#if we say 1/2 of our 2 party democracy wants to end democracy then they're both auditioning to be the last party standing before the end
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One-Third.
Of all the news that's bothered me today, this one bothers me the most. So I'll mention it.
I'm not in the habit of telling people what to think, or do. I'm an anarchist, that's not my brand. And sometimes I don't even know what to think or do.
So! Despite the wall and the crimes against humanity, Trump yeeted fewer human beings back across the border in four years than Obama did in his first four. And being deported in a sweeping, ultranationalist fervour is not the end of one's story. The family pictured above were ejected in Eisenhower's Operation Racial Slur, because brain rot is nothing new in my country of origin. They came back legally, reunited, prospered, and now they make tamales for the holidays like I do. It's hard to crush the people your economy depends on, isn't it? They just won't stay down!
Cartoonish evil posturing is not very effective. Silence, subtlety and charisma are much better at achieving their goals. I am left wondering if fewer people would be willing to let the genocide slide if Trump were funding it, and quoting Hitler about it to the media.
But I shouldn't wonder that. Of course more people would yell about it if Trump were doing it. They know what Trump is! He never lets you forget it! He'd be screaming about eradicating the Arab Menace on Fox News 24/7. When he passes out from lack of oxygen, they'll rerun his greatest hits. Biden, on the other hand - Hey! At Least He's Not Trump. And, judging from other articles, that seems to be the platform he's running on. Again.
I carried water for Obama when he was in office. I was a hell of a lot younger and less cynical, but I bought that a person would not put children in cages if there were any other option. I do not buy that anymore. And I barely remember hearing anything about the deportations until his term was almost up. He was only sending back the criminals, you remember that? Did you accept it as politically expedient like I did, or were you smarter than me?
That water I carried was full of lead, you should not drink it no matter what the nice man in the tan suit says.
This is why I'm not up for choosing the lesser evil. Stories like this suggest that, if we tote up the numbers like soulless accountants, the calculations for most/least harm are fucking fucked. Kant is bullshit and I am not a goddamn utilitarian. I'm not about to vote Idiot and keep my fingers crossed that he's too loud and stupid to do much damage. I don't know what opportunities for damage will occur in the next four years, or who will be in the best position to take advantage of them.
Polling suggests that most Americans don't want to make this choice any more than I do. But we're goin' ahead anyway, and we've already decided two evils will be the only viable candidates, months ahead of the primaries. You'll just hafta guess the lesser one! Have fun weighing all those human lives against each other!
I can only reiterate: Don't ask me this. I don't have the answer. And I'm not going to do the math, the math is evil too. I shouldn't even be TEMPTED to do math like this. Please call me when you have a candidate who doesn't want to harm anyone. I am no longer responding to folks asking me who I'm willing to throw under the bus.
#us politics#news#ap news#immigration#lesser of two evils#and just plain evil#evil math#if we say 1/2 of our 2 party democracy wants to end democracy then they're both auditioning to be the last party standing before the end#so they can end it instead#because “sorry only one party now - but it's the GOOD one” is not democracy anymore#i don't wanna know how many folks would be fine with that if their party was the GOOD one
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Last Thursday I was in the Austin airport, hanging out with my little sister, waiting for the rest of our family to arrive (we were there for a wedding). She and I had holed up against a wall by an unused baggage claim carousel, where there were a bunch of outlets so we could charge our phones.
As we were chatting, she mentioned that she had recently found out that one of her roommates had never voted. (My sister is 22, her roommate is a similar age - so she was over 18 for one presidential election, and maybe a midterm too.) The roommate's justification was that 1) she lived in California and would have been voting Democratic, so it didn't matter, the state would go blue regardless, and 2) a professor had once told her that an uniformed vote was worse than no vote at all, and she didn't feel sufficiently informed about things on the ballot to have a say in them.
So my sister and I basically just vented back and forth about how we perceived this as wrong. Firstly, because while the roommate was correct that California's electoral votes would certainly be going towards the Democratic presidential candidate, there are so many other things on the ballot. My hometown in rural Northern California is represented by Republicans in the House of Representatives, and in both the State Senate and State Assembly. California votes on statewide propositions that can cause major differences in everyday life - such as prohibiting same-sex marriage or legalizing recreational marijuana. There are also local races and measures that can have a significant impact on your life in a certain county or city, and whose races are much closer than state- or country-wide elections. Your vote can hold a lot more power than you might imagine, even if you have very little control over who ends up being president.
