;)
April 21, 2022
Afternoon Update:
Aamer Madhani, et al., of the AP: "President Joe Biden on Thursday announced an additional $800 million in military aid to help Ukraine fight back in its strong but increasingly difficult battle against the Russian invasion, and he warned that Congress will need to approve even more assistance if the U.S. is to keep up its crucial support. The new military package includes much needed heavy artillery, 144,000 rounds of ammunition and drones for the escalating battle in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. It builds on roughly $2.6 billion in military assistance that Biden had previously approved."
Florida. Brooks Barnes of the New York Times: "... the Florida House voted to revoke Disney World's designation as a special tax district -- a privilege that Disney has held for 55 years, effectively allowing the company to self-govern its 25,000-acre theme park complex. The Florida Senate on Wednesday voted to eliminate the special zone, which is called the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Having cleared the way to this outcome on Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis will almost certainly make the measure official by adding his signature. It would take effect in June of next year."
~~~~~~~~~~
Putin's War Crimes, Ctd.
The New York Times' live updates of developments Thursday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "... Vladimir V. Putin ordered Russian forces on Thursday not to storm a steel plant where Ukrainian troops were holding out in Mariupol, but to blockade it completely.... [The Guardian has a full story, linked below.] In his nightly address, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine repeated his pleas for international allies to send 'serious and heavy' arms. Russia expanded its assault across eastern Ukraine, adding more weaponry as its forces made minor territorial gains along the 300-mile front, military analysts said.... The Pentagon said that Russia had assembled 76 battalion tactical groups, each with as many as 1,000 soldiers, in southeastern Ukraine, up from 65 a few days ago, and that about 22 more were amassed just outside Ukraine." ~~~
~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Thursday are here: "Mariupol's mayor accused Russian forces of 'war crimes,' calling for a cease-fire Thursday to allow people to leave. While Kyiv has offered to exchange Russian prisoners and send senior officials to Mariupol to negotiate for the evacuation of nearly 1,000 civilians and 500 wounded soldiers, Moscow has so far rebuffed the effort, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier" ~~~
~~~ The Guardian's live updates for Thursday are here.
Andrew Roth of the Guardian: "Vladimir Putin has ordered his forces not to storm the last remaining Ukrainian stronghold in the besieged city of Mariupol, after his defence minister admitted that the Russian army was still fighting thousands of Ukrainian troops there. The Russian president described a plan to storm the Azovstal steelworks as 'impractical' and called instead for Russian troops to blockade the area 'so that a fly can't get through'. The declaration came during a meeting at the Kremlin, where the Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, presented a report to Putin about the closely watched battle for the Ukrainian port city and claimed that the city had been 'liberated', although fighting was ongoing."
David Stern, et al., of the Washington Post: "... another Russian deadline for Ukrainian forces to surrender the key port city of Mariupol passed without movement, and Moscow's forces continued pummeling a broad swath of the country's east. Russia's Defense Ministry announced that it had successfully conducted the first test of a new intercontinental ballistic missile that President Vladimir Putin said 'is capable of overcoming all missile defense systems' and would make those who 'try to threaten our country think twice.' Putin also claimed, according to Russian news reports, that the nuclear-capable RS-28 Sarmat missile was made using 'exclusively' domestically manufactured parts -- an apparent shot at Western sanctions, which have kept Moscow from obtaining critical components for other weapons systems it has relied upon in its assault on Ukraine."
David Sanger of the New York Times: "President Vladimir V. Putin's calculated move on Wednesday to test-launch a new intercontinental ballistic missile, declaring it a warning to those in the West who 'try to threaten our country,' fed into a growing concern inside the Biden administration: that Russia is now so isolated from the rest of the world that Mr. Putin sees little downside to provocative actions.... The first launch of the nuclear-capable Sarmat missile was just the latest example of how he has tried to remind the world of his capabilities ... despite early setbacks on the ground in Ukraine.... Mr. Putin, assessments delivered to the White House have concluded, believes he is winning, according to a senior American official.... He is certainly acting that way." An AP story is here.
