked plan to destroy this Election. We need to declare, immediately, that it is he and the Republican Party who have to go, for the sake of this country’s existence, they must be crushed and removed.

Trump actually has an arsenal of plans already in action to ensure he never leaves office. He has them all in high gear — some visible, some not. If you could see them all you’d be so stunned, you’d have to immediately convince yourself that there’s no way he can pull this off.

We are all caught in Trump’s Matrix, a mad web, the work of a psychopath-in-chief with tricks so devious that fascists of old, if alive today, would marvel at what Trump has accomplished.
For the next 11 weeks — and then for the 12 weeks between the Election and the Inauguration — Trump is planning nothing but anarchy, chaos, a call to arms of his angry white male followers and the complete destruction of our democracy. You think I’m kidding? You think I’m overstating the case? Do you want to take the risk that I might not be wrong? Most of you understandably chose not to listen to me four years ago when I warned you Trump was going to win the Presidency by taking Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. May I please ask that you now give me your serious attention for what I am about to say — because if I’m right again this time, there won’t be a next time. There will be nothing left for me to warn you about. There probably won’t be much left of me.

Here’s how Trump plans to end our right to choose the next President and Congress. It will happen fast. I am also laying out here a battle plan for us to defeat this takeover of our democracy. We must act now.

HERE ARE TRUMP’S 5 PLANS ALREADY IN MOTION:

PLAN #1: Create Chaos. Instill Fear. Fire Up the Base with Racist Vigor. Pandemonium Ensues.
CHECK. DONE.

PLAN #2: Suppress the Vote
•Dismantle the Post Office.
•Create 4-Hour-Long Lines by Drastically Reducing Number of Polling Locations.
•Throw Black and Brown Voters Off the Rolls.
•Stop Those Who’ve Served Time from Voting.
•Place 50,000 “Poll Watchers” at Voting Sites Around the Country to Intimidate Voters.
VOTER SUPPRESSION IN ACTION AS WE SPEAK.

PLAN #3: Postpone the Election. Place the blame on a “legitimate” national tragedy or emergency — massive deaths from the pandemic, a terrorist attack, an assassination, a deadly hurricane, a civil war in the streets, one or both Presidential candidates falling ill to Covid-19 — anything that reasonable people, even people who are opposed to Trump, will agree that “we just can’t hold an election right now! We just need to postpone it for a couple days, a couple weeks (a couple months... a couple years...)” Or perhaps he’ll just cancel the Election outright and see if he can get away with it.
TRUMP READY TO PULL THE TRIGGER.

PLAN #4: His September Surprise.
His October Surprise.
His November Surprise.
His January Surprise.
You think you can guess what it will be, but trust me, it’ll be far worse. We need to be ready. Stay on high alert, my friends. Millions of us will need to act on a moment’s notice. It’s the grim reaper of Democracy at our doorstep. We made the mistake of letting Trump get this far — why wouldn’t he now think he can get away with everything??
THE SURPRISE IS UNKNOWN. THAT’S WHY IT’S A SURPRISE.

PLAN #5: He Will Not Leave.
When Trump loses, he will declare the Election invalid, rigged, stolen — and he will refuse to step down.
So, what will we do then?

HERE IS OUR BATTLE PLAN TO REMOVE TRUMP AND THE REPUBLICANS:

1. Do Not Wait — Biden/Harris Should Start Running the Country Now.

We simply don’t have time to wait until January 20, 2021. Nearly 200,000 of us have already died from Trump’s reckless incompetence with the coronavirus. By Election Day it’s possible another 100,000 to 200,000 of us will have needlessly died. A total of 400,000 dead? That’s the equivalent of one hundred and thirty-three 9/11s! Or 532 planes being flown into 532 buildings. If something that horrific ever happened, and the President not only didn’t do anything about it, but tried to pretend it wasn’t all that bad - “it is what it is” - he would be run out of the White House by an angry mob of millions of Americans, lucky not to have his head put on a spike on the Key Bridge over the Potomac.
It doesn’t have to come to that. Biden and Harris should present to America a simple nationwide plan to end the pandemic — and then act on it immediately.

They should call a meeting of all the Governors and ask them what help do they need — and then find a way to get them that help, going around Trump and just making it happen. They should ask industry, in lieu of campaign contributions, to produce hundreds of millions of instant-result tests. They should call their Heads of State friends overseas and ask them to send all the PPE they can spare. They should get 250 million Americans to take the “Face Mask Pledge.” And they should promise the scientists in our top universities all the money and help they need once they’re in office. Ignore Trump. Treat him as if he’s irrelevant and get the job done.

2. The Republican Party Must Be Crushed and Destroyed. Trump Must Become the Last Republican President.

In the Michigan county where I live, the August primary this month set a record turnout for a presidential-year primary. In fact, more people this year voted by mail-in ballot than ALL those who voted in 2016 — by mail-in AND in-person combined. This is a highly encouraging sign for what we now need to do:
• We must create an historic massive turnout between now and November 3rd — a tsunami of voters the likes of which have never been seen, and may never be seen again. In 2016, 66 million Americans voted for Hillary Clinton. This time, though, we have to WALLOP Trump with an electoral concussion, a blow so profound he won’t know what hit him. This must be a defeat so crushing, so humiliating, a whooping of such epic proportions that he will be forced to leave 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with his tail between his legs on January 20th. This mammoth landslide must not only ensure that no president ever behaves this way again, we need to see to it that Trump is the last Republican president. The Election Day Uprising must put an end to this party of Trump enablers and traitors. They had a choice. They chose Trump over Democracy. They chose Putin and Netanyahu over fair elections and freedom for all. They chose the 1% over the 160 million working Americans. They chose the NRA over the massacred children of Sandy Hook. They chose to rig our elections, our textbooks, our economy. Democrats helped them along the way, and we’ll take the stick to them and fix that. The Republicans, though, chose to let hundreds of thousands of their fellow citizens perish from Covid-19 because loyalty to Party and to Trump was greater than their duty to the American people. For that alone, the Republican Party must be put out of business for good. Vote out every last one of them. Conservatives will have to form a new party, much like when the Whigs were sent packing in the 1800s. The 
Republicans must pay for their crimes.

