Guest Column: We Now Know How Close Trump's Coup Attempt Was

A few comments before I turn the page over to today's guest columnist, Chauncey Devega.

America has never come so close to becoming an authoritarian nation. Trump's efforts at dismantling our democracy was a four-year assault on the Constitution.

During that time he built up a cult following that has become a danger to our everyday life. 

And the coup attempt has not abated as he continues to spread poison throughout the Republican party.

Make no mistake; Trump is still a threat to democracy. His toxic rhetoric and blatant lies that defy reality has found a home among the right-wing extremists in America.

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How Close Did Trump Come to Attempting a Military Coup? Much too close

Trump's erratic behavior undermined his desire to seize power. Those who come next won't make the same mistakes

By Chauncey Devega for Salon

"At the present moment, American democracy is like a tightrope walker attempting a crossing during a howling storm, and without a net.

That democracy has thus far "survived" the Age of Trump and his regime's and allies' assaults — including an all-too-real attempted coup — is something like the luck enjoyed by fools and drunks.

Joe Biden may now be president, but the perilous tightrope walk continues.

Safety appears to be in sight, but that is a dangerous illusion: Most lethal falls during a tightrope walk happen during the last few feet when the performer believes they are safe.

Contrary to what the professional smart people with their "view from nowhere" and too many other members of the chattering classes have claimed, the dangers of a coup perpetrated by the Trump regime were not exaggerated or hysterical, and most certainly were not symptoms of "Trump derangement syndrome." 

The danger was clear and obvious for those who were paying attention to reality as it is, and not as others wished it to be."  

(Read the rest of the article here)

What Would You Do If Your Family Called You A Traitor and Wanted You Kicked Out Of Office?

                     It's a family affair.

GOP Rep. Paul Gosar's family wants him removed from Congress because they believe he's a traitor.

Gosar's nine siblings are calling for his ouster after backing Trump's lies about the 2020 election.

This attack against their brother is nothing new. Six of Gosar's siblings first attracted attention in the 2018 election cycle when they were featured in an TV ad, pleading with voters NOT TO SUPPORT the congressman's conduct during the election campaign.

What would you do if your whole family came out against your lifestyle and adoration for Trump?

I can't help thinking it would be embarrassing. That would be the normal reaction. Except Gosar is not normal in the sense he constantly denies reality and has no moral compass.

Earlier this month, siblings Tom and David Gosar appeared on CNN and apologized for the congressman's conduct and comments about the Capitol insurrection.

The feeling of shame in the Gosar family is universal, but their stance doesn't even faze Paul Gosar who has willingly separated from his family to follow Trump wherever he may go.

For the actual sane members of the family it's a stigma that will last for generations. 

Another member of the family, Tim Gosar, summed up how they feel:

"Once you loser your focus on the truth, once you become someone who peddles in lies, once you become basically a snake oil salesman, the truth is a really slippery thing to get your arms around," he told Reporters.

"It's really hard to go back to truth once you become a pathological liar like Paul has become," he added.

Meanwhile, Paul Gosar continues to spread lies, assured he'll be protected by Trump's minions in Congress.

Florida Governor DeSantis Signs Bill Straight from Orwell's 1984

Some background.

1984 was a novel written by English author, George Orwell, who penned the iconic dystopian social science fiction tale in 1944.

The novel has shocked societies worldwide with it's premise of a totalitarian future society that employees people to re-write history daily.

Orwell's chilling prophecy where the State controls all the narratives in society is beginning to materialize in 2021.

The Trumpified Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed a bill requiring public universities to survey both faculty and students on their political beliefs.

Full stop.

The state is forcing universities to give it the survey results, and if they're "not satisfactory (?)" they will lose their funding in the Republican-led legislature. 

No other state has ever taken this bold and unprecedented assault on our schools of higher learning.

The bill lacks details on the survey's privacy protections, and questions arise over how the results will be used. 

The bill's sponsor, state Sen. Ray Rodrigues, claims faculty will not be promoted or fired based on their responses. 