Amy Cheng & Claire Parker of the Washington Post: "Western nations say they are dispatching more heavy weaponry and even aircraft to Ukraine as part of an effort to strengthen the country's military as Russia steps up its attacks in the east. The Pentagon said Wednesday that the Ukrainian air force has at least 20 more fighter jets available to them after an influx of parts in the last few weeks made repairs possible. Ukraine has 'been given whole helicopters, including helicopters from the United States,' a senior U.S. defense official said.... 'The war has changed because now the Russians have prioritized the Donbas area, and that's a whole different level of fighting, a whole different type of fighting,' Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Tuesday.... Other Western nations have also promised more advanced weapons for Ukraine as the war has evolved."
A Figurative Finger to Russia. Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: "Several finance ministers and central bankers including Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen and Ukraine's finance minister, Serhiy Marchenko, abruptly left a Group of 20 meeting in protest on Wednesday when Russia's finance minister, Anton Siluanov, started to speak, according to a person familiar with the meeting. The walkout was a stark demonstration of Russia's isolation on the global stage and came as the United States and its allies spend the opening days of spring meetings held by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund grappling with how to contain the fallout from Russia's war in Ukraine. Top economic officials from around the world have gathered in Washington and virtually to discuss ways to maintain economic pressure on Russia without further upending the global economy."
A Real Finger to Russia. Jane Arraf of the New York Times: "Ukrainians waited for hours outside post offices this week to buy stamps with a profane image of defiance that has become a symbol of the country's resistance. On Wednesday, they found out that the now iconic stamps had sold out. 'As of now nearly 700,000 stamps have been sold and the sale of stamps in our branches is done,' Igor Smelyansky, Ukraine's postal service director, said in a Facebook post. The postal service printed a run of one million stamps with the image of a Ukrainian special forces fighter raising his middle finger at a Russian warship. The image related to an incident early in the conflict, when a warship demanded the surrender of a small group of fighters guarding a rocky island in the Black Sea."
Lori Aratani of the Washington Post: "The nation's top aviation official on Wednesday said he is making permanent a 'zero tolerance' policy designed to curb bad behavior on U.S. commercial aircraft. The zero-tolerance policy was the Federal Aviation Administration's attempt to deal with a rise in reports of passengers acting out on flights. It was one of several actions taken to address security concerns in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. 'Behaving dangerously on a plane will cost you; that's a promise,' Billy Nolen, acting administrator of the FAA, said in a statement that accompanied the announcement."
Alan Feuer, et al., of the New York Times: "The federal investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election appears to be gaining traction, with the Justice Department having brought in a well-regarded new prosecutor to help run the inquiry and a high-profile witness seeking a deal to provide information.... Several months ago, the department quietly took [a] significant step, adding Thomas Windom, a career federal prosecutor from Maryland, to help in the expanded Jan. 6 investigation, according to three people familiar with the matter. Mr. Windom has been working with officials from the national security and criminal divisions at the Justice Department to determine whether and how to investigate potential criminal activity related to the Jan. 6 attack, other than what took place during the assault.... Alex Jones, the host of the conspiracy-driven media outlet Infowars and a key player in the pro-Trump 'Stop the Steal' movement, is in discussions with the Justice Department about an agreement to detail his role in the rally near the White House last Jan. 6 that preceded the attack on the Capitol." Jones is seeking, and won't likely get, immunity from prosecution.
Kyle Cheney & Betsy Swan of Politico: "Congressional investigators entering the last stage of their probe are gathering new evidence about a crucial moment on the Jan. 6 timeline: the final, fateful phone call between Donald Trump and Mike Pence before a pro-Trump mob attacked the Capitol.... Yet one crucial gap remains. Top Pence aides ... say [Pence] never revealed how he replied to Trump's intense last-minute pressure.... White House aide Keith Kellogg..., [who was in the room with Trump during the call,] said he couldn't hear Pence's responses but remembered Trump pushing his vice president to embrace a fringe theory intended to stop Biden's victory: sending the election back to a handful of GOP-controlled state legislatures to appoint new presidential electors. Kellogg said he presumed Pence rebuffed Trump because Trump seemed disappointed."
Jacqueline Alemany & Theodoric Meyer of the Washington Post: "House Democrats are seeking information from officials in key battleground states about their efforts to combat 'lies and conspiracy theories' that could damage the integrity of federal elections as part of a broader investigation into the 'weaponization of misinformation and disinformation' in the electoral process. The leaders of the House Oversight and Reform and House Administration Committee sent letters on Wednesday to election officials in Florida, Arizona, Texas and Ohio -- all Republican-led states -- requesting the information while noting their concern about new laws affecting election administration."
