I’m headed to warmer climes for a much-needed week of R&R with fam. So posting may be spotty…

I got nothing today after more depravity in Minnesota.

Just going to post this here.

The opening of the Declaration of Independence:

“ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--”

After actually reading the Declaration (questions remain about the cognitive and reading abilities of homo ignoramus), most homo sapiens would say that it is a document that, first and foremost, lists the grievances of the colonists against being ruled by a lawless King. 27 grievances to be exact.

Let’s examine a few of these grievances against King George III - some may seem familiar when applied to today’s USA (credit to the website Founders of the Day for all translations below):

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Grievance #1: "He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good."

Translation: The King refused to let the colonists pass basic laws (and ignored the ones that had been passed).

TODAY’S RELEVANCE: The self-professed King of Executive Orders ignores existing laws and does what he wants.

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Grievance # 5: "He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people."

Translation: He shrugged off legitimate complaints.

TODAY’S RELEVANCE: While the Orange Whale hasn’t yet “dissolved Representative Houses”, he is clearly ignoring state and federal electeds and laws to, again, do whatever he wants.

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Grievance #7: "He has endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands."

Translation: The King stopped the colonists from being able to attract new settlers to the colonies.

TODAY’S RELEVANCE: Do we even need to waste our time and precious breath to connect this grievance to this Administration’s policies and views on immigration?

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Grievance #9: "He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries."

Translation: The judges that were appointed were paid by the King, and therefore did what he wanted instead of what was right and fair.

TODAY’S RELEVANCE: Along with a pliant Congress, Trump has appointed unqualified judges beholden to him and a reactionary ideology supported by reactionary organizations (The Federalist and Heritage Societies).

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Grievances #11 and #12: "He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures." and "He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power."

Translations: He gave dictatorial power to Generals that used the military to suppress cities; He filled the streets with a police force whose procedures they had no control over.

TODAY’S RELEVANCE: Ummm… Troops in Washington, DC?! ICE everywhere?!

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Grievances #16: "For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world".

Translation: The King and Parliament cut off our trade with the rest of the world.

TODAY’S RELEVANCE: Ummm… Imposing historically high tariffs (only accomplished by wielding a power given solely to Congress by the Constitution) by declaring imaginary emergencies?!

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Grievances #22: "For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever".

Translation: They claimed to control all of the laws in all situations.

TODAY’S RELEVANCE: Trump and his band of miserably dour pranksters ignoring the Constitution, court decisions and laws to impose their way.

This is five alarm fire folks. The colonists who wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776 were not just writing about their current situation. No, they were presaging the fall of the United State Republic in 2025.

Finally, perhaps the “originalists” on SCOTUS should reread the Declaration - to see why our Founders were willing to risk everything - if they truly want to rely on our country’s reasons for being when they see fit to rule on current matters. Just a crazy thought…

I’m afraid this is going to get much worse before it gets better…

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Sepideh M9 months ago

Oh, it appears that our Senators may have awoken from their slumber, but I am not trying to get my hopes up. https://bsky.app/profile/sahilkapur.bsky.social/post/3md7g75pv2s23

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Scott H9 months ago

Gee, I wonder if he'll whip his whip as hard as Chamberlain Jeffries did in the House so those "talented" 7 "Dems" who could have made the vote there 214-213 against instead of the 220-207 for?

The argument "Some Democrats Need to Cast Harder Votes and You Just Have to Deal With It" falls flat when the vote is whether to give more money to masked men executing Americans.

It also implies, condescendingly, that you can't convince Republican voters to see this is bad.

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Sepideh M9 months ago

Numerous Democrats had already said they were not voting for this. Now Susan Collins is trying to save the five sixths of the thing that was not DHS funding. Good.

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Sepideh M9 months ago

It's always creepy when The Onion predicts the future. https://theonion.com/democrats-condemn-ice-for-murdering-without-proper-warrants/

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TBone Dinosaur9 months ago

Best served ice cold

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TBone Dinosaur9 months ago

Skeet from former colleague of victim:

"Alex Pretti was a colleague at the VA. We hired him to recruit for our trial. He became an ICU nurse- I lover working with him. He was a good kind person who lived to help and these fuckers executed him.

White. Hot. Rage."

It goes on and provides a photo of his kind eyes...you know the ones I'm talkin' bout

https://bsky.app/profile/dimitridrekonja.bsky.social/post/3md6xquxym227

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Scott H9 months ago

Michael Harriot:

Don't worry, guys.

The streets of Minneapolis are about to be flooded with "pro-life" protesters waving "Don't Tread On Me" flags chanting "All Lives Matter."

I'm sure they're on the way, right?

https://x.com/michaelharriot/status/2015203106699493464

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TBone Dinosaur9 months ago

Thanks for your excellent point by point illustration, M.M. It takes the correct tack.

I just heard a pol praise all the calls for bipartisanship and demands that rethugs stand with us by the speaker(s) preceding her. She said she was going to take a different "tact." Get down off the helm lady, you don't know what you are talking about.

These pantywaists are gonna get us all steamrolled.

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Scott H9 months ago

A Weimar Democrat in today's USA is someone who earnestly believes democracy can be saved by restrain, procedure and consensus -- at a moment when democracy may require confrontation, asymmetry and the explicit defense of power itself.

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Sepideh M9 months ago

I hope every one of those Democrats who voted for the ICE funding is retired by their constituents.

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mister mixAuthor9 months ago

Golden wasn't even going to run. Yet he voted for the bill. Terrible to the end.

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Scott H9 months ago

Oh, how can you even think that? We're being told elsewhere that those votes were justified and if they have voted against, it would have simply been "performative outrage" and would have changed nothing so those votes were a-ok! And that primarying such people is so hurtful for the usual handful of "reasons".

Of course such (lack of) thinking reveals a lack of emphasis on a firmly, clear-cut (and appropriately moral) position that these times require.

Oh look! Here comes @SearchlightInst and @ThirdWayTweet telling democrats “don’t run on abolishing ICE. It will hurt democrats in the midterms.”

I'll repeat this, Golden is a Bad Person Who Wants Bad things which describes every (R) in the House and every Blue Dog "Democrat".

Mein Gluesenkampf has a credible primary opponent and he'll get some of my money.

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TBone Dinosaur9 months ago

DOH! I meant to thank J.W. gah

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TBone Dinosaur9 months ago

That which is begun in anger ends in regret.

Cold, cool calculation however...

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TBone Dinosaur9 months ago

I'm so angry that I doubt I'll ever be afraid again. It's taking all of my powers of self control to sit through this pain again so soon.

We will not vote our way out of this. We won't complain or legislate it away. We're gonna hafta get our hair mussed.

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TBone Dinosaur9 months ago

To put it politely. I ain't feelin' too dainty right now though.

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Scott H9 months ago

Well, there's always this:

https://flic.kr/p/2rThBqz

Heh heh, on second thought, that might be a little too Busted Knee for most folks. ;)

The bullshit "originalists" on SCOTUS won't care about the Founders being willing to risk everything because ultimately, they see no risk to, and this is key here, themselves. The current order is just fine and dandy with them and if things get out of hand, they'll have the connections and money to avoid any 'unpleasantness'.

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John S.9 months ago

As long as it isn’t made specifically for use on white collar liberals, I think it’s ok. 😊

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Scott H9 months ago

Just checked IKEA online and that version is available but costs $349.99.