“Kamala Harris is the only patriotic choice for president,” writes the NYT editorial board as it enumerates the dangers of another Donald Trump presidency.
IMHO, the Gray Lady has squandered any due respect long ago.
The NYT has proved itself morally unfit as any arbiter of truth, and has repeatedly put self-interest above the good of the nation.
To this specific instance, the New York Times wastes the first several paragraphs not advocating for Harris, but advocating against Trump. There’s an important distinction which reveals their true colors.
On another topic, if the dock strikes doesn’t end in the next few days, Trump will take full advantage of all the bullsheet he espouses and he will get the fence sitters to vote for him. If Biden was smart, which he isn’t he would invoke Taff/Hartley and end the strike and encourage parties to come to terms.
Again, this is the event that Trump and company will use to follow eating cats and rapists running over hot Arizona sand. Watch Vance use it tonight. Anything to game and distract.
Although pay is a factor, so is automation of the work. I found this article informative:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-much-do-dock-workers-make-longshoreman-salary/ "Late Monday, USMX said its latest offer would boost dockworkers' wages by nearly 50%, triple employer contributions to employee retirement plans and enhance health care coverage, while also preserving existing safeguards against automation."
I suppose it’s nice that NYT editorial board said something at last. However, until they fire the news division head, it strikes me as empty posturing.
I so passionately agree with Joyce Vance. Voting is a sacrosanct right. Young people take it casually. When I lived in Italy back in the mid 1970s, I never thought to contact my consulate in Florence to apply for an absentee ballot.
I have a rather extreme question to pose as usual: If chaos reigns created purposely by MAGA movement, which might very well insure the House vote on the candidate which would be Trump, I would posit that our military step in and declare a temporary action to suspend the constitution until the popular majority candidate is certified. I would like such a protection. No seriously. A true blue American Coup to save American democracy.
(I indeed, covered this in my book published in 2020. My dear friend and advisor, Dennis Kaplan, passed away just as my work was being published.)
A Coup D’état to Make America Great Again
(My Letter to a Friend and his Return Letter)
“Dennis, I’m gonna draw up a petition tonight that calls on the American military through the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to suspend the Constitution until Jan. 20, 2021 when a new president will be sworn into office. The military will immediately escort Trump off the grounds of the White House and place him in home confinement at Mar-a-Lago.
“The military will install a junta; a six person team representing the Marines, Air Force, Army and Navy, Coast Guard and now, the Space Force. Elections will proceed as scheduled but without Trump leading the Republican Party.
Are you ready to sign it, Dennis? Are you ready to take a stand for your family, community, state and nation?”
“You must be reading my mind, Bill. I've been saying this for weeks. I will sign it in a heartbeat. The Thief-in-Chief must go before he kills all of us. He is the biggest mass murderer in American history, bar none, and the toll climbs every day. The murderous slimebags on FOX should also be included in this purge, since they are equally complicit in this.
And, since there are still so many who don't mind dying for Trump, I would also strongly encourage red state Trump toadies to mass gather at churches, bars, whatever, and drool, spit, and ooze bodily fluids on each other, and then wait in line for ventilator treatment that could have been avoided if they had only listened to Dr. Fauci before catching COVID-19.
It looks like we just fixed the country. Now, what about McConnell and those other grinning jackals?”
Ok, my specialty is spoof and satire but I’m not kidding this time. I would risk such an historic moment to save our republic. It’s that serious. Once it falls, we know how often autocratic strongmen refuse to relinquish power. Putin is the shining example. He makes Chinese leader Xi look like a kindly benevolent St Peter waiting at the pearly gates for entry into paradise. And believe you me, Xi is no St. Peter.
No one should ever even think it could be appropriate (ever) to simply "suspend the Constitution," much less that it could be appropriate to invite the "military" to do that. Everything we do as a people or as a nation (including any of our representatives in government) must be consistent with our Constitution. That's a primary point of having a written Constitution.
Donald Trump must not be allowed to become president if he uses obstruction to in fact become president. The results would be catastrophic. Basically it would end democracy as we have known it.
That's not any kind of legitimate justification. Apparently, that's the kind of dangerous rationalization that led a DOJ attorney to falsify evidence to fraudulently cause a judge to issue a warrant to (directly or indirectly) spy on one or more U.S. citizens.
Kevin Clinesmith was an FBI lawyer who pleaded guilty to altering an email that he used to apply for a FISA warrant against former Trump-campaign adviser Carter Page. Clinesmith physically altered an email for the purpose of forwarding it to a FISA Court judge. Clinesmith admitted "the information I inserted into the email was not already there."
I understand but when have they let any established laws, institutions or norms stop them since that bag of pus showed them to just ignore it all and do what he wants? They will immediately start shooting because they believe their arsenals will overwhelm any opposition if the response is too slow due to the good guys respecting those norms, etc., and hesitate too long. These people are extreme nutjobs and they have gotten away with it all because the punishment has not been strong enough to be a deterrent, imo. Having said that, I have no answer that’s better other than removing the pro extremist military before they are able to undermine a response.
Maybe Trump (or some of his more radical supporters or handlers) read your book. Their thoughts and efforts at times sounded remarkably similar to your proposal.
I’m not so sure you are aware of this but our body politics and the talking heads that promote this rancor and uncompromising mentality, and this inevitably seeps down to the ignominious many, and will eventually result in a usual move to the far right instead of the gentle left. You only need to observe across the globe in our modern. And there are plenty of examples in our recent past and the deep past. The only fix is that both sides move to the center. The problem lay in that it seems no one knows what the center is anymore. I know that my fellow democrats don’t get it because I’ve had this interaction repeatedly and often I’m met with scorn.