The second reason also seemed insufficient to us. First of all, because many people ARE going out and voting on things that they're not very informed on. The beauty and tragedy of democracy is that we're all allowed to have a say, even if we don't understand what we're saying. Plenty of people get their ballot and vote along party lines, follow whatever vibes they get from the bureaucratic language, or just leave things blank when they don't understand it. You don't have to be a legal scholar to participate in democracy to some extent. And secondly - if being uninformed bothers you, the best solution is to inform yourself, not to just give up entirely. Sometimes that's easy - there's a lot of information online that will decode confusing language to explain the actual effects of ballot measures, and there's helpful websites like isidewith.com that help you determine how your values align with certain candidates. Sometimes it's more difficult - when voting in the last California primary, there were a ton of candidates on the ballot, and I had to comb through a lot of obscure webpages and newspaper articles to get an idea of what they stood for and how qualified they might be for office. But here's the thing - even if that's mildly annoying, that's the work you have to do to be an informed voter. I'd personally rather spend an hour doing basic research on what I'm voting for than just shrug and risk having more of my fundamental rights taken away.
While my sister and I were having this discussion, a woman who was standing near us (also charging her phone) spoke up and said, "do you really think it matters?" She expressed that it often feels like the people in charge are going to do whatever they want, regardless of the average person's vote. We reiterated some of the above points, and my sister added that voting and being informed also gives her a feeling of hope - that she's participating, even in a small way, in making a society that's closer to what she wants it to be. I pointed out that the more people who do make their opinions known through voting, the closer we can get to having a government that represents what the people actually want.
I have no idea what this woman's political opinions are, but it was a nice conversation with a stranger. She acknowledged that even if a single vote doesn't demonstrably do anything, it's another data point for people to look at. She said something about feeling hopeful to see two younger women who were thoughtful and intelligent about this kind of thing.
I don't really have a conclusion to this (and it ended up being much longer than I anticipated). It's just that today is election day, and the votes that are cast today matter. Even if you think your state is going to turn predictably red or blue without you, that's not the only thing to consider. Hearing about a progressively-minded 22-year-old who refused to vote because she felt like she didn't know enough was a little alarming to me. I promise that you are intelligent enough to fill out a ballot, or to get the information you need to feel confident doing so - whether that's online research, talking to trusted friends and family, or just leaving some boxes unchecked if you don't know/care what a certain question is about.
Voting can be annoying and hard, but that's what makes it all the more important. If we don't use our voices, they'll be taken away. Recent years have made it clear how fragile our democracy is - if you have the chance to strengthen it, please do so before it's too late.
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Manburg, MPR Headquarters, October 9th XXXX, 7:03 AM
[Fade in: brassy, uptempo, almost militaristic music plays]
Good morning, folks! This is Manburg Public Radio, and I'm your host Walter Crondale. It is seven-oh-three on a beautiful Tuesday morning, not a cloud in the sky to-day. Please make sure to switch your ration cards to type-C, that's C as in 'creeper', as chocolate, coffee, and mutton are off the menu this cycle! [Laughter] Sorry for all of you who can't function without your morning cup of joe.
We begin with the big story of the morning. Last night, President Schlatt announced a festival to be held in honor of Manburg's independence. All veterans of the War for Independence, of which we're approaching the second anniversary, are invited to attend. No comment yet from the Manburg Veterans' Association, whose members have consistently disapproved of the new administration.
Here's a clip from the President's announcement.
[Schlatt's voice, with a slight slur to his consonants, through a microphone. Below him, box cameras flash.]
"Y'know what? I just really want to drive home— drive home the idea, that this celebration will be about Manburg. About democracy, and law, and the new era of peace, that has been brought forth by my administration."
"When d'you reckon we hold this thing? You fellas want to know when. Maybe a month's— a month's time. My right hand man, my Secretary of State Tubbo— where the fuck is that kid when you need him? Tubbo, come up here."
[End clip.]
In other news, protests continue for the sixth day in the financial center over President Schlatt's proposed tax bill, which he says is aimed at stimulating economic growth. The bill, which would slash income tax for the top bracket from thirty-nine to seventeen percent, is harshly criticized by—
[STATIC]
[Flipping channels...]
......
Greater Dream SMP, an undisclosed studio, October 9th XXXX, 5:47 AM
[Fade in: playing Ode to L'Manburg]
Host #1: On call; this is L'Manburg Free Radio, bringing y'all the unfiltered truth from inside our home. We've— we've been kicked outta our normal spot for recording, so apologies to our listeners for any technical issues.
Anyway. Onto the news of the day. Rumor has it that the dictator occupying our government and his lackeys are organizing a festival for, and get this, democracy! In 'Manburg'! Now listeners, you know we've got our ears to the ground when it comes to news from L'Manburg. But I sure haven't heard of no democratic norms there recently. What do you have to say about this party?
Host #2: I'd say that this is nothing more than Schlatt and Alex Quackity's shoddy attempt to paper over their abuses of power with bread and circuses for the masses. Of course, they'll get a crowd, as people can't resist a party after months of rationing.
Host #1: Are you worried, for our listeners— love ya to death— are you worried that attending is walking into the trap?
Host #2: Oh, there's undoubtedly something rotten about this situation.
