via Impeach Trump for his Crimes against the People, not just Against the Bidens & Dems
Category: Informed Comment
Trump continues to support Saudi Arabia’s devastating bombing of Yemen that has killed thousands of civilians. A recent Saudi bombing of a community college killed at least 109 people there. Millions of Yemenis are at risk of starvation in what is described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Congress has twice passed bipartisan legislation to block arms sales to the Saudis, which Trump has vetoed. He has also ordered more troops to Saudi Arabia to protect its oil facilities and lavishes praise on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Oct. 2 marks the first anniversary of the brutal murder and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in a Saudi Consulate in Turkey, which the CIA concluded was ordered by bin Salman. Trump’s warmongering is an impeachable offense in itself.
Trump’s refusal to support gun control legislation, mass shooting after mass shooting; his prolific lying; his relentless attacks on the press; his elimination of critical programs in our social safety net; his discrimination against trans people in the military and in schools; his Muslim ban, his separation of families and caging of children — all are worthy of an impeachment inquiry. As Congressmember Al Green said, “At some point, we have to stand up to him and let him know that the line has been drawn, and you will go no further.”
via Trump Has Committed a Laundry List of Impeachable Offenses
The worst Treasurers in our history were undoubtedly John Howard, Peter Costello, Scott Morrison (before he became the worst PM), Sloppy Joe Hockey and the catastrophic Josh Frydenberg – all of them deluded fanatical followers of the Trickle Down economic theory which has been absolutely and thoroughly denigrated by illustrious economists such as the Nobel prize-winning Joseph Stiglitz! For God’s sake, Australia, wake up and kick this government to the kerb at the next election – they have destroyed Australia’s international reputation, attacked our vulnerable citizens, annihilated our economy and vandalised our environment! The question is: How bad does the LNP have to get before misinformed, Murdoch-manipulated, apathetic Australians finally realise just how toxic the LNP really are and stop voting for them? The 2019 federal election proved just how stupid the tiny majority of disconnected, complacent Australians really are.
Photo: Mr Trump is accused of offering $US391 million in military aid in exchange for dirt on a political rival. (Reuters: Carlo Allegri)
“There’s three issues here, and they’re all really big deals,” Wittes said to host Chris Matthews on “Hardball.”
“So the first is: shaking down a foreign leader for his own personal political gain,” he continued. “It’s not for some U.S. policy objective.”
The second issue is something the whole country is already deeply familiar with: “inviting or asking or demanding that foreign country to improperly engage in the U.S. political process.”
“Collusion!” Matthews declared. Wittes agreed.
“And the third,” Wittes said, “which is, from my point of view, by far the worst, asking, demanding a foreign leader to investigate your political opponents.”
Wittes noted that Trump has previously asked U.S. law enforcement to go after political rivals — and now he’s taking that abuse abroad.
Watch the clip below:
I’d understood the dilemma of normalising Trump’s ideas and policies – the racism, misogyny and demonisation of the free press. But watching just one press conference from Otay Mesa helped me understand how the process of reporting about this president can mask and normalise his full and alarming incoherence.
As a foreign reporter visiting the US I was stunned by Trump’s press conference | Lenore Taylor | Opinion | The Guardian
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No president has ever been sent packing. Nixon resigned because he saw it coming. Trump would sooner start a civil war
The one-sided pact Morrison has reinforced. America can do what it wants.(ODT)
via Trump ends talk with Taliban leaving Aussie troops in limbo in Afghanistan – Michael West
Imagine if we had a day each year when we all went around asking cancer patients if they were “okay”, yet didn’t fund practical medical help for them or give them any hope? The idea is laughable, yet the analogy is real.
Despite being one of the worst bushfires in Australian history, alarmingly, the Victorian Black Saturday bushfires of 2009, which killed 173 people, destroyed around 2,000 homes and incinerated millions of plants and animals, didn’t serve as a wake-up call.
The deeper we sink into denial, the more we commit ourselves to a reality where our children learn about environmental icons such as the Great Barrier Reef and our magnificent rainforests through history books, instead of being able to experience their wonder for themselves.
Choosing to turn away from this moment to act will be the ultimate betrayal of future generations.
The majority of Welfare Recipients, just like the majority of people in the workplace, just like the majority of people living in your suburb, just like the majority of people sitting next to you at a football match, just like the majority of people next to you on the bus, are decent normal folk just trying to lead a decent normal life.
A small number of people in your workplace, in your suburb, in that footy crowd, on that bus, or on welfare, will seek to take advantage. A small number of people always seek to do that. We’ve all met them, especially in the workplace.
via When Zealots control Welfare … – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Andrew Bolt’s ageist attack on the young is founded on his conservative fear regressivesaren’t being heard. (ODT)
It’s not just the government that intentionally “fosters” the suspicion of “other” Murdoch has team of professionals who have built their careers on it and children haven’t been excluded. (ODT)
The Coalition have deliberately fostered suspicion of “others” be they Muslim jihadis, African gangs, second or third generation Lebanese Australians, Chinese university students, Tamil families. Gays asking for equality have “an agenda” that will undermine society. Unemployed people will be drug tested. Indigenous people asking for some say in their own affairs are engaging in bleeding heart “identity politics”. Environmentalists are anti-job ecoterrorists. Anyone who believes climate scientists is a weak as piss bedwetter.