• We must flip the Senate —- and not just by the three seats we need for control. We should shock the pundit class and, as the Republican Party is reduced to ashes, grab a solid 55+ seat majority. Colorado, Arizona, Maine, North Carolina, Georgia, Iowa, Montana and even Kansas, South Carolina and, yes, Texas (a state that is now 57% non-white) — are all possible Democratic Senate wins. Think about spending a weekend or a week helping out in one of these states. The Republicans will wish they had managed this pandemic better and had everyone busy back at work by now. All this “free time” should make for their undoing.

• Finally, we have to vote the local Republicans out of office, too. State Houses and Senates will be drawing the electoral map for the next ten years. We can’t let the cheating Republicans do this again. Do what you can to elect Dems in your state and local elections. The punishment of the Republican Party — a certified terrorist organization for having helped kill at least 200,000 Americans — is an imperative.

3. Who Would Be Willing To, If Need Be, Put Their Life on the Line To Ensure This Election Is Held and EVERYONE Gets to Vote? I Would. Would You?
These steps must be taken immediately:

• The Secret Service, the FBI, the Capitol Police and the Joint Chiefs of Staff must be called before Congress and swear under oath that they will guarantee that the election will be held, they will enforce the Constitution they swore to uphold, and if he’s defeated but refuses to leave, they will escort the former President of the United States out of the White House.

• Biden and Harris must put Trump on notice that if he does one more thing to interfere with the Election or issues one more threat to suppress the vote, they will turn him and his crime family over to the new Justice Department for prosecution.

• Every single one of us must be strong in our publicly-stated resolve that there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON ON EARTH TO POSTPONE OR CANCEL THE ELECTION. That’s our unmovable and intractable position. No national tragedy, disease, threat or the melting of all of Greenland will cause us not to vote on or before November 3rd. Even if, God forbid, either candidate passes in their sleep between now and Election Day, the Election will continue — and the winner’s VP - or Nancy Pelosi - will become President on Inauguration Day.

• Let’s all pledge that, if Trump tries to cancel the election or if he refuses to accept its results, millions of us will go to DC and encircle the White House, a thousand deep, until he backs down, resigns or is removed.

• And, if you can, quietly make this commitment to yourself: “There are only a very few things I’d be willing to give my life for. This is one of them.” I know. That’s dark. And heavy. And awfully sad because it shouldn’t have come to this. But if we can’t even say that, then what good are we? If we aren’t willing to make that sacrifice, then America is already over and we might as well just fold our tent and see if Canada will take the non-racist, non-homophobic, non war-mongering ones of us who have manners and get satire.

4. Become an Election Defender.
Each of you should form an urgent action group - a rapid response team - in your neighborhood or town and do the following:
• Hold a daily protest at your local post office
• Picket the home of your local Postmaster (he/she may be on your side, so bring them some baked goods)
• Chain yourself to a local blue USPS dropbox if you can find one. Or chain it to something that won’t move.
• Sign up with the city clerk to be a poll worker on Election Day - especially if you’re young. Because of the pandemic, polls will be very short of poll workers. If you’re told they have enough help, then call the local Democratic Party and offer to be a “poll watcher”, the group of people from each party who get to oversee the voting to make sure there are no irregularities.
• Demand your city create more voting locations. Convince owners of arenas, theaters, ball parks, malls - places with large open spaces - to offer their facilities as polling places so that everyone gets a chance to vote.
• Canvas your neighborhoods over the next month to get people to fill out the form you’ll have them sign to get a mail-in ballot — and if they want to vote in person, let them know when the first day is so they can do that. Make a list of who needs a Covid-safe ride. The earlier the better!
5. The Uprising We’re In Is Only Getting Bigger. The People Will Now Call the Shots.
Why wait for the politicians to fix the mess of a country we’re in when they helped orchestrate the mess in the first place? Why don’t we just declare how we want to live — a new way to govern and function as a country — and we will finally fulfill the promise of the American Dream that has never been realized. Life, liberty, true equality, a sharing of the wealth, being good citizens of this world and kind stewards of a fragile Earth.
What have we learned from this pandemic? What we already knew: That employer-based health insurance can evaporate in an instant. Health care is a human right.
That being told “we can’t afford that!” (free college, free child care, free medical care - the things most advanced nations have) is total BS — the government CAN afford anything we decide we need!
We’ve learned that teachers, nurses, the mailwoman, farm workers, mass transit drivers and the minimum wage workers stocking the grocery shelves at 3 in the morning are our most important citizens and they need the respect and income they deserve immediately. 74% of the country now believes a guaranteed annual income is a great idea — fifty percentage points higher than when Andrew Yang proposed it 7 months ago!
We’ve learned to slow down, consume less — and that is what may be the path to saving the planet (when the 4% of its inhabitants [US] is no longer sucking up 25% of its resources and hoarding more than half its wealth).
We’re about to go elect more women than ever before — a time to turn the reins over to the gender that stands a better chance of getting us through the deadly viruses of Covid, Capitalism and Republicans(R.I.P.).
None of this will be launched by politicians. It will only come about through you and me taking action as part of the largest protest movement in our history — still growing, still going strong! — to end the racism, the abuse of the police state, the disgusting income inequality and the hateful misogyny that is going to come to an end in our lifetime.
America, post-pandemic, must become a very different place. Let’s make this happen. Doing the above will be the best cure for the trauma of these past four years.
Commit to being the change.
Organize your friends and family today.
Make your plan to campaign in a swing state Sept. or Oct.
VOTE AS EARLY AS YOU CAN—and take 5 people along with you!
We can do this. Trump - we’re coming for you. I’ll be in the first U-Haul truck that pulls up to your door.

