25 January 2021

Update no.993

 Update from the Sunland

No.993

18.1.21 – 24.1.21

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

 

            Tall,

 

Ithe category of ‘Life Goes on Despite What Happens in Washington, DC,’ we had our own major event just after midnight in the early morning hours of Wednesday, 20.January.2012—Inauguration Day.  The dogs were restless, and I thought they were signaling their need for the relief of the exterior.  When I got up to put my Crocs on, I stepped in a puddle, not just a wet spot, a puddle.  Damn, one of the dogs had an accident, I thought.  I let them out, watched them wander around doing nothing, and then we went back inside.  I went to the utility room for paper towels to clean up the accident, only to discover the floor was not just wet, but it was verging upon a shallow lake.  It took me a few splashy seconds to ascertain the source of the flood—a rupture cold-water line on the washing machine in the utility room.  I promptly shutoff the water, stopped the flow, and then built a damn to keep more water out of our bedroom.  I sent Jeanne and the dogs back to bed, while I jumped on the telephone to USAA (our exemplary insurance company) to get the recovery process started. I surveyed the lake.  Water had reached every room with only a slight penetration of our bedroom and the 1st guest room.  The worst of it was (naturally) in my study where I do most of my writing—apparently the lowest spot on our ‘level’ foundation.  By 03:00, Damage Control LLC (USAA’s recommended recovery service company) contacted me, and 40 minutes later, a three-man crew arrived to extract the standing water, begin disassembly of the things that fill a home, and deploy a small army of blowers and de-humidifiers to extract the remainder of the moisture; the din of extraction verged upon unbearable but necessary.  The damage assessment turned out to be better than I expected, but still not trivial or minor.  Fortunately, we have large-tile floors throughout the house with a limited application of rugs to soften the sound.  The initial response crew finished their work at 06:10 that morning.  The follow-on recovery portion began the next morning.  They removed most of the baseboards and the bottom foot of drywall in the study. The blowers continued through the weekend.  They expect to close the extraction aspect of the recovery on Monday morning.  A repair estimator is due Monday afternoon to prepare a proposal for the insurance company.  We do not yet know how long it will take to return to normal, but it is out there somewhere.

An FYI for those who may be curious or concerned: the hose failure occurred at the base of the threads on the male fitting of the supply hose in a brass ‘Y’ fitting splitting the cold water line to the washer and dryer (a steaming function).  The process is called galvanic corrosion that happen with water flowing over dissimilar metals. When the fitting ruptured, it was nearly circumferential; only a thread of metal remained and that thread failed as I removed the hose and ‘Y’ fitting.  I’ve got to solve that problem, or preemptively replace the supply hose every five years or so.  We do not have zinc sacrificial plates like most steel hulled ships do.

This Update comes to you this week from my laptop in my makeshift study that used to be and one day will return to be one of our two guest bedrooms.

 

The house eunuch has a mind and a heart.

The Black Dog cometh, and the Black Dog taketh away.

 

            The follow-up news items:

-- When presented with the facts that the [person who shall no longer be named] failed dozens of times in courts of law in his attempts to overthrow the 2020 election results, the willing consumers of the popular, magic, snake-oil elixir deny the bevy of court challenges.  I have read and reviewed a few of those court cases, namely three versions that reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

Scarnati v. Boockvar [592 U.S. 20A53] {19.10.2020} [980]

DNC v. Wisconsin Legislature [592 U.S. 20A66 (2020)] {26.10.2020} [981]

Texas v. Pennsylvania [Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin] [592 U.S. 22O155 (2020)] {7.12.2020} [987] – this is the case where 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives signed an amicusbriefing in support.

For those who might need a more comprehensive list of the court cases contesting the 2020 Election result, you may wish to visit the following URL:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-election_lawsuits_related_to_the_2020_United_States_presidential_election

-- The [person who shall no longer be named] departed Washington, District of Columbia, on Wednesday morning, hours prior to the inauguration of our next president. His childish, tempestuous conduct lacks any semblance of grace, dignity, integrity, or honor, but that is not a news flash either, is it? [705-993].  He is no longer relevant!  Good riddance.  His toddler conduct and selfish behavior will leave a deep stain on the history of this once grand republic that will take a long time and considerable effort to remove.  I anticipate that he will be convicted by the Senate and prohibited from holding any public office ever again.  I expect he will be indicted, charged, tried, convicted, and imprisoned for his multitudinous crimes—some known, others as yet unknown.

-- How appropriate! After a year of the laissez-faireapproach to pandemic response by the [person who shall no longer be named] and on his last full day in office, the United States of America passed 400,000 COVID19 fatalities [946 & sub].  Of all is unforgiveable conduct, this reality shall be his legacy.

 

Vice President Pence chose to attend President Biden’s inauguration rather than the bogus send-off for the [person who shall no longer be named] at JB Andrews; wise choice Mister Vice President.

 

friend and regular contributor to this humble forum sent along the following topic:

“I'm sending you this as an example of the importance of marketing.  I don't 100% agree with the advice given at the end, but it's better than what we're hearing today.”

“‘We’re underselling the vaccine’ – Good morning. We explain why the vaccine news is better than you may think.”

by David Leonhardt – The Morning

New York Times

Published: January 18, 2021

 . . . to which I replied:

Thx for the NYT article . . . well done and spot on to my knowledge. I loved the line about “snake-oil sellers”; quite apropos.  I remember how I felt when the initial counsel was masks are not needed; terribly shortsighted, but perhaps necessary given the abysmal shortage of nationwide PPE available to the frontline medical establishment.

Out of curiosity, what element(s) of the last two paragraphs do you not agree with in this context?

I would have favored adding something along the lines of:
Even once you are fully vaccinated, please view the pandemic precautions—wearing mask, social distancing, washing hands—as your patriotic duty and obligation, to do your part to protect all citizens.  Our collective health and well-being should be seen in the same light as our freedom.”

. . . with this follow-up comment:

“Other than my continuing doubts about the ‘science’ behind the whole response (and especially non-medical masks), appeals to the well-being of the general public and/or patriotic duty tend to fall flat.  They should continue the emphasis on loved ones and ask for patience on the unspoken message that vaccines are safe and effective.  Continually trying to reassure people does the opposite.  It reminds them of the doubts that have been raised.”

. . . along with my follow-up reply:

From my perspective, I would tend to agree with your observations. We, the People, have been lied to from the get-go, ostensibly in the name of “downplaying” the pandemic. To me, the [person who shall no longer be named] has lied to us consistently and regularly until he demonstrated his all too apparent GAF position.  It will be interesting to see how the new administration deals with the medical experts and executes a more effective pandemic response program.

 

Othe closing of the [person who shall no longer be named] era, I offer this observation from history.

What made Nazism so bloody devastating was the parasitic commandeering of the full resources of a modern nation-state.  The enforcement arm of the Nazi state was the SchutzStaffel (SS) in all its sub-forms.  The SS was an instrument of the Party, and the Party was the state.

While I have seen and documented many similarities between the actions of the [person who shall no longer be named] and der Anführer des Dritten Reiches, the contemporary version failed to subvert the instruments of state to his will—thanks to the Good Lord above and those patriotic Americans who stood in the breech against his will.  But, we came so dreadfully close.  We must never forget the lessons of the last four years.

 

Iis interesting and perhaps even a little entertaining that after four years of division and amplification of the white supremacy element within American society, we hear all these calls for unity, civility, caring for one another, and such, while we still hear echoes of civil war, insurrection, and rebellion.  I will be happy to talk about unity once the perpetrators of the insurrection and their enablers are charged, tried, and imprisoned for their crimes.  The calls for these kumbayamoments are thinly veiled attempts to divert or negate justice.  I did not agree with President Ford’s pardon [8.9.1974] for Nixon’s crimes. I do not want justice denied, again.  The requirement to drive a deep marker down as a statement that his conduct is not acceptable for any president—present or future—demands a clear constitutional action.

