Update from the Sunland
No.966
13.7.20 – 19.7.20
Blog version: http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/
To all,
On Tuesday, 14.July.2020, princess Ivanka posted an image of her hawking Goya Black Beans. When she was reminded that doing so was a federal ethics violation, she had every right to express her support for Goya Foods. Well, Ivanka, no you do not! You are a federal employee whether you get paid or not, and you are subject to federal ethics laws. Then, the next day, not wanting to be upstaged by even his exalted daughter, the BIC posed in the Oval Office, behind the Resolute Desk, with an array of Goya products and offering a broad ‘Cheshire Cat’ grin and two thumb’s up gestures. The man, and now we have proof that the BIC’s immediate family have no sense of propriety, restraint, or even a smidgen of understanding the law. The whole damn family are employees of We, the People. They are NOT private citizens and have absolutely no right to be selling selected products for anyone, for any reason, and especially in their capacities as our employees. Is there no sewer threshold of tolerance for his loyal consumers of his magic snake-oil elixir? We can only pray more Republicans come to their senses and recognize they made a dreadful mistake four years ago. It is way past time to be rid of this scourge of a man.
Then, in the middle of a pandemic, the BIC pokes his sycophants to do his ‘wet work’ for him and attack the government’s top infectious diseases expert. The man has no conscience, morality, or sense of reality. The man of facts is infinitely more believable than the man of “truthful hyperbole” (which are neither). We are bearing witness in graphic public display and detail of the consequences of malignant narcissism in the mind of a man who was duly elected by We, the People. This episode in our history will go down as the greatest mistake of democratic elections, on a scale (but not for the same reasons) of the democratic election in 1933 Germany.
I would like to note that I forecast this kind of destruction as a consequence of his malignant narcissism well before he was even the Republican nominee [746; 3.April.2016]. And yet, not even in my wildest nightmares did I ever imagine it would be this bad. In that sense, I underestimated the destruction that would be wrought by this man. My faith that We, the People, will come to our senses and be rid of this man in November (well, actually January) remains diminished but resolute.
A recent issue of the JSTOR digital newsletter reminded me of a little sliver of history that I wanted to illuminate in this humble forum. One of the first LGBTQ organizations in the United States was established in 1952 Los Angeles, before a segment of our society was known by that group of letters. The first issue of the organization’s monthly magazine called ONE was published and distributed to subscribers in January 1953. The following year, the Los Angeles branch of the U.S. Post Office unilaterally invoked the Comstock Act [PL 42-III-258; 17 Stat. 598 (3.3.1873)] to declare the magazine ‘obscene’ and refused to deliver the monthly periodical. One, Inc. filed suit to protect its First Amendment rights. The district court and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the action of the Post Office. The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously and summarily reversed the lower court rulings—One, Inc. v. Olesen [355 U.S. 371 (1958)]—only citing one of their recent decisions without explanation—Roth v. United States [354 U.S. 476 (1957)] [458]. Mixed in with these court rulings, President Eisenhower signed and issued Executive Order 10450 – Security requirements for Government employment. The E.O. prohibits federal employment that requires a security clearance based among other things §8(a)(1)(iii) – “Any criminal, infamous, dishonest, immoral, or notoriously disgraceful conduct, habitual use of intoxicants to excess, drug addiction, sexual perversion.” The terms were left open to very wide interpretation enabling persecution of homosexuals and non-heterosexual citizens in the name of national security. Non-heterosexual citizens have advanced a long way since those dark days, but they still have a long way to go before they do not feel the bite of discrimination and persecution.
As a footnote, ONE magazine ceased publication in December 1969. One, Inc. still exists having gone through a number of metamorphic changes through the years and continues to work for equal rights.
On Thursday, the Arizona Republic published an E.J. Montini opinion column.
