Episode #4 - Pissed Off Progressives Podcast

Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

Justin Normand, Irving Texas

Every once in a while a stranger comes along to remind us not to judge the proverbial book by its cover. Such is the case with Justin Normand, a Texas man who has been standing alone outside of the Islamic Community Center in Irving (a suburb of Dallas) holding a handmade, poignant sign:

After the photo went viral, Mr. Normand wrote on his Facebook page, "Someone took a picture and posted it, and as of today it’s been viewed millions of times, and shared across various platforms many hundreds of thousands of times. This is extraordinary and humbling; mainly because what I did isn’t (or shouldn’t be) all that extraordinary."

Perhaps Mr. Normand's act shouldn't be considered extraordinary, but it is. Furthermore, by any measure of the word, the man himself most certainly encompasses the moral definition of it.

Wisconsin Judge Rules Against Hand Counting

Dane County Circuit Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn

In a decision that deflated what lingering hope I had left in me, Dane County Circuit Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn rejected Jill Stein's lawsuit that would have required all Wisconsin counties to do the 2016 recount by hand.

Despite testimony from several renowned experts, such as University of California at Berkeley's Philip Stark (his statistical analyses found unusual patterns in the digits of vote totals in Wisconsin) and University of Michigan computer scientist J. Alex Halderman (he swore under oath that, "I am strongly of the opinion that a hand recount is going to provide a more accurate result,") the motion was denied.

It is unclear whether or not Stein will appeal to a higher court, but the clock is about to expire on the effectiveness and viability of doing so.

Post Election Stress Disorder (PESD)

It turns out Post-Election Stress Disorder (or PESD) is a real thing. Writing for Psychology Today, Dr. Jennifer Sweeton focused mainly on PESD as it relates to women, but noted the following:

Countless Americans are reporting feeling triggered, traumatized, on edge, anxious, sleepless, angry, hopeless, avoidant of connection, alone, and suddenly haunted by past traumas they believed they had buried. Of course, there is not just one type of American who has been experiencing these types of symptoms, and there is not just one reason for it. What is clear, however, is that there seems to be a sort of collective trauma (or at least stress) response occurring.

Sound familiar? Yeah, us too. 

Dr. Sweeton, a specialist who primarily treats women that have suffered through severe traumas, disclosed that since the election nearly all her emails were starting to look the same:

“I haven’t slept in two days…”

“I can’t stop sobbing…”

“I am having nightmares…”

“This reminds me of when I was sexually assaulted…”

“I thought I was over all of my past abuse but now it’s back…”

“I can’t sleep, can’t eat, can’t function…”

Sound familiar? Yeah, us too.

You can read the entire article here, which includes helpful tips on combatting PESD... or at least combatting it to the greatest possible extent one can.

Florida Recount

A petition at change.org was recently created to demand a recount in Florida. Apparently Florida law doesn't permit "the loser" to request a recount. (Under what hypothetical for instance would "the winner" ever request one?!) The only person in that annoying state who can call for a 2016 recount is Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner. Sign that petition, peeps!

BoycottTrump App for iPhone

Good news! Boycotters can put away that cumbersome Excel spreadsheet which contains the names of all the businesses to revoke your patronage from because the Democratic Coalition Against Trump has released the BoycottTrump app for iPhones. Make sure to check out the DCAT's entire list because it's more exhaustive than the previous Excel spreadsheet was.

Episode #3: PTSD Palooza (Thanksgiving 2016)

#Recount2016

Increasing reports of potential widespread voter fraud in key battleground states have prompted Green Party leader Jill Stein to file suit on behalf of all of us to demand recounts in Wisconsin (Paul Ryan's home state), Michigan, and Pennsylvania. To do so in all 3 states, Stein must raise $2.5 million in filing fees by this Friday. At last check she has surpassed the $2 million mark. You can donate by clicking here.

Episode #2: Liberal News & Trump Gossip

Where the Hell is the ACLU, NAACP, and NOW?

I'm not feeling particularly forgiving of as of late. This sentiment especially holds true for the civil rights groups whose coffers have been enriched by the very people they are failing to protect. Why hasn't a single one of our nation's highest level advocacy groups legally challenged this farce of an election? All of them relentlessly solicit for donations so they can fight Trump's future policies, yet nary a one has attempted to stop the Orange Menace from being inaugurated.

This is not acceptable—period. That there are any number of valid cases that can be made on a federal level makes it all the more appalling.