So maybe get ready to bow your heads in exalting subservience to the pending new Putin-in-Waiting, our Commander in Thief, President Donald John Trump.
I’m afraid I’m the bearer of troubling news. Or pray the military saves us.
From my vantage, I believe that Western European nations are a little in political disarray all on account of the rather lax attitude to open borders. There is always a backlash and sometimes it’s real ugly. I hunch is that American foreign policy in the Middle East and beyond has heavily contributed to this. We have since our golden period in the mid 20th century. We keep destabilizing the world and being instrumental in causing wars the most recent being Ukraine and Russia.
It could have been avoided if in fact we kept our nose out of the Ukrainian revolution of 2014. We created the downfall of Iraq. We stationed troops in Saudi Arabia. We created the monster bin Ladin who attacked up then we went back to invasion mode. Now the most powerful nation on earth is about to feel the tremors of authoritarian regime.
Having subscribed to this paper for many decades, I advocate that it is up to us as readers to keep the NYT honest. How about taking a personal responsibility to point out when they go off track? You are able to do this succinctly--tell them directly. So many react with "I'm going to take my marbles and go home" as if that would enlighten the news we are able to see.
Sorry, no. For one thing, many of us did that regularly before we dumped our subscriptions (I did it after the 2016 election and the appointment of Bret Stephens). For another, and more important, thing, the "free press" is not responsible to its readers the way elected officials are responsible to the voters who elected them. News outlets are responsible primarily to those who pay the bills: the owners and the advertisers. For most papers, subscriptions alone don't come close. However, as consumers "we the people" have the same options we do with any other business: continue to buy their product or stop doing so and go elsewhere. Sometimes the business involved gets the message and does a course correction. Other times it doesn't. So far the New York Times hasn't.
Well, I confronted the NYTimes back before 2005 (Scooter Libby era) when I read a front page column by Judith Miller that I KNEW contained falsehoods. And, another time, when I confronted them with the evidence of a Masters Student paper at Stanford as showing photographs that the student thought could contain weapons--that this was the evidence Cheney ended up relying upon. Often, I wished I had more of a voice, but I have always believed that standing up for truth remains a highly valued principle...regardless of what others say or do.
I raised my 3 children with this credo--e.g., when the 3 and 4 1/2 year old stuffed their snowsuit pockets with Christmas display candy--a large male clerk kept looking at me and them until I saw what was going on. They certainly did not go home with any of that candy. Later, more incidents...they amuse me on one level but these "teaching moments" shouldn't just be for children.
p.s. Tom Friedman provides some of the highest caliber thinking of any newspaper.
With democracy based sites like Meidastouch(closing in on 4 million subscribers)...David Pakman over a million....and others exposing Diapers Dons deranged spiraling speeches into the abyss of hate mongering insanity.........ya think the NYTimes would take notice???
My many, many letters to NYT, WaPo, etc. yielded the same results as Trump “maturing” while in office. I kicked my Stockholm syndrome habit and so can you.
Excellent point! I don’t know if anyone read my last Letters to the Editor, but a Times subscription is not cheap and subscribers need to express their sincere disappointment.
They have ignored those of us who complain. They have forgotten they exist to speak truth to power and now are sucking up to evil hoping to not get shut down if Trump gets the power to do so. They also apparently for get how Trump reacts in a split second by ordering revenge punishment to any perceived slight.
The ironic part here is that the NYT is trying to play "both sides" and many Democrats will fall flat on both faces for their bait. Oh, and games and recipes, those are really important!!!
The NYTS could have made a stronger case against Trumps fitness to be President by citing calls by Cornell Weill Professor of Psychiatry Richard Friedman advocating in The Atlantic that Trump needs a thorough neuropsychological evaluation for Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia based on his behavior during the Harris-Trump debate. Or they could have cited the opinion of Peter Baker, NYTS Washington Bureau Chief who questioned his cognitive functioning based on his speech at the New York Economic Club. Baker has covered has covered 5 presidencies and is known to be apolitical. Doesn’t the NYTS understand that the integrity of the press is important to Democracy and agendas like the Heritage Foundation Project 2025 will curtail a free press.
I look forward to tomorrow's Civil Discourse Chat. FYI everybody, RACHEL MADDOW on her Monday night MSNBC show detailed some facts that may come out at the "debate" tomorrow night.
By way of political context CBS reported that Tech Billionaire, PETER THIEL, hired JD Vance in 2017 & bankrolled his political persona including the largest ever 2022 Senate campaign contribution of $15,000,000.00.
Rachel went into detail for over 40 minutes on her show about the unholy Trinity of JD Vance, billionaire Peter Thiel & dictator advocate Curtis Yarvin aka on social media as "Mencius Goldbug".
Vance has said on multiple occasions that the United States is in a "late republican period" -- that's a small 'r' meaning our democracy is finished meaning that we need to "reinstall some sense of American political religion". Vance pushes his Yarvin's agit-prop that we need a "national CEO what's called a dictator" & that we, United States citizens, need to "get over their dictator problem".
We need to get rid of Juvenile Delinquent Vance & personal dictator Trump on on 11/5/2024.
Compare my analysis with Ian Schwartz piece at Real Clear Politics, 9/30/24 at 9:03 PM. Ian laid out Rachel's century long tracking of a partrticuar strain of far-right politics going back to CHARLES WALGREEN perpetuated by CURTIS YARVIN & JD VANCE.