Why do this? Why divide us? Why seek to marginalise people? Why dismiss people?
It must take a certain amount of ego to run for politics but what seems to be lacking is the actual confidence to be able to say we got that wrong.
Pulled the wrong rein there – » The Australian Independent Media Network
While it is all fine for preachy politicians or mainstream newspaper contributors to hector students who walk out of class for being unconscientious, take issue with times of protest (by all means protest, but do so outside school hours), and lecture them for lacking experience, it is also not a fitting statement about the state of affairs that led to such angst. The world may be entering its penultimate phase, at least in a climatic sense, but that hardly bothers the short-term parliament where the vested, constipated interest precedes the universal, bleak message. By all means be critical of Thunberg and appreciate the limitations of the rebel. She, at least, has the courage to say no.
Australia has become a dangerously complacent country, dancing to the reactionary tune of the Murdoch press (Rudd)
After six years of various prime ministers and treasurers, internal warfare and amateur government, Australia has just recorded its worst financial year since the 1990-91 recession. Josh Frydenberg thinks it’s a sign of a good year in the rose garden. As I said, they are consistently good at being bad. Everything points to another financial year of much the same consistency.
They will place all their faith in an extremist neo-liberal orthodoxy of old monetary policy that might give them a Clayton’s surplus and a recession just to top it off.
My thought for the day
The notion that a few privileged individuals can own the vast majority of a countries wealth and the remainder own little is on any level unsustainable, politically, economically or morally. (John Lord)
Wherever you look, we are being manipulated by messaging. The idea that, unless we persecute a hard-working Sri Lankan couple and their two baby daughters, our navy, air force and border force will be unable to repel an invasion by fishing boats, is beyond ridiculous. The apathy brought about by the safety and comfort we have enjoyed in this country has led to an acceptance by the majority of the population of these massacred messages. The truth has been obscured by spin. No longer do we hear genuine debate about opposing ideas informed by factual evidence – we hear propaganda designed to maintain the power and privilege of the few.
Source: Message massacring – » The Australian Independent Media Network
My thought for the day
Isn’t it rather ironic that coal and gas are the biggest contributors to climate change and that Australia is the biggest exporter of both? (John Lord)
via Finding the root of the problem – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Australia is what it is it didn’t die we are a Multicultural Nation that hides racists? (ODT)
The Australian Dream is a film that’s ahead of its time in many ways, but, like Goodes, while its heart is in the right place, the nation did not rise to meet it.
The ticket sales prove the film’s point.
A thought
The current destruction of the Brazilian rain forests, as alarming as it is might be, or could turn out to be, might just be the catalyst for an event of monumental proportions.
One that might force us into action. The lungs of the earth, as the rain forests are called, as I write are experiencing 7,300 fires and the illegal harvesting of the trees is beyond tally.
Something will have to give sometime.
My thought for the day
On the subject of climate change. Think about this. If we fail to act and disaster results, then massive suffering will have been aggravated by stupidity.
via Being conned with bullshit – » The Australian Independent Media Network
While making decisions about migration people should not just follow the superficial perceptive reality. They should try to understand higher and deeper levels of reality. The intellectuals have a moral duty in helping the people to understand the deeper and the higher reality of capitalism.
via Americans are the happiest people in the world – Opinion
As an over-arching statement … there is no place for inequality and violence in the world of men and men, or in the world of women and women, but it concerns me that there is still such a predominant amount of inequality and violence in the world that exists between men and women here in Australia. It is going to take all our combined efforts to stop it.
“Kelly’s family furniture business went belly-up. Whilst this loud-mouth ignorant bully continues to exert influence via threats to colleagues and an inflated media presence, his appalling lack of judgement risks doing the same to the country.”
via Craig Kelly, the ultimate hypocritical NIMBY – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Hidden History of the cost lives LNP (ODT)
Whilst the government repeats slogans like “in a canter” and the Murdoch press continues its misinformation campaign, the rest of the world regards us as pusillanimous liars and cheats, more interested in keeping our advantage than in helping with the heavy lifting.
Much to my shame, they are right.
via Pusillanimous liars and cheats – » The Australian Independent Media Network
People with psychosis don’t realize that they’re in a psychological crisis. America has similarly lost touch with reality. Much of the country doesn’t even realize that there’s a problem.
The election of Donald Trump was a stark reminder of all that is going wrong in the United States. Perhaps his defeat in the 2020 election, if the majority can once again make its voice heard, will be the first step in acknowledging the problem and beginning a much-delayed recovery.
Switch off the electronic images. Ignore the media burlesque. The endless political shows, which turn presidential campaigns into mind-numbing, two-year-long marathons, are entertainment. Do not trust anyone in power. We will save ourselves by building mass movements to overthrow corporate power. I am not certain we will succeed. But I am certain that if we fail, we are doomed.
olddogthoughts 
Trump is a walking, talking national security liability