As a journalist and lawyer, Jen, you stand out in that you not only are bold and passionate about this United States, you stand out in that you offer numerous recommendations to the problems we face. You offer hope, you offer positive solutions rather than simply castigating, which itself isn't a problem, only that following up with identifying and positing what needs to be done to overcome challenges. A vast majority of these recommendations are what the Congress should and could be doing, what We as the People stand behind in preserving democracy. I am impressed with your wisdom and your fearlessness (at least it seems to me you're fearless). What a superb example you set! Sit up and take notice Democrats, Independents, and yes, even the Republicans that care enough about democracy to speak up.
I agree that all those listed in your last sentence need to sit up and take notice, unless they read the Contrarian or see Jen's tremendous articles, we are talking to ourselves. We need to inform folks about the Contrarian,encourage subscriptions and share Jen's articles. I have made this a personal mission in the last few weeks, and I am getting lots of positive feedback back. Hopefully, the Contrarian is getting new subscribers. I have included my Senators and Representative in this effort.
What is one supposed to do when one’s country is sliding into full-on Fascism and people just go on as if it isn’t a big deal? Keep calling, keep writing, keep protesting, avoid spending money (since nearly all of it trickles up). Support independent journalists. Support organizations that stand up for democracy and the common good. It sure feels like it’s not enough to wake up our lawmakers.
The gunshots that killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti are shots that have been heard 'round the world. Let's hope our Congress has heard them, really heard them.
They both equally deserve the award. I can't slide piece of paper between the two as incompetents with *Zero* leadership ability. And, Zero regard for the Constitution and rule of law.
I have found that those wearing their crosses so prominently are often the most un-Christian people you will ever meet. Hateful, racist, compassionless, judgmental, holier than thou hypocrites - the polar opposite of the core teachings of Jesus. Bondi and her ilk are absolute frauds.
“ If so Pope Leo should ex-communicate her from the Catholic Church.”
If she is Protestant, she is not really gonna care what Pope Leo has to say…
But yes, indeed, it is Massively hypocritical of her to wear that cross and say what she says. Same goes for Caroline Levitt. Something about “bearing false witness against thy neighbor“.
US religious leaders of all denominations should be speaking out forcefully and fearlessly and tirelessly against the inhuman actions of this government. They are mealy-mouthed, careful to a fault not to offend the offenders. No wonder so many of us have disassociated from the religions of our origins.
Many faith leaders showed up at the Minneapolis St. Paul airport to protest, and many of them were arrested. Good trouble, as John Lewis recommended. Also the monks who are marching from the south, to DC. So the religious leaders have finally awakened and are preaching about this on Sundays also. Unfortunately, not the evangelical preachers.
Yes, many have and I come from a school/seminary (UTS) that has a history of leadership and involvement by clergy. But too many today are staying comfortable and quiet.
Trump is doing. I hope he spreads his thoughts to the Catholic clergy
and parishioners.
I am sorry to bring up religion... in case it divides us....but Vance flaunts his christianess, too. And Mike Johnson, too. Of course it was Trump who marched across the park in Washington, D.C. and held up the Bible, upside-down.
Yes, I read what Pope Leo said but it took him quite a while to speak out and to me it doesn't sound yet as if he's speaking truth to power. Those three bishops did a little better they they need to be all-passion-all-the-time, speaking against the inhumanity of immigration enforcement. Vance, well he chances religions and opinions at the drop of a new opportunity into his lap. Johnson's religion seems to be freckle-deep. But I can't call any other kettle black, I confess.
And for anyone to think this president gives a hoot about religion--what a travesty. Thank you for your comment and may we all find our voices to speak truth to power as Jesus, Gandhi, Luther, etc. did.
PS: Ralph Nader has a great recent newsletter (Nov. 14th), "Trump and the Contented Classes.) He refers often lately to the contented classes. Even clergy are sometimes among the contented.
I wd go along with the ketchup idea except that the guy behind Trump was shot & killed. I don’t understand the logic of how both bullets & ketchup apply here.
“ The ear contains many superficial blood vessels, including the superficial temporal artery, which supplies blood to the scalp and face.”
— so it wdnt take much of a nick to get a gusher.
Cheers for all your other comments. Viva la resistance! 💥
I might have misundertood your comment. Now I realize it wasn't you who posted the amazing video of the scaredketchup band so my reply to you was definitely out of left field! Sorry.
FYI here is a link to the great video that commenter lin. posted earlier.
But pregnancy is part of the party line. They just announced that Vance's wife is pregnant. After all, Trump has been deporting workers and we need more.