That is why Tim Walz needs to be expertly prepared by the brilliance of Pete Buttigieg. We're reading what Joyce Vance and other wonderful scholars have to say in order to do our own fact-checking.
Laura, the format may have some leaks. The mics may be open if I am not mistaken.
Tuesday Morning Update: Per Jonathan Lemire, there will be no fact checking by the moderators but, there will be a 'QR' code available with fact checking by CBS journalists.
Along those lines, I recommend Timothy Snyder's new book, ON FREEDOM. I'm only halfway through it, but he's already discussed what he calls the "Silicon Valley libertarians," who include the likes of Thiel, Vance, and Elon Musk. He considers them nihilists, chaos agents who basically believe in nothing, certainly not democracy.
Think of all the delays caused by DeJoy's blatant attempts to irrevocably harm, if not dismantle, the processing and delivery systems of the USPS. These days, 5 days is sometimes not enough, even for deliveries local to the posting location.
In my small, rural town, it sometimes takes 7 days for a piece of mail actually taken to the local post office to be delivered to the next town over, 45 minutes away, going through two larger cities before getting to the neighboring town. It’s absurd and getting worse yet ridiculously increasing in price every year. Seventy-three cents now for one stamp!
Same here! I live on Martha's Vineyard, MA, an island that comprises six small towns. Used to be that inter-town mail would arrive the day after it was mailed (and sometimes even the same day if it was mailed early enough!). Now it all goes through (last I looked) Providence, RI.
Now they are saying there’s a new sorting facility in wareham so your mail stays in Massachusetts, enjoying two ferry trips. 😄When I have mail with a P.O. Box to go to the next town, I put a stamp on it and drive to the post office. Mail delivered in 15 minutes. 🥳 I guess we are back to vote early and often??
Yes, and as someone who has experienced the utter indeterminacy of sending post into or waiting for post out of the US mothership it is a crap shoot whether or not the transference is completed at all; I would never gamble good money or heartfelt expectation on a date certain.
Came here to say exactly that...the "DeJoy effect". No joke, because if USPS isn't tuned up to max efficiency in post-marking and delivering mail-in and absentee ballots in a timely manner, well, not only will overseas military and US citizens get disenfranchised, but so will millions of Stateside voters should the courts declare ANY ballots received after Election Day, REGARDLESS of the source and REGARDLESS of the circumstances, i.e., natural disasters impeding regular postal delivery, null and void. Granted, this is not only "a bridge too far" for even James Ho and the 5th CA, but voting has already begun in hundreds of locations, and surely here *Purcell* is controlling, not only in the legal sense, but also the practicalities of fucking up election tabulations this late in the game.
Oh, but there is always the tRump/MAGA wild card: dysfunctional Federal courts, including and up to Scotus, so there's that.
A perfect opener as to why NOT to vote for tffg, and keep in mind, this is the EDITORIAL BOARD, and not actually an endorsement of Harris. smh
"It is hard to imagine a candidate more unworthy to serve as president of the United States than Donald Trump. He has proved himself morally unfit for an office that asks its occupant to put the good of the nation above self-interest. He has proved himself temperamentally unfit for a role that requires the very qualities — wisdom, honesty, empathy, courage, restraint, humility, discipline — that he most lacks. Those disqualifying characteristics are compounded by everything else that limits his ability to fulfill the duties of the president: his many criminal charges, his advancing age, his fundamental lack of interest in policy and his increasingly bizarre cast of associates.
This unequivocal, dispiriting truth — Donald Trump is not fit to be president — should be enough for any voter who cares about the health of our country and the stability of our democracy to deny him re-election. For this reason, regardless of any political disagreements voters might have with her, Kamala Harris is the only patriotic choice for president."
Suing to make voting harder? That’s like the fire department suing to shut down sprinkler systems. Maybe protecting democracy isn’t their top priority after all
In case you missed it, Rachel Maddow of MSNBC, had a blockbuster show revealing information about who the real JD Vance is. It will knock your socks off. I'm still trying to pick my jaw up. Try to watch it before the debate. This breaking news about Vance's true political philosophy will likely make this Vice Presidential debate one of the most consequential ones, if not the most consequential one.
Your statement "Voters get to pick their elected officials; elected officials don’t get to pick their voters." is one of the most succinct and spot on statements imaginable. Thanks for distilling this so brilliantly.
But what about the unelected "dictators" behind the scenes - like Thiel, Yarvin, Project 2025 gang, Musk - using the puppets to fulfill their plot to destroy America and the constitution?
What protections are in place for survivors of Helene to vote in the first place, if they lost their homes? Many would have lost birth certificates, drivers licenses. Are there temporary voter places set up to allow them to re-register and vote, even though Election Day is less than 60 days away?
“Hopefully, the courts will take steps to protect the election …”
We are almost a quarter into the 21st Century, and one is compelled to write that! All Americans were given the same opportunity to vote in my lifetime (I was 15 in 1965); and now, nearly 60 years later, we are, sadly, hurtling backwards.
And what we took for granted - truly, like Roe - we can no longer. One despairs.
Exactly! As Joyce states:”Voters get to pick their elected officials; elected officials don’t get to pick their voters. Elected officials should protect our elections and the right to vote. And we should all be troubled—no matter what party we belong to—when they don’t.”
Off topic…Joyce, I hope you and yours were not impacted by Helene. What a devastating event to go through. I pray for everyone who lost a piece of themselves and wish them well.