I call bullshit on that assertion. You know why? It's not in the wording of the bill for one reason. The other is DeSantis is a liar of Trumpian proportions.

While signing the bill, DeSantis claimed universities promote left-wing ideologies and discriminate against conservative students as well.

Cry me a damn river!

When pressed by reporters, DeSantis did not offer any specific examples pf repression and discrimination faced by conservative students.

He resorted to a favorite Trumpian dodging maneuver by asserting he "knows lot of parents." 

Where was WH Press Secretary Jen Psaki when you needed her? She has a way of handling right-wing reporters when they pull that stunt, "I heard it somewhere."

She then asks them to detail "where they heard their claim?" When they can't answer, she moves on  to the next question.

One more thing the bill does is open up an opportunity for conspiracy clowns by preventing school officials from limiting campus speech that "may be uncomfortable, disagreeable, offensive, or outright lies."

It won't be long before Florida university students are going to be confronted by the KKK, other white supremacists, the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers, QAnon acolytes, and hard core Trumpies spewing lies that will go unchallenged.

This is a Rubicon moment where public universities either go without state-funding, or they kowtow and sell out their students to the worst elements in our society.

Because the majority of funding comes from the State (there are federal and private funding options to a lesser degree) it looks like no contest.

The only alternative I see for students who don't want to play Big Brother's game is NOT TO GO to any universities in Florida.

Now, I'm waiting for DeSantis to introduce legislation that will make Florida a sovereign nation, and succeed from the union.

Quotes That Will Make You Shake Your Head

Today I've selected quotes from various news stories to give you a sense of what people are saying about the hottest subjects circulating the country.

Let's start:

"If there's one lasting legacy of Donald Trump it's that there are no longer any sacred cows on the American right. 

They have given themselves permission to literally say anything in the moment with regard to principal or ideology while at the same time wringing their hands over the supposed destruction of American culture by "wokeness" and political correctness.

 They no longer have any commitment to making sense and I'm not sure that anyone knows exactly how to combat such surreal intellectual anarchy." (Read article here)

By Heather Digby Parton - 6/25/21

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"There's no doubt in my mind that the 2020 election was "stolen. The truth will continue to come out. Something is going to happen. I don't think we're going to have to wait until the end of summer.

I think it's going to happen here fairly soon...they must create noise prior to the Arizona audit starting to really bubble out. They are going to have to do something."

(Read article here)

By Michael Flynn - 6/25/21

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"There's almost no idea more un-American than the notion that any one person could choose the American president.

I will always be proud that we did our part on that tragic day to reconvene the Congress and fulfill our duty under the Constitution and the laws of the United States."

(Read article here)

By Mike Pence 6/25/21

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"The large number of Republicans who believe this conspiracy theory is a glaring warning on the persistent acceptance of the stolen election narrative.

They believe him when he abjectly lies. It is a glaring warning that the Big Lie has created fertile ground for all sorts of insane conspiracies'."

(Read article here)

By Chuck Schumer - 6/25/21

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"The important aspect of this visit is leading this visit after the work we did in Guatemala and Mexico. It's not a new plan. But the reality of it is that we have to deal with causes, and we have to deal with effects."

(Read article here)

VP Kamala Harris - 6/25/21

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"It's a delicate dance between providing public access and protecting the public as well as the resource (decision to seal off the forest).

But public safety overrides access."

(Read article here)

Brady Smith - 6/25/21

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On Republicans passing a bill enacting stricter voting rules.

"It's all based on the former president saying, 'Well, I'm going to be back in August,' and everyone anticipating it like a second coming. 

I am no prophet, but I can tell you one thing: The orange rapture is not happening."

(Read article here)

By Arizona State Rep., Lorenzo Sierra 6/25/21

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That's all for today folks. Enjoy your weekend!

Texas AG Faces State Securities Fraud and FBI Bribery Investigation Yet Continues To File Lawsuits Against Democrats

You have to hand it to Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton. 

He's waging war against reality and Texas residents still like him.

Despite facing a securities fraud lawsuit and an FBI investigation into claims he used his office for bribery, Paxton keeps filing lawsuits against democrats and Joe Biden.