October Surprise


Premise: trump tries to hijack the government with false claims of national security threats and election tampering. 


I like the idea that we game out alternative strategies to possible maneuvers in order to create an effective counter strategy.


Here's a possible scenario:


trump knows for sure he loses the election; that may occur before the polls close or perhaps after the polls close but before Biden/Harris take office.


A large Black Lives Matter demonstration happens in D. C. Several armed provocateurs in the demontration shoot at the Nazi armed militia standing near the demonstrators. The militia fires back killing several protestors. 


Barr calls in the heavily armed ICE and DHS secret police to 'secure order'. Police kill and/or beat hundreds.


trump declares a national emergency and declares election invalid. 


Federal troops surround the white house and prevent access.


trump announces a temporary suspension of the election in a national speech. He arrests Biden and Harris.


OR, another scenario:


A large bomb explodes at a Republican meeting killing 200 or 300 men, women and children.


A fake BLM spokesperson claims responsibility for the explosion. 


Repeat above:


Barr calls in the heavily armed ICE and DHS secret police to 'secure order'. Police kill and/or beat hundreds.


trump declares a national emergency and declares election invalid. 


Federal troops surround the white house and prevent access.


trump announces a temporary suspension of the election in a national speech. He arrests Biden and Harris.


DC Mayor can stop the coup by demanding the Federal troops exit the city and relying on city Police to control the situation.


My point is to prepare for the possibilities so we do not respond poorly. I hope we are doing this preparation now. 


Tuesday, August 11, 2020

trump is Russian oligarch


 Russian oligarchs amass great fortunes manipulating legal systems with Russian gangster help, then steal and murder for profit. 

trump is a Russian oligarch who answers to the FSB.

Here are some of his properties as per wikipedia:

Selected completed properties

    Trump Tower, 725 Fifth Avenue, Midtown Manhattan: A 58-story mixed-use tower, the headquarters of the Trump Organization, was developed in partnership with The Equitable, and opened in 1983. Trump bought out the Equitable's stake in 1986, and now owns the office and retail components of the tower. The building also contains the three-story penthouse apartment that was Donald Trump's primary residence until he moved to the White House. The value of the tower was estimated at $450 million in 2017. Trump took out a $100 million mortgage on the building in 2012.

    Trump World Tower, 845 United Nations Plaza, also in Midtown Manhattan: In 2006, Forbes magazine estimated "$290 million in profits and unrealized appreciation" going to Trump.

    AXA Financial Center in Manhattan and 555 California Street in San Francisco: Trump owns a 30 percent stake in these two office buildings, resulting from a property swap involving Riverside South. Trump's stake in the two buildings was estimated to be at least $850 million as of 2013.

    The Trump Building at 40 Wall Street: Trump bought and renovated this building for $1 million in 1995. The pre-tax net operating income at the building as of 2011 was $20.89 million and is valued at $350 million to $400 million, according to the New York Department of Finance. Trump took out a $160 million mortgage attached to the property with an interest rate of 5.71% to use for other investments. Forbes valued the property at $260 million in 2006.

    Trump International Hotel and Tower Chicago: The entire project is valued at $1.2 billion ($112 million stake for Trump).

    Trump International Hotel Las Vegas: A joint development with fellow Forbes 400 members, Phil Ruffin ("key partner"), and Jack Wishna ("minority partner"). In 2006, Trump's stake was estimated at $162 million. In Forbes in March 2017, the Trump International Las Vegas was described as a 50-50 partnership between Donald Sr. and Ruffin, with Eric as the primary manager for the Trump Organization.

    Trump International Hotel and Tower New York: Trump provided his name and expertise to the building's owner (GE) during the building's re-development in 1994 for a fee totaling $40 million ($25 million for project management and $15 million in incentives deriving from the condo sales). Forbes values Trump's stake at $12 million. In March 2010, the penthouse apartment at Trump International Hotel & Tower in New York City sold for $33 million.

    Trump Park Avenue Park Avenue & 59th Street: It is valued at $142 million. Trump owns 23 apartments at Trump Park Avenue, which he rents for rates as high as $100,000 per month, and 19 units at Trump Parc.

    6 East 57th Street: Trump has a leasehold interest on this retail building, adjacent to Trump Tower, through the year 2079.The building was occupied by a Niketown store from 1996 to 2018.The value of Trump's interest was estimated at $470 million as of 2015.

    Mar-a-Lago: A historic estate in Palm Beach, Florida, most of which was converted by Trump into a members-only resort. The property was worth as much as $250 million as of 2013. Trump also owns two neighboring private houses, valued at $6.5 million and $3 million.

    Seven Springs: A 213-acre (86 ha) estate with a 13-bedroom mansion near Bedford, New York. Trump paid $7.5 million for the property in 1995. Local brokers put the property's value at around $40 million as of 2013. Trump had hoped to develop the land with a golf course or houses, but apparently abandoned those plans in 2015.

    Beverly Hills house: A 5-bedroom home purchased by Trump in 2007 for $7 million, and valued at $8.5 to $10 million as of 2013.

    Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C.: The Old Post Office Pavilion, historically known as the Old Post Office and Clock Tower, is a property located at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. The Trump Organization developed the property into a luxury hotel, which opened in September 2016.

Monday, August 10, 2020

The Federal government of the United States has failed.


5 million Americans and counting infected with a deadly virus. 


The death toll from that virus likely will reach 200,000 dead Americans by year's end. 


More than 40 million jobs have been lost. 


Masses of evictions, foreclosures and increased homelessness are likely. 


We wrote the Constitution to prevent a tyrant from seizing power. It failed.


The President and his accomplices have systematically violated the law and the spirit of the country in pursuit of personal financial gain at the expense of the American people. 