1. Math Increasingly Suggests Voter Fraud Against Hillary Clinton: Recap: the only exit polls that did not match up to alleged votes cast were the ones in crucial swing states. David Pakman points out that this phenomenon has only happened in the past during instances of widespread voter fraud.
   
2. The Electoral College Was Meant To Stop Men Like Trump From Being President: Recap: the Electoral College is charged with the duty of insuring a madman is never inaugurated. I don't recall off the top of my head if the reporter brought up what I'm about to say, but many states like Ohio have passed laws which prevent members of the EC from fulfilling its constitutional obligation. Instead of allowing the members to vote their conscience, doing so can provide stiff fines and allegedly jail time.
   
3. We are not a democracy if rule by the people is not upheld. The people did not vote in Trump; the people voted in Hillary Clinton. By the time all votes are counted, Clinton is expected to win the popular vote by at least 2 million votes. She is also expected to have more than 50% of all votes, which is an even bigger mandate that something be done.
   
4. Our republic's viability, much as our position in world affairs, cannot afford to chance a Trump presidency. God forbid a teenager in North Korea sends Orangie Porgie a mean kid tweet. It'll be game over for all of us.
   
   
5. It is both indecent and un-American to put a man in power who surrounds himself with white nationalists and who has used his campaign to normalize hate speech against vulnerable people. Over 700 incidents of hate crimes against minorities have been reported by the Southern Poverty Law Center since November 9th.
   
   
6. When only 17% of voters (all of who live in white, rural America) have more voting power than the other 83%, no election is free.

That is but 6 of the simplest-to-explain issues. This says nothing of more complex problems such as the role Republican congressmen played in obliterating the nation's long held (and long respected) system of checks and balances. Having executive, legislative, and judicial branches that operate independently of each other means little to nothing when all three branches are dominated by one party's archaic ideology—an ideology not shared by the majority of Americans.

So where are the civil rights groups with deep pockets? Why aren't they stepping up to the plate proactively by doing everything humanly imaginable to stop the inauguration of a dangerous, intolerant, greedy, pathological liar?

I have no answers; I only have questions.

Black Americans Once Counted as 3/5 Human; Percentage Has Since Dropped

White terrorist cells have multiplied since Obama's election

Yesterday, Emily Badger of The New York Times brought the travesty that is the 2016 election into stark perspective: "The Electoral College is just one example of how an increasingly urban country has inherited the political structures of a rural past," she wrote. "Today, states containing just 17 percent of the American population, a historic low, can theoretically elect a Senate majority... The bias also shapes the House of Representatives."

Think about that. Seventeen percent of the population, all of which live in white, rural America, can decide not only the presidency for all of us, but the House and Senate majorities too. More to the point, not only can they do it, they just in fact did do it. 

By now most of us are aware that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by roughly two million votes. Most people I talk to, however, are oblivious to the fact that Democrats also won the popular vote in the Senate and House races, but were denied the majority of seats. The sobering result of these defeats on every front is that in the matter of one election, our entire system of checks and balances within the United States government has been utterly annihilated. 

Black Americans vote in Alabama for the first time
after the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act

Before going any further, I need to make a point. Namely, I don't want to downplay the very real injustice that was perpetrated against the majority of this nation's citizens, regardless to our colors. The reason I'll be focusing on African-Americans in particular from here forward is because it's vital to understand black history as every American's history. It is impossible to learn from past wrongs if you don't even know they occurred, much less feel connected to them. Indeed, we are all connected. The harm done to one of us eventually and inevitably spreads like cancer to the rest of us. Bearing that in mind...

Having the right to vote on paper means very little when disenfranchised people are systematically prohibited from casting their ballots. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 provided a political voice to people of color and brought America one small but vital step closer to achieving its ideal of liberty and justice for all. It wasn't perfect, but it was a desperately needed start. 

After affording black Americans 60 years of voter protection, the VRA was gutted in 2013 by the conservative led US Supreme Court. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was so angered by the court's decision she chose to orally dissent (speak from the bench) rather than provide a written dissent only, the latter being the norm for SCOTUS. Speaking on behalf of herself and Justices Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan, Justice Ginsburg reaffirmed the need for voter protection against disenfranchisement and stated that the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as well as justice itself had been “disserved by today’s decision.”