 

Ithe category of “really rich” (with deep sarcasm), the Arizona chapter of the Republican Party voted to officially censure Cindy McCain (widow of Senator John McCain), former Senator Jeff Flake, and Governor Doug Ducey for their failure to kowtow and genuflect to ihr Anführer.  Heaven forbid there should ever be dissent against their cowardly leader. As with so many political actions these days, this vengeful action speaks volumes of the once noble Republican Party.

 

            Comments and contributions from Update no.988:

“Cap, you describe the prospect of worrying times ahead. In years to come, after we’ve gone, how do you see history re-acting to this? Surely, well for many years in your democratic country, has there ever been such a situation your current leader is creating? And what actions need to be taken to prevent a repetition?

“What thoughts do dwell in our confused and overcrowded minds. And it’s Christmas!”

My reply:

I believe history will not remember the four (4) years of the [person who shall no longer be named] era in a favorable light.  Dissatisfaction with the federal government has been growing for years; I would say at least since the Vietnam War era.  He tapped into an element that has been present in American society for centuries—white supremacy; he amplified it, legitimized it, and enabled it out into the open.  He demonized anyone and anything that did not fit his mold. He used the skills and means of dictators to carry out his agenda.  I also believe history will record the [person who shall no longer be named] as the only president in history—past, present, or future—to incite insurrection against the federal government to further his dictatorial aims. That’s my opinion, and I’m stickin’ to it.

As to what to do to avoid a repetition, they only thing I can think of to do is never forget.  I can only hope we never again allow any person—male or female—with his personality flaws to reach a position of power again.  The House has impeached him a second time (the only one in history); now we must hope the Senate can muster up the courage to convict him (even though he is no longer in office) and prohibit him from ever holding a government job again.

. . . follow-up comment:

“I, for one, am looking forward to a peaceful and friendly re-generation of relationships between your country and those who he who cannot be mentioned destroyed.  I would think that would be the attitude of the vast majority of your countrymen.

“But you know Hollywood and TV will not-if they see a way of making dollars, leave this alone, the cameras will soon be turning you see.  If I’m wrong that’s another beer or a bottle of Chateaux Suffolk I owe you.”

. . . my follow-up reply:

I am eagerly anticipating a more collegial presidency than the “Ugly American” version we have suffered for the last four (4) years.  Yes, I believe the majority of American citizens are with me in that sentiment.  However, the minority is not going away.  I am afraid we must endure more conspiracy theories, doubts in our government, and vociferous dissent that will not have a pretty face.  The reality to come is going to be filled with conspiracies upon conspiracies.  With the distrust of the Press amplified by the [person who shall no longer be named], the process of sorting through information from divergent sources has become significantly harder, which will make the healing time longer.

LOL  There is no debt, my friend, which is the beauty of our freedom of speech and expression. Life goes on.

. . . a follow-up to the follow-up comment:

“Cap, we had a first class programme last night all based on your election process. There were many interviews with your clansmen, many wearing ‘cowboy’ outfits complete with hats.  None of these characters could or would accept that their man lost-none. They all had plans to return their man into the chair-one way or another. Well your new boss has a great deal of disquiet and non-contention to iron through. Good luck to him. May democracy win the day.”

 . . . along with my follow-up to the follow-up comment:

Those who refuse to accept the election results are probably consumers of the magic snake-oil elixir.  They have been fed lies for four plus years, and they believe.  There is a subset of that group that will still be whining about the grossly false claims of the [person who shall no longer be named] for the next four years.  Nature of the beast, I’m afraid.  I suspect the best we can hope for is the conviction of the [person who shall no longer be named] by the Senate next month and the prohibition of him ever taking public office again.

Yes, President Biden has a very tall mountain to climb ahead of him. My threshold of success is very very low as a consequence to the [person who shall no longer be named]—peace and stability that is all.  The rest is icing on the cake.

 

            Comments and contributions from Update no.989:

“On another subject-how long do you think the Chinese will continue to hide the truth about the virus which has now wiped out 1.7 million lives worldwide.  I’ll tell you one thing, I try not to purchase anything marked ‘Made in China’.  Shouldn’t we all be doing that?”

My response:

Short answer: as long as they are able.  The government of the PRC has never been a bastion of openness, transparency, and forthrightness.  I highly doubt that those traits are likely to change anytime soon. While it is entirely possible that the PRC created, developed and released the virus, after all, they are certainly capable of such deviousness and destructiveness, but I have seen no direct evidence of such nefarious malfeasance.  Their penchant makes it very easy to generate such speculation; conspiracy theorists thrive on such speculation.  As with most affairs of state, the problem is not the Chinese people but the government that seeks preservation of its power and control. Yes, we should, but that is a very tall order.  As I always quote the old Chinese proverb, long journeys begin with small steps.

 

            Comments and contributions from Update no.992:

Comment to the Blog:

“King Baby has indeed incited insurrection, which I believe amounts to sedition.  He and his foot soldiers are revolting in more than one sense.

“Our Governor here has taken the insurrection seriously and is providing military security.  The militia clowns had the advantages of surprise and friends in high places, but that’s over.  If they go through with further attacks, they will experience being fired upon.  That changes people’s outlook.

“I will forward you separately a New York Times newsletter that includes a piece about the public health establishment’s marketing.  I’m not sure of the copyright issues of this, but the subject is interesting.”

My response to the Blog:

Yeah!  Perhaps naïvely, I thought no decent patriot would actually commit insurrection.  I was dreadfully wrong.  Further, we now see precisely why the [person who shall no longer be named], AKA King Baby in your parlance, has been nurturing the right-wing, extremist militias, e.g., Proud Boys, Boogaloo Boys, KKK, Aryan Nation, Aryan Brotherhood, Atomwaffen Division, The Base, National Socialist Movement (sound familiar?), et al ad infinitum ad nauseum.  There are too many to list here.  The [person who shall no longer be named] is ihr Anführer.  He wanted to use the violence of those groups espouse for his purposes.  We witnessed the culmination on the 6th of January.  The [person who shall no longer be named] believed he would need their violence; he used it on the 6th.

Governor DeWine has been and remains a refreshing and encouraging island in a sea of disappointment and disgust.  I hope and trust Governor DeWine will use the full weight of the state against those groups that contaminate your state and this once grand republic.  The time of tolerance is over.

 

A contribution from an Italian friend and former colleague of mine:

“Large part of we, European people, think new USA President is an honorable person and will try to re-compact/unify your great Country in this historical dramatic times.”

My reply:

Thank you for your very kind and generous words regarding our new president.  I agree with you 100%; he is an honorable and big-hearted man with considerable experience. After four (4) tragic years, President Biden is a renewing hope.  While we must remember history, I would prefer to forget the man who used to be our president.  As a proud American citizen, I apologize to the world for what that man did to our friends and allies.  Yes, I have high hopes for a better tomorrow.

 

            Mvery best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                        :-)

18 January 2021

Update no.992

Update from the Sunland

No.992

11.1.21 – 17.1.21

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

 

            To all,

 

To be crystal clear, insurrection is defined as:

Merriam-Webster Dictionary = an act or instance of revolting against civil authority or an established government

Dictionary.com = an act or instance of rising in revolt, rebellion, or resistance against civil authority or an established government.

Cambridge English Dictionary = an organized attempt by a group of people to defeat their government and take control of their country, usually by violence.