Host #1: No shit—
Host #2: There's been some speculation as to whether Tommy and Wilbur would be allowed to attend— if they even should, which personally I think would be a fucking terrible idea— but—
Host #1: Well, they're currently fugitives. That would put a crimp in anyone's travel plans.
Host #2: Yeah. Which makes it all the weirder that one of our sources confirmed, that Schlatt's planning to allow them to enter for the festival. Why would he want to bring attention to anyone other than himself?
Host #1: So what you're sayin' is that anyone in Pogtopia should— steer clear. Wouldn't you say that the festival would be a good time to run reconnaissance while speeches happen?
Host #2: Sure, if you can keep your plans closed-mouth. Everyone's a spy or an informant, these days.
[STATIC]
@ask-pogtopiabur @ask-pogtommy
#coalition government#a bit of worldbuilding here.#for reference the two radio segments are at different times#but it’s of note that the underground one put out their statement before the ‘legit’ news source did
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Decadent like the late Roman Empire, the West is committing suicide through its irrational response to Covid-19
For years, I was puzzled why the Roman Empire ceased to exist and was replaced by barbarians. Looking at the West's response to COVID-19, I know now.
Decadent like the late Roman Empire, the West is committing suicide through its irrational response to Covid-19
— 25 March, 2020 | RT
Colosseum and Arch of Constantine during the Coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19). Rome (Italy), March 19th, 2020
By Dr. Luboš Motl, Czech theoretical physicist, who was an assistant professor at Harvard University from 2004 to 2007. He writes a science and politics blog called The Reference Frame
Many think Covid-19 is some kind of alien invasion that spells the end of the world. But the real threat to us is a much deadlier virus: a hatred of all the values that have underpinned our civilisation for centuries.
For years, I was puzzled as to why the Roman Empire ceased to exist and was replaced by communities that were uncivilized by comparison. How and why could mankind’s progress reverse in this way? Recent experience has eliminated the mystery. No special devastating event was needed; the cause of Rome's demise was simply the loss of its people's desire to support their ‘empire’ and its underlying values. And as it was 1,500 years or so ago, so I fear it is now.
The Covid-19 crisis – specifically, the reaction to it – demonstrates that people have grown bored, detached, and easily impressionable by things that have nothing to do with the roots of their society. We are all – or too many of us – fin de siècle Romans now.
A large number of Westerners are happy to accept the suicidal shutting down of their economies to try to halt a virus that predominantly causes old and sick people to die just a few weeks or months before they would have anyway. Just as they enthusiastically endorse proclamations such as that there are 46 sexes, not two; that the flatulence of a cow must be reduced to save a polar bear; that millions of migrants from the Third World must be invited to Europe and assumed to be neurosurgeons; and so on.
The widespread opinion that everything, including economies, must be sacrificed to beat coronavirus is a revival of medieval witch hunts; the sacrifice seems more important than finding an effective method to deal with the problem.
Our increasingly decadent mass culture has gradually become more ideological and openly opposed to the values Western civilization is based upon. And while it boasts of being ‘counter-culture’ and independent, it’s acquired a monopoly over almost all the information channels that determine opinions, including mainstream media and political parties.
Our leaders have become sucked into this group-thinking and happily institute policies that unleash shutdowns that may cause the worst recession in history. Thousands of businesses are closing and long-term prospects are bleak.
Governments are stepping in to pay wages and fund other services. As tax revenue will be virtually non-existent, public debt will soar. Some governments may default on their debts or resort to printing money, causing soaring inflation. These countries may be unable to fund healthcare, their police or their military, and be so weakened they will be invaded by others and be erased from the world map.
That may be a worst-case scenario, but it’s almost certain that the impact of the shutdowns will be a recession comparable to the Great Depression. Yet what do most Western citizens make of it? Well, they are either unaware, uncaring, or they’re happy about it. They don’t seem to appreciate the consequent dangers. Instead, they are more obsessed with the latest celebrity who’s caught the virus.
The consumers of this mass culture haven't built anything like what our ancestors did – enlightenment, the theory of relativity, parliamentary democracy, industrialisation, major advances in philosophy, science, literature and engineering. They don't have to defend any real values against a tangible enemy, because hiding in a herd with uniform group-think is good enough for them.
Our ancestors had difficult, short lives; they had to work hard, produce enough to survive, fight enemies, and defend what they’d inherited. Numerous lasting values emerged from those efforts. The current generations of Westerners are good only at producing and escalating irrationality and panic.
If a two-month lockdown isn’t deemed enough to contain the virus, they’re happy to extend it to six months, if not years. China decided to impose strict policies, but they were assertive enough to be relatively short-lived; many Westerners want less perfect policies to last for a much longer time. That’s clearly an irrational approach; instead of ‘flattening a curve’, rational leaders (like Beijing’s) try to turn the curve into a cliff. The faster you eliminate the virus, the cheaper it is.