Women having more babies is one of Elon Musk's issues. He spoke about it in South Africa to a group of like minded people.
We also have to keep the factories and other dangerous workplaces well-stocked with underage workers. Remember the lowered age requirements in a number of states, plus we have to keep replacing the ones killed in school mass shootings and those who fall victim to lack of vaccinations. It's a grim outlook.
There is a caste system in America that we all pretend is not there.
The elected officials are ones who have lived a sheltered life. They
really have no clue what it means to have no money or to know where the next meal is coming from. That should not be how America works.
We should be giving people a living wage and not just as little as they can.
I loved Henry Ford who paid his workers more than other factory workers, which upset some people. He said he wanted to pay his workers enough to buy his cars. He was building his client base.
Too bad more companies can't think that way.
And I have another thing I don't understand. Why do companies have to make more money every year? That pushes them to give us less quality and squeeze more work out of workers.
Think of when a pound of coffee was pound.
Why can't a company feel grateful and happy that they are supporting their workers like a big family. Why should a company be looked at as doing poorly when they don't make a projected amount of money for the next year.
Oh, another thing. My mother said guns should be regulated just the way cars are. Cars and guns kill people. Make people go through the tests for getting a driver's license and buy a gun just the way we do with cars. With guns, recovery, if they live after a shooting, is a long
process. Just like a car accident. Therefore gun owners should
have to pay for insurance before they use the gun. And they should
have to renew their permits every year.
THE MOST IMPORTANT IDEA HERE IS THAT THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY WILL SEE THE WISDOM IN THIS ACT AND POSSIBLY LESS PEOPLE WILL THINK THEY NEED A GUN.
IF THE FOUNDING FATHERS SAW WHAT GUNS TODAY LOOK LIKE, AND KILL LIKE, THEY WOULD BE WHIRLING DERVISHES IN THEIR GRAVES.
Where wd we all be Contrarians without Jennifer & Norm? I just called & left a msg for Sen Susan Collins, chair of the Senate Appropriations Com. Also to my US Rep Michael Baumgartner, who is a GOP. He’s reportedly saying hearings are needed to address the tragic killing this weekend (by DHS storm troopers, my words). Call the US Congress & Senate switch board at 202-224-3121. Request Noem resign or be impeached. Request Greg Bovino be fired & charged with defamation of character for calling Alez Pretti an assassin.
With a corrupt and cruel trump regime that employs domestic terrorists (ICE agents), why are we surprised by them trying to extort private voting information? This is a criminal cabal and the republican party cheers them on...kinda like the people who cheered on Bonnie and Clyde or John Dillinger in the 1930s....
Based on her continually outrageously lying about things that everyone can see on video, i’d say no one except MAGA would believe she would actually honor her promise. Anyone else would simply say you’ve got to be kidding.
One other thing. Yes ICE/CBP must ditch the masks. But also it must be possible to identify individuals when necessary. Not name tags, but a number which, under subpoena or judicial warrant, can produce the name.
It would be better just to ditch ICE and return to the INS, (Imigration and Naturalization Service) a far more respectable and honorable agency of the government. While we're at it, send the CBP operatives back to the border. They have no place in our cities.
Thank you to Jen, Norm, Katie and all the Contrarians for being so brave in what you do and say, and for letting us subscribers write freely here without censorship.
The Constitutional remedy is Impeach, Convict, and Remove. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know that it won’t happen with today’s congress. But that is what our founding document gives us. We need the leader or leadership that is laser focused on making our Constitution work. Be sick and tired that our government has not yet jailed the fascists. Incessantly demand ICR. Publicly pressure the House to bring articles of impeachment, the Senate to convict and remove. If ICR does not catch on now, with this congress, make it THE issue in the midterm elections. Lincoln used the Constitution as the foundation for rejecting slavery and secession. This country would have ended in 1860 without his singular focus on the Constitutional remedy. Fascism is our problem. ICR is the solution. Where is our Lincoln?
I love this photo of Pam Bondi. Looks like a prom queen. Or an air head? I can’t decide. Or just another Trump lackey who doesn’t know her ass from a hole in the ground? God help us all.
The action steps are appreciated. Now, if only our Democratic legislators would read this and DO SOMETHING proactively instead of only putting up resistance (also important) to the egregious actions already taken by DHS and the GOP.
It's not just the threat to American citizens that should jar us out of complacency but the Stephen Miller "do the most harm" directive to ICE and CBP that prompted the rest of it. Doing away with due process for potential deportees was the first step, and next Trump fired scores of immigration judges so that this constitutional right cannot be accessed. This must be reversed.
