Some Thoughts on CPAC 2022
February 28, 2022
Has our education system failed us?
Over the past 3 decades, the U.S. has slowly lost its edge as the world leader in public education. U.S. student proficiency in science and math – generally thought to be the foundation for independent and critical thinking – is mediocre, at best.
In a recent international comparison of achievement among 15 year old students from 71 countries, U.S. students ranked 36th in math, and 24th in science.
Some of these students — who have already been denied a rigorous education – are most vulnerable to inculcation and indoctrination.
Thus, it should come as no surprise that young adults who lack independent and/or critical thinking skills are likely to become the next generation of CPAC attendees.
Donald Trump is an expert communicator, highly skilled in techniques which are frequently cited by experts in mind control.
Trump focuses on a small number of issues which are emotionally important to a narrow group of people who feel lost or disenfranchised.
His communications are intended to provide understanding, comfort and answers to his audience, thus to gain their trust, despite often vague solutions to the identified problems. Here are a few actual and verified Trump communiques (in no particular chronological order) which may have helped rally and solidify his audience:
- “I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters.”
- “I am the only one who can make America truly great again.”
- “This very expensive GLOBAL WARMING bullshit has got to stop. Our planet is freezing, record low temps, and our GW scientists are stuck in ice.”
- “I’m intelligent. Some people would say I’m very, very, very intelligent.”
- “Sorry losers and haters, but my IQ is one of the highest – and you all know it! Please don’t feel so stupid or insecure; it’s not your fault.”
- “We need a president with tremendous intelligence, smarts, cunning, strength and stamina.”
- “Obama and his attack dogs have nothing but hate and anger in their hearts and spew it whenever possible.”
- “I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.”
- “I’m the least racist person you have ever interviewed.”
- “I have a great relationship with African Americans, as you possibly have heard. I just have great respect for them. And they like me. I like them.”
- “They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
- “[John McCain is]… not a war hero. He’s a war hero – he’s a war hero ’cause he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured, OK, I hate to tell you.”
- “Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what the hell is going on.”
- “Crooked Hillary Clinton is the worst (and biggest) loser of all time. She just can’t stop, which is so good for the Republican Party. Hillary, get on with your life and give it another try in 3 years!”
- “Russia will have much greater respect for our country when I am leading it than when other people have led it… If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability, because we have a horrible relationship with Russia.”
- “Nobody knew health care could be so complicated.”
- “We can’t let people down when they can’t get any medical care, when they’re sick and don’t have money to go to a doctor. You help them.”
- “We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides. On many sides.” [post-Charlottesville, VA; 2017].
- “Corporations are literally going wild over this, I think even beyond my expectations.” [Tax Cuts and Jobs Act; 2017]
- “We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China. It’s going to be just fine.” [Re: Covid-19: Jan. 2020]
- “We are up BIG, but they are trying to STEAL the Election. We will never let them do it. Votes cannot be cast after the Polls are closed!”
- “So, look, all I want to do, is I want to find 11,780 votes.”
- “We fight like hell. And if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”
- “This election was rigged. And the Supreme Court and other courts didn’t want to do anything about it.”
- “Nobody has done more for Christianity or for evangelicals — or for religion itself — than I have.”
- “They say, ‘Trump said Putin’s smart.’ I mean, he’s taking over a country for two dollars’ worth of sanctions. I’d say that’s pretty smart. He’s taking over a country — really a vast, vast location, a great piece of land with a lot of people, and just walking right in.”
- “As grave as the dangers are abroad, it’s the destruction within that spells our doom. Our most dangerous people are people from within. These are people that must hate our country because they make us weak. They indoctrinate your children to hate their parents while calling you a hateful racist. They use big tech to censor you. They use the deep state to spy on you. They use the intelligence agencies to frame you. They use the media to slander you. They use the legal system to persecute you. It is a persecution. They use rigged elections to disenfranchise you and destroy you and ruin your lives.”
Yes, Mr. Trump. If we follow your lead, we must fear the left-wing fascists and dumb political leaders from within. Some have said that these dumb political leaders are ‘truly evil people’ who are ‘afraid to do the right thing.’
Meanwhile, others have singled out a contingent of Republican elected officials – including: Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida; Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee; Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana; Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma; Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida; former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas; Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio; Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, and several more.
Concurrent with the CPAC conference, Rep. Greene distinguished herself as a speaker at a white supremacist event — the America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC) – also held in Florida.
Guests at the AFPAC conference openly cheered Russian President Vladimir Putin, and approved comparisons between Putin and Adolf Hitler, while calling the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol “awesome.”
