A Bipartisan Principle

Can we all please unite against the MSM insistence on identifying the protection of whistleblower's anonymity as a 'Democratic issue'. Whistleblowers play a vital role in exposing governmental and individual wrongdoing as they provide journalists as well as federal agencies the means by which proper oversight and accountability can be achieved while combating abuse of power in all it's ugly forms. Their anonymity is essential to avoid retaliation by those implicated in the exposure of malfeasance, immorality, or outright unlawful behavior. If it were otherwise, this form of dissent and the preservation of the democratic practice of proper check and balance of the various elements of our government would be forever silenced as a result of fear of reprisal, retribution, and other forms of repression. This is one of the ways by which dictators ascend and maintain their hold on power at the expense of a once functioning democracy.
It is therefore not, as is currently being framed by large elements of the MSM, a partisan matter to advocate on behalf of whistleblowers and others who seek to lay bare instances of corruption and abuse of power but rather a concern for Americans of all political persuasions rightly seeking to preserve and protect the principle lawful governance.

Loathsome Entitlement

In the midst of the celebration of Elijah Cummings's distinguished life, a white commentator took it upon himself to unleash a diatribe against the late congressman wherein the long-time public servant was labeled a 'race pimp'. He went on to similarly defame Rev. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson in this manner while unfavorably comparing these two leaders Andrew Young and Ralph Abernathy.

It is endlessly astonishing to observe the degree of entitlement on display when a white guy, who can never know the life experience a black man in this culture, has the gall to anticipate, presume, criticize, or otherwise pass judgment on the motives/intentions of leaders of the African American community. It's is especially troublesome/loathsome when the same guy resorts to using racist dog whistle language (e.g. 'race pimp') to support his critique of certain 'unacceptable' black personalities while conferring his blessing on those he deems worthy of praise.
A common defense for this presumption is often to claim one's inalienable right as a pale, God-fearing male to depart from the constraints of 'political correctness' and to confer upon any subject matter the honor of his most privileged, biased, and often hate-filled point of view. Let it hereafter be known that while it is your right to do so, it will not be done without consequence and/or recrimination.

We're In This Together

Today I was given the opportunity to respond to a post that suggested the thing worse than being the victim of other people's bitterness, small mindedness, intolerance, hate, insecurities or anger is to be them.
While this thought resonates deeply it is also true that
in a very real sense, we ARE them: different expressions of a common humanity put on display at various points of personal/collective evolution. The arrogance/ignorance of Donald Trump, for example, can serve as a stark reminder of what we all are capable of in other circumstances.
Need a compassion check/challenge?: imagine embracing our president with the same love and understanding you might reserve for yourself, your like-minded friends, and those closest to your heart. Every family has a member who behaves badly. Today it's Cousin Donny; tomorrow or yesterday it could/was any one of us...and we all must be held accountable.
One fabric; many threads...many beads on a single string.

Putting the Post-9/11 Era in Proper Perspective

A recent discussion regarding Condoleezza Rice's recent interview, which seemed designed to reframe her image in the present by conveniently ignoring past events requires a sober reflection on the realities on the ground.
Do we so easily forget that she, in league with other notable neocons, helped construct and orchestrate the false narrative regarding WMD's in Iraq, providing justification for the disastrous war the repercussions of which still reverberate throughout the Middle East.
Perhaps Gore Vidal said it best when he entitle his book: The United States of Amnesia.
Apparently it takes only a decade or so for war criminals such as Rice, Rumsfeld, Abrams, and Chaney to be elevated to the status of 'statesman' while acquiescent enablers like Powell and Bush are similarly regarded. Let's not also forget the continuation of the Bush/Chaney doctrine by the Obama/Biden regime in their escalation of the murderous drone warfare program, their support for elevated mass surveillance of American citizens, and their crackdown on whistle blowers and investigative journalists. Culpability in the post 9/11 era spreads wide across the entire political landscape.

The Rejection of Authoritarian Rule

Entering into an agreement with the authoritarian leader of Turkey involving the removal of troops from Syria without consultation with American military, congressional, or State Department leadership is the act of an out-of-control and clearly unbalanced individual who neither understands or is concerned about the dire consequences of this reckless act of incompetence. In so doing, he has condemned loyal Kurdish fighters to certain death and the advancement of Turkish regional objectives. It is not surprising that the president's impulsive and completely ill-consider action has met with condemnation from both sides of the aisle. Let's hope that Republican defection away from the long standing, lock-step support of Trump will now extend into the probe of his brazen attempt to solicit and coerce foreign assistance for the advancement of his political ends by either withholding military assistance (Ukraine) or turning a blind eye to the suppression of the freedom of expression (China).
The latest events have underscored the necessity for the assertion of Congress, through its Constitutional mandate and responsibility, to finally hold this president accountable for his flagrant disregard for the rule of law and his utter inability to separate his own interests from the interests of the nation he has sworn to protect and defend. The facts are not in dispute; the only question remaining is whether or not we as a people (through our elected representatives) will summoned the requisite courage to preserve the democracy against the blatant current attempts to replace it with authoritarian and dictatorial rule.