Most of his baseless charges (with the exception of one challenge to an executive order) haven't won in court yet. That hasn't deterred the hypocrite however.

Let's look at Paxton's track record thus far in his Don Quixote-like quest to paint an alternate reality for Texas, and America.

-- Paxton joined with Gov. Abbott to sue the Obama administration at least 48 times.

-- Paxton tried (and failed) to sue six battleground states for unconstitutional changes to the 2020 election laws. The case was tossed by the Supreme Court.

-- For nearly six years Paxton's been under indictment on three felony state fraud charges, and he's also under investigation by the FBI for allegedly accepting bribes from a real estate developer.

-- The State Bar of Texas originally dismissed a complaint that Paxton had committed professional misconduct by petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn President Biden's victory in four states.

But the Board of Disciplinary Appeals, a tribunal of 12 independent lawyers appointed by the Texas Supreme Court, overturned that decision last month.

The tribunal is investigating whether Paxton's lawsuit to overturn Biden's electoral win was frivolous, unethical, and filed in bad faith.

If the proceedings determines Paxton is guilty there will be a disciplinary process that could result in disbarment and suspension.

Despite Paxton's track record in losing lawsuits, he continues to for one big reason; many Texas Republicans are still drinking Trump Aide, and don't believe in any of the charges filed against him. 

Instead of losing voters for a career reeking of hypocrisy and lies, Paxton gains their support with every outrageous stunt he pulls.

It's a situation the whole country is facing as the Party of Trump attempts to claw it's way back into power.

American Myths Exposed: The Struggle To Create A Utopia Continues

When our forefathers gathered in Independence Hall and launched the great experiment - freedom for all - and codified it with the Constitution, the United States of America was born.

For generations we were taught in school that our country's founders were just short of saints. 

Like millions of other kids I bought the myth of George Washington fessing up to chopping down a cherry tree and saying "I cannot tell a lie."

But myths have a way of being exposed when we look back at history with a critical eye.

We can discover facts about our heroes and near saints, that have been silenced by a cabal of educators who don't want to admit past wrongs in American history.  

George Washington and Thomas Jefferson have been immortalized as fathers of this country despite the fact they were also hypocrites. Both had slaves. Freedom for all didn't include blacks in their minds.

School districts have traditionally guarded our founders and other so-called heroes by polishing their images in state-approved publications with narrow narratives.

All of which leads me to the current hot topic in America - the Critical Race Theory which has been embraced by civil rights activists throughout academia.

Conservatives are losing their shit about this shift to reality-based history. Especially Trump acolytes who avoid reality with a passion. 

They also see the subject as something worth attacking and further dividing people with. Expect to see the GOP use the Critical Race Theory in their midterm campaigns and beyond.

Perhaps one of the harder myths to debunk is that we are a United Nation, and America is a Utopia for oppressed people of the world.

It's difficult to admit that we're not. Being real is never easy.

However, I will always pick America over any other nation on this planet.

I've served in the Army, and saw combat in Vietnam. My ancestors who came to Middleton, Connecticut in1639 to escape an oppressive English King, fought for freedom in the Revolutionary Army under George Washington.

I believe our forefathers had the best intentions and that America is still the best messenger for freedom and human rights in the world today.

What I see happening now is the debunking of American myths. It was inevitable. We cannot move forward with a fantasy tale history where truth is buried in unmarked graves. 

Seeing the country so divided between conspiracy theorists and sane people is shocking and sad. 

But time marches on. The quest for Utopia will also continue as long as there are dreamers in this world willing to fight for equality and freedom.

How The Crazies Found Their Voice in America

I miss the good old days when the crazies in our society wore tinfoil hats and communicated with aliens from another galaxy.

Whenever they surfaced from their basements and hidey holes in the past, the crazies were treated with kid gloves and patted on the head. They were considered harmless kooks who didn't threaten anyone.

If they did threaten, or even harm someone, they were locked up in criminal mental institutions and given drugs to be docile until death. Never to be a threat again to humanity.

Fast forward to now.

