Trumpican (or perhaps, Trumpzi) Party completely replaces the once honorable Republican Party of long ago

 https://www.democracynow.org/2024/10/29/a_night_at_the_garden_marshall

https://www.democracynow.org/2024/10/29/jean_guerrero_trump_rally_nyc_msg

History repeats itself:  the 1939 Madison Square Garden political rally and the 2024 MAGA rally at the same location.  At both times, the hatemongers promoted their racism, xenophobia, and ignorance to an audience seemingly in general agreement.

Trump or Vance probably will claim that the MAGA rally shows massive support for their candidacy.  As pointed out in one of the clips above, here's the truth:  the number of people attending the Trump rally compose only two-tenths of one percent of the greater NYC population.  Two-tenths of ONE percent.

A short time ago, Trump falsely claimed that "...200 million people [in the USA] support me".  Such a claim is pure, unadulterated nonsense.  It's a blatant lie.  In 2016, he lost the popular vote by about three million; he became President only because of the antiquated Electoral College votes.  In 2020, he lost the popular vote by about seven million votes.  He also lost in the Electoral College.  Plus, it's completely plausible that in both elections some/many people voted for him only because they liked his opponent less.

In 2024, 244 million people will be eligible to vote in our national election.  Common sense tells me no one person has 200 million of those people as supporters.  In 2020, a record 66.6% of potential voters turned out and actually cast a vote.  Usually in this country, only a tad more than 50% of voters participate by voting.  All the above suggests many citizens are fed up with the sorry state of American politics.  Nevertheless, it's likely that this year's election will result in up to 70% of eligible voters participating.  One reason why is below.

Between 2020 and 2024, the Trumpican Party upper crust (not, in general, Main Street Trump supporters) has demonstrated even more of a shift to hatemongering, xenophobia, racism, divisiveness, misogynism, and fascism/authoritarianism.  The majority of our citizens abhor such a shift.  Many previously nonvoters likely will decide to join in and vote it down.  [If it isn't voted down, then USA politics is in a sorrier state than what I once thought.]

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The High Tech danger you know little-to-nothing about, & Trump is a pawn in the whole scenario

https://steadystate.org/is-the-election-a-civilizational-turning-point-why-musk-is-really-backing-trump/?blm_aid=122634

How much do you know about Transhumanism?  The concept has been in existence for years and years.  With recent advances in A.I., it has started to advance in leaps and bounds.  Backed by a few physicists, several billionaires and others, Transhumanism is now on the brink of starting to change civilization forever.  For the most part, those changes will be horrendous for Main Street and Heaven-on-Earth for the Elites.

Politicians such as Trump and Vance are pawns in this existential game, and I doubt they even know it.  I imagine their supporters on Main Street are even less aware of what's going on.  By the way, this is NOT a "conspiracy theory".  It has been right out in the open for years.  YouTube has lots of pieces about it.  I think it has been ignored by most of us because it's so bizarre...seemingly impossible in our minds.  Guess what?  It's no longer impossible.

SUGGESTION:  read the article at the link above.  Then read it again.  Then do whatever you can (as long as it's legal) to wake up your political representatives to the need for A.I. legislation ASAP.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

I'll bet a lot of people have forgotten this aspect of carbon dioxide

Including even elementary school students, by now we all know that CO2 is a "greenhouse gas".  There's another reason to be concerned about excess carbon dioxide in our atmosphere---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58I6YQzBrPo

Sabine is a physicist with 1.48 million subscribers to her YouTube Channel.  She covers many interesting topics, and I appreciate her dry sense of humor.  This recent piece on CO2, Elon Musk, and Trump is quite good, and less than eight minutes long.

Even Musk, who is not up to snuff on most ecological principles, cannot deny this characteristic of CO2.  In fact, he supports concern about it.  Given many of his other views on ecological matters, that's a bit amazing.

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Not only my opinion.  Take Care

Damage to both the ecosphere & democracy already being done by A.I. & the billionaires promoting it

https://steadystate.org/maybe-we-should-be-the-ones-doing-the-grokking-thoughts-on-m/?blm_aid=122634

CASSE's article at the link above is another of their MUST-READ pieces.  It's extremely well-written, interesting, smack-dab-on-the-mark, and relevant to everyone.  The author is Helene Langlamet.