One way to know that a political party is bankrupt of good ideas is that they work to screw with voting laws and try to make it more difficult for various groups of people to vote, usually those who might not vote for them. Republicans have been working to hone this process to a sharp edge, working to slice out just the right voters that will cause havoc, and deny vulnerable groups their constitutional rights. When a court hearing a case has a record of denying people their rights, as the 5th Circuit has, that is another clue. Our Constitution provides that every citizen 18 years and older has the right to vote, but Republicans claim to be originalists which means following what is in the Constitution at the time it was ratified or that the amendments were ratified. They lie, of course, they want to pick and choose what they will stand with and which items they will ignore or pretend don't really mean what those who ratified the amendment meant. We need Republicans voted out everywhere, but at least in enough states to give Congress and the presidency to the Democrats. Then, we need Congress to fix our voting system to one that is truly democratic and fair to all, even Republicans who have worked so hard to wreck it for all of us.
Thank you, Joyce. One question, everyone I read on Substack seems to assume that if the election is thrown to the House of Representatives, trump will win. However, the 118th Congress ends on January 3, 2025. At the same date January 3, 2025 the 119th Congress is sworn in. The magic number is 218. So, if the Democrats win at least 218 seats, very doable, WE own the House. Actually I think we'll win i the neighborhood of 220's. The maggots are not as popular now as they were in 2022, especially since they passed ZERO meaningful legislation - which any Democrat worth their salt should have no trouble pointing out.
I hope we have a clear and honest election, but even if the maggots have their way with insurrections nationwide - there are only 25 of them to 75 of us - I think we'll manage especially since Joe will be at the helm until January 20, 2025.
Just make sure we get out the vote and hope to hell, democracy is more appealing than authoritarianism.
Fay—. The reason there’s such great concern about the election getting thrown to the House (instead of the Electoral College) is that if decided by the House, each STATE (not each representative) will get one vote. Rethuglicans in the House will almost certainly have a majority in each one of more than 25 states. Thus they could give tRump/Vance the victory !
That is possible, but I'm not so sure that they will have total control over 26 States. In some, like Montana where they only have one representative, but in States with 3 or more representatives they may not have absolute control. What we really need in these next four years is o get rid of the damned electoral college or at least render it impotent.
I would rather think"When tfg Loses"meself,but it is infuriating that these people are going to such great lengths to cheat him into office.For the last several years the rethugs have been trying new and creative ways to cheat so only THEY can win.I want to know why this isn't illegal and if it actually is,why the hell aren't these nimrods being dragged into court to correct these actions?
They should know by now they aren't wanted.That they are unpopular and their ideas are unpopular.Doing all this cheating and lying does not increase their popularity.Why can't they just go away and leave the rest of us alone?
We all need to be on our guard and make sure you get out there and vote against these slimy cheaters,and let them know we don't want them or their whiny crybaby sore loser candidates.
This too is part of the problem,worse,it's been hard if not impossible for their methods to truly be made illegal.
I have felt for years that politicians shouldn't be able to cheat away our voice and our right to be represented by people who actually want to work for us,not for their selfish interests,and now,for the highest bidders.
Maybe we all need to start petitions as citizens to get amendments added to state constitutions to put a stop to gerrymandering,voter suppression,and things like that that take away our voice.Maybe in getting it out there that the problem is bigger than realized might get enough attention from people in Congress,or people who are running for Congress,to finally maybe get these issues addressed.
And like I said before,if some of these antics are supposed to be illegal,why aren't people being hauled into court and this stuff addressed and stopped?Who do we go to to get that started,much less done?
Why does it perpetually seem like these people can just do whatever the hell they please and no one can even use the rules in place to just make them stop?It's madness.
Yes Melissa absolutely!!!! I am joining “Every StateBlue” on Substack developed by Michele Hornish. The work we have to do will continue after the Election.
Yes,even if we do win this election,there will still be work to do.
In a perfect world, winning the election would push out all the fascist wannabes and keep them at bay.Alas,it probably won't,but ongoing we can get better,more specific rules passed to benefit everyone.Rules to clarify ones already on the books to stop silly stunts and dirty tricks cold.
The craziness didn't start overnight and it will take time to correct the mistakes,but moving forward we can make a better,more secure democracy that will work for everyone's benefit.
I am happy that Marc Elias and his team are involved. It gives me hope. I too would LOVE to see other newspapers across the country take the same viewpoint that this late, hopefully not too late, NYT has done. I will share this with my FB friends. Good piece, Joyce! I yield back my time.
IMHO, the Gray Lady has squandered any due respect long ago.
The NYT has proved itself morally unfit as any arbiter of truth, and has repeatedly put self-interest above the good of the nation.
To this specific instance, the New York Times wastes the first several paragraphs not advocating for Harris, but advocating against Trump. There’s an important distinction which reveals their true colors.
Yes. Actions speak louder than words. The twisted headlines and sane-washing need to stop before NYT gets any respect back.
And before they get any of my money for renewal of a subscription.
On another topic, if the dock strikes doesn’t end in the next few days, Trump will take full advantage of all the bullsheet he espouses and he will get the fence sitters to vote for him. If Biden was smart, which he isn’t he would invoke Taff/Hartley and end the strike and encourage parties to come to terms.
Again, this is the event that Trump and company will use to follow eating cats and rapists running over hot Arizona sand. Watch Vance use it tonight. Anything to game and distract.
Biden is clearly smarter than you. If he invokes T/H he hands the election to Trump. The companies need to pay workers. Period.
