While You Were Being Distracted...

February is Black History Month. This MLK quote tells us what's wrong with our world today.

While you were being distracted by the political street theater in Washington, D.C., several important things were happening in the real world this past week that you should know.

Our wetlands, rivers and streams are in mortal danger along with our entire drinking water supply, for that matter. https://earthjustice.org/news/press/2020/trump-administration-announces-scheme-to-make-americas-waters-burn-again

https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-clean-water-protection-2644896051.html

The Supreme Court allows the Trump administration to deny Green Card holders government aid. (These are legal residents, many married to American citizens.) https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/5-4-ruling-supreme-court-allows-trump-plan-deny-green-n1124056

Freedom of the press is under attack with new developments in the mistreatment of imprisoned journalists Julian Assange and Glenn Greenwald (video). https://youtu.be/Doq971L7Rjw

There were worldwide peace protests about possible war with Iran and many more climate strikes.

Trump says he's open to cutting  Social Security and Medicare--and, in fact, he already has (video). https://youtu.be/-iKWJgr4EmI

Children of US troops born overseas while their parents are serving won't automatically become US Citizens. https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-us-troops-kids-born-overseas-dont-get-automatic-citizenship-2019-8

The oil and gas/fracking industry has been polluting our soil and ground water for decades with their radioactive wastes, studies recently reveal. https://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/60922-americas-radioactive-secret

And, of course, the Queen of Distraction made yet another rude comment about a candidate running for the White House in order to... grab headlines? Because she honestly believes Bernie Sanders shouldn't hang out with the "popular kids" in high school? Who really knows? But her lies distracted you once again from knowing anything about the vital things happening in our world, and that's all that matters to the mainstream media and the establishment. 

Our guest blogger takes a closer look at this latest attempt at distraction made by the Queen so you don't waste your time trying to decipher the madness behind it. Instead, you can concentrate your energies on tackling important problems like saving the planet from endless wars for oil, the coming climate catastrophe, and corporate polluters. 

You do realize that if all life on Earth is nuked by hydrogen bombs or poisoned by chemicals in our water or wiped out through a series of natural disasters and forest fires that it won't make a bit of difference if Trump is found guilty of any paper-pushing crimes or not, don't you? Priorities, people!

The Voice from the Tomb

by Coast Watcher

“Help! I lost and I can’t shut up!” 

That was the text of a popular meme making the rounds of social media not long after Donald Trump was elected president in 2016. The target of the meme was, of course, Hillary Rodham Clinton whose nomination for president was decided by the Democratic Party central committee weeks before she’d even declared her candidacy.

Clinton’s incessant cries along the themes of “It’s my turn!” and “Vote for me because I’m a woman!” permeated the whole media spectrum during that long campaign season. Her “Hillbot” followers added to the cacophony by insisting that anyone who didn’t vote for Clinton was misogynistic. “Blue no matter who?” Their sense of entitlement is mind-blowing.

Now Clinton’s back, emerging from the crypt like some ghastly Shakespearean

revenant, wailing and gnashing her teeth in fury as she fulminates against front-runner Senator Bernie Sanders. Clinton never does anything without reason, and it’s obvious she’s trying to suppress the burgeoning popularity of Senator Sanders whose steady record of saying the same socially-pertinent things for over forty years is finally beginning to penetrate mainstream media and the public consciousness. Such a strong socialist message is, of course, anathema to Clinton and the capitalist philosophy she supports.

Early poll results ahead of the primary season show Sanders has a strong lead in several states. Some counts show him leading by as much as twelve points. Since there’s an ugly rumor making the rounds which claims the DNC will yet again fly in the face of public opinion and select rather than elect the nominees for president and vice-president, Sander’s popularity becomes a matter of concern for the Democratic Party—if it still chooses to appear functionally democratic.

Apparently Joe Biden is the Chosen One this time with Elizabeth Warren as his running mate. Given the seriously messed up nature of the Democrats' politics it’s not entirely beyond the bounds of reason to suppose that Clinton may be substituted for Warren, even though Clinton has not campaigned this electoral season; hence, another reason for her noisy public showing ahead of the primary races. If the DNC’s rumored scheme should indeed be real, it remains to be seen how Bernie Sanders and his followers will react to being denied yet again, especially if the Sanders faction arrives in Milwaukee on July 13 with a sizable majority of the delegates.

Almost certainly it will result in the Democratic Party fragmenting. Few 
voters will trust it again, and third parties will probably benefit from this situation. It’s highly unlikely that the impeached Trump will be convicted by the Senate, but with the opposition in such disarray, he’ll get yet another term of office in which to inflict yet more damage to the lives of ordinary people and the environment both in America and around the world. Some claim Trump will even declare himself "President for Life," although if it does happen—and it’s a big if—it’s likely to spark either an army coup d’etat or a second civil war. And let’s face it: Even if Trump is convicted, it’s practically guaranteed he’ll be pardoned by a shiny new President Pence.

Bernie Sanders isn’t the only target for Clinton’s ire. HRC has claimed that Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is a Russian plant and a traitor to her country. This outrageous lie is leveled at an honorable Member of Congress and a reserve officer in the United States Army who served two tours in Iraq. Congresswoman Gabbard has responded by launching a lawsuit against Clinton for libel and defamation of character, claiming damages of $50 million. Aside from being a justified lawsuit, Gabbard’s action will likely draw Clinton’s fangs and render any attacks she might launch against Sanders ineffective.