Legal Dictionary, The Free Dictionary = a rising or rebellion of citizens against their government, usually manifested by acts of violence.

Collins Dictionary = violent action that is taken by a large group of people against the rulers of their country, usually in order to remove them from office.

Vocabulary.com = organized opposition to authority; a conflict in which one faction tries to wrest control from another.

American College Dictionary = 1. act of rising in arms or open resistance against civil of established authority.  2. a revolt.

I could continue, but I do believe the consistent thread is quite apparent.

Under federal law, it is a crime to incite, assist, or engage in such conduct against the United States.  The relevant section is:

18 U.S.C. §2383 - Rebellion or insurrection:

Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.

The true believers will defend the [person who shall no longer be named; Perpetrator No.1] regardless of the Constitution or the law.  It is up to the rest of us to enforce the definition of “incitement of insurrection.”  To me, there is no doubt whatsoever.  Nonetheless, I do not hold a seat in the Senate, so I have no vote.

 

            The follow-up news items:

-- In my listing of the enablers of the [person who shall no longer be named] who revved up the mob at the SAVE AMERICA MARCH rally on the 6th of January [991], I left off one notable individual—Representative Morris Jackson ‘Mo’ Brooks Jr. of Alabama.  He is included now, and I might add Brooks and his actions are under investigation by the FBI and Capitol Police.

-- In the prompt effort to hold the [person who shall no longer be named; Perpetrator No.1] accountable for his incitement to insurrection [991], the House of Representatives introduced, debated, and passed H.Res.21 - Calling on Vice President Michael R. Pence to convene and mobilize the principal officers of the executive departments of the Cabinet to activate section 4 of the 25th Amendment to declare President Donald J. Trump incapable of executing the duties of his office and to immediately exercise powers as acting President.  The House vote concluded on 12.January.2021, at 23:24 [R] EST—House: 223-205-0-5(2).  Five representatives chose not to vote—all Republicans.  One Republican representative voted in favor of the resolution—Representative Adam Daniel Kinzinger of Illinois.  Vice President Pence reportedly considered the House resolution but apparently believed it was not the appropriate path.

-- Further, to be crystal clear, the final, official, challenged, validated, and certified 2020 election results [982 & sub] were:

                        Electoral

Candidate       College   Vote %  Vote count  the math

Joseph Biden   306          51.4%   81,283,485  +7,059,741

Donald Trump  232          46.9%   74,223,744

There is NO doubt whatsoever that Joe Biden soundly defeated the [person who shall no longer be named].  The results were challenged in 60+ court cases; all failed to even reach the probable cause threshold (that reality alone speaks volumes).  Unfortunately, and regrettably, the malignant narcissism of the [person who shall no longer be named] prohibits him from recognizing or acknowledging reality and the truth.  Worse, his illness compels him to pollute and contaminate the minds of all those who have willingly consumed his toxic snake-oil elixir; they actually believe, truly and deeply believe him.  That simple, direct reality led to the tragedy we witnessed on the 6th of January.  As a consequence, this true-believer situation persists to this very day and likely will for quite some time to come.

 

Here we go again.

When the vice president rejected House Resolution 21 (above), the House of Representatives proceeded with impeachment.  On Wednesday, 13.January.2021, the House introduced, debated and voted on one (1) article of impeachment—incitement of insurrection (H.Res.24).  The vote was: House: 232-197-0-4(2).  Ten (10) Republican representatives voted in favor of impeachment: 

Elizabeth Lynne ‘Liz’ Cheney of Wyoming (House Republican Conference Chair and daughter of former Vice President Cheney), 

Anthony E. ‘Tony’ Gonzalez of Ohio,

Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington,

John Michael Katko of New York,

Adam Daniel Kinzinger of Illinois,

Peter James Meijer of Michigan,

Daniel Milton ‘Dan’ Newhouse of Washington,

Hugh Thompson ‘Tom’ Rice Jr. of South Carolina,

Frederick Stephen ‘Fred’ Upton of Michigan,

David Goncalves Valadao of California.

The four (4) who chose not to vote were all Republicans.

The [person who shall no longer be named; Perpetrator No.1] gained a genuine first for the history books (rather than his false proclamations).  He is the first president in the history of mankind to be impeached twice.  Senator McConnell, the outgoing majority leader, refused to call the Senate back into session to consider H.Res.24, which de factokicked the can of the president’s trial to the new Senate.  As yet, there have been no clear indications when the Senate will take up the trial.

The [person who shall no longer be named] had his constitutionally protected time to contest the election.  He did so more than 60 times in courts across the country.  He failed on every single challenge in a court of law before a judge; they never achieved the probable cause threshold.  But that was not enough for him.  No, he chose to mobilize his militia army to storm the Capitol Building while Congress was performing its constitutionally mandated duties.  He sought insurrection.  What he could not accomplish in court he chose to attempt by force of arms.  If he had kept the mob at the rally and disbanded them when the speeches were concluded, he would not be in the trouble he is now.  That was not to be.  No, he ordered them (not him, of course; he never does anything that take courage) to march on the Capitol Building on that particular Wednesday.  It was a deliberate act—unleash the mob to attempt what he could not do legally.  Yes, incitement of insurrection is valid and quite appropriate.

By the arguments of the BICP members, Kanzler Adolf Hitler committed no crimes.  He did not pull the trigger.  He did not order people to commit crimes.  No, his words alone convinced his minions to kill more than 20,000,000 innocent non-combatant people.  What the [person who shall no longer be named] did was no different.  The BICP members are correct, the [person who shall no longer be named], like his predecessor idol, did not pull the trigger.  However, there should be no doubt that the [person who shall no longer be named] has nurtured his relationship with the right-wing militia groups like the Proud Boys, the KKK, Sovereign Citizens, the Aryan Nation, and all the other white supremacist, racist, xenophobic groups among us.  He has been nurturing his support for those groups [I refuse to regurgitate his long history; no reason to believe me anyway; you could start with Charlottesville (12.8.2017)] as much to inspire and encourage them, and as he said in public, “Stand back and standby.”  In essence, he wanted to reserve their violence until he really needed them.  That moment came on Wednesday, 6.January.2021—his last ditch convulsive reaction.  He unleashed the mob as cover for the assault force, and the assailants did not disappoint their Führer . . . well, other than they failed to overthrow the government or decertify the 2020 election results.  To the charge of incitement, it does not matter whether he was directly knowledgeable of the assault force.  Ignorance is no defense.  We have too many examples of protests and mobs degenerating into riots.  What is dramatically different with the 6th of January event is, there was a significant portion of that mob that had planned, prepared, and executed their scheme to disrupt the election certification process at the behest of the [person who shall no longer be named].

The 1st Amendment freedom of speech has its limitations as interpreted by the U.S. Supreme Court.  No one can shout FIRE! in a crowded theater, and then claim he was only kidding, or he never intended for people to panic.  I believe the evidence shows the intentions and objectives of the [person who shall no longer be named].  Whether he intended for his followers to commit the direct acts of insurrection is a judgement each of us can make based on the publicly available evidenced (his direct words).  What he cannot do is claim that he never intended to the outcome of his inciteful words.  He cannot claim he was just a common citizen exercising his individual freedom of speech.  No, he was the duly elected president; his words alone have serious consequences.