Although pay is a factor, so is automation of the work. I found this article informative:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-much-do-dock-workers-make-longshoreman-salary/ "Late Monday, USMX said its latest offer would boost dockworkers' wages by nearly 50%, triple employer contributions to employee retirement plans and enhance health care coverage, while also preserving existing safeguards against automation."
They make $150,00 per year I do believe. Biden is in an unenviable place.
I suppose it’s nice that NYT editorial board said something at last. However, until they fire the news division head, it strikes me as empty posturing.
I think it’s a reluctant response to the fact that so many of us canceled their garbage.
I so passionately agree with Joyce Vance. Voting is a sacrosanct right. Young people take it casually. When I lived in Italy back in the mid 1970s, I never thought to contact my consulate in Florence to apply for an absentee ballot.
I have a rather extreme question to pose as usual: If chaos reigns created purposely by MAGA movement, which might very well insure the House vote on the candidate which would be Trump, I would posit that our military step in and declare a temporary action to suspend the constitution until the popular majority candidate is certified. I would like such a protection. No seriously. A true blue American Coup to save American democracy.
(I indeed, covered this in my book published in 2020. My dear friend and advisor, Dennis Kaplan, passed away just as my work was being published.)
A Coup D’état to Make America Great Again
(My Letter to a Friend and his Return Letter)
“Dennis, I’m gonna draw up a petition tonight that calls on the American military through the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to suspend the Constitution until Jan. 20, 2021 when a new president will be sworn into office. The military will immediately escort Trump off the grounds of the White House and place him in home confinement at Mar-a-Lago.
“The military will install a junta; a six person team representing the Marines, Air Force, Army and Navy, Coast Guard and now, the Space Force. Elections will proceed as scheduled but without Trump leading the Republican Party.
Are you ready to sign it, Dennis? Are you ready to take a stand for your family, community, state and nation?”
“You must be reading my mind, Bill. I've been saying this for weeks. I will sign it in a heartbeat. The Thief-in-Chief must go before he kills all of us. He is the biggest mass murderer in American history, bar none, and the toll climbs every day. The murderous slimebags on FOX should also be included in this purge, since they are equally complicit in this.
And, since there are still so many who don't mind dying for Trump, I would also strongly encourage red state Trump toadies to mass gather at churches, bars, whatever, and drool, spit, and ooze bodily fluids on each other, and then wait in line for ventilator treatment that could have been avoided if they had only listened to Dr. Fauci before catching COVID-19.
It looks like we just fixed the country. Now, what about McConnell and those other grinning jackals?”
Signed: Dennis Kaplan
Ok, my specialty is spoof and satire but I’m not kidding this time. I would risk such an historic moment to save our republic. It’s that serious. Once it falls, we know how often autocratic strongmen refuse to relinquish power. Putin is the shining example. He makes Chinese leader Xi look like a kindly benevolent St Peter waiting at the pearly gates for entry into paradise. And believe you me, Xi is no St. Peter.
No one should ever even think it could be appropriate (ever) to simply "suspend the Constitution," much less that it could be appropriate to invite the "military" to do that. Everything we do as a people or as a nation (including any of our representatives in government) must be consistent with our Constitution. That's a primary point of having a written Constitution.
Donald Trump must not be allowed to become president if he uses obstruction to in fact become president. The results would be catastrophic. Basically it would end democracy as we have known it.
That's not any kind of legitimate justification. Apparently, that's the kind of dangerous rationalization that led a DOJ attorney to falsify evidence to fraudulently cause a judge to issue a warrant to (directly or indirectly) spy on one or more U.S. citizens.
Kevin Clinesmith was an FBI lawyer who pleaded guilty to altering an email that he used to apply for a FISA warrant against former Trump-campaign adviser Carter Page. Clinesmith physically altered an email for the purpose of forwarding it to a FISA Court judge. Clinesmith admitted "the information I inserted into the email was not already there."
I understand but when have they let any established laws, institutions or norms stop them since that bag of pus showed them to just ignore it all and do what he wants? They will immediately start shooting because they believe their arsenals will overwhelm any opposition if the response is too slow due to the good guys respecting those norms, etc., and hesitate too long. These people are extreme nutjobs and they have gotten away with it all because the punishment has not been strong enough to be a deterrent, imo. Having said that, I have no answer that’s better other than removing the pro extremist military before they are able to undermine a response.
Arsenals? What arsenals? A box of .223 under the bed ain’t no arsenal.
Maybe Trump (or some of his more radical supporters or handlers) read your book. Their thoughts and efforts at times sounded remarkably similar to your proposal.
I’m not so sure you are aware of this but our body politics and the talking heads that promote this rancor and uncompromising mentality, and this inevitably seeps down to the ignominious many, and will eventually result in a usual move to the far right instead of the gentle left. You only need to observe across the globe in our modern. And there are plenty of examples in our recent past and the deep past. The only fix is that both sides move to the center. The problem lay in that it seems no one knows what the center is anymore. I know that my fellow democrats don’t get it because I’ve had this interaction repeatedly and often I’m met with scorn.
So maybe get ready to bow your heads in exalting subservience to the pending new Putin-in-Waiting, our Commander in Thief, President Donald John Trump.
I’m afraid I’m the bearer of troubling news. Or pray the military saves us.
From my vantage, I believe that Western European nations are a little in political disarray all on account of the rather lax attitude to open borders. There is always a backlash and sometimes it’s real ugly. I hunch is that American foreign policy in the Middle East and beyond has heavily contributed to this. We have since our golden period in the mid 20th century. We keep destabilizing the world and being instrumental in causing wars the most recent being Ukraine and Russia.
