Mobilizations will take place at over 1,000 "Workers Over Billionaires" rallies, demanding an end to wealth inequality amidst a deepening economic squeeze.
And on Labor Day can we please tear down the ridiculous tRump mugshot on the Dept of Labor building? The fool responsible for mass firings and layoffs has no place at the labor table!
No bloody kidding! And then how do we tear down the other fool, the one who's just another bower-and-kisser sycophant who put the UNAmerican mugshot up there in the first place?
Block the roads now. Too much is at risk to wait! Mobilize Blue state National Guards when threatened. Wait until then. The invasion of one state by another is a call to state Governors to mobilize their National Guards to resist an UNLAWFUL assault. The U.S. military should not accept UNLAWFUL orders. The sooner we get this over with, the better. This confrontation is coming. It is coming! We are stronger now than we will be tomorrow. The confrontation is not a battle or a war. It is a standoff at State borders. One state would be trying to invade another. One is the offender. The other, the defender. We know TACO.
Also, the gerrymander fight is on. There is a new playbook. The old rules have been struck down by the Supreme Court. We need to change the gears here as fast as possible for deadly PREEMPTIVE strikes. Newsom has moved out on this already. Who is next? Hochul. Where are you? NO EXCUSE! Change your state Constitution. Pritzker. What are you doing?
It's been gaslighting the American people from the beginning; and we don't need to gather numbers--it's not about numbers. It's about racism, sexism, and wholesale projection.
Daniel: I think you are partly right--(about persuasion); however, if you have children that someone or some powerful group threatened in real-time, . . . . That's a new one for me "nutsy koo koo."
donna woodward: I would never judge anyone who was protecting their children against such threats--it's not okay in the abstract and, for some, if it's someone else's children, but not in the concrete if it's one's own. Thanks to so many others, however, and to living in a relatively civil culture, such decisions commonly are not necessary fare for living.
The idea is that strength in numbers may help--especially if those who protest also flood their Congresspeople with letters, emails or calls! And get out the vote.
To Pat Jones Garcia: Yes--strength in numbers. This idea however flies in the face of the "implicit weakness of democracy" that I hear about from time to time in the talking heads. The problem is FAR from weakness--democracy is quite strong especially now as we have been enjoying it for centuries now--it's in our blood, so to speak.
The problem, then, is rather that so many have taken democracy's wonders for granted and (MAGA) so many don't seem to understand just what they are messing around with. Oddly, the idea of "woke" is the right idea for MAGA type people who are not moral morons (like some who surround Trump) but who really do need to wake up to the source of real weakness--the polity's ignorance and taking for granted what we/they already live in but what is being existentially threatened. NOT WEAK, but strength in numbers, indeed, in those who understand.
Pat: Yes, and I think we are hovering around the difference between just being "asleep" politically, and the dead-mindedness of a cult. The other serious problem is the systematizing of corrupt behaviors at the top, which keep the fearful and the voting cult in line, in the form of the president, the Heritage Foundation, and the spineless sycophants whom I don't need to name here.
On September 6 They also need to ask that DC be funded properly as it has been your generations. For the first time Congress did not fund DC for its basic budget. Either fund it, or make it a STATE, as all the funds are from DC residents.
I wrote the below for another blog, but it relates directly to this one. I hope it's okay to post it here.
Two things: FIRST, yesterday on her program, Christine Amanpour showed an interview between Walter Isaacson and presidential historian Timothy Naftali. (If it’s “out there,” find it if you can–it was originally aired on April 30). A central point (among many) was that our military takes an oath to the U.S. Constitution, and not to a man. He pointed to that fact while also saying how military takeovers occur in states also as a movement to secure fascism. The context, however, was about the military NOT following Trump down the fascist rabbit hole, so to speak–that is, as direct action to save democracy.
SECOND, Naftali also recalled Mitt Romney saying in his biography how he had to take out expensive protection to secure himself AND HIS FAMILY against the physical threats to all of them. Mitt apparently also related that his colleagues in Congress during the impeachments couldn’t afford to buy such protections, and so they remained silent and did not vote against Trump in the impeachment. (I knew at the time that this problem of threats was bad, but not that bad.)