** The Party of Cowards. Alexander Burns & Jonathan Martin of the New York Times, adapted from their book: "In the days after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol building, the two top Republicans in Congress, Representative Kevin McCarthy and Senator Mitch McConnell, told associates they believed President Trump was responsible for inciting the deadly riot and vowed to drive him from politics. Mr. McCarthy went so far as to say he would push Mr. Trump to resign immediately: 'I've had it with this guy,' he told a group of Republican leaders. But within weeks both men backed off an all-out fight with Mr. Trump because they feared retribution from him and his political movement. Their drive to act faded fast as it became clear it would mean difficult votes that would put them at odds with most of their colleagues...." Read on.
Felicia Sonmez of the Washington Post: "Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton on Wednesday asked a federaljudge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by ... Donald Trump alleging that Clinton, the Democratic National Committee and others 'maliciously conspired to weave a false narrative' that Trump's campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 presidential race. 'Whatever the utility of Plaintiff's Complaint as a fundraising tool, a press release, or a list of political grievances, it has no merit as a lawsuit, and should be dismissed with prejudice,' attorneys for Clinton wrote in their motion to dismiss the case." Politico's story is here.
Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "A court arbitrator has ordered ... Donald J. Trump's presidential campaign to pay nearly $1.3 million in legal fees to Omarosa Manigault Newman, the former 'Apprentice' star, White House aide and author of the first tell-all book about the Trump White House. The award, handed down on Tuesday, concludes a protracted legal fight after Mr. Trump unsuccessfully sued Ms. Manigault Newman over her book, 'Unhinged,' arguing that she had violated a nondisclosure agreement she had signed while working for his campaign in 2016. Mr. Trump lost the arbitration case in September 2021, one in a string of failed attempts to enforce nondisclosure agreements against former employees.... In March, Mr. Trump's campaign was ordered to pay more than $300,000 in legal fees to a former campaign aide who said that the candidate had forcibly kissed her." A Politico story is here.
Eric Lipton of the New York Times: "The [Trump International H]otel in Washington -- which for much of ... Donald J. Trump's four years at the White House served as his dining-out spot, a gathering place for his allies and a bazaar of sorts for those seeking influence and access -- is slated to be sold in the coming days to a Florida investor group that will take down the Trump name and rebrand it as a Waldorf Astoria.... The sprawling lobby turned into a gathering spot for Mr. Trump's cabinet, Republicans in Congress, foreign dignitaries, religious conservatives and Trump fans from across the United States, as well as Mr. Trump himself. The hotel generated millions of dollars in direct payments to Mr. Trump's family, starting from even before he was sworn in, as his own inaugural committee paid the venue more than $1 million..., [and] delivering an estimated profit of more than $100 million to the Trump family, even after it pays off its debts and accounts for other money spent on the hotel since it opened."
Dan Diamond & Ann Marimow of the Washington Post: "The Biden administration will appeal a federal judge's decision that struck down the mask mandate on public transportation, officials announced Wednesday. The Justice Department filed notice of its plans to appeal after U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle of Florida on Monday concluded that the mandate exceeded the statutory authority of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The ruling blindsided the White House and sparked days of debate within the administration about how to proceed. The Justice Department on Tuesday had said it would proceed with an appeal if the CDC determined the masking order was still needed. 'It is CDC's continuing assessment that at this time an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary for the public health,' the CDC said in a statement Wednesday evening. 'CDC believes this is a lawful order, well within CDC's legal authority to protect public health.'" The AP's report is here.
Marie: If you're thinking of getting a second Covid-19 booster shot, this Washington Post article might help. Or it might not. Sadly, the story is firewalled.
The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Wednesday are here. (Also linked yesterday.)
Beyond the Beltway
Connecticut. Chelsia Marcius of the New York Times: "A Connecticut state trooper who fatally shot a 19-year-old Black man after a car chase two years ago has been charged with manslaughter, state investigators said Wednesday. The trooper, Brian D. North, who is white, fired seven shots on Jan. 15, 2020, through the driver's side window of a stolen vehicle driven by Mubarak Soulemane. Mr. Soulemane, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, had been acting erratically that day, according to people he encountered, before leading officers in a chase that ended in West Haven."