It could have been avoided if in fact we kept our nose out of the Ukrainian revolution of 2014. We created the downfall of Iraq. We stationed troops in Saudi Arabia. We created the monster bin Ladin who attacked up then we went back to invasion mode. Now the most powerful nation on earth is about to feel the tremors of authoritarian regime.
Having subscribed to this paper for many decades, I advocate that it is up to us as readers to keep the NYT honest. How about taking a personal responsibility to point out when they go off track? You are able to do this succinctly--tell them directly. So many react with "I'm going to take my marbles and go home" as if that would enlighten the news we are able to see.
Sorry, no. For one thing, many of us did that regularly before we dumped our subscriptions (I did it after the 2016 election and the appointment of Bret Stephens). For another, and more important, thing, the "free press" is not responsible to its readers the way elected officials are responsible to the voters who elected them. News outlets are responsible primarily to those who pay the bills: the owners and the advertisers. For most papers, subscriptions alone don't come close. However, as consumers "we the people" have the same options we do with any other business: continue to buy their product or stop doing so and go elsewhere. Sometimes the business involved gets the message and does a course correction. Other times it doesn't. So far the New York Times hasn't.
Well, I confronted the NYTimes back before 2005 (Scooter Libby era) when I read a front page column by Judith Miller that I KNEW contained falsehoods. And, another time, when I confronted them with the evidence of a Masters Student paper at Stanford as showing photographs that the student thought could contain weapons--that this was the evidence Cheney ended up relying upon. Often, I wished I had more of a voice, but I have always believed that standing up for truth remains a highly valued principle...regardless of what others say or do.
I raised my 3 children with this credo--e.g., when the 3 and 4 1/2 year old stuffed their snowsuit pockets with Christmas display candy--a large male clerk kept looking at me and them until I saw what was going on. They certainly did not go home with any of that candy. Later, more incidents...they amuse me on one level but these "teaching moments" shouldn't just be for children.
p.s. Tom Friedman provides some of the highest caliber thinking of any newspaper.
With democracy based sites like Meidastouch(closing in on 4 million subscribers)...David Pakman over a million....and others exposing Diapers Dons deranged spiraling speeches into the abyss of hate mongering insanity.........ya think the NYTimes would take notice???
My many, many letters to NYT, WaPo, etc. yielded the same results as Trump “maturing” while in office. I kicked my Stockholm syndrome habit and so can you.
Excellent point! I don’t know if anyone read my last Letters to the Editor, but a Times subscription is not cheap and subscribers need to express their sincere disappointment.
They have ignored those of us who complain. They have forgotten they exist to speak truth to power and now are sucking up to evil hoping to not get shut down if Trump gets the power to do so. They also apparently for get how Trump reacts in a split second by ordering revenge punishment to any perceived slight.
The ironic part here is that the NYT is trying to play "both sides" and many Democrats will fall flat on both faces for their bait. Oh, and games and recipes, those are really important!!!
Yes! I did tell them as I cancelled my subscription! Glad to see them come around—some!
The NYTS could have made a stronger case against Trumps fitness to be President by citing calls by Cornell Weill Professor of Psychiatry Richard Friedman advocating in The Atlantic that Trump needs a thorough neuropsychological evaluation for Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia based on his behavior during the Harris-Trump debate. Or they could have cited the opinion of Peter Baker, NYTS Washington Bureau Chief who questioned his cognitive functioning based on his speech at the New York Economic Club. Baker has covered has covered 5 presidencies and is known to be apolitical. Doesn’t the NYTS understand that the integrity of the press is important to Democracy and agendas like the Heritage Foundation Project 2025 will curtail a free press.
No one has ever fallen directly on top of the whack-a-mole arcade game like the NYeT and not hit one single mole.
I look forward to tomorrow's Civil Discourse Chat. FYI everybody, RACHEL MADDOW on her Monday night MSNBC show detailed some facts that may come out at the "debate" tomorrow night.
By way of political context CBS reported that Tech Billionaire, PETER THIEL, hired JD Vance in 2017 & bankrolled his political persona including the largest ever 2022 Senate campaign contribution of $15,000,000.00.
Rachel went into detail for over 40 minutes on her show about the unholy Trinity of JD Vance, billionaire Peter Thiel & dictator advocate Curtis Yarvin aka on social media as "Mencius Goldbug".
Vance has said on multiple occasions that the United States is in a "late republican period" -- that's a small 'r' meaning our democracy is finished meaning that we need to "reinstall some sense of American political religion". Vance pushes his Yarvin's agit-prop that we need a "national CEO what's called a dictator" & that we, United States citizens, need to "get over their dictator problem".
We need to get rid of Juvenile Delinquent Vance & personal dictator Trump on on 11/5/2024.
Compare my analysis with Ian Schwartz piece at Real Clear Politics, 9/30/24 at 9:03 PM. Ian laid out Rachel's century long tracking of a partrticuar strain of far-right politics going back to CHARLES WALGREEN perpetuated by CURTIS YARVIN & JD VANCE.
I’m angry that the moderators won’t be fact checking jerkdavirus. Jackasses.
That is why Tim Walz needs to be expertly prepared by the brilliance of Pete Buttigieg. We're reading what Joyce Vance and other wonderful scholars have to say in order to do our own fact-checking.
The 'brilliance' of Pete Butting may be an understatement; the Coach's sparring partner is lightning ⚡️ quick.