Immortality As An Entitlement
This support for economically suicidal policies didn't start with Covid-19. Westerners have spent recent decades amid a prosperity in which they took material wealth and good healthcare for granted. They forgot what hunger (and, in most cases, unemployment) meant. They got used to demanding ever deeper ‘entitlements’, such as the ‘right not to be offended’.
Activists sensationalised smaller and more implausible threats and demanded that governments mitigated them. In particular, the climate change movement advocated that the 1-2 °C of warming caused by CO2 emissions in a century was equivalent to an armageddon that had to be avoided, whatever the cost.
In this context, it could be expected that the first ‘real challenge’ – and a new flu-like disease is certainly one – would make people fearful. Because if people were led to believe that 1-2 °C of warming was basically the end of the world, is it surprising that they're absolutely terrified of a new disease that has the potential to kill a few million old and sick people?
The existential threat posed by coronavirus – or at least, our irrationality towards it – is greater than the climate threat (though still very small). Westerners who haven't seen any real threats for a long time have developed a condition – termed "affluenflammation" by the American musician Remy – which is a pathological habit of inflating negligible threats. When this inflation of feelings is applied to a real threat, namely a pandemic, they lose their composure.
The context of Covid-19, where every death is presented with horror, makes it clear that ‘immortality’ is just another ‘human right’. This wisdom says that our leaders are failing because they cannot defend this so-called right. But this excessive sensitivity is just one part of the problem.
Many Westerners actively want to harm their economies, corporations, rich people, and governments, because they don't feel any attachment to or responsibility for them. They take security and prosperity for granted. Their money and food arrive from ‘somewhere’, and they don’t care about the source.
And they believe that the structures which allow them to survive – the governments, banks, and so on – are ‘evil’. Some are just financially illiterate. But others know what they are saying, and rejoice in demanding that trillions be sacrificed in order to infinitesimally increase the probability that a 90-year-old will avoid infection and live a little bit longer. They don't accept their dependence on society and the system at all. They don't realise that their moral values, their ‘human rights’, are only available if paid for by prosperous societies.
I have used some dramatic prose, so let me be clear: the scenario I’ve outlined – ending in the suicide of the West – is avoidable, and I hope and believe it will be. I know some who are willing to fight for its survival.
But even if this acceleration towards shutdowns is reversed and countries restore their pre-virus businesses, our world won't be the same. Many people will conclude that the crisis was exciting, and try to kickstart a repetition. The curfew is likely to reduce CO2 emissions this year, so climate activists may try for similar results in the future. Terrorists may deploy some new disease – which, after all, is likely to be more effective than any stabbing or bombing.
It's conceivable that the West’s brush with mortality will lead people to regain some common sense and survival instincts. Perhaps several nations going bankrupt will be a wake-up call. Maybe people will realise that the reaction to the coronavirus was disproportionate. But even if that is so, I’m afraid it won’t be enough.
We need to accept that the positive relationship of Westerners to the roots of their civilization will be still missing – and that this is a virus that poses a much more fundamental existential threat than Covid-19.
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#YukYkYuk #RudyIsStillInUkraine #TrumpIsSoSmart #SoCleverIgnoringSubpoenas
~ I M P E A C H E D ~
The 30 Stupidest Lines From Donald Trump's
Unhinged Letter To House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
From Article
On the eve of his impeachment by the House, President Donald Trump sent a blistering letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi -- airing his grievances with her and the broader Democratic Party while insisting that the actions taken on Wednesday will doom her to the dustbin of history.
I went through the letter -- which, from its first words, you can tell has the President's rhetorical fingerprints all over it -- and highlighted some of the most, uh, important lines. They're below.
1. "This impeachment represents an unprecedented and unconstitutional abuse of power by Democrat Lawmakers, unequaled in nearly two and a half centuries of American legislative history."
So, two things. One, impeachment is built into the Constitution and two past presidents have been impeached by the House. Two, it's "Democratic lawmakers" not "Democrat Lawmakers." And away we go!
2. "You have cheapened the importance of the very ugly word, impeachment!"
Like I said: You can clearly see Trump's involvement in the letter.
3. "By proceeding with your invalid impeachment, you are violating your oaths of office, you are breaking your allegiance to the Constitution, and you are declaring open war on American Democracy."
Wow. Lot to unpack here. Whether or not Trump likes it, the House is tasked with carrying out impeachment if a majority of members believe it is warranted. So, it's not "invalid." As for "declaring open war on American Democracy," well, Trump never pretended to be understated.
4. "You dare to invoke the Founding Fathers in pursuit of this election-nullification scheme?"
There's almost never a good time for the "how dare you?" construction.
5. "Even worse than offending the Founding Fathers, you are offending Americans of faith by continually saying you pray for the President when you know this statement is not true, unless it is meant in a negative sense."