The Voting Rights Act is as needed today as it was in 1965

In one SCOTUS ruling, the rights of black Americans were set back 60 years at minimum. The state of Texas quickly took advantage of the bench's decision by enacting laws that disproportionately and negatively impacted African-American voters; more southern states eventually followed suit. It wasn't until the contentious general election of 2016, however, that the end result Justice Ginsburg had warned of would become agonizingly apparent. 

Polling stations were closed down and/or moved without notice, making it all but impossible for the poorest of black, working people to vote. After all, if you can't afford to own a car then you likely can't afford to miss more time from work than your lunch hour allows for. Making phone calls to find out what the hell happened to your polling station and taking buses all over God's green earth are not lunch hour friendly activities. 

Five generations of one enslaved family. Nine of the 180
slaves owned by James Joyner Smith; they lived and
worked on Smith's cotton plantation in Beaufort, SC.
(Early 1800s, Library of Congress.)

Even amidst all the obstacles, black women still found a way to make it work (just as women always do) and turned out to the polls in large numbers. This was accomplished throughout all social classes despite SCOTUS, only to be told early the next morning that black votes don't matter any more now than they did before African-Americans had the right to vote at all.

On July 12, 1787, the Three-Fifths Compromise was enacted, which allowed Southern slave holders to count each of their human properties as 3/5 of one person. This was done so Southern states could claim a larger percentage of representation in the House. The added, albeit unlikely intended effect, also gave them a disproportionate advantage over electing future presidents. In other words, black slaves were semi-counted for purposes of representation in congress, yet not allowed to actually be represented by voting. The compromise portion of the Three-Fifths Compromise was about black slaves rather than for them. 

How, I ask you, is "voting" today any different? 

When only 17% of Americans decide who will make the laws for 100% of us, it is reasonable and valid to argue that any representation afforded us, just like with the Three-Fifths Compromise, is in name only. While particularly egregious to black Americans because of the history of slavery in this country followed by one and a half centuries of systematic disenfranchisement, the problem facing America has become an everybody issue. Most black Americans are urbanites, true, but not all urbanites (or even close) are black Americans. If your vote carries less than 1/5 of the legal power of a white, rural vote... 

Well, I guess we'll just have to call it the One-Fifth Compromise. As was true in 1787, it's a "compromise" no disenfranchised person had a say in much less agreed to.

The Party of (the anti) Lincoln

Republican logic is entirely illogical. Every time their overt acts of racism are brought to light and questioned they always say the same thing: we are not racists; we cannot be because we are the party of Lincoln.

Only in name, boys. Lincoln would roll over in his grave if he knew what had become of the party he'd helped to found. 

Republicans of Lincoln's era were pro big government and pro social justice, while Democrats were in favor of limited government and keeping power concentrated in the hands of whites in general and white men in particular. It was around the early 1900s that party lines first became blurred by a prominent Democrat named William Jennings Bryan. 

Secretary of State under Woodrow Wilson and a three time presidential nominee, Bryan ushered in a twenty year period wherein the two parties became virtually indistinguishable. It wasn't until the 1930s when Republicans heatedly opposed Democratic rival FDR's (then) radical New Deal that the ideologies of the parties shifted once again, this time coalescing into the polar opposites of what they had been pre-Bryan. Now it was the Democrats who believed in social justice and the role of government while Republicans adhered to a philosophy of limited government and increasing white nationalism. 

African-Americans, historically Republican voters up until this time, slowly began to leave what had once been the party of Lincoln to join the party that now was. It took time to make the transition, and understandably so, but black support was more or less cemented via JFK by the time President Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

The party of Lincoln is now the party of the anti-Lincoln. Never again let a Republican throw shade at the light.

Episode #1: A rant liberals can relate to :)

Boycotting Hate

If you're looking for a way to protest this farce of an election, but don't have the time, health, and/or stamina to join the thousands of awesome Millennials continuing to pour into the streets of metropolises across the country (keep it up, lovelies!) then you still have some pretty doable options left to you.

Fox News

Fox's misinformation, propaganda network continues to thrive at our expense. The teeth clincher? If you have a subscription to even the lowest tier of cable television available, you are paying them to carry on with their dirty work.

Click to enlarge

Boycotts

Left Republic

Left Republic has recently started the Lock Up This campaign to boycott specific brands and/or popular shopping dates. Here's the first collective effort:

Click to enlarge

Although the number of people who belong to our Facebook page campaign is currently a grand total of 6 (hey we just got going lol) the number of shares for the Black Friday Boycott banner has been phenomenal. 