Florida. Felicia Sonmez & Colby Itkowitz of the Washington Post: "The Florida Senate on Wednesday approved a new map that would hand Republicans a significant advantage over Democrats in congressional races, with the state House expected to send the proposal on to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) as early as Thursday. Florida has 27 congressional districts, 16 of which are represented by Republicans and 11 by Democrats. Under the new map, which was proposed by DeSantis himself, Republicans would probably represent 20 districts while Democrats would represent eight. The once-a-decade redistricting process will see Florida's total number of districts rise to 28 because of the state's gain in population. In 2020, Donald Trump won the state by just three percentage points.... Florida's state Senate Republicans had previously advanced a map of their own that passed with near-unanimous bipartisan support. But the map was panned by national Republicans.... More than 200 Black leaders gathered in front of the state Capitol on Tuesday to speak out against the new map.... If Republicans win the House in the fall by only a few seats, DeSantis is likely to take credit." ~~~
~~~ Gary Fineout of Politico: "Democratic-aligned groups have already promised to sue to challenge the map, arguing that runs afoul of federal voting laws and Florida's anti-gerrymandering standards that were approved by voters."
Florida's Mickey Mouse Feud. Lori Rozsa of the Washington Post: "The feud between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Walt Disney Company continued to simmer Wednesday, as the GOP-led legislature moved closer to dissolving the entertainment giant's special tax status. The state Senate voted to dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District, a 1967 deal between the state and the Walt Disney that allows Disney to control most of what goes on at the theme park and its vast land holdings. DeSantis (R) praised the effort, telling potential donors in a fundraising email, 'I was elected to put the people of Florida first, and I will not allow a woke corporation based in California to run our state.' Meanwhile, local officials in Central Florida sounded the alarm, warning the repeal could leave them with a burdensome tax bill. Currently, Disney is responsible for everything including road maintenance, building inspections, 911 emergency calls and sewage treatment at the theme park, which straddles two counties and covers 40 square miles. 'Orange County is going to be stuck with $164 million or more per year in expenses with no revenue,' Orange County tax collector Scott Randolph said." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Sorry, local officials. The worst place to try to stand is between Ron DeSantis & his megalomaniacal ambitions.
Michigan. A Democrat Responds to the Fake, GQP Pedophile Charge. Curtis Wong of the Huffington Post: "A Democratic Michigan state senator delivered an impassioned response after a Republican colleague accused her of supporting pedophilia, reiterating a common right-wing talking point. State Sen. Lana Theis, a Republican, made the troubling claims against state Sen. Mallory McMorrow in a fundraising email sent to her constituents on Monday. In the email, Theis branded her Democratic colleague a 'social media troll' and a 'snowflake' who was 'outraged' at not being able to 'groom and sexualize kindergarteners.' McMorrow struck back at the the smear ... while speaking on the Michigan Senate floor early Tuesday." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Michigan, etc. The GQP's National Hate Campaign. Colby Itkowitz of the Washington Post: "When Michigan Democratic state Sen. Mallory McMorrow stood on the chamber floor to take on a Republican colleague who had accused her of wanting to sexually groom children, she was denouncing not just an isolated incident, but an onslaught of GOP attacks on the LGBTQ community. The rapid escalation in public support for the LGBTQ community's rights in recent years had quieted much of the blatant homophobia in the nation's political discourse. But, in recent weeks, Republicans have reverted to verbal and legal assaults on the community, sometimes employing baseless tropes that suggest children are being groomed or recruited by defenders of gay rights. The efforts ahead of the midterm elections are intended to rile up the Republican base and fill the campaign coffers of its candidates, without offering evidence that any Democrat had committed a repugnant crime.
Mississippi. Glenn Thrush & Katie Benner of the New York Times: "Officials at Mississippi's largest prison routinely violated the rights of prisoners by failing to provide mental health treatment, suicide counseling and protection from violence, among its 'systemic failures' that led to widespread death and despair, the Justice Department said on Wednesday. In a 59-page report about a two-year investigation, the department's civil rights division offered a scathing assessment of conditions at the Mississippi State Penitentiary, better known as Parchman, singling out the use of solitary confinement and enforced segregation of prisoners as particularly harmful practices that contributed to the poor mental and physical health of prisoners. Since 2019, 10 inmates have been killed at Parchman.... All or most of those issues need to be remedied quickly to comply with the constitutional protections afforded inmates under the Eighth and 14th Amendments, said Kristen Clarke, the head of the civil rights division of the Justice Department."