Laura, the format may have some leaks. The mics may be open if I am not mistaken.
Tuesday Morning Update: Per Jonathan Lemire, there will be no fact checking by the moderators but, there will be a 'QR' code available with fact checking by CBS journalists.
You’re right although CBS said that mics would be muted if necessary.
Probably because every thing coming out of Vance’s mouth will be a lie and they will never be able to finish the Debate.
Along those lines, I recommend Timothy Snyder's new book, ON FREEDOM. I'm only halfway through it, but he's already discussed what he calls the "Silicon Valley libertarians," who include the likes of Thiel, Vance, and Elon Musk. He considers them nihilists, chaos agents who basically believe in nothing, certainly not democracy.
Another level of fear unlocked by Rachel last evening. We don’t know what we don’t know about their evil plans to overthrow our system of government.
Please read my comment above. I have address that extreme possibility.
Her report is gobsmacking. Of course, we knew about Henry Ford but not the Walgreen guy. Fits right in with the Ultra series.
Think of all the delays caused by DeJoy's blatant attempts to irrevocably harm, if not dismantle, the processing and delivery systems of the USPS. These days, 5 days is sometimes not enough, even for deliveries local to the posting location.
In my small, rural town, it sometimes takes 7 days for a piece of mail actually taken to the local post office to be delivered to the next town over, 45 minutes away, going through two larger cities before getting to the neighboring town. It’s absurd and getting worse yet ridiculously increasing in price every year. Seventy-three cents now for one stamp!
Same here! I live on Martha's Vineyard, MA, an island that comprises six small towns. Used to be that inter-town mail would arrive the day after it was mailed (and sometimes even the same day if it was mailed early enough!). Now it all goes through (last I looked) Providence, RI.
Now they are saying there’s a new sorting facility in wareham so your mail stays in Massachusetts, enjoying two ferry trips. 😄When I have mail with a P.O. Box to go to the next town, I put a stamp on it and drive to the post office. Mail delivered in 15 minutes. 🥳 I guess we are back to vote early and often??
Yes, and as someone who has experienced the utter indeterminacy of sending post into or waiting for post out of the US mothership it is a crap shoot whether or not the transference is completed at all; I would never gamble good money or heartfelt expectation on a date certain.
It's not just dejoy. It's the trumplicans too.
Yep. It's part of their plan to privatize everything so the rich can get a cut and get even richer.
Came here to say exactly that...the "DeJoy effect". No joke, because if USPS isn't tuned up to max efficiency in post-marking and delivering mail-in and absentee ballots in a timely manner, well, not only will overseas military and US citizens get disenfranchised, but so will millions of Stateside voters should the courts declare ANY ballots received after Election Day, REGARDLESS of the source and REGARDLESS of the circumstances, i.e., natural disasters impeding regular postal delivery, null and void. Granted, this is not only "a bridge too far" for even James Ho and the 5th CA, but voting has already begun in hundreds of locations, and surely here *Purcell* is controlling, not only in the legal sense, but also the practicalities of fucking up election tabulations this late in the game.
Oh, but there is always the tRump/MAGA wild card: dysfunctional Federal courts, including and up to Scotus, so there's that.
A perfect opener as to why NOT to vote for tffg, and keep in mind, this is the EDITORIAL BOARD, and not actually an endorsement of Harris. smh
"It is hard to imagine a candidate more unworthy to serve as president of the United States than Donald Trump. He has proved himself morally unfit for an office that asks its occupant to put the good of the nation above self-interest. He has proved himself temperamentally unfit for a role that requires the very qualities — wisdom, honesty, empathy, courage, restraint, humility, discipline — that he most lacks. Those disqualifying characteristics are compounded by everything else that limits his ability to fulfill the duties of the president: his many criminal charges, his advancing age, his fundamental lack of interest in policy and his increasingly bizarre cast of associates.
This unequivocal, dispiriting truth — Donald Trump is not fit to be president — should be enough for any voter who cares about the health of our country and the stability of our democracy to deny him re-election. For this reason, regardless of any political disagreements voters might have with her, Kamala Harris is the only patriotic choice for president."
Suing to make voting harder? That’s like the fire department suing to shut down sprinkler systems. Maybe protecting democracy isn’t their top priority after all
Its not. They are trying for a dictatorship.
Too little too late NYT.
In case you missed it, Rachel Maddow of MSNBC, had a blockbuster show revealing information about who the real JD Vance is. It will knock your socks off. I'm still trying to pick my jaw up. Try to watch it before the debate. This breaking news about Vance's true political philosophy will likely make this Vice Presidential debate one of the most consequential ones, if not the most consequential one.
Rachel's show is repeated at 4am EST.
Yep! I had to rewind the dvr to make sure I was hearing correctly.
Your statement "Voters get to pick their elected officials; elected officials don’t get to pick their voters." is one of the most succinct and spot on statements imaginable. Thanks for distilling this so brilliantly.
But what about the unelected "dictators" behind the scenes - like Thiel, Yarvin, Project 2025 gang, Musk - using the puppets to fulfill their plot to destroy America and the constitution?
Agreed. I seldom restock as it goes into a void but that paragraph was worth the cry into the wilderness.
*restack * (wonder when spell changes will catch on to the growing popularity of this platform 🙃
and yet....
What protections are in place for survivors of Helene to vote in the first place, if they lost their homes? Many would have lost birth certificates, drivers licenses. Are there temporary voter places set up to allow them to re-register and vote, even though Election Day is less than 60 days away?