“Truth is heresy to Donald Trump, which makes Dr. Anthony Fauci our Galileo—Opinion: The foremost immunologist of our time believes in science, not politics, and is attacked. A 17th century scientist got into the same kind of trouble.”
by EJ Montini
Arizona Republic
Published: 7:00 a.m. MT; Jul. 16, 2010
Italian astronomer Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaulti de Galilei had been observing celestial objects for years and published his treatise Sidereus Nuncius (1610) [Sidereal Messenger, or Starry Messenger] that validated Copernican heliocentrism. Unfortunately, the Catholic Church favored and sanctioned Ptolemaic geocentrism (circa 147 AD). The debate continued for a couple of decades. Pope Urban VIII invited Galileo to present this argument and analysis, which he did. Galileo published his famous book Dialogo sopra i due massimi sistemi del mondo (Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems) [22.2.1632]. It was a bridge too far for the Catholic hierarchy. The Roman Inquisition prosecuted Galileo for his heretical pronouncement. The Catholic Church did not publicly apologize for their grievous mistake until 1992; at least the church found the courage to admit their error. I hold no hope whatsoever that the BIC will apologize for his grievous mistake(s) in denying the science and instigating multiple conspiracy theories. Yes, E.J. Montini is spot on correct. The BIC is quite akin to the Roman Catholic Church denying the facts and trying to intimidate everyone into compliance with his dicta, and Anthony Stephen Fauci, a man of science and facts, is our Galileo. The truth will overcome ignorance, but there will be a lot of pain and injury along the way.
Comments and contributions from Update no.965:
Comment to the Blog:
“The New York Times has suggested that Chief Justice Roberts is concerned primarily with maintaining the institutional integrity of the Supreme Court. While that is admirable in itself, I still wish he hadn’t punted on the Chump tax records issues. However, when the process of revelation completes, the wheels of justice can grind on.
“I’m still startled that Mr. Justice Thomas has found his voice at all. Making that voice articulate and reasonable probably won’t happen.
“I imagine pretty much everyone is surprised by the Supreme Court’s recognition of the Five Civilized Tribes’ sovereignty. I’ll mention that their part of Oklahoma is still poor compensation indeed for the territory they lost and the Trail of Tears.
“I saw a report that the Tulsa, Oklahoma, health director attributes a spike in virus cases to the Chump’s rally there in June.
“What process do whistle-blowers use that doesn’t involve classified or soon-to-be classified material?”
My response to the Blog:
I’m with you on CJ Roberts. I understand the remand in Mazars; there are serious separation of powers issues imbedded in the congressional subpoenas that the lower courts up to and including DC Circuit Court of Appeals virtually GAF’d off. The Supremes almost had no choice in that case. However, I was sorely disappointed in the Court’s rationale in the Vance case. As I read, the recurring thought kept popping into my little pea-brain—he’s buying time for the BIC. Very sad. The important point from both of the BIC’s cases is they left the door wide open and in fact made a very definitive statement—POTUS does not and never has had absolute immunity, as the BIC has consistently claimed.
I have read enough of Thomas’ writing, it is quite recognizable. He is consistent, although I seriously disagree with his very narrow, rigid reasoning that virtually ignores the rights of We, the People, i.e., the 10th Amendment. I am not a fan.
Yes; good points all. As I read the McGirt decision, both the majority and the dissent, I was shocked by the lack of any path forward—what happens now? Gorsuch presented a compelling (but incomplete) case that Congress failed to make a definitive close-out statement, and to the majority of the Supremes, left the original Removal Act (1830) in effect—promise made. The consequences of the McGirt ruling are incalculable, and the 5-4 majority basically (although not explicitly) stated only Congress can fix the issue. Also unspoken in the ruling—what happens with Jimcy McGirt, a very bad man, who has been in prison for 20+ years for his heinous crimes.
Not just the Tulsa health director, others as well have made the linkage. It is not rocket science—simple cause & effect. And worse, the BIC keeps going down that dreadful path.
We do not see so many of the whistleblower complaints. I am not an expert and have not done an exhaustive study, but I do believe the majority of whistleblower complaints do not involve classified materials. The ones that reach the Press headlines involve classified material, but those are just the ones we see.
Another contribution:
“What a mess this world of ours is Cap, it most definitely needs sorting.
“Sorry Cap, meant to thank you for your item on the Battle of Britain-I’m a BofB baby, yes born in July 1940 at Manston where my father was serving. So I’m delighted at the news that Manston, closed to aviation for many years, is to be resurrected as an aerodrome again. I did fly into there once and was amazed by the width of the runway. Of course, the unit was used by the USAF after WW2. What a history.”