This pursuit of personal financial gain by the very people entrusted to protect the American people caused the deaths, illnesses and unemployment.


Now comes an election wherein the President will most likely ignore the results and declare the election invalid. 


It is time to hold them to account and prevent their confiscation of power. 


First, one million people should come to Washington DC and close the city and the government until our demands are met.


Second, adventurous Americans can inflict property damage on the personal holdings of those who enable tyranny. Perhaps powerful people will choose to resign in order to prevent further harm to their property. Many enablers own and operate retail businesses, which we can damage in various ways while carefully avoiding injury and death to innocents.


Vandalism and arson can destroy buildings and businesses. Hacking can compromise bank and investment accounts. Here are some property lists: 

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trump_Organization#Selected_completed_properties] and 

[[https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/the-very-luxe-real-estate-holdings-of-trump-s-cabinet-picks-49856] and 

[https://donegood.co/blogs/news/boycott-trump-companies-to-avoid]


Third, we have demands:


A. Three Supreme Court judges occupy the White House immediately and countersign unanimously any and all laws and executive orders of any kind to ensure those laws and actions are Constitutional. All government employees are required to ignore any order not approved by those judges. The Judge panel expires when a new administration takes office.


B. We enact a national facemask order requiring all people in any public place wear a facemask; violators receive a $100 fine for each event.


C. Discipline records of all sworn peace officers in all jurisdictions are open to public view. 


D. We release immediately all immigrant detainees to humane camps while they await asylum hearings. 


E. All properties owned by Russian oligarchs/thugs are confiscated and sold on the open market and the oligarchs/thugs expelled from the country. 


Friday, August 7, 2020

Corruption and 'Grifting' Explained for Honest People


We read and hear accounts of corruption or 'grifting' behavior by government officials at any level; and, it can be hard to connect the dots and see the unethical and/or criminal acts.


To understand 'grifting', I will start with an honest or non-criminal action by a government. We all expect that governments behave legally and honorably, so what exactly does that behavior look like?


Suppose a government wants to fix a bridge used by thousands of people every day because the Civil Engineers' report says the bridge is unsound and can fall into the river at any moment killing hundreds of people.


The sensible thing to do is to fix the bridge, save lives and avoid lawsuits.


An honest government will have a list of pre-approved contractors for this type of work who are experienced and financially sound. The contractors will be private businesses since that is how our system works most of the time - except when the Army Corps of Engineers is involved.


Government will issue an RFP [Request for Proposal] which is detailed and lists exactly what needs to be done. Then the project goes out to bid to the pre-approved list.


Government will open all the bids in a public meeting. The job will be awarded to the low bidder in a public announcement.


In addition, the contract calls for an initial payment and progress payments throughout the process. A progress payment is earned when an inspector certifies that some part of the work is done correctly. After a few progress payments, the job is ready for final inspection. Usually there is also holdback amount of money around 10% of the contract total. That cash is held until the final inspection to ensure that the job is done correctly.


That is what we expect in government jobs - we just assume that will happen all the time.


Now, let us see some of the ways it can go wrong.


Suppose a grifter want to get the bridge repair contract. After all, it is $10 million!


Problem is that our grifter is not a contractor; so, he will find a contractor who is willing to play ball and offer him 10% of the payment.


Since the contractor is not qualified for the pre-approved list, our grifter goes to the person who approves contractors for the list and gives him an offer he cannot refuse: Take $10,000 to put my guy on the list, or I will kill you and your family.


Once that is done, now the grifter has to change the RFP. He modifies the RFP to provide an upfront payment of $ 5 million with the balance due on completion. Of course, he and his guy will take the $ 5 million and disappear. They will be happy with the $ 5 mil.


Government awards contract to our guy with no public announcement to avoid awkward questions. Any government official who wants to go public gets an offer he cannot refuse to keep it quiet.


 Of course, the grifters will not do any actual work; they will just hire a person to paint over a few things on the bridge so it looks like the work is being done; that way, no press or public will notice for a while. The public has a short attention span, so when the work is not done and the contract canceled, the public will just say 'That's the government for you!'


Or, here's a professional or Russian example: For the bridge repair above, Government awards the contract to a close friend for $100 million with no bidding or announcement. The work is done well and the grifter and the contractor split the extra $90 million. 

 

Here's another kind of grift.


Suppose a grifter has routine press conferences and also has many rich friends. Maybe one of his buddies runs a public corporation that is in the news a lot. Our grifter makes a proposal to the CEO:


'Here is what we will do. Next week I announce that your company will be investigated for illegal activity. Your share price will drop like a stone. Three weeks from now, I will announce the investigation has been dropped since there was no evidence. Your share price will rebound. So, you sell all your 100 million shares today, and then buy them back at the bottom in three weeks. When the price rebounds, you sell 100K shares and give me the proceeds. Deal?? Great.'


It requires a lawyer to determine if the action is unethical or criminal. 


Saturday, August 1, 2020

Our Future Under trump

 

Dystopian USA 2021

It is worth gaming out future scenarios for the US in the unlikely event trump installs himself as President, even though he will probably lose the vote. 

After all, he has installed Barr, Pompeo and others to help him stay in office. 

So, what will the country look like under trump?

Most Americans will assume that he has cheated his way into office - 80% of Americans think the country is going in the wrong direction today.

November and December see an increase in peaceful protests involving BLM, Wall of Moms, Veterans, Antifa and others after trump declares the election invalid and seizes power. The government responds by increasing violence against the protestors. Thousands are jailed. Major portions of most cities are locked down due to demonstrations and DHS secret police activity.

US COVID deaths exceed 500,000 by June. Vaccine approved in March and government approves price to Americans of $1,000 per shot; proceeds go to Corporation after receiving exclusive license to vaccine for $1.00.