WHOA BOY. So, Trump knows Pelosi doesn't actually pray for him? How? Did he someone eavesdrop on her prayers? Also, what is the "negative sense" of praying? I spent more time than I'd like to admit thinking about this and decided that Trump is suggesting that if Pelosi prays for him, it's for his demise. I think.
6. "It is a terrible thing you are doing, but you will have to live with it, not I!"
Nothing is ever Trump's fault. Ever.
7. "Fortunately, there was a transcript of the conversation taken, and you know from the transcript (which was immediately made available) that the paragraph in question was perfect."
What would a perfect paragraph look like? Do we even know? Anywho, here are 4 facts from that July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: a) Trump tells Zelensky that the US does a lot for Ukraine b)Trump reminds Zelensky that Ukraine doesn't reciprocate c) Trump asks Zelensky for a favor: to look into a debunked conspiracy theory that the hacked Democratic National Committee server is in Ukraine and d) Trump asks Zelensky to look into Joe and Hunter Biden. To my mind, the White House transcript of that call reads more like a smoking gun than an exoneration.
8. "I said to President Zelensky: would like you to do us a favor, though, because our country has been through a lot and Ukraine knows a lot about it? I said do us a favor, not me and our country, not a campaign."
Trump didn't start making this "me" versus "us" argument until the past few weeks. But even putting that aside, the two things he asks of Zelensky (whereabouts of DNC server and investigation into the Biden) were not mentioned at all in Trump's notes for the call, which were supposed to focus, generally speaking, on the country's corruption problems.
9. "You are turning a policy disagreement between two branches of government into an impeachable offense."
At issue is not the separation of powers or even really a disagreement. The issue is whether a president can ask a foreign country to investigate one of his potential political rivals. And, even if he can do it, should he?
10. "You know full well that Vice President Biden used his office and $1 billion dollars of US aid money to coerce Ukraine into firing the prosecutor who was digging into the company paying his son millions of dollars."
Reminder: Biden called for the firing of Ukraine's top prosecutor as part of an international coalition designed to address corruption in the country. There is no evidence of any wrongdoing in Ukraine by Joe or his son Hunter Biden.
11. "Now you are trying to impeach me by falsely accusing me of doing what Joe Biden has admitted he actually did."
Apples and oranges here. Again, Biden called for the firing of the prosecutor as part of a coordinated -- and transparent -- strategy to address corruption in Ukraine. Trump got on the phone with the Ukrainian president and, contrary to the notes prepared for him in advance of the meeting, freelanced to ask him to investigate one of his main rivals for the GOP nomination.
12. "President Zelensky has repeatedly declared that I did nothing wrong, and that there was 'No Pressure.'"
Zelensky is no dummy! He knows he needs future aid from the US in order to fight the Russians at his borders. Given that, why would he piss Trump off by saying he felt pressure? Also, not for nothing: Why is "No Pressure" capitalized?
13. "Ambassador Sondland testified that I told him: 'No quid pro quo. I want nothing. I want nothing. I want President Zelensky to do the right thing, do what he ran on.'"
Yes, Trump did tell US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland that. After the White House had been made aware that Congress was looking into the withholding of military aid. So....
14. "Your chosen candidate lost the election in 2016, in an Electoral College landslide (306-227), and you and your party have never recovered from this defeat."
The 2016 election ended 1,134 days ago.
15. "You have developed a full-fledged case of what many in the media call Trump Derangement Syndrome and sadly, you will never get over it!"
An incurable case of TDS??? Call the CDC, STAT.
16. "You view democracy as your enemy!"
Just a reminder here: This is the President of the United States, on official White House stationery, telling the Speaker of the House that she believes democracy is the "enemy." Very normal! Nothing to see here!
17. "As you know very well, this impeachment drive has nothing to do with Ukraine, or the totally appropriate conversation I had with its new president."
Wait. Is this the "perfect" conversation? Or are we referring to another "totally appropriate" conversation here? Either way, Trump did nothing wrong! Ever!
18. "Congressman Adam Schiff cheated and lied all the way up to the present day, even going so far as to fraudulently make up, out of thin air, my conversation with President Zelensky of Ukraine and read this fantasy language to Congress as though it were said by me."
This claim, which Trump repeats constantly, makes me insane. Because it's just wrong. Here's what Schiff said before paraphrasing what was in the July 25 phone call: "In not so many words, this is the essence of what the President communicates." He literally makes clear that he is paraphrasing Trump, not directly quoting him. Why is this a thing???
19. "You conducted a fake investigation upon the democratically elected President of the United States, and you are doing it yet again."
To be clear: Pelosi had zero to do with the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. That was the Justice Department under Trump. Also, that investigation wasn't "fake" -- it led to a number of arrests and prison sentences, not to mention documenting the deep and broad efforts of the Russian government to meddle in the 2016 election to help Trump and hurt Hillary Clinton.