My reply:
Yes, quite a mess. Sadly, it did not have to be this bad. If the world ever needed a vivid example of the destructive consequences of malignant narcissism in a national head of state, we have only to look at the United States in 2020. He did not create the virus and initiate the spread of the virus, but the BIC’s laissez-faire incompetence has made it so much worse—135,000 dead and still climbing.
My objective for decades has been to make sure anyone who will listen never forgets what happened in the summer of 1940 and especially why it was so bloody important to the cause of freedom in the subsequent world.
You were an infant during the operating months of Operation PIED PIPER, but do you have any recall of that effort to protect the children? Your father serving at RAF Manston during the BoB; that had to be scary; Manston got hit very hard by the Germans. Did you & your Mum stay at Manston during the BoB?
. . . follow-up comment:
“My personal memories do include air raids with the sirens sounding and being dragged out of bed and carried downstairs to the shelter which was a Morrison shelter-an indoor steel structure with heavy duty wire at the sides. In normal use it was a handy dining table!
“No, little talk in the family they didn’t like to bring the subject up probably as one my aunties, we all lived together, lost her husband on the Atlantic, went down with his ship. I do remember him he was a radio op and played about with the ancient battery powered ‘wireless.’
“From Manston my father went to Germany recovering air bases.
“I remember the party when they all came home! Especially the huge bonfire in a bomb crater. All went well with singing dancing and hot potatoes when suddenly rounds of ammunition start exploding from the fire. That was a quick evacuation for everyone! End of party!”
. . . my follow-up reply:
Anderson and Morrison shelters saved lives.
Quite understandable. I’m sure the evidence was plainly apparent; didn’t need to talk about it.
Your father (and you & family) were at Manston for most of the war, until Allied forces entered Germany? You were probably too young to remember the pounding Manston took during the BoB?
Where did the ammunition come from? There by mistake? End of party indeed! Hopefully, no one was hurt.
My very best wishes to all. Take care of yourselves and each other.
Cheers,
Cap :-)
2 comments:
Good morning, Cap,
The Chump and his family have taken criminality to a new level, but we knew that.
Apparently, the White House conflicts with Dr. Fauci have reached marketing. Fauci’s recommendations have largely gone ignored for some time now. It wouldn’t be like Chump to respect others’ expertise.
Your faith in “We, the People” as an actual force is touching.
Your comparison of Chump versus Fauci to Pope Urban VIII versus Galileo crystallized the terms for my “thinking about thinking” question. The ends of my spectrum for what human minds seek are authority (leading or following) and understanding. The exemplars of that are “true” academics (including scientists) for the understanding end of the spectrum and the Chump and similar personalities for the authority end. We can call the people closest to the ends of the spectrum authoritarians or students.
Have a good day,
Calvin
Good morning to you, Calvin,
Indeed! And worse, they have been enabled by far too many people. We can only hope justice will eventually be done.
Yeah, the BIC has waged an effective campaign to discredit the truth no matter what the source—Intelligence Community (IC), the Press, medical experts, judges, anyone and everyone who bares speak the truth. I cannot tell whether he truly believes his gut feelings are the only real truth, but that is certainly how he acts. The particular trait and phenomenon is exactly why I often quote George Orwell from Nineteen Eighty-Four:
“War Is Peace. Freedom Is Slavery. Ignorance Is Strength.”
“The choice for mankind lies between freedom and happiness and for the great bulk of mankind, happiness is better.”
“And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed — if all records told the same tale — then the lie passed into history and became truth.”
I could go on, but that should suffice. The BIC desperately wants us to accept this truth as the only truth, and worse, he has been successful with 62M American citizens—that is not a trivial number, and they vote.
Well, thank you, although I suspect you are being sarcastic. Yes, I do have faith in We, the People, which is exactly why I persist in using the phrase.
Interesting spectrum of thinking. I see some validity in your representation. However, there are always exceptions and deviations. We see some of those departures in history—the phenomenon of 1933 Germany being an obvious example.
Thank you for your contribution . . . always a pleasure.
Stay safe. Take care and enjoy.
Cheers,
Cap
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