US invades Guatemala, occupies country, sells Guatemalan oil reserves to Russian company for $1.00

The US economy enters free fall as the government fails to address unemployment and evictions. The dollar loses value. [It has already declined 10% against other currencies since March 2020.] The good news is US exports surge; the bad news is foreign goods become more expensive in the US.  Millions are evicted. Homelessness and hunger increase. GDP falls by 30% and unemployment reaches 25%. 

The government responds by allocating billions of dollars for relief, but the money goes directly to corporations while failing to address hunger and unemployment. This has already happened with Mnuchin secretly directing billions to corporations from the COVID relief programs and away from the sick and poor. New programs suffer the same fate.

By the summer of 2021, the peaceful protests continue and increase in size and severity. A splinter group of protestors including veterans targets the properties of trump, his cabinet members, and other billionaires for systematic arson in an attempt to reduce their comfort. Mar a Logo and Trump Tower are torched first. Several people die. 

A subset of the splinter group undertakes the assassination of Russian oligarchs in the US. Those thugs want to control the US government so they can receive the proceeds of relief programs while failing to provide the services they agree to provide. This is exactly what happened in S. Petersburg in the 1990's when Putin ran the city. [PUTIN'S PEOPLE, Catherine Belton, 2020, Farrar, Strauss and Giroux]

Treasury bills issued to cover the deficits now carry higher interest rates since investors begin to doubt the stability of the government. The higher interest costs destabilize the Federal Budget and the US seeks to borrow money from the IMF to pay for Social Security and Medicare. The IMF requires that the budget be balanced with the result of mass government layoffs, reduced or canceled pensions, unemployment rates of 30% and increasing suicides. 

None of this will happen if Biden is President. 

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Revised Demonstration Strategy



Current demonstrations in Portland, Seattle, Oakland and elsewhere play into trump's election strategy. While both the rage and wish to send away federal troops are justifiable, broadcast cell phone videos on television of violent acts helps him justify troops' acting in defense of 'law and order'. That claim can justify martial law and overturn the election results. 

Perhaps it will be more effective to have the corporate CEO's apply pressure to the White House in favor of removing troops. 

We can do that. 

Since the West Coast ports are points of entry for goods shipped to corporations from Asia, perhaps demonstrators can impede those shipments. Once corporations see their bottom lines impacted, they may encourage a more peaceful resolution.

Demonstrations, which block train and truck traffic from collecting shipments for delivery to their customers, will be noticed immediately. 

Here's where: 

It seems that truck traffic enters the Port of Oakland through Martin Luther King, Jr. west of the Embarcadero. Demonstrators blocking that intersection would slow down the transit of goods from the port to the rest of the country.

Similarly, the main line for eastbound container train traffic crosses Bancroft Avenue in Berkeley at street level. Blocking that intersection also would slow down shipments.

The Oakland Airport can be shut down by blocking Airport drive west of Doolittle and west of Ron Cowan where the road splits to circle the parking lot. But, the airport is less critical to freight and thus less damaging to corporate CEO's. 

Probably there are similar locations in Portland, Seattle, Long Beach and other ports. 

Here's how:

A good method of blocking traffic might be to conduct a single day, 12 hour blocking of the truck terminal at MLK and Embarcadero, perhaps from 2 am until 2 pm. A similar, single day 12 hour blocking of train traffic two days later might be useful as well. Cars parked in the intersections and on the tracks will ensure disruption. Setting the cars on fire is an option. 

Once established, the blockades can be made longer and more frequent in order to pressure trump against any future martial law considerations. 

It would be wise to notify police of the impending action so they would know it was of limited duration. That might reduce the incidence of violence. 

About the Federal buildings: I say, let the feds have them; continuing to protest there will be met by rising troop levels with possible injury and death.


Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Death of Sergei Magnitsky


Putin kills opponents - sometimes with assassins and sometimes with prison. 

If you go to a Russian prison, chances are you will die, slowly and painfully.

Now, trump admires Putin's methods and it is possible that trump is conditioning Americans to watching Americans being arrested  on the street by anonymous thugs without legal process. 

So far, most seem to have been released. So far.

Here's a lesson on how Putin does things:

 https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/preetbharara/episodes/death-sergei-magnitsky-bill-browder

I cannot tell demonstrators and protesters how to behave or what to do.

All I can say is that if they come for me, I will not go into the van. 

They will have to kill me or knock me out. And, if I can harm one or two of them, that's a bonus. 

A wise Mayor or Governor may wish to get ID's on all the thugs sent from Washington and then assign city police to ride along on all their patrols and missions to ensure that citizen rights are protected. 




Sunday, July 19, 2020

Stand Down November 4

In an interview on television show AM Joy today, Malcolm Nance raised the possibility that trump might conduct severely un-Constitutional measures after the November election. After all, he will feel no constraints if he loses the election.

Such actions may contain the real possibility of overturning the government of the United States and installing a dictatorship.

All branches of the United States military and Federal police will serve the country best by standing down from any Presidential orders between the election and the inauguration of Joe Biden as POTUS.

Absent any organized armed attacks, all domestic troops and police are ordered to stay in their quarters and all troops which can have international operations will stand by and react to direct attacks only - they will begin no campaigns. 





Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Essential Worker Sickout Every Wednesday



It is time for a weekly sickout by all essential workers to apply pressure on the United States to complete a few clear objectives:

1. Remove trump from office immediately - he must resign now

2. Provide free treatment of all Covid 19 infections.

3. Declare a six month rent and mortgage holiday with any arrears added to the end of the loan term or forgiven as rent.

4. Increase all essential workers' pay by 25% or more

All essential workers are called to take every Wednesday off without pay until these objectives are met.  Some hours can be made up by weekend or overtime work. All truck drivers, grocery store workers, auto repair shops, transit workers, others not mentioned and cops take the day off. 

The only exceptions are health care workers, standby cops for emergencies and firefighters. 

The government of the United States is weak and vulnerable due to trump's general incapacity and work as a Russian asset.

