Our Representative System of Government Is Broken

The majority of Americans want common sense gun reforms. The majority favors taking military style assault weapons out of the hands of the public. Americans also want a woman’s right to choose to be a decision made between her, her family and doctor. Very few Americans think it’s okay to have the state literally monitoring private bedroom and family decisions.

But nothing gets done and it seems like since forever. Why is that? It’s easy to blame mental health for gun violence and not the guns. Honestly I get that, though I don’t interpret the constitution as saying Americans inherit a right to own assault weapons due to the 2nd amendment. The 2nd specifically mentions a need a need for guns related to war with other countries, because we had no army back then, so we conscripted citizens with theor own guns to fight wars.

What is supposed to happen in representative government is: people tell their reps what they want to do about an issue, and the representatives re-present the ideas of the majority of their constituents during Congressional voting sessions. That is why they are called re-presentatives. We the people present, they represent. And these days, with social media and polling, it’s very easy to find out what people want. “The majority of Americans want common sense gun reforms” is a fact.

However,what happens in reality is that too many representatives ( aka lawmakers, because they make the laws we have to live by ) don’t vote for the things their constituents want; they vote for the laws that favor people who pay them to vote the way the bribers want. Lobbying is just a euphimism for bribing in a world where our supreme court had ruled ( because they had to ) that corporations are people and money can legally remain “dark”. With respect to gun laws, the NRA has a stake in arming the USA to the nines, so they lobby ( bribe ) mostly GOP congresspeople to vote for thier business to stay alive, as they see in many countries the guns per capita rate is much lower than in the USA. The whole thing adds up to America becoming a place where innocent people, are mowed down at one of the highest rates on the planet. And that is sad, scary and fixable, – but only one way on the fixing. ( More on that later . )

The same can be said about a woman’s right to choose. Almost no young woman wants to be forced to carry a child that she does not want to love and raise. But “lawmakers” in many states and in Congress are being paid to vote against the wishes of the majority of American citizens.

When questioned about this, Lauren Bobert, representative from Colorado, said the quiet part out loud: Boebert: “We’re not a democracy. So quit with that. Maybe that’s where you’re getting it wrong is saying we’re a democracy. We’re a constitutional republic.”

She is right about that. But what is a constitutional republic? It implies adherence to a constitution, regardless to what the majority of people want. There is nothing in the constituon about abortion.

In reality, the key difference between a democracy and a republic lies in the limits placed on government by the law. Both forms of government use the representational system. Citizens vote to elect politicians to represent their interests and pass laws that reflect their wishes. In a “pure democracy,” the majority imposes its will on the minority. In a republic, a constitution protects certain inalienable rights that cannot be taken away by the government, even if it is wanted by a majority of voters.

Right now, women have a right to have an abortion in the USA as per Roe v Wade. But many Republicans in Congress want to take that away.

So that line about the USA not being a “pure” democracy is correct. But Bobert and many lawmakers use that line to defend their right to vote against the collective will of their constituency and vote for what is good for their own pocketbooks. Selling your vote to the highest bidder is not any part of a constitutional republic. It’s congressional corruption. That’s why I often refer to Congress as Coingress. We end up with the best government money can buy.

This will not change until we change the qualitfications for holding office in the USA change. And no one is talking about that on either side of the divide. To be president you just have to be thirty-five and a citizen born here. Donald Trump can run from jail if he so chooses. We vet our babysitters better than our presidents and representatives. Prior public service is not required. It should be. As a result of this low bar for qualification, many in Congress are there for self service, not public service.

It takes millions to win office these days. As long as the uber rich are paying for political campaigns, the uber rich will choose representatives that promise to vote their way when the chips are down.

And then there is the 14th Amendment which clearly says no person who have taken part in an insurrection, aided an insurrection, or even “comforted” those who have taken part in an insurrection can be in office, state or federal. The entire GOP has at least comforted insurrectionists. One judge on the Supreme Court is married to an insurrectionist caught in the act. But we do nothing about this as well. Democrats know all this and do nothing. It must be because they have some dark sold out secrets in their closets and are afraid to shun 50% of the Congress.

People are the same over time. Their toys and environments change, but being a human is pretty much the same as it was since forever. We are born. We rely of help from adults to become an adult. We procreate ( or not ) and then, we move out of the way as all living things do. That’s what one has to navigate as a living human. We all prey on each other in one way or another during our journey through life. Some fare better than others. Some are larger predators than others. Some find ways to help others as they serve them. Live and let live seems to be the best philosophy.

It seems to me humans are not the right beings to be trusted to care for the masses when their instinct will almost always be to put themselves first.

I wondered if AI would do a better job of government, so I asked it “what are the best ways to curb gun violence in the USA?”. This is what I got in a few seconds.