Please call or write your senators today; it takes about 5 minutes.
"This is outrageous and reprehensible" (Bondi's demands of Minnesota's governor).
Those demands are right up her alley and for all intents and purposes represent blackmail. There is also no assurance that she will honor her end of the agreement. She lies and has no moral compass.
As always Ms. Rubin, you present us with reserched, honest and accurate assessments, and this writing is no less. It's important to know not only what is happening; also why, and that takes investigative journalism. Thank you. Now, if we could only extract some action from the MAGApublicans in Congress...
As a journalist and lawyer, Jen, you stand out in that you not only are bold and passionate about this United States, you stand out in that you offer numerous recommendations to the problems we face. You offer hope, you offer positive solutions rather than simply castigating, which itself isn't a problem, only that following up with identifying and positing what needs to be done to overcome challenges. A vast majority of these recommendations are what the Congress should and could be doing, what We as the People stand behind in preserving democracy. I am impressed with your wisdom and your fearlessness (at least it seems to me you're fearless). What a superb example you set! Sit up and take notice Democrats, Independents, and yes, even the Republicans that care enough about democracy to speak up.
You took the words right out of my heart, Gin. I couldn't have said it better myself. Thank you.
My profound thanks as well.
I agree that all those listed in your last sentence need to sit up and take notice, unless they read the Contrarian or see Jen's tremendous articles, we are talking to ourselves. We need to inform folks about the Contrarian,encourage subscriptions and share Jen's articles. I have made this a personal mission in the last few weeks, and I am getting lots of positive feedback back. Hopefully, the Contrarian is getting new subscribers. I have included my Senators and Representative in this effort.
Gin, thank you for encouraging Jen. I follow you to express my admiration to her.
What is one supposed to do when one’s country is sliding into full-on Fascism and people just go on as if it isn’t a big deal? Keep calling, keep writing, keep protesting, avoid spending money (since nearly all of it trickles up). Support independent journalists. Support organizations that stand up for democracy and the common good. It sure feels like it’s not enough to wake up our lawmakers.
Our lawmakers aren't all asleep, for many it's willful turning their eyes away for the purpose of retaining "power". Call it cowardice.
Cowardice is a big problem, but if they were awake, they would see they will not survive in their positions of power by supporting fascism.
The gunshots that killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti are shots that have been heard 'round the world. Let's hope our Congress has heard them, really heard them.
So whom do you nominate for Miss UNcongeniality? Finalists are Scam Blondi and ICE Barbie.
I think Karoline Leavitt should be included!
She is NOT anything like Barbie. She is the convicted felon's ICE bimbo.
What??? She’s horrendous!!!
???
They both equally deserve the award. I can't slide piece of paper between the two as incompetents with *Zero* leadership ability. And, Zero regard for the Constitution and rule of law.
Leavitt AKA Bullshit Barbie.
I call her Baghdad Barbie. Kind of fits n
miller is a pussey...
Is that a little gold cross that Pat Bondi is wearing?
If so Pope Leo should ex-communicate her from the Catholic Church.
That unless she just wears the cross to look holy.
She had dead eyes and would be a great model for the wicked witch in Snow White.
I have found that those wearing their crosses so prominently are often the most un-Christian people you will ever meet. Hateful, racist, compassionless, judgmental, holier than thou hypocrites - the polar opposite of the core teachings of Jesus. Bondi and her ilk are absolute frauds.
Jesus himself said that in later times many would come in his name but ‘I will say to them “I know ye not!”
Matthew 7:21-23 “… Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!’”
Workers of lawlessness; what a great phrase to describe most of the current administration. They are working very, very hard at their lawlessness.
“ If so Pope Leo should ex-communicate her from the Catholic Church.”
If she is Protestant, she is not really gonna care what Pope Leo has to say…
But yes, indeed, it is Massively hypocritical of her to wear that cross and say what she says. Same goes for Caroline Levitt. Something about “bearing false witness against thy neighbor“.
US religious leaders of all denominations should be speaking out forcefully and fearlessly and tirelessly against the inhuman actions of this government. They are mealy-mouthed, careful to a fault not to offend the offenders. No wonder so many of us have disassociated from the religions of our origins.
Many faith leaders showed up at the Minneapolis St. Paul airport to protest, and many of them were arrested. Good trouble, as John Lewis recommended. Also the monks who are marching from the south, to DC. So the religious leaders have finally awakened and are preaching about this on Sundays also. Unfortunately, not the evangelical preachers.
Yes, many have and I come from a school/seminary (UTS) that has a history of leadership and involvement by clergy. But too many today are staying comfortable and quiet.