The United States will become stronger only when all Americans do better economically. America is not a zero sum game. 



Saturday, June 27, 2020

Why I May Leave the United States in 2021


One of the primary characteristics of dictatorships is intolerance for dissent.

While it has been said that all forecasts are wrong but some are useful, here is an outline of some of what can happen in the United States after trump takes office for a second term.

Step 1: Create en external enemy list. Since most of potential enemies within the Federal government are gone already, the next step will be neutralizing external enemies. External enemies include but are not limited to: specified journalists, critical elected officials, black agitators and their supporters and social media agitators.

Step 2: How to neutralize all external enemies. This is not an exhaustive list and the reader may be able to think of additional methods of silencing external enemies.

Media which reports facts - call them 'fake news' then buy out the company or nationalize it and fire all the staff and change editorial policy to support government.

Elected officials - kill them, make them an offer they can't refuse or change the electing process to eliminate them.

There are no appointed official enemies left, but if there are any, then follow the steps above for elected officials.

Protesters - Kill them. Already in place for black protesters, but needed for non-black folks.

Agitator citizens- See above. Those who follow or create anti-government media like this blog.

You live in a fantasy world if you think any of this is extreme and/or impossible - these are real.



Thursday, June 18, 2020

These Are Dark Times


The Covid 19 pandemic kills thousands of Americans every day. It is likely that the deaths will continue until a vaccine is proven to work. Perhaps a vaccine can be ready early next year. Death from the virus is painful and alone; it is preceded by agony.

We are in a recession; millions of workers have lost their jobs and many if not most of these jobs are gone forever. We will see falling prices, evictions and foreclosures in the housing market. Families are suffering now and will suffer more. Food is becoming scarce. People who need medical care are afraid of going to the hospital or doctor because of the pandemic. Many more are without insurance and must continue to work in low paid 'essential' jobs. 

President trump is an asset of Vladimir Putin and works tirelessly to sow confusion, falsity and death in the United States. Confusion about the pandemic kills people. trump touts cures that harm and do not cure; then he claims the virus is a 'hoax'; but, it is very real. Additionally, he pits state against state in bidding wars for PPE supplies and fails to direct PPE distribution: 'We're not shipping clerks....It is not my responsibility.'

Street protests against unjustified police violence continue for weeks. Protesters are met with additional violence, partly because foreign paid provocateurs incite violence in order to justify police violence. Police feel free of prosecution for unjustified murders due to political pressure. Police must reduce unjustified violence, or the pressure to take away their immunity from prosecution will become overwhelming.

Our National, State and Local governments are trying to fend off some of the dire consequences but they are hampered by lack of direction and conflicting theories about everything. 

Our hope is that we Americans work together whenever we can. We recognize that we are all under severe stress. And we cut each other some slack. 

As Ben Franklin said: '... at the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence: "We must all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." '

Let us all hang together.


Monday, June 8, 2020

Here is Greatness


Text of Radio Address - Prayer on D-Day, June 6, 1944: Franklin Roosevelt

"My fellow Americans: Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.

And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:

Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.

Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.

They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.

They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest-until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war.

For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.

Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.

And for us at home -- fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas -- whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them--help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.


Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.
Give us strength, too -- strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.

And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.

And, O Lord, give us Faith. Give us Faith in Thee; Faith in our sons; Faith in each other; Faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.

With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister Nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.

Thy will be done, Almighty God.

Amen."

James Hastings, Shared with Members of Democrats FB

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Order All Armed Troops Out of DC


trump is collecting troops in DC.

It looks like a militarization of government.

See photo of camo troops in Espers office:





We must push back and assert civilian control of all troops.  

We cannot let this stand. 

He will continue until he meets resistance. 

Mayor must order all uniformed troops off the streets of DC.

DC police are the only force allowed. 

Perhaps the Mayor can request a few National Guard; but, troops are there ONLY IF REQUESTED BY DC MAYOR. 

November may be too late. The time is now. 




Stand Down



Attention: National Guard and Active Duty Officers and enlisted men and women:  You serve the Constitution and the American people. Your duty is to disobey an order that violates the Constitution. 

Any order for you to engage with citizens in American cities and towns with no invitation from the Governor or Mayor is illegal. 

You are obligated by the Constitution to disobey such an order. 

Here is the GI Rights telephone hotline. They can answer any questions for you:

 877-447-4487

They offer interpretations and suggestions about relevant law.

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Coup and Martial Law Before November


trumputin plan is clear: Russia supports white supremacists to pose as Antifa and then create and exacerbate demonstrations into riots and looting. This is happening now.

trumputin will declare martial law due to the unrest. Then the election in November will be canceled due to unrest. trump will assume power for the 'duration'.

trumputin fear the election since trumputin will probably lose it; alternative plan is to cancel the election and assume total power.

Since most of the people with integrity have been purged from the government already, there is no obvious force to block this coup.  

While it may be against the law to declare Martial law, trumputin will simply ignore the law. It may stop only if the military refuses the order. 

'Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to a temporary emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory.[1][2]

Martial law can be used by governments to enforce their rule over the public, as seen in multiple countries listed below. Such incidents may occur after a coup d'état (Thailand in 2006 and 2014, and Egypt in 2013); when threatened by popular protest (China, Tiananmen Square protests of 1989); to suppress political opposition (martial law in Poland in 1981); or to stabilize insurrections or perceived insurrections (Canada, the October Crisis of 1970). Martial law may be declared in cases of major natural disasters; however, most countries use a different legal construct, such as a state of emergency.

Martial law has also been imposed during conflicts, and in cases of occupations, where the absence of any other civil government provides for an unstable population. Examples of this form of military rule include post World War II reconstruction in Germany and Japan, the recovery and reconstruction of the former Confederate States of America during Reconstruction Era in the United States of America following the American Civil War, and German occupation of northern France between 1871 and 1873 after the Treaty of Frankfurt ended the Franco-Prussian War.