Here are some of the best ways to reduce gun violence:

1. Universal background checks: Implementing universal background checks can help ensure that firearms are not sold to individuals who are prohibited from owning them, such as those with criminal records or mental health issues.
2. Red flag laws: Red flag laws allow law enforcement to temporarily confiscate firearms from individuals who are deemed to be a threat to themselves or others.
3. Stricter gun control laws: Implementing stricter gun control laws, such as bans on assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and bump stocks, can help reduce the number of mass shootings and gun-related deaths.
4. Education and awareness: Educating the public about responsible gun ownership and safe storage practices can help prevent accidental shootings and reduce the number of firearms stolen and used in crimes.
5. Mental health support: Providing accessible and affordable mental health services can help individuals with mental health issues get the help they need and reduce the risk of gun violence.
6. Community-based violence prevention: Investing in community-based violence prevention programs can help address the root causes of gun violence and provide support to those who are at risk of being involved in gun violence.

It’s important to note that there is no single solution that can completely eliminate gun violence in the USA, and addressing this issue will require a multifaceted approach that takes into account the complex social, cultural, and political factors that contribute to gun violence. End AI report.

It all makes perfect sense to me but almost none of this will get done because unvetted humans, many of whom can be tossed out tomorrow by the DOJ via the 14th, still have their seats and their secret bank accounts.

It seems to me that the two warring party system will eventually, and perhaps soon, bring the USA to its knees or into a state of live civil war. ( We are already in a cool cyber civil war – a war of words. )

All I can fathom as a solution, one party needs to get complete control of the government and clean house. If it happens at the ballot box in 2024 that would be great. But I don’t think the uber rich are going to let that happen. They killed two Kennedy’s to stop the people from having a real champion for justice in office. And now, another Kennedy, RFK Jr., is getting ready to run.

Dems have shown they are willing to eat their own. I did not agree with ousting Al Franken but at least dems have shown they have standards. This GOP has shown they are okay with criminals, rapists and traitors to the constitution in high office. They seem to prefer it. Romney is shunned. And that’s because a good boy scout will rat on the sold out in Congress so it’s better if they are all sold out. Thick as thieves is the GOP’s secret mantra. And I am sure there is a percentage of Democracts that are okay with protectting lawmakers right to stuff their pockets and work against the people they are supposed to represent.

The USA’s greatest threat to survival come from the sold out in Congress and two men named Vladimir and Rupert. The majority of Americans know which of our warring two parties is the lesser of two evils. It is the party that gave tax breaks to bilionaires, is okay with 18-year olds owning assault weapons and wants to end Social Security, Medicare and a woman’s right to choose.

The only solution left is for one party needs to get complete control of all three chambers of government and clean house. 2024 is closer than we think. The vast majority of Americans will fare better if the crazy party that is aligned with billionaires, Qanon and the NRA is put out to pasture. A split Congress will not police itself nor advance any meaningful reforms to better life for working Americans and thier children.

Speaking of children, the active shooter drill generation is being groomed right now. When they come to power in 20 years, well – you tell me what you think they will do. I think they will reject both parties – if these parties still exist. The will reject the GOP for letting so many kids die, and the Dems for being too scared to take the steps to even try to end the madness. And I will be with them, if I am still around.

Photo from the NRA Convention 2023. Grooming much?

Go Ahead. Trust Your Gut, Merrick

I pray AG Garland is intentionally not spoiling summer for everyone, and he’s just waiting for the first Tuesday after Labor Day to indict Trump. 

Ornstein once wrote to me that “we’re afraid to act”. Well, this war is on anyway! We’re shawshanked*. GOP in Congress are demonizing Democrat politicians and now IRS agents.

The ball is on our hands now. That advantage is not going to last much longer unless we arrest their plans.  We have more power than we will after midterms – unless we hold the House. And right now, the 528 blog says the Dems have a 25% chance of that.

We must indict the big rat now, before midterms. 

Trump is just a spoiled frat boy coward. If cornered, he will rat on the rest of the GOP sycophants that played ball with him to save his hide. Trump has no track record of staying loyal to others.  There’s an action movie running in his sick mind and he is the archvillian. If that seems a stretch, ask Michael Cohen.

If given the power, we all know the GOP will seek revenge against us who see Trump for who he is, and on the very next day after they get that power. 

Cyber war is a war of words. And words are the building blocks of laws. That’s how fascists take a government – with words not bombs. Orban style. They create laws making it illegal to do things they don’t like. First they dabble in little things to test their powers. Like don’t say gay in Florida or the revocation of a woman’s right to choose ( which is no little thing ).

We have the football in our hands now. It’s not going to get better if we lose the House. It will just get worse for Democrats and democracy and everyone really.

Arresting the Plans of Would-be Fascists

The word arrest classically means to “stop the motion of something”. There are plans in motion now, being discussed in private rooms and channels. Those plans must be arrested. And they are attached to human bodies.

It’s not just Trump we are fighting. He’s a student of criminals but not of history or government. He’d need to be told where the real battle lines and risks are. There are masterminds behind this coup attempt and they have a political party in their pockets. Industry Titans and even DOD may be involved. 

