Monday, September 16, 2024

Iraq snapshot

Monday, September 16, 2024.  A 'left' group announces their intent to be a spoiler -- their actual intent to get Donald Trump back in the White House -- promoting us -- forcing us? -- to review basic first principles.


49 days until the US presidential election.  THE WASHINGTON POST has published an important tool that you can utilize to make sure you are still registered to vote.  Very important this year with a record number of people being purged from the rolls.  If that happened to you, you may or may  not know. 

Your vote is your vote.  No one owns it.  


If you choose not to vote, that's your choice.  


Jill Stein freaks are offended -- including one columnist who e-mailed to share that I've never been so harsh on third party candidates.


I'm not harsh on third party candidates.  I have not said a word against Cornel West, Chase Oliver or Claudia De La Cruz.  They're valid candidates.  


My problems with Jill Stein are not new.   November 7, 2012, in a piece here written with Ava, I made clear that I had bit my tongue for her and would, never ever do so again.  She's is not a real candidate.  She's a vanity candidate.   She's an idiot who is on her third run for president of the United States and, as we learned last week, doesn't even know how many people are in the House of Representatives (435 -- not over 600 as she answered).  She is an idiot.  And a third party does not grow by nominating the same person to run for president three times -- especially now that she's 74.  That's not how you grow a party.  

You vote for who you want has been the motto here.


"The Gaza Freaks." 


There are many Americans who support the rights of Palestinians -- that's more than a cease-fire, that's the right to co-exist, that's the right to self-rule -- concepts that The Gaza Freaks aren't up to popularizing because, honestly, they're too damn stupid.


The Gaza Freaks pick up Gaza for a moment or two, have a purity march or two and then go home for two or three years until Gaza's back in the news.  That's how, for example, you have Iraq as the focus with your organization fasting (or 'fasting') in DC and your fundraising for your trip to Iraq to meet with Iraqi leaders to talk peace only to immediately drop those actions because something else is in the news.


The Gaza Freaks are not going to save Palestinians and won't even be pushing on the issue when something else is in the news.  


But for now, they pretend to care passionately and pretend to be outraged over it.


If you really were outraged over it, you'd be doing whatever you can to try to end it.


Donald Trump is not going to end it.  Ted Glick (ZNET) notes:


What are the likely consequences for Palestinians of Donald Trump winning?

Trump is Netanyahu’s, guy, and the MAGA Republicans are his US party. It was the Republican controlled House leadership which invited this war criminal to speak to Congress in late July. There are no Republican Congresspeople who have come out in support of a ceasefire. It was during Trump’s Presidency that the US Embassy was moved to Jerusalem. In a Reuters article on August 15th Trump is quoted as saying, “From the start, Harris has worked to tie Israel’s hand behind its back, demanding an immediate ceasefire, always demanding ceasefire,” Trump said, adding it “would only give Hamas time to regroup and launch a new October 7 style attack.”

A Trump victory will strengthen the hand of Netanyahu and his now-unpopular government, give a green light to settler and IDF violence in the West Bank and advance their explicitly racist and colonialist agenda of extending the state of Israel “from the river to the sea,” as they say.

If Harris wins, there is a basis to continue to pressure her and Democrats to make real their explicit verbal support for a ceasefire and an end to the war on Gaza by cutting off military aid, if the on-going pressure from below doesn’t achieve a ceasefire before election day. A Harris victory would allow the Free Palestine movement to build upon the massive progressive and liberal energy unleashed by her campaign and enlist additional numbers behind the demands for not just a ceasefire, the release of Israel hostages and Palestinian prisoners and massive humanitarian aid to Gaza, but also for a serious commitment to moving the ball forward as far as Palestinian self-determination. Harris has spoken a number of times in support of “Palestinian self-determination.”

In my view, bringing that self-determination demand forward, and giving it real content, would mean that there must be a Palestine-wide election to choose government leaders, not the imposition of the corrupt and unpopular Palestine Authority or any other scheme where Palestinians are unable to vote for who they want. And it seems to me that relatively soon, there should be a Palestine-wide referendum on what kind of new arrangement they support, whether a two-state solution, and what that would mean, how that would be done in a way which empowers them, or something else.