To my delight, Pope Leo has spoken out about what
Trump is doing. I hope he spreads his thoughts to the Catholic clergy
and parishioners.
I am sorry to bring up religion... in case it divides us....but Vance flaunts his christianess, too. And Mike Johnson, too. Of course it was Trump who marched across the park in Washington, D.C. and held up the Bible, upside-down.
Yes, I read what Pope Leo said but it took him quite a while to speak out and to me it doesn't sound yet as if he's speaking truth to power. Those three bishops did a little better they they need to be all-passion-all-the-time, speaking against the inhumanity of immigration enforcement. Vance, well he chances religions and opinions at the drop of a new opportunity into his lap. Johnson's religion seems to be freckle-deep. But I can't call any other kettle black, I confess.
And for anyone to think this president gives a hoot about religion--what a travesty. Thank you for your comment and may we all find our voices to speak truth to power as Jesus, Gandhi, Luther, etc. did.
PS: Ralph Nader has a great recent newsletter (Nov. 14th), "Trump and the Contented Classes.) He refers often lately to the contented classes. Even clergy are sometimes among the contented.
The ones known as ‘fat cats’ — yes, potentially of any vocation.
A bunch of them got arrested in Minnesota for protesting the DHS murders.
Wasn’t there a great line-up of them on their knees somewhere, in their form of protest?
It was fantastic, if you're referring to that vidoe of scaredketchup. and all the drumming.
I wd go along with the ketchup idea except that the guy behind Trump was shot & killed. I don’t understand the logic of how both bullets & ketchup apply here.
“ The ear contains many superficial blood vessels, including the superficial temporal artery, which supplies blood to the scalp and face.”
— so it wdnt take much of a nick to get a gusher.
Cheers for all your other comments. Viva la resistance! 💥
I might have misundertood your comment. Now I realize it wasn't you who posted the amazing video of the scaredketchup band so my reply to you was definitely out of left field! Sorry.
FYI here is a link to the great video that commenter lin. posted earlier.
https://youtu.be/4PUOhAJG5EU?si=4EZHaZgQRRS0xJAX. "A Protest Song for Minnesota."
Cheers to you and your comments, Jay! Excelsior!
One name correction is in order. It's Karo(as in the syrup)line Leave(wish she would) itt. Otherwise, you're right on the money.
Isn’t it amazing that she left her baby of 3 days old to run to support The Donald after he got his ear nicked? And now she’s pregnant again …
But pregnancy is part of the party line. They just announced that Vance's wife is pregnant. After all, Trump has been deporting workers and we need more.
Women having more babies is one of Elon Musk's issues. He spoke about it in South Africa to a group of like minded people.
We also have to keep the factories and other dangerous workplaces well-stocked with underage workers. Remember the lowered age requirements in a number of states, plus we have to keep replacing the ones killed in school mass shootings and those who fall victim to lack of vaccinations. It's a grim outlook.
As if the children of these people would ever go work in factories.
There's the rub, as Shakespeare said.
There is a caste system in America that we all pretend is not there.
The elected officials are ones who have lived a sheltered life. They
really have no clue what it means to have no money or to know where the next meal is coming from. That should not be how America works.
We should be giving people a living wage and not just as little as they can.
I loved Henry Ford who paid his workers more than other factory workers, which upset some people. He said he wanted to pay his workers enough to buy his cars. He was building his client base.
Too bad more companies can't think that way.
And I have another thing I don't understand. Why do companies have to make more money every year? That pushes them to give us less quality and squeeze more work out of workers.
Think of when a pound of coffee was pound.
Why can't a company feel grateful and happy that they are supporting their workers like a big family. Why should a company be looked at as doing poorly when they don't make a projected amount of money for the next year.
Oh, another thing. My mother said guns should be regulated just the way cars are. Cars and guns kill people. Make people go through the tests for getting a driver's license and buy a gun just the way we do with cars. With guns, recovery, if they live after a shooting, is a long
process. Just like a car accident. Therefore gun owners should
have to pay for insurance before they use the gun. And they should
have to renew their permits every year.
THE MOST IMPORTANT IDEA HERE IS THAT THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY WILL SEE THE WISDOM IN THIS ACT AND POSSIBLY LESS PEOPLE WILL THINK THEY NEED A GUN.
IF THE FOUNDING FATHERS SAW WHAT GUNS TODAY LOOK LIKE, AND KILL LIKE, THEY WOULD BE WHIRLING DERVISHES IN THEIR GRAVES.