The crazies found their voice with Trump. Who knew that there were millions of crazies in the country?

Part of me is in denial that this many crazies have infected every aspect of American life and are now seriously threatening our democracy.

Can't just blame Trump however. 

All the crazies were waiting and just needed a national leader to unify the cults (QAnon, etc.), the militias, the Christian Nationalists, the White Supremacist's, the Neo Nazis, and anarchists, and Trump was the Chosen One.

And why not? Trump could get away with openly lying and altering reality to address every fear that the country's crazies have been nursing for years.

No more laughing at the tin hat crowd.

They're busy suppressing voter's rights on a national scale and claiming the Jan. 6th insurrection was no more than some rowdy tourists overrunning the Capitol to "defend" democracy.

In retrospect I should have seen this coming when Trump went after Obama with the bullshit claim he wasn't born in America, and therefore couldn't be the president of the United States.

It was this early recruitment of the crazies that set the stage for the assault on democracy that we're witnessing today.

There's only one way to fight back. Stop the crazies from turning America into an autocracy by protecting our electoral system and voting them out of political offices.

How To Achieve Mass Appeal Without Telling The Truth

Americans are jaded.

Over the last couple of decades game shows have radically evolved to compete for an audience on TV.

Each new show had to push the crazy envelope a little more to keep audiences coming back.

The Price Is Right has been replaced by Naked and Afraid.

Traditional news has morphed into free-for-all partisan political propaganda war where the Left jousts with the Right nightly.

When Americans get bored bad things can happen. 

That's what happened when social media latched onto our addiction-prone brains. 

A portal opened up for every conspiracy in the world to the delight of trolls and people looking for action. Good. Bad. Or indifferent.

Reality could be challenged. Truth smothered in millions of lies spewing from characters that live in alternate universes like QAnon.

When Trump came to power he embodied all that was wrong with people. 

That didn't matter.

Suddenly politics had been elevated to not just high entertainment, but also a blood sport.

To achieve mass appeal Trump attracted attention by defying the world around him and saying things no American president had ever uttered before.

He was such a novelty and his way of telling lies were more novel than the truth. Who cared about the truth? It was boring.

People's favorite reality star turned POTUS captured the Republican Party and reduced it to a clown show following the ringmaster's demented orders.

In many cases the more extreme the lie, the more arousing it can be. It. Becomes. Sexy.

Media outlets like Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, encourages the crazies into getting in a social-validation feedback loop that is fertile soil for conspiracies.

Like the ancient Romans, millions of Americans want to see life-and-death extremes in society where the victor takes all.

Stuck In An Age of Heroes and Hypocrites Vying For The Nation's Soul

Far from an Age of Enlightenment: The Age of Reason, 21st century America is showing cracks in the foundation of our democratic society.

Unbelievable as it may sound, people are increasingly questioning reality. Politicians are telling the masses not to believe what they see or hear, unless it comes from Trump.

The nation is so polarized that lies become people's truths in a bizarre twist of partisanship gone batshit crazy.

Trump and his minions tried to steal the election last year and failed. But that didn't stop them from denying the reality of Biden's legitimacy.

The Republican Party/aka the Party of Trump, has chosen one man to be leader for life. By resurrecting Trump's putrid presidency his followers believe they're saving America from a long list of enemies ranging from Communists to liberals.

I've watched heroes - like Republican lawmakers in Georgia stand up to Trump and his acolytes as they tried to disenfranchise the state's voters with blatant lies.

I've watched a slew of hypocrites in both political parties, as lawmakers seek to stay in office by whatever means becomes available.

It's particularly irksome to watch lawmakers like Sen. Lindsey Graham flat-out lie (with videos available proving he lied), and he still gets a pass from the right-wingers that have infected the GOP.

If anything, Graham was just polishing his conspiracy disinformation creds to stay in good standing with the cult of Trump.

This is the first time in my 70-years that I'm this concerned about the demise of democracy and being forced to live in an authoritarian state.

The thought is inconceivable. But not impossible. Millions of Americans are attacking our electoral system and living in a state of denial who their president really is.