Texas. Ed Pilkington of the Guardian: "Next Wednesday, pending a last-minute stay, [Melissa] Lucio, 52, will be executed for a crime [-- the death of her two-year-old --] that significant evidence suggests she did not commit. Not only that, but significant evidence also suggests that the crime for which she will be strapped onto a gurney and injected with lethal drugs never happened in the first place. A mounting body of intelligence -- much of it never heard at trial, some of it actively suppressed by prosecutors -- points to a very different conclusion. Mariah was not beaten to death by her mother, she died of internal injuries from an accidental fall.... Among those calling for a stay of execution are a bipartisan group of 103 members of the Texas legislature -- including 32 Republican members of the House and eight Republican state senators. That is an extraordinary display of cross-party unity for such a toxically divided assembly."
Way Beyond
France. Roger Cohen of the New York Times: "In a bruising debate ahead of the vote on Sunday in the French presidential election, President Emmanuel Macron accused his far-right challenger, Marine Le Pen, of being in the pocket of Russia, and she countered with a withering attack on the 'unbearable injustice' of Mr. Macron's economic measures. Interrupting each other and accusing each other of lying, they traded barbs on everything from the environment to pension reform for almost three hours on Wednesday, without ever quite delivering a knockout blow." The Guardian's story is here. MB: After Russia, and maybe China, Le Pen is the world's biggest threat to Ukraine & the stability of western democracies. She is a Putin-friendly Nazi indebted to Russia.
U.K. Ben Quinn of the Guardian: "A court has formally approved the extradition of Julian Assange to the US on espionage charges, in what will ultimately be a decision for the UK home secretary,Priti Patel. The Wikileaks co-founder, who has the right of appeal, appeared by videolink during the Westminster magistrates court hearing, which one of his barristers described as a 'brief but significant moment in the case'.... The supreme court last month refused Assange's appeal agains his extradition. He had sought to challenge a judgment by the high court in December that ruled he could be extradited after assurances from the US authorities with regard to his prison conditions there." (Also linked yesterday.)
U.K. We Are Not Amused. Mark Landler of the New York Times: Britain's Prince "Harry, who paid his grandmother [Queen Elizabeth II] a rare and surprise visit for tea at Windsor Castle last Thursday with his wife, Meghan, said in an interview with NBC's 'Today' show, 'I'm just making sure she's protected and got the right people around her.' His cryptic comment, to an American TV network, raised the hackles of royal commentators and the London tabloids.... Now largely homebound, [Elizabeth] carries out most of her duties via video calls. Greeting visitors at Windsor Castle recently, she told them she had trouble walking.... While Buckingham Palace is loath to acknowledge it, the British monarchy has assumed the characteristics of a regency, with Charles fulfilling many of his mother's public duties as her proxy. That gave Harry's comment particular piquancy since it suggested she was vulnerable to manipulation."
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Reader Comments (10)
I know it won’t happen, but Disney, in the wake of the DeSantis Bigot’s Bill and Retribution Against Decency, should take the Mickey out of Florida. Literally. Just announce that the company is taking bids from other states who wouldn’t mind an influx of 58 million visitors a year were Disney to move its operation there.
Barring that, maybe they could open a new ride: DeSantis’ Wingnut Jungle, where toothless animatronic bigots scream at them as they go by tar paper shacks all flying the Stars and Bars. Then again, plenty of visitors wouldn’t see the point. “Hey mommy! It looks just like home!”
The Value of Uncritical Thinking
We all know how the Party of Traitors loves to just make shit up in order to whip up their mob of morons, but this proclivity would never gain traction with educated voters who have learned the skill of critical thinking.
Take, for instance, TrumpenClone Ron DeSantis’ ridiculous claim that Disney is “controlling the state” of Florida.
How does that work, Ron? Is Goofy the Secretary of State? (Hmmm…wait a minute…)
Does Donald run the state’s education? (The duck one, not the other, stupider, more venal Donald.)