THANKS FOR LISTENING.
or anywhere
good...vance has 1 more immigrant descended baby he has to explain things to when it grows up...
Thank you for the reminder. Of course, I would expect nothing better from such a creature.
power sucks them in
Bondi and Noem could be interchangable. Both are no good for their jobs, the people, the country and the Constitution.
Where wd we all be Contrarians without Jennifer & Norm? I just called & left a msg for Sen Susan Collins, chair of the Senate Appropriations Com. Also to my US Rep Michael Baumgartner, who is a GOP. He’s reportedly saying hearings are needed to address the tragic killing this weekend (by DHS storm troopers, my words). Call the US Congress & Senate switch board at 202-224-3121. Request Noem resign or be impeached. Request Greg Bovino be fired & charged with defamation of character for calling Alez Pretti an assassin.
With a corrupt and cruel trump regime that employs domestic terrorists (ICE agents), why are we surprised by them trying to extort private voting information? This is a criminal cabal and the republican party cheers them on...kinda like the people who cheered on Bonnie and Clyde or John Dillinger in the 1930s....
Who's to say ICE would be pulled out after getting the information Bondi is trying to extort?
Based on her continually outrageously lying about things that everyone can see on video, i’d say no one except MAGA would believe she would actually honor her promise. Anyone else would simply say you’ve got to be kidding.
The Republican Party is effectively no more; kidnapped and perverted by MAGA.
Yes, but it was the easiest perversion conversion ever.
Gone with a whimper not a bang, eh?
One other thing. Yes ICE/CBP must ditch the masks. But also it must be possible to identify individuals when necessary. Not name tags, but a number which, under subpoena or judicial warrant, can produce the name.
It would be better just to ditch ICE and return to the INS, (Imigration and Naturalization Service) a far more respectable and honorable agency of the government. While we're at it, send the CBP operatives back to the border. They have no place in our cities.
The police have name and number badges, I’d like both ICE and border patrol to have the same.
Thank you to Jen, Norm, Katie and all the Contrarians for being so brave in what you do and say, and for letting us subscribers write freely here without censorship.
The Constitutional remedy is Impeach, Convict, and Remove. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know that it won’t happen with today’s congress. But that is what our founding document gives us. We need the leader or leadership that is laser focused on making our Constitution work. Be sick and tired that our government has not yet jailed the fascists. Incessantly demand ICR. Publicly pressure the House to bring articles of impeachment, the Senate to convict and remove. If ICR does not catch on now, with this congress, make it THE issue in the midterm elections. Lincoln used the Constitution as the foundation for rejecting slavery and secession. This country would have ended in 1860 without his singular focus on the Constitutional remedy. Fascism is our problem. ICR is the solution. Where is our Lincoln?
Waiting to be elected, I expect.
NO ICE TODAY
If you want THIS 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽 to stop
Call your legislators: (202) 224-3121. Tell them:
🔥Abolish ICE.
💰No $ for DHS.
💔Prosecute ALL responsible for murders.
If your legislators are GOP - ALL THE BETTER🗽
👯♀️ Text this to friends
📣 Post on social media
They won’t stop
until WE stop them 🗽
Impeach and convict ICE Barbie, Pam Bondi, and Felon47.
… the start of a very, very long list…
I love this photo of Pam Bondi. Looks like a prom queen. Or an air head? I can’t decide. Or just another Trump lackey who doesn’t know her ass from a hole in the ground? God help us all.
Option number three is the most likely. When asked questions about the law, she seems incredibly ignorant.
The action steps are appreciated. Now, if only our Democratic legislators would read this and DO SOMETHING proactively instead of only putting up resistance (also important) to the egregious actions already taken by DHS and the GOP.
It's not just the threat to American citizens that should jar us out of complacency but the Stephen Miller "do the most harm" directive to ICE and CBP that prompted the rest of it. Doing away with due process for potential deportees was the first step, and next Trump fired scores of immigration judges so that this constitutional right cannot be accessed. This must be reversed.
Please call or write your senators today; it takes about 5 minutes.
"This is outrageous and reprehensible" (Bondi's demands of Minnesota's governor).
Those demands are right up her alley and for all intents and purposes represent blackmail. There is also no assurance that she will honor her end of the agreement. She lies and has no moral compass.
As always Ms. Rubin, you present us with reserched, honest and accurate assessments, and this writing is no less. It's important to know not only what is happening; also why, and that takes investigative journalism. Thank you. Now, if we could only extract some action from the MAGApublicans in Congress...
Not blackmail, extortion.
“ Nice state you’ve got here; pity if something bad happened to it…”