You know, if the [person who shall no longer be named] had just let their assembly, demonstration and protest speak at the Ellipse, he would not be in the position he is in from a week ago Wednesday.  No, he ordered his believers to march on Capitol Hill.  From that moment, he took responsibility for what that mob did.   No, we have more than sufficient evidence.  We do not need more.  There is more without a doubt, but we have more than enough.  Yes, the [person who shall no longer be named; Perpetrator No.1] is guilty of inciting insurrection; he deserves to be convicted by Senate trial, denied the benefits of former presidents, and prohibited from holding any other public office—local, state or federal.  And then, he further deserves to be charged, tried, convicted, and sent to prison for his crimes.

 

Many believers, supporters, and justifiers of the [person who shall no longer be named] like to say is, look at all he has done.  Yes, we should, just as we should with Kanzler Adolf Hitler.  After all, he built the structure of the autobahn—the first high quality, national highway system in the world.  He made the trains run on time.  He stimulated science and engineering to achieve multitudinous significant advancements that serve mankind to this day.  Do all his accomplishments justify what he inflicted upon humanity?  I suppose the answer depends upon perspective.  If you believe Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, dissenters, and common citizens who do not support your political ideology are vermin to be exterminated, then I guess the ends justify the means.  I was effectively taught as a midshipman and young lieutenant of Marines that there are rules of warfare and such a thing as proper conduct in combat, as hard as that concept may be to embrace or accept.  The ends do NOT justify the means!  Hitler deserves our resounding condemnation and history’s contempt, just as the [person who shall no longer be named] shall be condemn for history.  The good he has done is NOT and can NEVER be rationale for the abysmal conduct, behavior, and performance of the [person who shall no longer be named] over the last four (4) years.

 

Several of the assault force inside the Capitol Building screamed, “This is our house,” as rationale for their violence.  To those who espouse that argument, NO!  It is not your house, you ignorant idiots.  The building belongs to We, the People . . . to all of us, including me.  Most of us condemn what you did on the 6th.  We, the People, did not sanction that assault on the People’s house.

For all the followers, believers, and adherents who chose to believe in the [person who shall no longer be named], I offer my sincere condolences.  He has proven himself so bloody unworthy of your faith in him.  It has to be very painful.  I am sorry he has lied to you so well that you actually believe his lies as truth.  The right-wing militias are using the [person who shall no longer be named] as their cover for their promised rebellion.  So it is, so it shall be.  Let them come.  Easier to deal with their malignant thinking out in the open.

It is really rich that BICP members after supporting, condoning, defending and encouraging the conduct of the [person who shall no longer be named], now demand unity and coming together.  I say, NO!  The BICP enabled criminal conduct.  He was not, is not, and never will be above the law.  They cannot or should not stand behind unity when the [person who shall no longer be named] did what he did to this country.  Congress absolutely must make a clear, strong statement of acceptable or tolerable conduct by the soon to be former POTUS and for all future presidents.  His conduct was reprehensible and criminal.  It cannot be just pasted over.  We are at a moment in history and the peg must be driven deep.  What he did cannot be tolerable ever again.  So to the BICP members, screw your unity.  You did not give a crap about unity for four (4) years.  That argument of yours in moot and rejected.  Wannabe dictators are no longer welcome in this once grand republic.

 

A friend, contributor, and brother-in-arms sent along the following message and attachment for our information:

“This is too good to not share.

“I am impressed by the thoroughness of this timely informative message and the apparent sincerity of its author.  You are well aware of most if not all of its content, but you may differ in your level of concern about some of its implications or may have reasons for doubting the author himself.  I am content to accept his claim of true patriotic motives.

“It is indeed lengthy, but it is worth reading carefully to the end (15-20 minutes?), even if you are already informed of all or most of the facts, as I suspect you are.  Of course, you are busily doing your best to share similarly important concerns via your blog.  This author, of course, is still in the public arena and, therefore, is more careful to avoid inflammatory language.

“I had heard, by way of difficult search of media accounts, of most but NOT ALL of the events described in this comprehensive letter.  I had to read some of it twice, even though most of it is well stated and only a few sentences are obviously grammatically flawed.

“If I had speed-read it, as is my habit and perhaps yours in order to cover the mass of information available to any interested patriot, I would have skipped over some items thinking I had already heard about them.  This would have been a mistake, and I hope you do not make it.

“I remain thankful for your ongoing unselfish dedication to truth and willingness to try carefully to convey it.  I hope at least some of this will confirm your suspicions that there are some other patriots out there still willing to adhere to constitutional means for addressing problems while also learning from history and trying to teach the rest of us.

“P.S.: Let's get busy finding a leader for a conservative government better than the presently dangerous Democrats and obsolete Repandercrats, if we must continue to suffer under party rule.

“BUT PLEASE DON'T LET THIS PARTING COMMENT JADE YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF MY SINCERE SUGGESTIONS ABOVE!”

For those who wish to read Senator Langford’s words (and I do urge everyone to read them), I offer the URL for his entire letter.

https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/view_newsletter.aspx?id=2133857&c=JLankford

My response:

Thank you for your kind and generous words, and forwarding Senator Langford’s 7.January.2021 letter.  It was too long for inclusion in the Update, but I have included a URL to the full letter for others.  Yes, most of it is a rehash of public information; however, he did induce me to read the Electoral Count Act of 1887 [PL 49–90; 24 Stat. 373], so I learned more.  Amid his extensive words, I have a couple of salient and arguable observations.

To be blunt, the notional election commission 10-day review of state results of which he espoused is, frankly, a joke.  To be clear, I support an election commission, but it must be a comprehensive review on the scale of the Roberts Commission (Pearl Harbor) or the 9/11 Commission.  If Congress wanted an election commission, the time to institute such a process was November, NOT January.  To me, it was just another lame BICP attempt to delay or negate the outcome.

Next, QAnon imaginings and accusations are NOT evidence of fraud or any other illegality beyond just wild conspiracy nightmares.  I have heard some of Langford’s accusations many times before his rendition, and yet, like all the previous versions, he offered not one scintilla of evidence.  The time to challenge the election results were in November & December (until the 8th) as provided by the Constitution and law.  They did just that and failed on every attempt.

I did not like the results of the 2016 election, because my life experience told me that when a man with his faults wields powerful instruments, very bad things happen.  History has vindicated my experience in spades.  Nonetheless, I accepted his election by the proper exercise of the constitutional process.  In the same fashion, I accept the results of the 2020 election.  I urge you and every American citizen to do the same.  I’m not asking anyone to like the results, but we must accept them.

Re: election reform.  As I have long written and believe, I see the wisdom of the Constitution.  I am not in favor of a constitutional amendment to eliminate the Electoral College or amend the presidential election process.  However, reforms (improvements) can and should be made; perhaps federal standards for the states to use, or a federal process certification of the state processes including machine validation, would be useful.  There are many.  Invalidating selective results from the 2020 elections is NOT one of those reforms.

Lastly, to your postscript, if by “conservative government” you mean the imposition of conservative values, principles, morals and beliefs on all citizens, you will find considerable resistance from me.  This Republican notion of the villainous “socialist nation” is illogical, irrational, two-faced, hypocritical, and otherwise a really bad idea.  What the Republicans mean is corporate socialism is great and perfectly acceptable, but individual socialism is a Satanic evil.  As long as Republicans persist in their penchant for moral projection and outright hypocrisy, they shall have me as an adversary.

 

            Comments and contributions from Update no.991:

“Thanks Cap-my God what an edition.  Let us trust that once justice has prevailed your country and your people will again rise and shine the bright light of democracy to the world.  Rest assured my friend, it will happen.  Have faith in the future.”

My reply:

“Time shall tell the tale, my friend.”

 

Comment to the Blog:

“I need a name for each character.  I have been calling the central subject of your writing The Chump.  I tire of that, so I'll borrow a term from addiction studies and call him/it King Baby.