Is Scrooge McDuck the state’s economic advisor? (Jesus, maybe Disney does run the state.)
No. The problem is that Disney, traditionally a very conservative operation, has expressed an opinion that Benito DeSantollini doesn’t like, and therefore it’s fair game to attack them with all manner of hysteria, lies, and innuendo.
Cuz that’s the Republican Way. That’s why they rely so heavily on the stoopid.
What’s next, Huey, Dewey, and Louie on a chain gang?
The tiniest bit of critical thinking would feed this bullshit to fucking alligators. Maybe a DeSantis appetizer to go along with it? Nah. Even the alligators would reject that diseased lump of necrotized flab.
Hey! I just thought of a great campaign slogan for 2024:
Diseased lump of necrotized flab for president! Bigotry and idiocy no extra charge.
Hmmm… that works for more than one potential R candidate.
AK: I was going to address the Formidable Fumble Mumble of Florida but you have covered it beautifully. If Disney did move wouldn't that be something like cutting off his nose despite his face?
PD,
As I say, it’s extremely unlikely that they would move, but often these sorts of battles can be approached like a chess match. A knight fork by white, which requires black to choose which piece it must give up doesn’t mean that white will actually take either piece (although that’s usually the goal). The strategy, for white, is to put black on the defensive and to fuck with his/her master plan.
Now granted, when you’re talking chess and right wing demagogic bullshit, it’s a stretch to assume the other side (black) can even deduce what’s going on. They’re not even great at Junior Checkers, so implementing Alekhine’s Defense will likely cause major small brain malfunction, but the threat is all you need sometime.
Of course they (Disney) could stand pat and let DeSantis and his army of trolls show their hand, but even the threat of economic devastation might be a useful hole card (sorry, mixing metaphors here).
On the other hand, as we saw last week in Texas, confederate “leaders” like Abbott and DeSantis (and almost all R pols these days) don’t give a decapitated fish head for stuff like economic stability, real education, public health, or staving off environmental disaster if they can “own the libs” with some bit of wingnutified seppuku.
Still, like the Grand Fat Fuckface himself, Donaldovich Trumpskyev, these tin pot dictators always assume that no one will stand up to them, vide Fatty’s temper tantrum when Piers Morgan called him on his lies.
They’re used to getting away with everything. It’s like the schoolyard bully daring any of the kids to tell him that he’s wrong about any of his stoopid. When the little kid in glasses stands up and tells him he’s a moron, it creates a catastrophic cascade failure. Sure, the kid might get kicked in the face, but the other kids might also see that, after all, the Emperor Bully has no clothes.
It’s worth a shot.
Colorado has already offered Mickey a new home, along with Twitter, “'In CO, we don’t meddle in affairs of companies like @Disney or @Twitter. Hey @Disney we’re ready for Mountain Disneyland and @twitter we’re ready for Twitter HQ2, whoever your owners are,” Polis tweeted."
Also DeSantis is as smart a businessman as Trump, @MaryEllenKlas
"Details emerge on @GovRonDeSantis
idea to repeal Disney's special district governing authority. To pay the Disney's $2 B in bond debt, Orange and Osceola county families would have to be assessed $2,200 tax bill says @FarmerForFLSen
. "This is shoot first and ask questions later."'
Last night I watched a PBS documentary on the devastation re: our climate and it looks like our planet is on the way to total destruction if we can't change the ways to prevent it which doesn't seem likely. And I couldn't help thinking how we humans are destroying "our home turf" but continue to kill each other over and over and over.
Those who fail to see ahead tend to see only what is right in front of them. They are the ones who will leave the next generation to grabble with the damage.
and yet––we atill have old men who plant trees they will never see.
@PD:
“When the last living thing
Has died on account of us,
How poetical it would be
If Earth could say,
In a voice floating up
Perhaps
From the floor
Of the Grand Canyon,
"It is done."
People did not like it here.”
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
DeSantis is following the Republican recipe to a "T."
You can govern poorly and even court unpopularity if you make sure on the right people vote.
Gerrymandering and voter suppression provide DeSantis and other poor performers a lot of slack.
Ken,
They provide more than slack (although that’s part of the deal).
They guarantee them their chance to inflict evil on the rest of us. There’s no other way to describe what the Party of Traitors is up to.
Evil.