Except for the short note to follow, I won't even attempt to summarize her provocative and accurate depiction of what's going on with information technology and AI today.

The information technology industry (let's call it Info-Tech) would like us to believe that it's going to save the world by using AI to solve problems.  Not only that, but it supposedly will do so with minimal damage to the environment...and no threat at all to democracy.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  The damage and the threat already are beginning to happen.  Read the article.

We the People must convince politicians to regulate Info-Tech and AI applications ASAP.  If such does not happen, the danger to the ecosphere, democracy, and social justice is extremely high.  Read the article at the link above to see why.  It will take only five or so minutes of your time.  Please read it now.

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Not only my opinion.  Best Wishes to Everyone

Muted, but STILL another shabby debate performance by a toxic narcissist

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXKSg8KXaQw

He was tragic, pathetic, ridiculous, & laughable in one 90-minute fell swoop.  Trump truly appears to be utterly delusional.  The top-level Repubs supporting him are making a monumental mistake.  A Party which long ago stood for honor, integrity, and the common people now is completely off the rails.

In addition, DJT's tariff increase proposal (which is more of an increase than any other in U.S. history) would increase price INFLATION - which now is declining - beyond the pale.  He's lying when he claims China would be paying for tariffs.  Consumers here would be doing it.

Finally, a reminder:  I'm not for Harris either, but she's orders of magnitude better than Trump.  [I don't care for her Gaza policy, her fossil fuel policy, or her lack of understanding of Sustainability.]  Neither major candidate is what we need to successfully navigate through the Meta-Crisis we're currently facing.  Clearly, though, Trump is the worst choice.  No doubt about it.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

An MD explains why the USA has the least effective healthcare system among the wealthy countries in the world

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CxGhEuXcG8&list=WL&index=67&t=2s

Usually I summarize the key points of a link's content.  Not this time.  The doctor is so well-spoken and his presentation so brilliant, I want to try and make sure each reader here watches the clip rather than relying on a summary.

He also talks about what could be done to fix our broken system and restore ethics (relative to patient CARE) in the medical profession.  The number of doctors in that profession is decreasing rapidly.  It's not burnout from overwork.  Instead, in most cases it's being demoralized with the state of the system.  Such can and must be corrected ASAP.

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Not only my opinion.  Take Care

Why Big Biz Backs Trump, and why Sustainability is feared by them all

Robert Reich explains it in a clip under three minutes long---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LEnI9THvLA

One might guess it's about tax cuts and tax avoidance.  Yes, but it's also about blocking the path to Sustainability.  Many years ago, the Titans of Mega Biz realized they had to start talking-the-talk in regard to renewable energy, but walking-the-walk largely could be avoided IF they spent big bucks on politicians friendly to the economic status quo.  A bit later, they recognized that Sustainability involved a lot more than just transitioning to renewables.  It also meant reducing our energy use, being accountable for pollution, treating workers and consumers fairly, eliminating corporate welfare, increasing the social safety net, and more.

In the view of Mega Biz, the economic status quo was being threatened as never before.  So, both individually and collectively, the Titans decided to essentially buy more and more political influence.  They selected, groomed, and financed the majority of national political candidates.  Their degree of success in getting candidates friendly to their view varied, but almost always was at least somewhat on the mark...even with Democrats.

So, what was (and still is for the most part) the "economic status quo" back then?  Here it is in a nutshell:

1)  neoliberal capitalism (which is NOT Adam Smith capitalism); 

2)  deregulation, corporate globalization, & corporate welfare;

3)  bailouts for mega biz;

4)  banks too big to fail, or jail;

5)  reduced benefits for employees;

6)  reduced services to customers;

7)  job insecurity;

8)  treating pollutants as "externalities" (and not the responsibility of Big Biz);

9)  austerity for Main Street; and

10)  anything else which benefits Mega Biz at the expense of Main Street.

The status quo is pretty much the exact opposite of a sustainable economy and lifestyle.

The influence of the Titans has been massive, and has reached all the way to the Supreme Court of the USA.  The majority on that Court now are anti-healthcare, anti-EHS (environmental, health, & safety), anti-democracy, and anti-sustainability.  Whether that majority knows it or not, they are supporting Fascism - the marriage of the power of the State to the power of Mega Biz.

All the above is precisely why Big Biz backs the candidate who is the biggest embarrassment and danger in the history of the USA.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well