Impeachment and the Way Forward

It is now abundantly clear that this incompetent, corrupt, amoral, and thoroughly unworthy individual will be rightfully impeached by the House of Representatives. Soon we will discover whether certain members of the Senate will demonstrate the requisite courage to opt for the rule of law and the proper exercise of their Constitutional duty by voting for conviction. In so doing, the stain of Donald Trump and the national embarrassment that he represents will begin to lessen and perhaps suggest a clearer path forward, away from the darkness of these recent years.

Beyond the United States of Fear

The fomented hate (emanating from the highest level of government) that was so viciously manifested in the recent acts of mass murder in El Paso, Texas; Dayton, Ohio; and Gilroy, California serve as a grim reminder and persistence of the element of fear that pervades the current psyche of America. Perhaps the underlying basis of this fear is to be found in the continual pandering to a loss of cultural and ethnic hegemony historically belonging to a white-dominated power structure. Of course, this appeal to the fear of losing a hold on power is based on the actual fact of the changing demographics in this country whereby, within a decade or so, the white population will no longer be in the majority in these tenuously United States. While many of us celebrate and welcome this change as the inevitable evolution of a society in search of its true identity and expression of its authentic self, so many other citizens are being terrorized by visions of invading hoards from without (i.e.immigrants) seeking to usurp the 'true' identity of the nation (i.e. white) and replace it with the 'horror' of a truly multi-cultural and ethnically diverse electorate. While many of us regard this turn of events as the long awaited fulfillment of the American dream of inclusive participatory democracy, so many others are frozen in the fearful grip of identity loss and cultural abandonment. These fears are fanned and enflamed by a political structure dedicated to serving a narrow segment of the society based on the fear of 'the other'. The 'leaders' of this movement are only too aware of the inevitability of the demographic change in the country, their dwindling popularity (e.g. only one Republican presidential candidate has won the popular vote since 1988), and, and, as a consequence, have worked worked tirelessly to gerrymander an electoral advantage and conduct outright voter suppression (i.e. Kansas, North Carolina, and Georgia) in a desperate attempt to hold onto political power from a distinctly minority position. Meanwhile, long dormant voices, previously muffled or made silent by neglect, continue to seek expression as the arc of history slowly proceeds toward justice. These same voices might also be heard to assure their pale brethren that there really is nothing to fear as we move ever closer to the fulfillment of America's promise to include all of its people in the functioning of its government. They may also whisper that those exiting power will still have a seat at the table albeit perhaps not at its head.

One would be remiss to suggest that the politics of fear are confined to the Republican Party. As the progressive movement of the Democratic Party seeks to give expression to an emerging majority of existing and previously excluded (or disenfranchised) members of its electorate, a fearful and entrenched establishment of leaders (e.g. Biden, Axelrod, McAuliffe, Perez, Pelosi, et al), steadfastly attempt to stem the progressive tide within the very same political organization that has loudly claimed its identity as the voice change for so long. Instead of embracing the clarion call of 'the squad' and other more senior representatives to reach out to a wellspring of potential activists ready to adopt the policies of real change, we see the erstwhile leaders of the Democratic Party assiduously endeavor to stifle, suppress, and resist the voices of change in their midst who might otherwise lead the way toward a more hopeful future where millions of willing citizens stand ready to be engaged in a truly democratic system of participation and inclusion. Lest one be mislead by thinking that this vision of the Democratic Party is somehow unrealistic or even illusory, please be reminded that the progressive policies so courageously championed by Bernie Sanders in 2016 and are now being refined by Elizabeth Warren, accepted by more moderate candidates, and are widely popular with a broad range of voters across a wide swath of geographic and demographic territory throughout the country. These include but are not limited to free public higher education, a call for the wealthiest Americans to assume more of the tax burden, universal health care as a right; not a privilege, guaranteed childcare for young families, elimination/reduction of student debt, a non-intervention policy in the affairs of sovereign nations, and the value of including all people in the fabric of a culturally and ethnically diverse society. Their appeal is to a broad range of citizens and carries with it the promise of growing a base of sustainable support by virtue of its responsiveness to real needs, aspirations, and ideas. This is approach stands in sharp contrast with the establishment's ongoing fear of being labeled too far to the left or, God help us, socialistic (in spite of the real popularity of such ideas). This entrenched group allows the opposition to dictate the terms of the debate and plans their political strategy based upon a fear of how any given statement will be interpreted by the other side instead of having the courage of their own convictions as they develop and implement their vision for the future of the country. As a consequence, they continue to pursue a narrow block of voters (i.e. the crossover vote from Obama in 2012 to Trump in 2016) instead of acknowledging and responding to the millions of emerging and willing Americans eager to join in a political process that for far too long had ignored, dismissed, or otherwise excluded them from meaningful participation.

Time is up for Democrats to step up, overcome the temptation to allow fear to determine their actions, and courageously assert their clear identity in the face of a sinister force that seeks silence the will of the people and bring to a halt the natural evolution of a society seeking to realize its better self and, in the process, give long awaited expression to its original promise.