Putin is certainly back-channeling some of these strategies. He had his team attend the GOP convention in 2016. An unwritten alliance was formed. To me, that seemed like grounds for banning the GOP party the way the Germans banned the Nazi party in 1945. Putin may already have top secret classified documents for payment for helping Trump get elected. That’s how these gangster-politicians roll. 

We’ve got to arrest the plans of the enemies of democracy – before midterms. I hope Garland feels that, even if he does not know for certain what the outcome of arresting Trump will be. It’s time to trust our collective guts and strike! 

The war is coming anyway. It’s a war of words. and words are the building blocks of laws. This is how they are doing it – right in front of our eyes. The Green Bay Sweep. 

It’s happening in plain view because we are … what? We are afraid to act? Afraid their Supreme Court will rule against us? Maybe so. But so what? WIll it get better if we don’t arrest Trump and his allies in Congress? And PS, we can disqualify Clarence Thomas for comforting an insurrectionist too. 

This coup attempt by the GOP is athreat to our way of life and is just as dangerous as the threat we faced during WW2. Every 80 years here in the USA we must defend our way of life. Once per liftetime on average. Count. 1776 – 1860 – 1940 – 2020. This civil war is coming anyway. We’re shawshanked. We might as well do what we can while we have ball control. Before midterms. 

Trust your gut Merritt Garland. 

The good people in this country have your back. 

I’ll tweet this tonight. I hope it’s helpful. I’m one who is not comfortable looking the other way. I’ll tweet my image and some supportive words, in case Garland needs some encouragement. In case he’s afraid to make the first punch … oh wait. The GOP already did that Jan6th. 

*shawshanked:  Being put into a position that you can’t get out of – where every choice seems doomed. My wife shawshanked me into doing yardwork.

Don’t Say Gay Bill is Another GOP Ploy to Get Voters

DeSantis signed a bill banning teachers from talking about sex to kids K-3rd grade. Why not have a bill baning them from whipping out their dicks or tits to show them in a science lesson?

DeSantis making believe he cares about kids in a staged photo-op

Yes, I use that as a teaching moment. This is yet another GOP bill trying to fix a problem that can be handled by common sense and existing channels. If teachers are pervs ( and there are always some small minority of such people ) there are – and always have been – ways to get rid of them. Parents can ask their kids about their teachers. They can meet their child’s teachers at PTA’s or open houses. They can be real hands-on parents. No new law was needed for that. A teacher that talks about any aspect of sex to a child under age 10, is crossing a line. My K-4 grade school teachers would have said ” it’s the birds and the bees and you cant ask your parents about that”. About 5th grade, teaching sex education starts making sense as a science.

The DeSantis “Don’t Say Gay” bill was not put in place to stop a new rising flood of teachers that want to teach sex to kids under age of eight. That’s not going on. The members of the GOP in Congress do not care about “kids” or they would have got rid of AK-45’s in the general public after Sandy Hook. Ask DeSantis and the GOP in Florida how they voted on AK-45s in the general public after the Stoneman-Douglas shootings. They did nothing and made sure the Dems did not as well.

Most GOP in Congress are sick people for staying in that club after they refused to change gun laws after Sandy Hook. I will NEVER forget that. So don’t tell me they worry about kids in schools learning about sex. The GOP are okay with kids getting SHOT DEAD in their schools or they would have done something about the weapons that add to the number of dead when poeple go nuts. The GOP in Congress are the real pervs.

The DeSantis Bill is another way to create a sub-group of voters and give them a reason to vote for him – as if he cares about the parents or the kids. He only cares about staying in power because he’s got a grift system in place and he’s milking it every day – just like Trump did as POTUS and all his life. The GOP all want to be Donald Trumps – except Liz Cheney and a few others.

Here’s more recent proof that the GOP in Congress* don’t give a rat’s ass about the health or well-being of American children. The American Rescue Plan gave monthly child allowances ($300 per child under six, and $250 per child from six through 17 ) during the pandemic. Most parents really needed it. Even before the pandemic, child poverty had reached post-depression records in the USA – largely because the GOP refuse to tax billionaires. Families were in trouble, burdened with deepening debt and missed payments. Most were living paycheck to paycheck – so if they lost they job in the pandmic, they and their kids could be plunged into poverty. But every single Republican in both the House and Senate voted against the measure!

This is what DeSantis did for gun laws in Florida. He banned laws limiting regulations vs AK-45s.

Nothing good ever comes intentionally from a dark heart. The GOP in Congress have shown us their black hearts – over and over.

People on the right like to say NEVER FORGET when it comes to the 911 attack. That’s fine. But how do they then support insurrection that aimed to do the same thing that the 911 terrorists and Putin wanted: the end of American democracy? I’d rather we never forget Sandy Hook and the refusal to restrict AK-45s after that massacre. It was the last straw for me ever supporting a GOP in Congress.

*GOP – I say GOP in Congress because I am aware that there are GOP leaning citizens that are not in favor of AK-45s being in the general public – and may not be evil people.