20. "And by the way, when I speak to foreign countries, there are many people, with permission, listening to the call on both sides of the conversation."
Again, Trump misses the point here. The issue is not that other people were listening. The issue is what he told Zelensky -- even with people listening! If he talks like that when he knows people are on the line, how does he talk on the sidelines of summits and the like when there are far less staff nearby?
21. "You are the ones interfering in America's elections. You are the ones subverting America's Democracy."
I am rubber and you are glue. Whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you.
22. "If you truly cared about freedom and liberty for our Nation, then you would be devoting your vast investigative resources to exposing the full truth concerning the horrifying abuses of power before, during, and after the 2016 election -- including the use of spies against my campaign."
There has never been a shred of evidence that spies were used against Trump's campaign. In fact, in the report released by Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz earlier this month, it's made quite clear there is zero evidence of spies being sicced on the Trump campaign.
23. "Any member of Congress who votes in support of impeachment against every shred of truth, fact, evidence, and legal principle, is showing how deeply they revile the voters and how truly they detest America's Constitutional order."
"Detest America's Constitutional order"? Really?
24. "In other words, once the phone call was made public, your whole plot blew up, but that didn't stop you from continuing."
As I wrote at the time, the transcript of the July 25 phone call is pretty damn close to a smoking gun against Trump.
25. "More due process was afforded to those accused in the Salem Witch Trials."
Uh, paging John Proctor...
26. "This is nothing more than an illegal, partisan attempted coup that will, based on recent sentiment, badly fail at the voting booth."
Definitely not illegal! Or a coup!
27. "Your legacy will be that of turning the House of Representatives from a revered legislative body into a Star Chamber of partisan persecution."
Not to be a contrarian here, but pretty sure that no matter what happens with impeachment, Pelosi's legacy will be as the first female Speaker of the House.
28. "You apparently have so little respect for the American People that you expect them to believe that you are approaching this impeachment somberly, reservedly, and reluctantly. No intelligent person believes what you are saying."
Really? And how did Trump learn to glean people's "real" motives? Is that some sort device you can buy on Amazon? If so, send me a link!
29. "I write this letter to you for the purpose of history and to put my thoughts on a permanent and indelible record."
"This will go down on your permanent record." -- The Violent Femmes
30. "One hundred years from now, when people look back at this affair, I want them to understand it, and learn from it, so that it can never happen to another President again."
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/12/17/politics/trump-letter-nancy-pelosi-impeachment/index.html
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Duke Reviews Tv: Smallville 1x18 Drone
Hello, I'm Andrew Leduc And Welcome To Duke Reviews Tv Where We Are Continuing Our Look On Smallville By Talking About Episode 18 Of Season 1, Drone...
This Story Sees Clark Running For Class President With The Help Of Pete Who Decides To Be His Manager But Unbeknownst To Clark, One Of His Competitors, Sasha Woodman Is Eliminating The Other Competitors One By One, With The Aid Of Her Power To Control Bees...
Will Clark Stop Sasha Before He Feels The Sting Of Her Bees?
Let's Find Out As We Watch Drone...
The Episode Starts At Smallville High As Student Elections Are Just Beginning With Sasha Woodman (Who Despite Being Apart Of Many Committees And Knowing More About Student Government Is More Of A Worker Than A Leader) Paul Chan (Who Is The Most Qualified Man For The Job Despite Elections Not Being About Merit But Popuarity) And Felice Chandler (Who Is Not Only Head Cheerleader But Is President Of The Drama Club) All Signing Up To Become Candidates...
But As Pete And Chloe Talk About The Upcoming Election, Later That Night, Paul Makes Flyers Before Getting Ready For Bed Only To Hear The Sound Of Buzzing In His Sink...
The Next Day At School, It's Revealed That Paul Is In The Hospital Due To The Bee Attack And That Center For Environmental Protection Is Sending Out A Team To Investigate How It Happened But Paul Isn't Dropping Out Of The Race Because Of It As He Would Be Better By The Time He Would Possibly Take Office...
But As Pete, Chloe And Clark Do That, Pete Reveals That He Has A Surprise For Our Hero Clark And That's That He Has Signed Clark Up For The Class Elections...
Not Exactly Happy About This, Pete Tries To Convince Clark To Run By Saying That It'll Be Easy Just Show Up, Shake A Couple Hands And Give An Election Speech And It's In The Bag...
Uh, Pete, I Think It Takes More Than That To Win An Election...
Either Way, Clark's Going To Need More Convincing...
Meanwhile, Lex Is On His Way To The Luthorcorp Plant In His Car When He Comes Across A Hot Pair Of Legs In A Broken Down Corvette...
Offering To Help The Woman, Whose Played By A Former Mighty Duck, She Refuses But When Lex Figures Out The Woman Is From Metropolis And She Starts Asking Him Questions, Lex Soon Realizes...