“Babies go through a stage of expressing their frustration via destruction.  So it is with King Baby.  That excuses nothing, but it explains much.

“One reason the realm of addiction studies relates to our national situation is that King Baby and his followers have many of the qualities found in families of alcoholism.  One of those traits is blind, unreasoning loyalty to dead or defeated (fired, imprisoned, disgraced) loved ones.

“I share with many others concern about the difference between the police response to the Proud Boys and their kind versus police responses to virtually any minority or ‘outsider’ protest.”

My response to the Blog:

Call him whatever you will.  He deserves no respect as he has repeatedly defecated in the office he was elected to hold.  He would probably like that moniker; he has always sought the title of king or dictator-for-life.  He never respected the title of POTUS.

Yes, he has a long history of acting exactly like a tempestuous infant or toddler—well documented and exhausting.

Good and accurate observations regarding the application of traits of addiction to the followers of the [person who shall no longer be named].  Those traits are not easily broken.

I join you in that outrage.  What exactly happened a week ago is still reaching the antiseptic light of day.  The exact sequence of police command is yet to be fully known, but early reports indicate the Capitol Police command recognized what was beginning to play out and requested the assistance of the DC Metropolitan Police and the DC National Guard.  Governors in both Maryland and Virginia mobilized their National Guard units.  But, the authorization to deploy the National Guard was withheld by the [person who shall no longer be named] because he was so absorbed watching his Proud Boys army do their dastardly deeds on Capitol Hill that he could not be bothered with authorizing the deployment of the National Guard for six hours.  The timeline and association with events on Capitol Hill will be fully known eventually, but at the moment, it does not look pretty for the [person who shall no longer be named].  That despicable man had no problem deploying the military when he wanted a photo-op holding a Bible upside-down at a nearby historic church.

 

Another contribution:

“I share your sentiments fully!!  Well stated.

“One very minor technical clarification.  Since David Perdue was defeated in the GA runoff, he is not part of the new Congress.  His successor’s election victory has yet to be certified so.  Hold not vote.  Kelly Loeffler was appointed to fill a term that has not expired and is part of the new Congress and therefore was eligible to vote until the runoff election result is certified.”

 . . . to which the contributor added:

“Re-reading my email...auto correct strikes again!!  Don’t remember exactly what I said where it reads “...so. Hold...” but the bottom line is that there are only 99 senators until runoff elections in GA are certified.”

My reply:

I must confess I do not know that level of subtlety to the law, and I do not have sufficient capacity to research the applicable law.  Thus, I shall accept your explanation as-is.  I stand corrected.

 

A different contribution:

“‘morning Cap, do you know over all the time we have corresponded, and it is quite a while, we have never gone through such a grave period as this.

“It’s quite enough with Covid raging war on humanity and now you our friends, colleagues and allies are entering a very important phase in your democratic future.  You know in the U/K the freedom to carry or even own arms is utterly forbidden, not just here but in a great many other countries.  Don’t you believe the time will have to come when the same rules will apply to your democracy.  If you are to avoid extremists from causing mayhem and murder this has to be the answer.

“One piece of very small but encouraging news this side is in our county where the rate of Covid infected individuals is very slowly on the decline. Early days yet but heartening to us all.”

My response:

Your observation is spot on, brother.  I have to have faith that we shall overcome . . . even though my current mood holds this once grand republic is not so grand at the moment.

The heritage of England and the United Kingdom is quite different from the United States of America.  I understand and appreciate your observations regarding firearms.  I share your revulsion regarding the consequences of firearm violence.  However, I cannot imagine such a consensus evolving in this republic in that respect.  I do believe we will eventually achieve appropriate firearms regulation to keep weapons out of the hands of people likely to execute acts of violence, but I cannot see it becoming a general prohibition.

From my observation point, I think the prime minister did what had to be done.  Our handling of the COVID19 pandemic will likely be recorded as a worldwide example of how NOT to perform in future pandemic events.  The conduct and performance of the U.S. Government in the last year is abysmal, embarrassing, and in fact deplorable.  We can only hope the new administration performs orders of magnitude better than the last one.

 

            My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                  :-) 

11 January 2021

Update no.991

 Update from the Sunland

No.991

4.1.21 – 10.1.21

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

 

            To all,

 

I sensed that things were going to get much worse this week [990].  I had no imagination that it would turn into the shitshow that it did.  Just to put the events of Wednesday in perspective, let us put some things in proper order.

{A relevant FYI is important here.  The man (at least I think he is a man) who was known at one time as the president of the United States of America and was also been known on occasion in this forum as the Oh So Great Orange One (OSGOO) [sarcasm not in words], and eventually the Bully-in-Chief (BIC), has sacrificed any vestige of dignity he had remaining.  Henceforth, that man will only be referred to as the [person who shall no longer be named]; he no longer deserves even the moniker of the BIC.}

On 29.September.2020, during the campaign, the [person who shall no longer be named] commanded his contaminated army:
Proud Boys, stand back and standby.”

On 18.December.2020, the [person who shall no longer be named] tweeted:

Peter Navarro releases 36-page report alleging election fraud 'more than sufficient' to swing victory to Trump https://washex.am/3nwaBCe. A great report by Peter. Statistically impossible to have lost the 2020 Election. Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!

This claim about election fraud is disputed

11:42 PM · Dec 18, 2020

[Emphasis by the host.]

On 20.December.2020, he tweeted:

Big protest in DC on January 6th.  Be there, will be wild!

Dec 20, 2020
[Emphasis mine.]

On 30.December.2020, he tweeted:

JANUARY SIXTH, SEE YOU IN DC!

Dec 30, 2020
[Capitalization by the originator.]

On 5.January.2021, he tweeted:

I will be speaking at the SAVE AMERICA RALLY tomorrow on the Ellipse at 11AM Eastern. Arrive early — doors open at 7AM Eastern. BIG CROWDS!

3:43 PM · Jan 5, 2021
[Capitalization by the originator.]

The above tweets from the [person who shall no longer be named] should be sufficient to establish that what happened Wednesday morning was not some impromptu political protest rally.  It was precisely and exactly as it appears to be—a direct, well-planned event intended to gather and incite his followers to action.

The speaker’s stage was located on the Ellipse in Washington with the White House as a backdrop and resplendent with waving American flags along with big signs and banners declaring SAVE AMERICA MARCH.  The whole purpose from the get-go of this event was to march on the Capitol Building while Congress was in session, but more specifically when they were counting the Electoral College ballots, with illusions of the storming of the Bastille [14.7.1789] dancing in their heads.  This was organized, designed and intended to do just what happened on Wednesday afternoon in our nation’s capitol.  The speakers at the rally were:

-- Katrina Lanette Pierson née Shaddix of Texas

-- Amy Leigh Kramer of Colorado

-- Georgia State Representative Vernon Jones

-- Texas Attorney General Warren Kenneth ‘Ken’ Paxton Jr.

-- Texas State Senator Angela Paxton

-- Eric Frederick [no name]

-- Lara Lea [no name] née Yunaska (wife of scion Eric)

-- Kimberly Ann Guilfoyle (bed partner of Jr.)

-- Donald John [no name], Junior

-- U.S. Representative David Madison Cawthorne of North Carolina

-- Rudolph William Louis ‘Rudi’ Giuliani of New York

-- Professor John C. Eastman of Chapman University School of Law

-- [person who shall no longer be named—AKA Perpetrator No.1]

Remember these names; they are co-conspirators and accomplices.  They stoked the mob that provided cover for the assault force of the insurrection that temporarily occupied and trashed the Capitol Building.  I choose not to repeat the vitriolic drivel of the spawn.  [FYI: Tiffany had the presence of mind to avoid this affair, or perhaps, she was not invited; Melania & Baron were nowhere in sight.] At the very same rally, the personal lawyer of the [person who shall no longer be named] extolled the attendees at the rally, 

"If we're wrong we will be made fools of, but if we're right a lot of them will go to jail.  Let's have trial by combat.”
[Emphasis mine.]