Will a third party—perhaps the Greens—attract and unite the Left in effective
opposition to the world-destroying capitalist state? I sincerely hope so. In any event there will be no place in any Left-leaning party for Hillary Rodham Clinton. She’ll be reduced to a mere shadow, muttering from the whitened sepulcher within which lies the Democratic Party. 

RIP HRC/DNC.

Bio: Coast Watcher doesn't kid himself any when it comes to the Dems' motives. They're not big fans of the democratic-socialist from Vermont and will do whatever it takes to install their corporate puppet as their nominee. The time has come to take corporate cash out of America's  electoral processes and send any candidates who accept lobbyists' bribes straight to the doghouse.

Related Video on Gabbard's lawsuit against HRC:
 
https://youtu.be/tdCYWbYtzXc

https://youtu.be/AtgwNRTdbfc

***

In 2016, when I stepped down from my position as Vice Chair of the DNC to endorse Bernie Sanders instead of Hillary Clinton, they threatened it would be the end of my political career. They said Hillary and her elite and powerful friends will “make sure you are destroyed.” They failed. Hillary calling me a “Russian asset” is not only intended to smear my reputation and derail my campaign for president, it’s also intended to silence any voice that dares to speak out against the establishment status quo. Your voice. That’s why today, I sued Hillary Clinton for defamation. Hillary Clinton’s high priced attorneys and friends in high places won’t make it easy, but we cannot let the establishment elite sideline the will of the American people. Will you stand with me today and help me hold Hillary Clinton accountable for her lies? DONATE » We tell our kids to walk away from bullies. Ignore them. But what if that bullying behavior is not just about harm to the individuals involved? What if it’s a deliberate attempt to corrupt our democracy? What if its effect is to silence and sideline the will of the American people? You stand up. You call it out, and then you hold the bully accountable. Hillary Clinton and her establishment friends are playing high school popularity politics instead of serving the American people. And when a warmonger responsible for getting us into no-win wars that make our country less safe accuses me — a soldier, a veteran, a sitting member of Congress — of treason, I will defend against it. Will you take a stand with me? DONATE » In solidarity, Tulsi

***

From Friends of the Earth:

From the raging bushfires in Australia to the utter destruction caused by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, climate chaos is devastating communities worldwide. Now, we have just 10 years to take action to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and revitalize our planet’s resources.

We cannot afford small steps forward. Just last week, scientists confirmed the last decade was the hottest ever recorded. If we continue with business as usual, it will only get hotter.

The good news: Last year, progressive Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Earl Blumenauer alongside Senator Bernie Sanders introduced a resolution to declare a climate emergency. The resolution recognizes the scale of this crisis and is an important first step in addressing this unprecedented emergency. But we need your help convincing Congress to take bold action on climate NOW!

Demand bold climate action: Tell Congress to declare a climate emergency!

Trump’s desire to sell out our environment, wildlife, and communities couldn’t be any clearer. From attempting to rollback clean water standards to gutting Endangered Species Act protections, Trump has shown he’s all in for Big Polluter profits. While Trump is the climate denier-in-chief, the science is with environmentalists like you, C.A..

More than 11,000 leading climate scientists around the world decided that they could no longer stay silent and released a paper calling on the governments of the world to declare a climate emergency. It’s time for the U.S. to catch up.

Our legislators in Congress must acknowledge this crisis and pass a Climate Emergency Resolution! But our Representatives will only act if they feel pressure from constituents like you. Can we count on your support?

Fight for our planet: Tell your Representative to co-sponsor the Climate Emergency Resolution!

Over 1,000 local governments and more than two dozen nations have declared a climate emergency. The United States government should too!

Trump and the Big Polluter cronies he’s placed throughout our government are holding us back from taking climate action. But they aren’t stronger than the groundswell of grassroots support for bold climate action that includes people like you and me!

We must be loud and fast! And we need you with us.

Help send 30,000 messages to Congress: Demand passage of the Climate Emergency Resolution NOW!

Standing with you,
Karen Orenstein,
Director of climate and energy,
Friends of the Earth Action

***

Thanks to activists like you, we’ve sent thousands of emails to Congress demanding that they rein in Trump’s warmongering with Iran. Because of you, the House of Representatives passed Rep. Elissa Slotkin’s (D-Mich.) war powers resolution — a bipartisan House majority made it clear that it opposes war with Iran.

But we can’t stop now. We need a chorus of voices across the country rising up to say we don’t want war. Write a Letter to the Editor saying #NoWarWithIran using our quick and easy tool.

The American people do not want to be dragged into another decades-long, costly war. The cost of war with Iran could easily cover Medicare for All, universal pre-k, or free college educations. We don't want another bloody and expensive war. We want people and peace to be put first.

We can get this message out through Letters to the Editors (LTEs)! LTEs are a particularly powerful form of activism: they get out ideas that the paper may not have covered, bring new facts to light, and, typically, represent the community’s opinion, meaning that our representatives keep a close eye on them. And LTEs are short and so easy to write! Read our resource on writing an LTE before submitting yours.

Write a Letter to the Editor Now!

Thanks for all you do,
Tristan and the Beyond the Bomb Team

P.S. Did you catch the debate last night? Tensions in Iran took up the first half hour but we need every voice across the nation saying NO to war with Iran and now is the time.