Brands

A spreadsheet of stores that sell anything Trump has been making its rounds across the internet. The Huffington Post finally did a write-up on the database, making it much easier to implement into your daily life.

Clickbait

A fast way to make misinformation and fake news sites die a quick death is to quit funding them with clicks. Most of those sites can afford to thrive because of programs like Google Adsense which pays out monies for every click subscribing sites receive. If you don't recognize the address or website? Don't click on it.

Electoral College Truths

The Anti-christ, Donald Trump, & The Media

Any American who was raised in a Christian home and spent time around St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City has surely taken note of a peculiar building that sits in stark contrast to the island's most famous Catholic church. The building doesn't raise eyebrows due to interesting architecture or novel features; it is in fact a rather unimpressive, cold, Manhattan skyscraper that is dwarfed by taller marvels around it. What causes the casual observer to do a double-take when walking by the 60-year-old structure—and possibly say a quick Hail Mary while picking up their pace!—all boils down to one seemingly trivial flaw: it's address.

666 Fifth Avenue was built in 1957. The building managed to stay off the media's radar for the most part despite being featured in several movies, including (appropriately) 1977's horror film Exorcist II: The Heretic.

It wasn't until the unremarkable edifice was purchased in 2006 for $1.8 billion dollars—the highest sum ever paid for a Manhattan building at the time—that it made national news. Reporters glossed over the address, no doubt rolling their eyes with a collective groan over the symbolism associated with 666. The big question for journalists, and really the only question they had at the time, revolved around why anyone would spend so much money on such an unimpressive building. In the end it was chalked up to the short skyscraper's close proximity to Rockefeller Center and the case was laid to rest.

I've seen the building up close before, as have millions of others. The only reason it sticks out in my memory is because of its address. Well that and the fact my walking comedy of a mother hurled freshly blessed holy water from St. Patrick's at it. She wanted to see if the building would react. (It's really best if you don't ask. Trust me.) But I'm digressing...

I hadn't given what my mom refers to as "Beelzebub's Building" any thought until she phoned me tonight to remind me of it. "You'll never believe who bought it back in 2006," she said under her breath. My mind immediately flew to Donald Trump. "Not him," my mom explained, "but it was bought by Kushner Companies." My jaw dropped.

Jared Kushner

Kushner Companies is a real estate investment firm owned and operated by the father/son team of Charles and Jared Kushner. Jared Kushner—husband to Ivanka Trump—has been and is expected to remain one of Donald's closest #notmypresidential advisors. In fact, the word through the grapevine is that Jared, not Ivanka, is likely the only person on planet earth who wields more influence over Donald than white nationalist Steve Bannon. Is that a good thing? It depends on whether or not you are of the mindset that the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.

Jared's father and business partner, Charles, won't be nominated for any "Stand Up Guy of the Year" awards. Having been fined half a million dollars for violating federal laws regarding excessive campaign contributions, having been disbarred from practicing law in three states, and having served time in federal prison for 18 various felonies including witness tampering, the elder Kushner, famously prosecuted by Chris Christie, has a rap sheet longer than the list of reformations Martin Luther hammered to the Wittenburg door. Any one of those facts, much less all of them, begs one question: during an election season wherein the media gave us minute by minute coverage of boring emails and unproven allegations against Hillary Clinton, why the hell did they neglect proven truths about Trump's camp?

Charles Kushner

Some will say Charles Kushner is an irrelevant story—the same people, of course, who say Gennifer Flowers was a relevant issue—but such a quick dismissal doesn't hold up under scrutiny. Charles and Donald reputedly have a close relationship, the former having recently thrown a lavish party at his seaside mansion to honor the latter. Charles is undeniably close in affection and business to his son—a man whose marriage to Ivanka Trump has given him years to earn the #notmypresident-elect's trust and confidence. And then there's that creepy Manhattan building Charles and Jared own...

666 Fifth Avenue. Why did the Kushners really buy it? Why would anyone pay so much money for such a trite (by Manhattan standards) structure? Maybe it really was because of its adjacency to Rockefeller Center. Before closing the case entirely, those given to conspiracy theories and apocalyptic prophecies might find one more piece of information interesting.

Donald Trump's father and mentor, Fred Trump, might have died in 1999, but if the frequency with which daddy dearest's name comes up is any indication then Fred Trump's beliefs, ideology, and person are still very much ruling from the grave.