How do you think the mindless minions of the [person who shall no longer be named] will take that statement?  The woman shot by Capitol Police was a former Air Force member; she knew precisely what combat means.

The [person who shall no longer be named—Perpetrator No.1], the last to take the stage, spoke for one hour and 14 minutes, after he kept his “people” waiting in the cold for an hour.  His message contains 11,000 plus words (25 pages of his nonsense) spanning over an hour, so I must select a few key sentences.  I am not going to repeat his lies.

All Vice-President Pence has to do is send it back to the States to recertify, and we become president, and you are the happiest people.”

This was only one sentence of many in his speech by which he setup Vice President Pence to be thrown under the bus.  The [person who shall no longer be named—Perpetrator No.1] respects no one and nothing other than himself.

We’re gathered together in the heart of our nation’s Capitol for one very, very basic and simple reason, to save our democracy.”

They’ve used the pandemic as a way of defrauding the people in a proper election.”

After this, we’re going to walk down and I’ll be there with you. We’re going to walk down. We’re going to walk down any one you want, but I think right here. We’re going walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators, and congressmen and women. We’re probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them because you’ll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong.”  [Emphasis mine.]

Did the [person who shall no longer be named—Perpetrator No.1] walk with his “people” to Capitol Hill?  No!  Did he stand with his “people”?  No!  After all, he is a spineless coward and a draft dodger who is perfectly content instigating others to do his wet work, just like Charles Manson, Adolf Hitler, and Joseph Stalin.

I’m going to read you pages [of evidence].”
We’ve amassed overwhelming evidence about a fake election.”

What is your guess?  Did the [person who shall no longer be named] offer us his evidence?  No!  He gave us nothing but hearsay—not one scintilla of evidence.  The U.S. Justice Department investigated and found no substantive evidence of fraud that might have even remotely altered the outcome of the election.  [Just an important FYI here: There are bad people in every election who try to fraudulently vote; most are rejected; some are caught, charged, tried and convicted.  The difference is scale.]  He had over a month with 60+ court cases across the country to present just enough evidence to establish probable cause to gain judicial consent for a trial, but he failed in every single one.  Why?  Because they have nothing but hearsay and conspiracy theories—not evidence.  Just because the [person who shall no longer be named] repeats false claims multitudinous times does not make them facts or evidence.  Courts do not accept such nonsense.  Not one of those cases got passed a preliminary hearing before they were dismissed and thrown out.  The [person who shall no longer be named] could not make his case in court, where rules of evidence preside, so he took to the bully-pulpit to spew his lies.  Unfortunately and regrettably, far too many American citizens actually believe what the man says.  He has a very long history of lies, long before he became POTUS, and he continues to perpetuate those lies, and in this case, using those lies to incite a mob to insurrection.

Shortly before the rally ended, and the mob and assault force moved to Capitol Hill, the joint session of Congress began their constitutionally mandated action to count and record the votes of the Electoral College.  Vice President Pence began opening and announcing the votes.  On the 3rd state, Arizona, Representative Paul Anthony Gosar of Arizona filed a formal motion of Objection to reject the votes of Arizona citizens, including me.  I say, damn him to hell for eternity!  He is not worthy of respect in any form—not for his position, not for his political ideology, not for his person.  My vote matters.  Yours, Gosar, does not.  Damn you!

The two chambers separated to debate the motion of Objection. The [person who shall no longer be named] tweeted:

Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. USA demands the truth!

This claim of election fraud is disputed, and this Tweet can’t be replied to, Retweeted, or liked due to a risk of violence.

12:24 PM · Jan 6, 2021

[Emphasis by the host.]

That tweet was from the person elected to be President of the United States of America, now known as [person who shall no longer be named].  The fact that Twitter had to attached such a warning is a terrible statement.  This is what he has brought to us, to serve his adolescent ego.  Shortly afterward, Rudi Giuliani tweeted:

To all those patriots challenging the fraudulent election, 

POTUS wants you to EXPRESS YOUR OPINION PEACEFULLY,

We are the law and order party,

You are on the right side of the law and history.

Act with respect for all.

12:52 PM · Jan 6, 2021

[Capitalization by the originator.]

Once upon a time, this man was referred to as America’s mayor.  No longer!  How does “express your opinion peacefully” square with “trial by combat”?  The order had been given.  He cannot put the Genie back in the bottle.  Today, he is just another joke of a man who swallowed the magic snake-oil elixir peddled by the [person who shall no longer be named].  The BICP (former GOP) once was but is not now the law and order party; now, they are the insurrection party.

Around the time the two chambers began debating the motion of Objection, the insurrectionists breached the security perimeter, entered the Capitol Building, and began trashing the place.  Both chambers suspended their work and evacuated.

What we witnessed on Wednesday, 6.January.2021, was rebellion.  It was treason.  It was anarchy.  It was insurrection in the truest sense of the word.  This is the [person who shall no longer be named; Perpetrator no.1], and history will mark and remember what happened on this latest day of infamy.

He got what he wanted.  If it would not go his way, he incited his “people” to close down the government.  Well done, asshole!  To all of those who support the [person who shall no longer be named], I hope you are happy.  What a proud day, I say with bitter, sad, disgusted sarcasm!

This is exactly what malignant narcissism can and does do.  Just like Adolf Hitler in 1945, the [person who shall no longer be named] decided to burn the house down rather than respect the will of the People.

To the rest of the world: I encourage everyone who reads these words, and so many more who do not.  This once grand republic is no more.  Turn away from the United States.  We have abdicated our place as a shining light on the hill.  We are no longer to be admired or respected as an example of democracy.

The last time this happened was 24.August.1814, when British regulars burned Washington, DC.  On 1.March.1954, Puerto Rican separatists shot up the House of Representatives, wounding five, but that event was a long way from burning or trashing the Capitol Building.  Yes, to all you [person who shall no longer be named] supporters, I hope you are happy.  I am NOT!  As I watched and listened to these events play out, I feel exactly the same as I did on 11.September.2001—deep gut wrenching nausea.  I will NOT forget.  I have tried to listen to those voices that defend the [person who shall no longer be named]; I am done!  Please do not send me another word.  I do not care to hear another word from or about that despicable man.  There is NO defense.  I do not care how high the Dow Jones Industrial Average goes, or how big your 401K is or will be.  Your personal wealth is not and never was worth the integrity of this once grand republic.

The BICP (former & no more GOP) members incited this violence and anarchy.  Thank you Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Paul Gosar, et al, for showing your true colors.  We have known for years that this is exactly who the [person who shall no longer be named] is, but we expected more of our elected officials.  We clearly know how you are now.  We will NOT forget.

Worse, in that mob of flags was a Confederate flag and a green version of a Nazi battle ensign with some far-right fascist emblem in placed of the hákenkreuz (Nazi swastika).

The Capitol was finally cleared at 17:40 [R] EST.  Four citizens died; the number of dead has grown to six with the suicide of a Capitol Police officer.  Countless others injured.  Over a hundred people have been arrested so far, with more to follow I imagine.  Two pipe bombs and 11 Molotov Cocktail petrol bombs were discovered in the Capitol Building before they could go off or be employed.  Other weapons of insurrection were detected and confiscated.