That was my concern when they were telling people to get out of their homes.
“Hopefully, the courts will take steps to protect the election …”
We are almost a quarter into the 21st Century, and one is compelled to write that! All Americans were given the same opportunity to vote in my lifetime (I was 15 in 1965); and now, nearly 60 years later, we are, sadly, hurtling backwards.
And what we took for granted - truly, like Roe - we can no longer. One despairs.
Exactly! As Joyce states:”Voters get to pick their elected officials; elected officials don’t get to pick their voters. Elected officials should protect our elections and the right to vote. And we should all be troubled—no matter what party we belong to—when they don’t.”
Off topic…Joyce, I hope you and yours were not impacted by Helene. What a devastating event to go through. I pray for everyone who lost a piece of themselves and wish them well.
One way to know that a political party is bankrupt of good ideas is that they work to screw with voting laws and try to make it more difficult for various groups of people to vote, usually those who might not vote for them. Republicans have been working to hone this process to a sharp edge, working to slice out just the right voters that will cause havoc, and deny vulnerable groups their constitutional rights. When a court hearing a case has a record of denying people their rights, as the 5th Circuit has, that is another clue. Our Constitution provides that every citizen 18 years and older has the right to vote, but Republicans claim to be originalists which means following what is in the Constitution at the time it was ratified or that the amendments were ratified. They lie, of course, they want to pick and choose what they will stand with and which items they will ignore or pretend don't really mean what those who ratified the amendment meant. We need Republicans voted out everywhere, but at least in enough states to give Congress and the presidency to the Democrats. Then, we need Congress to fix our voting system to one that is truly democratic and fair to all, even Republicans who have worked so hard to wreck it for all of us.
Very well said, Ruth.
Thank you, Joyce. One question, everyone I read on Substack seems to assume that if the election is thrown to the House of Representatives, trump will win. However, the 118th Congress ends on January 3, 2025. At the same date January 3, 2025 the 119th Congress is sworn in. The magic number is 218. So, if the Democrats win at least 218 seats, very doable, WE own the House. Actually I think we'll win i the neighborhood of 220's. The maggots are not as popular now as they were in 2022, especially since they passed ZERO meaningful legislation - which any Democrat worth their salt should have no trouble pointing out.
I hope we have a clear and honest election, but even if the maggots have their way with insurrections nationwide - there are only 25 of them to 75 of us - I think we'll manage especially since Joe will be at the helm until January 20, 2025.
Just make sure we get out the vote and hope to hell, democracy is more appealing than authoritarianism.
Fay—. The reason there’s such great concern about the election getting thrown to the House (instead of the Electoral College) is that if decided by the House, each STATE (not each representative) will get one vote. Rethuglicans in the House will almost certainly have a majority in each one of more than 25 states. Thus they could give tRump/Vance the victory !
That is possible, but I'm not so sure that they will have total control over 26 States. In some, like Montana where they only have one representative, but in States with 3 or more representatives they may not have absolute control. What we really need in these next four years is o get rid of the damned electoral college or at least render it impotent.
“You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into…the Twilight Zone.” 😵💫
-Rod Serling
I would rather think"When tfg Loses"meself,but it is infuriating that these people are going to such great lengths to cheat him into office.For the last several years the rethugs have been trying new and creative ways to cheat so only THEY can win.I want to know why this isn't illegal and if it actually is,why the hell aren't these nimrods being dragged into court to correct these actions?
They should know by now they aren't wanted.That they are unpopular and their ideas are unpopular.Doing all this cheating and lying does not increase their popularity.Why can't they just go away and leave the rest of us alone?
We all need to be on our guard and make sure you get out there and vote against these slimy cheaters,and let them know we don't want them or their whiny crybaby sore loser candidates.
They don’t care that they aren’t wanted. They’re going to insist that we take it and swallow anyway.
This too is part of the problem,worse,it's been hard if not impossible for their methods to truly be made illegal.
I have felt for years that politicians shouldn't be able to cheat away our voice and our right to be represented by people who actually want to work for us,not for their selfish interests,and now,for the highest bidders.
Maybe we all need to start petitions as citizens to get amendments added to state constitutions to put a stop to gerrymandering,voter suppression,and things like that that take away our voice.Maybe in getting it out there that the problem is bigger than realized might get enough attention from people in Congress,or people who are running for Congress,to finally maybe get these issues addressed.
And like I said before,if some of these antics are supposed to be illegal,why aren't people being hauled into court and this stuff addressed and stopped?Who do we go to to get that started,much less done?
Why does it perpetually seem like these people can just do whatever the hell they please and no one can even use the rules in place to just make them stop?It's madness.
Yes Melissa absolutely!!!! I am joining “Every StateBlue” on Substack developed by Michele Hornish. The work we have to do will continue after the Election.
Yes,even if we do win this election,there will still be work to do.
In a perfect world, winning the election would push out all the fascist wannabes and keep them at bay.Alas,it probably won't,but ongoing we can get better,more specific rules passed to benefit everyone.Rules to clarify ones already on the books to stop silly stunts and dirty tricks cold.
The craziness didn't start overnight and it will take time to correct the mistakes,but moving forward we can make a better,more secure democracy that will work for everyone's benefit.
Let's get it done!
I am happy that Marc Elias and his team are involved. It gives me hope. I too would LOVE to see other newspapers across the country take the same viewpoint that this late, hopefully not too late, NYT has done. I will share this with my FB friends. Good piece, Joyce! I yield back my time.
MAGA Republicans - doing any which way they can to lie steal and cheat