That's reality.  


And if you can't tolerate voting for Kamala you might not be one of The Gaza Freaks.  There are people who ran for office that I did not vote for because of the Iraq War.  I could not vote for them.  If that's you, I understand.


But, please note, that's different than The Gaza Freaks.  


From Ava and my "Media: Hard Truths and Soft Media:"


On Saturday's KPFA EVENING NEWS, Jill Stein groupie Ann Garrison thought she'd woo and win voters over to Jill Stein and stupidity via an interview with Hassan Abdel Salam of the Abandon Harris Movement -- a group working "to defeat Kamala Harris in battleground states."  If you're wondering if the slow witted group grasps that this would mean electing Donald Trump, yes, they do grasp that.

 

Ann Garrison:  So you're looking to win a moral victory by costing the Democrats the election or helping to do so?

 

Hassan Abdel Salam:  Absolutely.

 

 He then offers delusions about how this is "the only way the political establishment, the Democratic Party, will listen to us is if they too encounter the very thing they fear the most a defeat on November 5th."

 

No, that's not what's going to happen.  If you nut jobs re-elect Donald Trump, you're going to find the majority of Americans no longer give a s**t about your cause.

 

You re-elect Donald Trump and you're going to find yourself on a no-man's island.  


We have spent years here talking about how your vote is your vote and how a third party vote is not a spoiler vote.  Yet there's the spokesperson for the Abandon Harris group stating that they will be voting as a spoiler -- they will be voting intentionally (for Jill Stein, they'll announce that this week) to put Donald Trump back into the White House.


They are now declared spoilers and should be treated accordingly. 


They are now the enemy of democracy.  They want to re-elect Donald Trump.  Four years of hell wasn't enough for them.


Donald Trump's attempted coup was not enough for them.


The death of ROE V WADE was not enough for them.


The corrupt Supreme Court turning back the clock on racial equality was not enough for them.


The Supreme Court creating a second-class citizenship for LGBTQ+ Americans was not enough for them.


Out continued presences on this earth is not enough for them -- make no mistake, climate change is going to get a lot worse if Donald Trump and JD Vance 'free up' corporations from basic safety rules that protect people and the planet.


Instead of realizing that reality and recognizing it, you want to use your minor foothold to encourage people to put Donald Trump back in the White House?


You're not our friend.  You are an enemy to democracy.


You might by having a hissy fit right now and be unable to process rationally.  Or this might be your suicide mission.  But grasp that no one else wants to go to Jonestown with you.


Ava and I end our piece with this:


Destruction can come from all over.  For example, the Jill Stein supporter who took pornographic photos of their own children?  We can help with the destruction of The Gaza Freaks by outing them on things like this.  Is that really what you want us to do?

 

Because we're trying to be kind.  And if we're struggling with kindness, you damn well better believe that a lot of other people are as well.  So think very clearly in this moment.  Your continued attacks on Kamala Harris are not going to help the Palestinian people.  But they do send a message to the rest of us about what freaks you are and how you don't care one bit about racial justice in the US, about climate change, about the kid who was raped by her father and will be forced to give birth, about anything.  Because, one more time, you don't even care about the Palestinians if you're working to put Donald Trump back into the White House.  


And that bothered a few e-mailers this morning too.  How cruel!  How libelous!  It's a libel if it's true?  And that actually, the tidbit about the Stein supporter engaged in pornographic photos of their own children was in several snapshots last week but pulled before posted.  Friday morning, while speaking to a group about the importance of this election, I thought it had gone up.  Usually, I say, "Push that all the way to the end."  Then before it posts, I say, "Go ahead and pull it." 


I hadn't said that.  The person I dictated it to knew to pull it.  But before I knew it was pulled, I just shrugged and said, "They brought it on themselves."


But in terms of libel?  No.  It's not libel.  We had a mutual friend.  The friend wrote about it, it's in a book.  I immediately called him and said, "You're talking about _______ and _____!"  And he was.  And if we need to go further, we can go further.  I'm not going to be sued for libel -- it's very obvious, based on what was written and who the author's friends were, who the not-so-blind item is about. 