That's a breeding ground for another civil war that can only end in a loss for all Americans and our republic. 

The number one threat to America is domestic terrorists (particularly White Supremacists), and our former president who doesn't believe in reality, choosing instead to further false narratives to stay in power.

As a military veteran who fought for this country, my disappointment in the current challenge the nation faces, is vast and without precedent. 

My fervent wish before I die is for my children, grandchildren, and future generations to spend their lives free in a democracy.

Looking For Excellent Opinion Articles? Here's 2 Powerful Ones For Your Consideration

(Today I have two Op Ed articles so impressive I'm giving up my usual space to share them.)

The first piece was written by Lucian K. Truscott IV, and was published on June 19th, 2021 in Salon.

Donald Trump and the new Lost Cause

Lies are a denomination of power. The bigger the lie, the more power it represents. Right now in this country, we are being treated daily to the Big Lie that Donald Trump was the true winner of the presidential election of 2020, and the only reason he's not in the White House right now is because the election was stolen from him.

You may have noticed that the people pushing the Big Lie today are very good at it.

This is because many of them have been pushing an even bigger Big Lie for most of their lives: the lie of the Lost Cause, that the Civil War wasn't really fought over the disgraceful secession of the Southern states and slavery, it was instead a noble cause fought for the "honor" of the South, and that slavery itself wasn't bad or immoral, because enslaved people were happy workers living much better lives than they would have lived where they came from in Africa.

The Lost Cause was — or still is, because it lives today across a broad swath of America — the foundational ethos of racism and was used to perpetuate the racial crimes of the Jim Crow era, when Black Americans in the South were stripped of the right to vote and segregated from whites and subjected to the pernicious political and social discriminatory practices of white supremacy. (Read the rest here)

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This second Op Ed was written by Jack Shafer, Politico's senior media writer.

The Simple Remedy for Jan. 6 Trutherism

Just because Arizona Republican Rep. Paul Gosar voted against establishing a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol doesn’t mean he’s not ready to use the power of his office to stage an inquiry into the topic by other means. 

This week, Gosar, a Donald Trump ally, all but donned a Sherlockian deerstalker hat and wrapped himself in a houndstooth cape in his pursuit of Jan. 6 truth as he cross-examined FBI Director Christopher Wray during a House Oversight Committee hearing.

Gosar claimed that protester Ashli Babbitt had been “executed” by a policeman who had been “lying in wait” for her and demanded to know why her killer had not been named. Did Wray know Babbitt was unarmed? Would Wray approve the release of all surveillance recordings from the Capitol? 

The release of all surveillance recordings of the suspected pipe bomber, not just clips? Wray backpedaled—the Babbitt killing wasn’t his case, nor did he control the Capitol tapes, and as for the pipe bomber, he offered that release only a clip was consistent with protecting the integrity of the investigation. 

But Gosar wasn’t really looking for answers as much as he was attempting to portray a governmental cover-up of Jan. 6. (Read the rest here)

I'll be back Monday with my usual posts. Enjoy and be safe.

Guest Post: Journalist Exposes GOP Underhanded Tactics To Push Unpopular Policies

From Business Insider - June 18th, 2021

By Eoin Higgins

The GOP is winning more battles than a minority party with an unpopular platform should. 

But they aren't paying as high of a political price because Republican lawmakers around the country are hiding their unpopular agenda behind confusing technicalities and baffling legalese.

Republicans are using obfuscation tactics to lead Americans to believe that laws are in place when they actually aren't, that gridlock in Washington is an unshakable truth rather than a parliamentary strategy, and that voting in the country is far harder than it is.

Republicans pass laws they know will never stand up in court, because the message of its passage is likely to change behavior even if the law ultimately falls. 

These officials pontificate self-importantly about the necessity of keeping parliamentary tradition and rules in place, and then turn around and break them whenever it's convenient. 

The GOP deploys whatever means are necessary to bend and even outright break the political rules of engagement.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY HERE

Editor's Note: I seldom run opinion pieces by others, but this one was so outstanding I had to share.