Where were the patriots in that mob to stand with the Capitol Police to defend the seat of the legislative branch of our government?  Where were the women and men who took an oath of office to support and defend the Constitution {not the [person who shall no longer be named]?}  One of those veterans died when she was shot inside the Capitol Building.  She is not a hero; she is a traitor to her oath of office.

The [person who shall no longer be named] knew exactly and precisely what he was doing when he lit the fire, stoked his minions, and ordered them to go to the Capitol Building to disrupt or stop the constitutionally mandated actions of the day.  The Proud Boys and their like minded “people” did precisely as their leader ordered.  What is even more despicable, the [person who shall no longer be named] proclaimed he would march with them to Capitol Hill.  Did he?  No!  He was just as much of spineless coward as he was in the 1960s when he was a draft dodger.  He is a coward and a traitor.

I stand with General John Francis Kelly, USMC (Ret.), former chief of staff to the [person who shall no longer be named], when he publicly stated, “What happened on Capitol Hill yesterday is a direct result of his poisoning the minds of people with the lies and the fraud.”  The magic snake-oil elixir that the [person who shall no longer be named] has peddled for years is in fact toxic.  His drivel is not some benign, worthless, ineffective, harmless crap; it is TOXIC!  People died on Wednesday.  Our democracy was assaulted by his lies and those who believed those lies.  We bear witness to the consequences of the junk he peddles to susceptible American citizens (and unfortunately, to others around the world)—poisoning minds indeed!

This is NOT the United States of America I served as a proud Marine for 25 years.  Damn the [person who shall no longer be named] to the hell he has created.

 

Circa 17:20 [R] EST, Wednesday, 6.January.2021, after the insurrection had failed, the [person who shall no longer be named] released the following video message.

I know your pain.  I know you’re hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us.  It was a landslide election, and everyone knows it, especially the other side, but you have to go home now. We have to have peace.  We have to have law and order. We have to respect our great people in law and order. We don’t want anybody hurt.  It’s a very tough period of time.  There’s never been a time like this where such a thing happened, where they could take it away from all of us, from me, from you, from our country.  This was a fraudulent election, but we can’t play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace.  So go home.  We love you.  You’re very special. You’ve seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel. But go home and go home at peace.

[Emphasis mine.]

No matter how many times the [person who shall no longer be named] repeats and perpetuates his lies to We, the People, they will never become facts or evidence.  No, this is not going to go down as you hoped and intended.  Henceforth, you will be remembered as the only president in the history of this once grand republic to have incited insurrection against the U.S. Government.  Well done!  Quite apropos, it seems to me.

The sycophant talking head supporters of the [person who shall no longer be named] began immediately to justify their leader’s actions on Wednesday.  They ask, where was the outrage with Black Lives Matter riots last year.  To them I say, the Black Lives Matter protests contain anarchist elements that committed crimes.  To be sure, the majority of the “Save America March” rally participants committed minor crimes of trespass, which a hardcore group used as cover to actually carry out the insurrection invasion of the Capitol Building while Congress was in session.  Whether purposefully or unwittingly, everyone in the whole mob were accomplices to the insurrection.

To my knowledge of history, der Führer Adolf Hitler never killed anyone himself, never pulled the trigger, and yet, he incited his followers to kill more than 20,000,000 people in his name outside of combat.  He committed suicide to avoid justice.

 

Fortunately, while I was on medical appointments Wednesday afternoon, Jeanne took a screen shot of a tweet from the [person who shall no longer be named]:

These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who had been badly & unfairly treat for so long.  Go home with live & in peace.  Remember this day forever.

6:01 PM · Jan 6, 2021

The tweet immediately above was actually removed and restricted by Twitter, so thank you Jeanne.  The social media companies suspended the [person who shall no longer be named] for his outrageous conduct and inciting violence.  By the time I got home, I tried to verify the tweet of the [person who shall no longer be named], but it had already been removed by and from Twitter; so, I am grateful for Jeanne’s presence of mind to take a screen shot before it disappeared.

Oh my, to the [person who shall no longer be named], rest assured, We, the People, will never forget what you have done to this once grand republic.  We will never forget!  This is an event comparable to previous days of infamy—7.December.1941 and 11.September.2001.  The previous two events were foreign enemies.  Today’s event was domestic enemies.  No, we shall never forget what you have done.  We now have a third day of infamy, and the [person who shall no longer be named] shall be recorded as the Perpetrator No.1.  I can only hope and trust the Justice Department will charge, try, convict, and imprison him for the rest of his natural life.

The conspiracists of the day accused Franklin Roosevelt of knowingly looking the other way as warnings of the Japanese attack mounted; they accused him of purposefully seeking the attack to justify going to war.  History and the facts do NOT support such nonsense.  What is different with this 6.January.2021 attack is, the president pulled the trigger himself.  He directly incited his small army to march on the Capitol with the implied purpose of disrupting the constitutionally mandated counting of the Electoral College votes.

{I will note here a personal opinion.  I believe the [person who shall no longer be named] had visions of declaring martial law, suspending the Constitution, and extending his administration “for the good of the people.”  Only one little problem, he now stands accused of inciting insurrection no less serious than Jefferson Davis.}

 

After the Capitol Building was cleared of the invaders, Congress reconvened to continue their constitutional duty through a good portion of the night.

At 23:08 [R] EST, Wednesday, 6.January.2021, On the Objection (Shall the Objection Submitted by the Gentleman from Arizona, Mr. Gosar, and the Senator from Texas, Mr. Cruz, and Others Be Sustained?): Shall the Objection Submitted by the Gentleman from Arizona, Mr. Gosar, and the Senator from Texas, Mr. Cruz, and Others Be Sustained?  Congress voted: Senate: 6-93-0-1(0); House: 121-303-0-7(4).

On the second Objection, at 03:08 [R] EST, Thursday, 7.January.2021, On the Objection (Shall the Objection Submitted by the Gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Perry, and the Senator from Missouri, Mr. Hawley, Be Sustained?): Shall the Objection Submitted by the Gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Perry, and the Senator from Missouri, Mr. Hawley, Be Sustained?  Congress voted: Senate: 7-92-0-1(0); House: 128-282-0-11(4).

The seven (7) BICP senators who joined the insurrection were:

-- Rafael Edward ‘Ted’ Cruz of Texas

-- Joshua David ‘Josh’ Hawley of Missouri

-- Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi

-- Cynthia Marie Lummis Wiederspahn of Wyoming

-- Roger Wayne Marshall of Kansas

-- Richard Lynn ‘Rick’ Scott of Florida

-- Thomas Hawley ‘Tommy’ Tuberville of Alabama

Please do not forget!

Interestingly, out-going, defeated, Senator Loeffler of Georgia, a hardcore QAnon supporter, voted nay.  Perdue was the only senator who did not vote.  At the conclusion, Vice President Pence performed his constitutional duty and declared Biden and Harris duly elected by the Electoral College in accordance with the Constitution.  It is over.

Now, we must endure the dissent of the supporters of the [person who shall no longer be named].  These are the times in which we live.  Life goes on.

Despite the armed insurrection and attempted coup d’état on Wednesday, Congress did its constitutional duty and certified the Electoral College vote.  Joseph R. ‘Joe’ Biden is officially and finally the president-elect and will assume the office at noon EST, Wednesday, 20.Janurary.2021.  The forces that the [person who shall no longer be named] encouraged and cajoled to do his dirty work, his wet work, are still circulating among us.  The work to punish the insurrectionists and expunge that element from this once grand republic must go on as relentlessly as we pursued the jihadists that perpetrated and carried out the 11.September.2001 attacks.  Justice must be served.