Despite a subsequent statement from the RNC Chairwoman saying “white supremacy, neo-Nazism, hate speech and bigotry are disgusting and do not have a home in the Republican Party,” there was no rebuke of Marjorie Taylor Greene by name.
Yes, Mr. Trump. There may be some left-wing fascists and dumb political leaders who were elected as Democrats. If you could take just a moment to identify them and accurately describe their aberrant behavior(s), that would really be great.
Yet, we have irrefutable media evidence of public officials who were elected as Republicans and who have gone out of their way to favor Mr. Putin over our elected president.
Best I know: This is clear essence of sedition, perhaps emanating a whiff of treason.
Perhaps, Mr. Trump, you will take a few moments to respond to these conclusions drawn from real facts?
More on: Restricting Women’s Rights
February 2, 2022
It’s no secret that open access to comprehensive reproductive rights – including birth control and abortion – has evolved into an extremely acrimonious and hostile issue across American society.
The 1st amendment to the U.S. Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” When people bring their personal religious beliefs or values into any public debate, they risk imposing unwanted or restrictive religious practices and beliefs on others who have the right to pursue their own – but different — beliefs or practices.
I have no interest in debating religious or cultural positions on contraception or abortion. My interest is to encourage a deep look into how and when restricting open access to comprehensive reproductive health care services becomes an economic and human rights issue. When a small group of people — highly committed to their own religious beliefs – engages in persecution of others who do not share their religious beliefs and practices, that results in a violation of the 1st amendment, each and every time.
A recent Pew Research survey found that the majority of Americans (61%) say that abortion should be legal in all or most cases. When religion is included in the demographics of survey participants, 77% of white evangelical Protestants say abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. Recent Gallup polling found similar results.
In fact, the loudest voices opposing abortion and open access to comprehensive reproductive health care services in the U.S. seem to come from a +/- 20% minority comprised of predominantly college educated white evangelical Christians.
Yet, the vast majority of people who are adversely impacted by rules, laws or practices which restrict access to the full range of reproductive health care services are socially and economically disadvantaged women, almost always members of a protected class.
The longitudinal negative social and economic impacts on women who are denied access to a voluntary abortion — and the children who are born as a result — are devastating. The spillover of these social and economic impacts into the larger society is chilling.
I’m truly surprised that the current debate on open access to comprehensive reproductive health care services remains centered on religious grounds, when in fact, citizens of the United States have an ironclad guaranty in the U.S. Constitution to freedom from religious persecution.
Ron DeSantis: Enemy of the People
February 1, 2022
Ron DeSantis: ‘We are right, and they are wrong.’
Ron DeSantis is a bully, and he has proved to be an awful Governor.
DeSantis thrives on political theatre, and he specializes in public events which use inflammatory tactics to rally a base of confused, uninformed and/or angry voters.
Since taking office in January 2019, DeSantis has:
- Signed a sweeping voter suppression bill into law, citing baseless claims of fraud in the 2020 election.
- Proposed a special police force to oversee state elections — the first of its kind in our nation — intended to protect Florida from nonexistent threats.
- Opened pop-up COVID-19 vaccine sites in wealthy Florida neighborhoods where his donors live.
- Let nearly a million COVID-19 tests expire.
- Appointed a science and medical contrarian (Lodapo) as Florida’s Surgeon General.
- Occluded Florida COVID-19 data by firing DOH scientist (Jones), then sending armed tactical police to raid her personal residence.
- Actively promoted the use of monoclonal antibody treatments as an alternative to vaccine.
- Consistently refutes FDA guidance creating confusion and putting Florida residents at increased risk from COVID.
- Orchestrated a fundraising tour across America while the Delta variant sickened and killed Floridians.
- Signed laws restricting abortion access (2020).
- Supports an oppressive abortion bill (SB 146 and HB 5) like the one in Mississippi.
- Urged the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.
- Refused to accept that climate change is an existential threat to our state.
- Failed to prepare Florida’s coastal communities for rising sea levels and stronger hurricanes.
- Ignored the “red tide” algae bloom that scares off tourists, risking the engine which supports 1.6 million jobs and contributes over $96.5 Billion to the Florida economy.
- Actively and aggressively created tension in our public education system resulting in a mass exodus of teachers and staff from Florida schools beginning in spring 2020.
- In 2021, he targeted eight large school districts for defying his order prohibiting schools from enforcing mask mandates, helping to create toxic conditions for school district superintendents. This led to highly politicized and public confrontations and an unusual exodus of qualified and experienced leadership.
This is Ron DeSantis. He currently is Public Enemy Number One in the State of Florida.
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