Typically, the imposition of martial law accompanies curfews; the suspension of civil law, civil rights, and habeas corpus; and the application or extension of military law or military justice to civilians. Civilians defying martial law may be subjected to military tribunal (court-martial)' . [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_law]

Thursday, May 28, 2020

How Biden WINS the 2020 Election


Eligible voters who did not vote in 2016 will decide the election.

Democratic leaning swing states went for trump in 2016 because  non-voters trend toward non-white and younger demographics leaving the election to be won by GOP voters.

Six states where 45 won the electoral numbers that had gone Democratic in 2012 decided: Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Probably they felt left out and helpless. Now, tell them we need and value them with Get Out the Vote events targeting younger and minority populations. Online 'telethons'  targeting Black and Hispanic younger voters  on hip-hop and Hispanic media in each of the six swing states - Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. 



- YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU NOW - I NEED YOUR HELP TO BEAT TRUMP
  • Events are FREE ONLINE, 
  • Presidents speak, answer questions from audience like press conference Cuomo and Newsom style – Obama, Clinton, Bush, Carter, even 45 himself can be invited

  • Candidates speak,answer questions from audience like press conference Cuomo and Newson style – Romney, Clinton, Harris, etc., etc.

  • Sports celebrities speak, answer questions from audience like press conference Cuomo and Newson style

  •  Hip Hop, Hispanic and other musicians perform

  • Local elected officials speak, answer questions from audience like press conference Cuomo and Newson style 

  • Voting Registrars speak, offer registration help

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

UPDATE May 28, Biden 100 Day Plan: - Part 3



Specific Policies for 2021

This post may be updated from time to time with new thoughts at top of page.

UPDATE - Biden campaign needs to establish an election security team in each swing county whereby voting security can be ensured. the GOP WILL tamper with the system. 

The pandemic highlights our flaws; here's suggestions on redesigning the USA system.


  • Rebuild the Infrastructure and stimulate the economy: create a panel to approve state and local projects and then fund those projects.


  • Secure the front line: Fund state and local governments for police, first responders, teachers and essential workers.


  • Restore respect for law in the government: Fire every trump appointee, Every. Single. One. Offer interested Obama appointees reinstatement. AND, Reverse all executive actions. Every. Single. One.


  • No pardon for trump. Evict him in handcuffs if needs be. Let the Legal process proceed.

  • Take charge of Pandemic:  Nationalize the PPE, ventilator and vaccine efforts. Adapt CDC guidelines on re-opening as national directive. Make sure that the public sees all decisions. Ask county health officers to designate needed hospitals and care homes, then nationalize the ones which are in financial danger.


  • Make health care available to ALL residents; we are as healthy as the poorest among us. No recommendation on how, except this: profit must be removed from medicine. Profit means lower costs and higher prices - that may be acceptable in business but not when the costs are people's lives.


  • Justice for all - real campaign finance reform: When laws cater to the rich, we are unjust. We can have some really rich people OR we can have a democracy with ZERO really rich people: we CANNOT have both.

  • Real bank and corporation regulation: these actors have bought our legislation system. Prosecute law breakers. Jail the felons. Obey the law.


  • Jail felon Bankers: They deserve special attention since some have committed felonies with no personal consequence. Even bankers say that some must serve time in jail. 


  • Rent and loan freeze: Suspend all rent and residential loan payments until a vaccine is approved by the FDA. When the economy recovers banks can add the missed payments onto the end of the loan. Borrowers receive an option to renegotiate or sell their property. Homeowners whose houses have declined in market value can start with a new loan at the lowered market value. Their original down payment applies to the new loan and the new loan will be for the new value. Banks will lose some income but their principal remains since they retain a lien against the property. When prices decline they will retain their relative purchasing power with no real loss.


  • Reduce Inequality: our economy is 'hollow' because real wages have declined steadily for 40 or 50 years. The middle class does not have extra money to buy new products. The other day I saw an ad for LAYAWAY ON A PAIR OF LEVI's jeans. So: Raise Fed Min wage; tax rich at pre-Reagan levels; bail out states and cities for first responders; prosecute monopoly laws; make labor unions stronger; beef up NLRB; and, prosecute employees who fire union organizers.


Monday, May 25, 2020

A New Deal – Part 2


History is clear: we need to give a shot of adrenaline to wages and the economy with spending everybody knows we need - infrastructure. That's where FDR went.

Then, we can fix the economy, as seen in Part 3.

Income taxes helped pay for it. 30’s New Deal had higher taxes on higher incomes but MUCH lower taxes on low incomes than we do now:




Federal spending went up during the New Deal, but down as percentage share of GDP after Reagan lowered tax rates in 1984. Overall spending stayed about the same share.



We need a New Deal to keep incomes to households up so they don’t starve and can actually buy some things. Some European countries keep incomes at 80% of pre pandemic. We do not.

What happened: Effects were to create a class of super rich oligarchs.

History

“…During the late 1920s, federal spending on public works construction averaged $200 million annually. This amounted to about 2 percent of the total public and private spending on new construction. By 1932, the last year of the Hoover administration, the federal amount had increased to nearly $400 million. Until 1930, state and local governments had been spending $2.4 billion annually on public works. By 1933, they were reduced to spending only $700 million…

The Depression brought the private construction of new factories and homes to a virtual standstill. Public works construction on the part of state and local governments also collapsed. To meet this challenge, the New Dealers vastly increased the federal funding of public works construction. This funding, however, was increased only enough to cover the amount state and local governments had been spending…

The central feature of the New Deal public works program was to provide federal support for state and local public works projects, rather than to substitute federal projects in their place.