Frederick Christ Trump never lived up to his middle name. Nor will he ever be mistaken as the poster boy for morality, good citizenry, and ethical business dealings. In 1927, Fred was arrested after participating in and failing to disperse from a Klan riot in Queens. He was also investigated by a senate committee in 1954 for profiteering from public contracts and investigated yet again by the U.S. Justice Department in 1973 for civil rights violations against African-Americans.

By any reasonable standard, Fred Christ Trump wasn't a good man. Whether or not his legacy is worrisome depends upon how deeply Donald Trump's character, morals, and ideologies were affected by his father. After announcing his intention to keep Steve Bannon and Kellyanne Conway (known affiliates of white nationalists) in his post-election service, I doubt many would wager their last dollar that Fred Trump, the antithesis of his middle-namesake, failed to mold his son into his own immoral image.

But hey, don't take my word for it. Contemplate it the next time you're walking by 666 Fifth Avenue and wondering why anyone would pay $1.8 billion for the least impressive building on the block.

Questions or Comments?

Tweet to @left_republic

----------

The Anti-Christ & Trump: All Our Research (In Chronological Order)

• The Anti-Christ, Donald Trump & The Media
• Republicans, Blasphemy & The Anti-Christ: This Is Getting Weird
• Hard-right Israeli Politician: Trump Is Messiah
• The Whore of Babylon, The Anti-Christ & Ivanka Trump
• Blasphemy: The Deification of Trump & Putin
• Russians Make "In Trump We Trust" Coins
• "President" 45 Has History Of Comparing Himself To God

Breitbart's Steve Bannon as Trump's Chief of Staff? Keep Protesting!

Everything you need to know about Breitbart CEO Steve Bannon can be summed up right here: he is dangerous, he is polarizing, and he is a white supremacist. Trump's promise to be a president for "all Americans" was proven to be bullshit the second he announced his intention to make that THING his Chief of Staff.

If white people think they are safe from Bannon's trademark witch-hunts because hey, it's not their problem, they need to start paying closer attention to actual reality and less attention to "reality" TV. 

In Bannon-land, differences in opinion are treacherous, treasonous, and unpatriotic. A true fascist in every sense, Bannon's infamous witch-hunts have been arguably more vicious against conservatives who dare to disagree with his special brand of crazy than they have been against liberals. And since we liberals are, as you know, commie anti-'Murkins, that sober reality should frighten conservatives who don't identify with the alt-right's white nationalist agenda.

Hate Speech & The 2016 Election

How long has it been since 50 Shades of Agent Orange was given the presidency via a rigged electoral college? Your calendar might say 2 days, but for millions of minorities it already feels like 2 years. First Amendment attacks against people of color, homosexuals, Muslims, and liberals have surged both online and offline. White, heterosexual conservatives have grown undeniably emboldened by the victory of an unapologetic racist.

In the last 2 days alone I, personally, have been told:

1. "Go back to Africa!" (I would if I was from there.)
2. "Your free ride is over!" (I've paid millions of dollars in taxes.)
3. "Go pop out more kids I have to pay for!" (I had a partial hysterectomy 6 years ago.)
4. "He's your president whether you like it or not!" (He's #NotMyPresident)
5. "Liberal crybaby!" (Ummm... there's only one person whining here and it's not me.)

And that's but 5 examples from a list I've justifiably named Plethora. How am I handling it? Not well, to be honest. And I'm a 44-year-old woman. I'm not sure how children and teens with less developed coping skills and limited life perspective are supposed to effectively combat this sickening trend, but I'm certain the answer is they can't. Furthermore, they shouldn't have to.

Calling it "Freedom of Expression" doesn't mean it is...

There have been innumerable instances in the last 2 days wherein white perpetrators have victimized black youth with hitherto unspeakable actions. Whether by wearing black face or posting horrifically insensitive, mean-spirited jabs, white racists keep clinging to the "this is a free country" line. For people obsessed with free rides, they sure don't seem to understand nothing in life is ever free.

The First Amendment does not give Americans a carte blanche right to say and express every hateful thing that comes to their warped minds. There are categories of speech that are not protected and fighting words is one of them. I encourage parents to use every legal means necessary to sue these people at minimum. An absence of justice causes an absence of hope. Where there is no hope, there is violence toward self or others. 

Protect our children.