My point here is The Gaza Freaks have a lot of secrets and there are a lot of us who are getting ticked off and might start exposing them -- will.  Will start exposing them if they put Trump back in the White House.  


The Gaza Freaks think that defeating Kamala Harris means the Democrats will listen to them in the next election cycle.  That presumes that we'll have more elections and that we'll survive a second term of Donald Trump.  Ken Paxton and Greg Asshole are invading the homes of Latino Americans for the 'crimes' of voter registration.  Ron DeSantis is sicking his goon squad on people in Florida who signed a petition.  


It also ignores history.  


Unlike Jill Stein, Ralph Nader was a real candidate.  In 2000, he got the most votes any Green Party candidate ever has.  That did not push the Democratic Party further to the left.  It did not change anything except Ralph's own standing.  He did a lot of great work over the years and started a lot of organizations.  That no longer mattered.  People were angry because Bully Boy Bush got in the White House and we had the Iraq War.  


The Greens realized that and disowned Ralph and implemented their 2004 safe state strategy in an attempt to turn the clock back.


Your little stunt to get Donald in the White House will not help you push the Democratic Party.  


Israel is apartheid.  Jimmy Carter said it years ago and he was right.  I'm someone who was an activist against apartheid.  Apartheid did not end in one year.  It took years and years to move the needle on it in the United States.  


There is no quick fix for the Palestinians.  If that's hard for you to hear it's only because the people you've been listening to have been lying.  With actual activism, you're either in it for the long haul or you're not doing activism.  


Jane Fonda's done a lifetime of activism.  




Let's wind down with this press release:


CIVIL RIGHTS LEGEND MYRLIE EVERS ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS FOR PRESIDENT

 

“HARRIS EMBODIES WHAT MEDGAR EVERS FOUGHT AND DIED FOR”

 

Jackson, MS — Myrlie Evers, civil rights leader, first female chairman of the NAACP, author, activists and widow of civil rights icon Medgar Evertoday announced her endorsement of Kamala Harris for President in a new video, citing her commitment to justice, equality, and the ongoing fight for civil rights.

 

“Kamala Harris embodies the values that my husband Medgar Evers dedicated his life to—justice, equality, and the belief that America can and should be better,” says Myrlie Evers. “Her vision for this country aligns with the ideals Medgar fought for, and that’s why I am proud to endorse her for President. As a senator, she held the Trump administration accountable and will continue to fight those who attempt to undermine our Constitution and American values.”

 

Medgar Evers, a prominent civil rights activist and field secretary for the NAACP, was assassinated in 1963 for his tireless work to dismantle segregation and discrimination in the United States. His legacy continues to inspire generations of activists and leaders, and the Evers family believes Kamala Harris is the right leader to carry that legacy forward.

 

“In these times of both opportunity and adversity, it is vital to have leaders who are not only capable but also compassionate and courageous. Kamala Harris’s vision for a more fair and just society aligns with the values that my parents have long championed. Her dedication to improving the lives of all Americans and her ability to inspire positive change are testaments to her exceptional leadership. She does all this as a joyful warrior and a voice for courage and justice,” added Myrlie Evers.

 

Emphasizing Harris’s dedication to civil rights and her ability to lead with courage and compassion, Reena Evers-Everette, daughter of Medgar and Myrlie Evers said, “Kamala Harris continues in the footsteps of strong Black women, including her mentor Shirley Chisholm, Barbara Jordan, and my mother Myrlie Evers. These women committed themselves to helping their communities thrive and grow. Kamala Harris honors my parents’ lifelong dedication to justice and equality by fighting for all Americans to have affordable housing, fair wages, and the right to vote. Her vision for a more fair and just society aligns with the values that my parents have long championed.”

 

Earlier this year, Medgar Evers was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in recognition of his trailblazing contributions to the civil rights movement.

 

“At a time when hard-won rights are under siege, Kamala Harris is the leader we need to defend our progress and drive the fight for justice forward. We can’t go back,” added Reena Evers-Everette.


The following sites updated:





 


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