According to Donald C. Stone, founder of the American Public Works Association and a key figure in developing the administration of New Deal programs:

'projects at the local level where people were unemployed had to be the kinds of projects that would put the kinds of persons who were unemployed to work. We couldn't just have some scattering of federal projects around and meet the unemployment problem in the country . . . You had to take the work to where the people are. (Rosen and Pudloski 1992, 45)

New Deal public works programs combined the short-term goal of unemployment relief with the long-term goal of regional economic development: As FDR himself put it, there was an obvious two-fold objective of public works policy: "to relieve unemployment (and) to develop great regions of our country in the future for the benefit of future Americans." (Daniels 1975, 4)”

[Howard Rosen is Managing Director of Program Development and Director of the Public Works Historical Society for the American Public Works Association in Kansas City, Mo.]

Infrastructure Today, 2021

Americans know that our country is literally falling apart. Voters accept paying for needed changes.
‘…America’s infrastructure is more than just a network of roads, bridges, tunnels, ports, railroads and airports connecting our towns, cities and states. It serves as a backbone of economic growth and preserves our safety, quality of life and prosperity. The United States has long been a global leader in innovation, transportation and smart fiscal policies, yet the infrastructure that keeps our country open for business is now far out of date.

According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the current condition of our infrastructure earns a grade point average of D+, and there is an estimated $2 trillion funding gap to bring it to a state of good repair by 2025. While we have benefited from past centuries of building, neglect has befallen our once greatest achievements – in the 1930s, 4.2 percent of the country’s GDP was spent on infrastructure investment, but by 2016, that number fell to 1.5 percent. In other words, our nation’s infrastructure is crumbling, and we need real, sustainable investment – and we need it now…’
[https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/435562-what-we-need-to-do-to-fix-infrastructure-in-the-us]

But Americans know we need more than just roads, dams and bridges:

‘Monthly Stimulus Check

According to a recent poll from OnePoll, 82% of Americans believe that a one-time stimulus check of $1,200 from the CARES Act is not enough to pay for living expenses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of a one-time check, the majority of respondents say that stimulus checks should continue through the end of lockdowns. The poll, which was conducted in late April with 2,000 of individuals, also found several other results about public sentiment, including:
Universal Healthcare: 76% of self-identified Republicans and 84% of self-identified Democrats believe the U.S. should consider universal healthcare.
Mortgage and Rent Payments: 55% say that mortgage and rent payments should be frozen during COVID-19.
Student Loans: 63% says that student loans should not have to be paid now.
Unemployment: 79% say the federal government should do more to help those who are unemployed, but only 58% said that government should provide more financial support.’
[https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2020/05/19/stimulus-check-monthly-poll/amp/?fbclid=IwAR2kO4ax8HVzC2apKZB2z9myAw_LIKo_n3_0RDw64bp1BjdMTID6ODoEjV4]

Re-Imagining America 2021- Part 1



The American system is broken. Most Americans want changes and better outcomes.

This post has three parts

Public opinion supporting change – Part 1

A New Deal – Part 2

Specific Policies for 2021 – Part 3


Public opinion supporting change – Part 1

This first section provides evidence of Americans’ longing for real changes. It’s the same longing trump used in 2016. The evidence below is specific but the underlying malaise is broad based. Americans know we are living in a bad system. We will accept changes formerly thought impossible.

Health Services



While such a plan is supported by almost all Democrats and two-thirds of independents, most Republicans don't think it is the government's responsibility to provide access to affordable health care, and most oppose this type of plan. [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/2020-polls-national-health-care-plan-favored-by-most-americans-cbs-news-poll-finds/]

Environment:

Even Republicans want the EPA to stay: Some 39 percent of Americans would like to see the EPA, the nation’s top environmental regulator, “strengthened or expanded,” while another 22 percent hope for it to “remain the same,” according to the poll. Just 19 percent said they would like to see the agency “weakened or eliminated” and the rest said they “don’t know.”

Among Republicans, 47 percent wish for the EPA either to “remain the same” or be “strengthened or expanded,” while 35 percent want it “weakened or eliminated”.

The online poll of 9,935 people was conducted Dec. 16 to Jan. 12 and has a credibility interval, a measure of accuracy, of 1.1 percentage points. [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-environment/unlike-trump-americans-want-strong-environmental-regulator-reuters-ipsos-idUSKBN1511DU]
Voters Favor EPA Reduction in CO2 Emissions; Rassmussen: January 2020

Business Regulation:

“Big Corporations Have Too Much Power and Should Be Strongly Regulated” — 84% of Democrats, 72% of Independents and Nearly Half of Republicans Agree
Center for American Progress & GBAO: December 2019

‘Time and again, American voters voice their support for strong and effective regulations. Americans see the need for clear rules of the road that protect workers and families from reckless corporations that cut corners and put profits ahead of people.’
https://sensiblesafeguards.org/polling/

Over 60 Percent of Voters Think Facebook Has Too Much Power
Fox News: June 2019

Privacy:

Americans and Privacy: Concerned, Confused and Feeling Lack of Control Over Their Personal Information
Pew Research Center: November 2019

Americans Oppose Political Campaigns Using Their Personal Data for Targeted Ads
The Knight Foundation & Gallup: March 2020

Americans Generally Believe the Biggest Tech Companies Have Too Much Power and Ought to Be Split Up
The Verge: March 2020

Voters Overwhelmingly Want More Regulation on Corporate Use of Personal Data
The Hill & HarrisX: January 2020

Global Poll Shows 71% Support Regulation of Tech Giants to Protect Data Privacy
Amnesty International: December 2019

Social Media:

Poll Finds Majority Want Government to Play Role in Moderating Social Media
Morning Consult: October 2019

Guns:

Most Pennsylvanians Want More Regulation of Gun Ownership
Franklin & Marshall College: October 2019

Illinois Voters Support More Statewide Gun Regulation
NPR Illinois / University of Illinois Springfield: October 2019

     ##############################

These specific polls suggest the depth of our dissatisfaction. We will support drastic public action to stabilize the country as suggested in the following post:  A New Deal – Part 2