Introducing Herself As Carrie Castle, A Staff Reporter For The Metropolis Journal, She Tells Lex That She Wants To Do A Fair And Accurate Profile On Lex And His Work In Smallville That Will Give Him The Legitimacy He Needs To Get Out Of Lionel's Shadow. But Despite The Good Pitch, Lex Declines However, He Does Give Her Brownie Points For A Good Effort...
Upset With Pete For Placing His Name On The Ballot, Clark Is Confronted By Sasha Who Asks Him Why He's Running As He Has No Interest In Student Politics, But Telling Sasha That It's All A Joke And He Intends On Dropping Out, Sasha Backs Off...
Asking About His Chances If He Runs, Chloe Basically Tells Clark That They're About 3,720 To One...
Returning Home To The Farm, Clark Discovers That His Parents Have Found One Of Pete's Flyers For Clark Running For Class President...
Telling His Parents That He Intends On Dropping Out, They Instead Believe This To Be A Good Idea As It's Something That Doesn't Involve Him Using His Powers..
Going Down To The Talon To Talk With Lana, Clark Finds Her Upset As The Talon Is Basically Empty Aside From Her Doing Everything Possible To Bring People In From Flyers To Coupons To Price Cuts And Nothing Has Worked, Suggesting That She Talk With Lex, Lana Tells Clark That She's Tried Only For Him To Be Silent On The Matter,..
But Aside From That, She Talks With Clark About His Campaign Saying That It's A Good Idea As Well, As He Is Honest And Has An Innate Sense Of Justice So, With That Said Clark Decides To Run...
Visiting Lex Who Has Also Discovered That Clark Is Running For Class President, He Gives Him Some Advice While Also Giving Him A New Campaign Slogan As Clark Tells Him About The Talon's Situation Only For Lex To Tell Clark That The Talon Has To Find It's Own Feet To Survive...
The Next Day At School, Chloe Talks With Clark About Why He's Running Only For Her To Discover That It's Because Of Lana Despite Him Lying Saying That He Thinks That He Could Do A Good Job...
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(Start At 0:42, End At 1:42)
Returning To Her Campaign Headquarters(That Looks More Like A Twister Hit It), Sasha Hangs Clark's Campaign Flyer Next To Felice's As It's Revealed That She's The One That Sent Bees To Paul's House Because She Can Control Them...
Working On Her Bed Story For The Torch, Chloe Tells Clark That The CEP Discovered That The Bees Didn't Migrate From Their Usual Places However, Beekeepers From All Over The State Are Discovering That Their Hives Are Empty Which Is Weird As Bees Are Notorious Followers And They Wouldn't Desert Their Hives Without Reason ...
But As Chloe Talks With Clark About This, He Discovers That Chloe Isn't Supporting Him For Class President But Paul Because Chloe Knows The Only Reason That Clark's Running Is Because Pete Suckered Him Into It And That Paul Has A Better View On The Issues Than He Does...
Mad That His Friend Isn't Supporting Him, Clark Marches Off...
Visiting The Talon To Place Flyers, Clark And Pete Find It Completely Empty Except For Lana, Whitney And His Friends Who Are Only There Because Whitney Forced Them To Come...
Great, That Makes Up For Every Horrible Thing Whitney Has Done To Lana...Not!
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(Start At 0:45, End At 1:49)
The Next Day At School, Sasha Tries To Get Felice To Drop Out Of The Election, But Calling Her A Freak, Sasha Decides To Place Matters Into Her Own Hands By Having The Bees Attack Felice In Her Car After School...
Back At The Luthor Mansion, Lex Is Getting A Massage By A Masseuse However, He Soon Discovers That The Masseuse Is Carrie Castle. Liking Her Enthusiasm, Lex Figures Out That The Only Reason She's Trying To Nail Him Is Because Her Editor Promised Her A Column Of Her Own If She Did...
Getting On His Good Side, Lex Finally Agrees To What She Wants Only If She Finishes Massaging Him For The Hour He Paid For...
Found By Principal Kwan, When He Was Trying To Leave The Campus In His Car, Chloe Tells Clark That Felice Is In A Coma, Which Makes Clark Remember That Last Year Sasha Was Attacked By A Whole Hive Of Bees Which Leads Him To Theorize That She's Somehow Controlling Them...
Uh, Gee, You Think!?!
If An Accident Happened To One Of The Candidates And It Involved Bees While Also Including The Fact That This Is Smallville, Land Of The Weird And Unusual And People Get Powers Here Daily I Think That Just Theorizing About Something Should Be Thrown Out The Window And It Should Instead Be Placed Into The Land Of Reality!
Either Way Chloe Says She'll Look Into It And Warns Clark To Watch His Back...
Running Into Sasha In The Hallway, She Tries To Get Clark To Drop Out But Believing In Democracy, Clark Refuses...
