Make No Mistake, Fascism Is on the Ballot in 2022

[Photo: Trump Stop the Steal Jan 6, 2021 by WSWS]

By Thom Hartmann
Source: CommonDreams

Editor's Note

We are in a very dangerous place socially and politically, but on the whole I do not see our elected representatives responding appropriately, nor do the people around me. Too many folks who should care say they can’t deal with the stress of engaging. Or, they don’t know what to do. It seems to me that there is a general lack of discussion about what we have to lose as we continue to not address the rolling coup of the Republicans.

Category: Guest, Lies Damn Lies - Propaganda, Mechanisms of Contrrol, Pull Right - Fascism, Trump & Administration, Violence | Comments Off

15 February 2021

A Fresh Breath for White Supremacy and A Mortal Wound for Democracy

By Rowan Wolf

I am both enraged and deeply saddened by the Republicans who voted to acquit Donald J. Trump of inciting the attempted insurrection of January 6, 2021, by a mob that he had inflamed, called to Washington for this explicit purpose, and then ordered to the Capitol to carry out the insurrection. There was no doubt in almost anyone’s mind, regardless of political affiliation, as was made clear in the duplicitous speech of Mitch McConnell (addressed more completely below). However, before further continuation of that discussion, it is important to recognize that impeachment and the trial in the Senate are far different than criminal prosecution, and in many ways much more critical to the sweep of the future in the United States. The choice to acquit Trump for his blatant actions to overturn the vote of the people is now a precedent of UNIMPEACHABLE offenses – into perpetuity. The practice of a peaceful transfer of power, probably the greatest gift to this country of George Washington, is now optional.

Category: Extremism, Impeachment, Mechanisms of Contrrol, Rowan Wolf - UTJ Editor, White Nationalism, White Supremacy | Comments Off

3 December 2020

How Many Lives Will Be Paid For Trump Covid Lies?

Makeshift morgue for COVID victims March 2020

[Photo: Makeshift morgue outside NY City Hospital in March 2020 (Pressenza)]

By Rowan Wolf

From the beginning of this pandemic, Trump has lied, downplayed, misinformed, the truth about Covid-19. As if that is not bad enough (yes, present tense), he politicized one of the primary protections – masks – as a symbol of whether you supported him or not. He promulgated conspiracy theories, on one hand saying it was a hoax, or wildly overblown while pushing false “cures” and future vaccines. He consistently refused to allow the federal government to take a central procurement and coordinating role, followed by thwarting efforts at testing and contact tracing. He then forced nationwide reporting moved from the CDC to HHS (Azar being apparently more “trustworthy” – loyal – than Redfield at CDC). We now learn that this data responsibility has been (intentionally?) bungled.

Category: Covid-19, Health - Medical, Lies Damn Lies - Propaganda, Rowan Wolf - UTJ Editor, Trump & Administration | Comments Off

10 October 2020

What Comes Next Is Up to Us

[Photo: “2020 at a Glance” by Dave Whamond, Canada.PoliticalCartoons.com]

By Robert C. Koehler
Source: CommonWonders

Editor's Note

There is no doubt that we are in a time of incredible flux. The crises crash over us like an army of tsunamis. Looking forward, are we battered into oblivion, succumb to global dystopian fascism, or embrace the hard work of planting the seeds of hope, justice, and environmental sanity?

Category: Bear Witness, Climate Chaos, Covid-19, Mechanisms of Contrrol, Police, Politics, Robert C. Koehler, Social (In)Justice, Trump & Administration | Comments Off

26 August 2020

Short Take: RNC Night One

By Rowan Wolf

My purpose here is to keep this short, so not a lot of commentary.

Night one of the Republican National Convention was a case study in propaganda. It was far beyond what Americans have come to consider “normal” political mudslinging and stretching the truth. NBC put together a good montage of the speakers for night one (minus Trump). I truly wish this were a Saturday Night Live episode.

Rowan Wolf, PhD

I am a sociologist, writer and activist with life long engagement in social justice, peace, environmental, and animal rights movements. My research and writing include issues of imperialism, oppression, global capitalism, peak resources, global warming, and environmental degradation. I taught sociology for twenty-two years, was a member of the City of Portland’s Peak Oil Task Force, and maintain my own site Uncommon Thought Journal. I may be reached by email at [email protected]. On a personal note, I am also a survivor of pulmonary hypertension by the gift of a donor’s lungs in 2011. I do my best to honor that gift by trying to be my best self and give to the world what small gifts I have. Among those is a deep passion for life, and the lives of all those with whom I share the planet.

Category: 2020 Campaigns, LIE ALERT, Lies Damn Lies - Propaganda, Rowan Wolf - UTJ Editor, Trump & Administration | Comments Off

UncommonThought

Since 2002

Make No Mistake, Fascism Is on the Ballot in 2022

A Fresh Breath for White Supremacy and A Mortal Wound for Democracy

How Many Lives Will Be Paid For Trump Covid Lies?

Short Take: RNC Night One