 

confess to feeling a fair amount of empathy for those good American citizens who placed so much faith and hope in the man they believed would cure our political maladies.  I have family and friends who are in that group of citizens.  They are also equally disappointed and disgusted by what happened on Wednesday.  The [person who shall no longer be named] failed you and failed all of us.  I am sorry for your pain, but as Sir Winston Churchill so eloquently observed, “. . . pain brings attention to an unhealthy state of things.”  I have to believe, or rather I want to believe, that this terrible time will pass into the history books.  Life will go on.

 

For all I have rightly maligned Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky over the years, I must acknowledge and give him appropriate recognition for his efforts on the floor of the Senate to avoid what happened on Wednesday.  The forces of the [person who shall no longer be named] Proud Boys army would not be deterred from their efforts to serve their master.  Thank you, Mitch, for doing the right thing, although it was woefully late; you finally stood up to the insanity that has abducted your once grand old party.  I hope you never again hold the mantle of power you have abused for so long, but I am grateful for your words of defiance against the mindlessness of the [person who shall no longer be named].

 

My personal message to the [person who shall no longer be named]:

Please leave the White House.  Please go play golf all day, every day; I strongly encourage you to do so.  We do not need another word of any kind, in any form, from you ever again for the rest of your natural life.  Enjoy your golf until the FBI comes to arrest you for inciting insurrection.  Justice will come for you and your equally malignant family.  To quote Oliver Cromwell, “In the name of God, go!” [20.April.1653]

 

For a change of pace during this week of turmoil, pain and tragedy, a friend and frequent contributor sent along this missive:

“Here's a short explanation of what ‘legalization’ means versus ‘decriminalization’ in sex work.  This comes from a sex worker called Mistress Matisse I follow on Twitter.  (I couldn't figure out how to send it directly.)

“Sexworkers want our jobs DECRIMINALIZED, not LEGALIZED. Why? Legalization means sexwork STAYS a crime, but state creates loopholes *only for rich business owners*, not workers. Decriminalization means: removal of all criminal penalties for one-to-one exchange of sex for money.”
[Emphasis by the originator.]

 . . . to which I responded:

I am not seeing her point.  “Legalization” means to make legal, to give legal validity or sanction to the object.  I am not seeing the subtlety by which she claims it “STAYS a crime.”

Especially with prostitution or sex work in the larger context, the issue is far bigger than just decriminalization or legalization.  I am not a fan or supporter of either, although as half-steps, that is better than leaving prostitution a crime.  It should have never been a crime—classic moral projection and a direct insult to our precious freedom of choice.  I advocate for the whole enchilada—full reform.  I want repeal of all anti-prostitution laws and passage of positive legislation to protect sex workers and their customers to include professional regulation like doctors, lawyers, nurses, and even barbers and plumbers, et al.  We must license and recognize legal certified sex workers to break the chain of criminal subculture activities, e.g., coercion, forced, sex trafficking, et al.

 . . . with this follow-up comment:

“Her point is that the ‘professional regulation’ you speak of will inevitably be colored by the same attitudes and angles that apply to sex work today.”

 . . . along with my follow-up response:

If that is her point, I do not see that as any different from all the other laws we have.  As long as bureaucrats, law enforcement, prosecutors, judges and juries are allowed to impart their morality on interpretation of the law as applied to individuals, we will continue to suffer that phenomenon.  As Justice Marshall wrote in McCulloch v. Maryland [17 U.S. {4 Wheat.} 316 (1819)] [416], “[T]he power to tax involves the power to destroy.”  The exact same power applies to all laws, as it would be in sex work regulation.  If we allow a staunchly social conservative zealot to administer a set of sex work regulations without supervision or checks & balances, then they would have the power to destroy the purpose of the regulation.  The very same phenomenon applies to all morality-based law and regulation.  We must start somewhere with decriminalization of sex work, psychotropic substance consumption, body privacy, and all the other invasions we have allowed on our freedom of choice and fundamental right to privacy.  One day, We, the People, will reclaim our most fundamental rights.

 

A related foreign observation:

“Who really holds the power in the U.S.?

Disunited States of America

“Policy shaping daily life in the U.S. is less about who’s president than who controls the government of each of its 50 states. Their laws are as important as federal law.”

by Richard Keiser

Le Monde diplomatique

Published: January 2021

https://mondediplo.com/2021/01/12usa

This is how our Allies see us now.  Is this really the image we want the world to hold of the United States of America and our 250 years of history?  As for me, no, this is not the United States I know and love.

 

God bless the voting residents of Georgia.  Raphael Gamaliel Warnock and Thomas Jonathan ‘Jon’ Ossoff were duly elected in the Georgia runoff election of Tuesday, 5.January.2021, per Georgia law.  The Senate will now be evenly split, 50-50, which in turn means that Vice President-elect Harris will cast the deciding vote if there is a tie on any vote, and most importantly, Mitch McConnell will no longer be the majority leader.

 

Just a simple personal note to close this week’s edition, I am fortunate that I enjoy writing so much, and I am able to lose myself in the characters and stories from the anarchy of this week.  It is a blessing to forget about today and immerse myself in yesterday or tomorrow.  I am putting the finishing touches on my manuscript submittal package to the publisher for my 19th book and 9th book of my To So Few series of historical novels [hopefully, To So Few – Struggle will be published later this year].  Next, I must complete the revisions demanded by the publisher of my manuscript provisionally titled: Indulgence (formerly titled Heaven on Earth); I expect to complete that work in a few months.  I might get everything done for the book to be published late this year.  I am also working on completing outlines for three new projects including the 10th book of the To So Few series, the 3rd book of the Anod series of science fiction novels, and an historical fiction Wild Wild West novel set in the 1870s.  I am blessed to have these distractions from the turmoil of today.  My writing continues.

 

            Comments and contributions from Update no.990:

Comment to the Blog:

“Rather than discuss that narcissist, I’ll just note that since the election, we’re seeing Democrats vote with Republicans on things Republicans want.  Nothing to see here folks, just go look at the crazy guy.

“Your other correspondent seems to have both bad information and rash assumptions.  ‘Working-class’ describes the source of income rather than the amount.  You updated him on the bill.  If he’s in the very common situation he describes, the $600 won’t do him much good.  It’s mostly gone from my account already.”

My response to the Blog:

I have a modestly different take on the bipartisanship we have seen since the election.  The items they are voting on are wanted by all political types, or at least the majority, even overriding the BIC.

That was the point of my correction.  Not everyone who reads or participates in the Update forum are political wonks.  The US$600 is certainly not enough to help most citizens, but as we’ve agreed earlier, something is better than nothing.

Today, we get the Georgia run-off election results (hopefully).  The BIC is no longer even trying to mask his election corruption activities—a major sign of desperation.  I eagerly await the day when he is out of office and no longer protected by qualified immunity.

 . . . follow-up comment:

“‘All political types’ don't want the bloated Defense budget, and my political type don't want Nancy Pelosi.  The DNC Democrats don't mind, but they're a long way from all political types.”

 . . . my follow-up response:

            Those voting against the NDAA veto override were interesting—Sanders, Cruz, Warren, Lee . . . a total of 13 senators; 6 others chose or were unable to vote—Graham, Sasse, Jones, Loeffler, Perdue, Gardner.  That is quite a mix.  Yet, 81 voted to override.  In the House, 322 voted to override with 291 required to override.  AOC & Omar voted against override.  With those numbers, it is hard to consistency of political purpose.  We can certainly argue the size of the Defense budget.  OK, that said, I acknowledge that I overstated with my use of the modifier “all,” since not all political types are represented in Congress, e.g., no Greens, no Libertarians.  Please accept my concession.

 

            My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)