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(Start At 1:39, End At 2:20)
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Going To The Talon To Write His Acceptance Speech With Lana That Night, They End Up Talking About The Talon Only To Stop When They Hear Noise In The Vents...
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(Start At 1:09, End At 1:58)
Taking Lana Back To The Farm, She Got A Little Stung By The Bees But She'll Be Fine Either Way She's More Concerned About The Insurance Forms...
As She's Being Picked Up By Nell, Lana Apologizes To Clark That They Didn't Get Too Far On His Speech But He's Not As Worried About That Right Now As He Is Finding Sasha. Suggesting That Clark Get Chloe, He Tells Her That He's Still Pretty Mad At Her Over Not Choosing Him Because They're Friends...
But Despite That Lana Sides With Chloe Believing She Only Did What She Felt Was Right And Decided Instead To Be Objective On The Issue, Choosing The Candidate She Felt Was Right For The Job...
The Next Day, Clark Stops By Sasha's Campaign Headquarters Where He Runs Into Chloe And They Make Up (Despite Them Being Back To Being Angry At Each Other In The Next Episode)
Anyway, They Look Around The Building Only To Discover Stalagmites Up Above That Have Been Built By The Bees When Clark Finds Honey On His Jacket. Wondering How Sasha Is Controlling Them? Chloe Believes That She's Emitting Something Called The Queen Mandibular Phermone...
Which She Picked Up When She Fell Into A Hive Of Africanized Honey Bees A Thousand Times To Which Doctors Had No Hope That She Would Survive As She Was Allergic With No Idea How She Survived Chloe Discovered That The Honey Bees Were In Shuster's Gorge Meaning The Bees Did Something To Make Her Their Queen...
Vowing To Stop Sasha, Chloe Tells Clark He Better Do It Quick Because Eventually The Scent Will Wear Off And The Bees Will Kill Her...
Meanwhile At The Talon, Lex Has A Meeting With Carrie Castle When He Manages To Get Ahold Of The Rough Draft Which Doesn't Paint Him In The Good Light As She Promised...
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(Start At 2:47)
Meeting Clark At His Family's Barn, Clark Tells Sasha That He's Dropping Out Of The Race But Mentioning That She's Willing To Do Anything To Win Even If It Means Putting All Of Her Opponents In The Hospital Has Sasha Believing That Clark Hasn't Really Dropped Out...
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(Start At 0:49, End At 3:40)
With Sasha Unconscious As The Bees Continue Their Attack, Clark Tosses A Screwdriver At Some Gas Tanks As He Covers Sasha When The Place Explodes...
Well, There's No Way Winnie The Pooh's Getting That Honey...
As Elections Pass It's Announced That Paul Is The New Class President As Chloe Takes Pics Of His Victory Party As He's Still In The Hospital But Though Her Candidate May Have Won, Chloe Is Proud Of Clark For Showing Dignity In Defeat...
Noticing The Crowd At The Talon, Lana Tells Lex That They May Have More Nights Like This As The Beanery Has Several Health Code Violations That They've Been Trying To Cover Up, Asking Chloe To Look Into It Lana Discovered That It's True...
Congratulating Lana For Taking His Advice, He Talks With Clark Afterwards As He's Learned That He's Not Destined For Politics But Telling Him That He Doesn't Have To Do That To Change The World, Clark Asks Lex If He's Interested In Politics Which Leads Lex To Tell Clark That He'd Like To Be President...
To Which You All Know By Now That By The Time Clark Is Fully Superman, Lex Becomes President Of The United States...
And Has Me Wondering If Clark Is Slapping Himself On The Face For Somewhat Giving Lex That Idea When They Were Younger...
The Next Day At The Luthor Mansion, Lex Invites Carrie Castle Over To Congratulate Her For Catching Him With His Guard Down...
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(Start At 0:31, End At 1:45)
Visiting Clark At His Family Barn As He's Taking Down His Campaign Headquarters, She Tells Clark That While She's Not Sure If She Liked Playing Dirty With The Beanery She Tells Clark That She Kind Of Enjoyed Being A Little Underhanded..
Honey, Your Career Of Being Underhanded Is Just Beginning...
Asking If He Finished His Speech, Clark Tells Lana That He Did But He Highly Doubts That Anyone Wants To Hear It But Saying She Does He Says Exactly What He Wrote To Lana Ending The Episode...
And That's Drone And I Like This Episode...
The Story Is Really Good, The Characters Are Well Written, The Villain Was Interesting If Not Somewhat Tragic Because Of The Way Her Parents Treated Her And The Effects Were Pretty Nice With The Bees, All I Have To Say Is See It...
Till Next Time, This Is Duke, Signing Off...
#smallville#smallville season 1#tom welling#kristen kreuk#michael rosenbaum#arrowverse#TheWB#the cw#the wb#dc comics#superman
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