So, I rethought that insidious White House staff meeting the other day where everyone praised Trump–I wonder just how much of that same physical threat (to those people and their families) was at work in their over-the-top praise–though some I think actually buy into what they are doing.
I have also wondered if the violence (that usually accompanies fascism) hasn’t occurred (yet) precisely because the targeted threats and intimidation has “worked so well” . . . so far, and that it’s just a matter of time before the “real stuff” occurs.
Love the idea of the protests growing, but until MSM starts covering them, little action happens. Everyone needs to see what's happening and gather strength from it to continue the resistance.
From Ralph's Nader's newsletter of Aug. 29, 2025: on a Domestic Compact for America:
"The basic question is, whose side are you on? The key elements of the Compact are:
Raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to at least $15 per hour, benefiting 25 million workers.
Raising all the Social Security benefits, frozen for over 45 years, paying for it by increasing the Social Security tax on the wealthy, benefiting over 60 million elderly. This was supported by about 200 House Democrats in 2022 but was blocked by the Democratic Speaker from going to the floor. Rep. John Larson, the bill’s champion, can provide further explanation.
Restoring taxes on the very under-taxed super-rich and corporations (85% approval).
Establishing a children’s tax credit, cutting child poverty in half, with over 60 million children benefiting. Very popular with parents regardless of their political party affiliations.
Instituting Medicare for All, safer, more efficient, and much less stressful than our current approach to healthcare.
Cracking down on corporate crooks stealing consumer dollars, wages, and worker pensions.
Adopting social safety nets long available in Western Europe and Canada.
Passing labor law reforms put forth decades ago. (See my column on Taft Hartley at Nader.org)
Investing in crumbling public services and infrastructures.
Paying for the above by restoring taxes on the very under-taxed super-rich and large corporations and by ending huge corporate welfare giveaways and debloating the runaway, unaudited military budget.
Why has the Democratic Party declined to lead with such an agenda, which has been proposed for years by various citizen groups? (See winningamerica.net.)
Oh, duh. The courts have already established that Pres can only call up NG if Gov asks for it or agrees, per the Constitution . All the gov has to do is say NO. Our Repub gov (who walks a fine line in our blue state) told Trump flatly NO when asked to provide part of our Nat Guard to assist Border Patrol. He said "We need them for state purposes." Period. That was that. Gov also will not allow state cops to assist ICE. Trump also asked for info on SNAP recipients. Gov waffled but our Attorney General said NO WAY. There is no need to preempt the NG because the Gov already has that power, simply by saying NO.
I'm so glad Tramp is such a fool that when he regained power, he betrayed so many of the people who voted for him three times. Lindsey Graham was a prophet, back before he was a Tramp bootlick. He said if the party made Tramp its candidate, it would be the ruin of it. If the Republicans can't steal the midterms, it will be the beginning of the end.
DO NOT promise to end wealth inequality. It ain't a-gonna happen! Zipf's Law controls variabilities in all kinds of populations, from the sizes of animals sharing a grassland to the sizes of waves on an ocean--and incomes of families in an economy. It is part of what provides rich, healthy ecosystems, motivates sentient beings (like humans) to make efforts to improve their lives.
Zipf's Law, simply put, is the observation that in any bounded system (a field, a town, an economy, etc.) there is room for more little things than for big things. That's why in a human body there are a lot more individual cells than there are organs, like lungs, heart, muscles, etc. On Lake Michigan there are lots of little ripples riding on great, rolling waves. In any economy, there are a lot more people who are relatively poor than relatively rich.
That said, we've been noticing that there is too much wealth inequality in America (and many other nations as well). Wealth inequality motivates people to work hard to get ahead, but too much wealth inequality discourages people from trying because they no longer believe that getting ahead is possible.
The best tool we have to control wealth inequality is a progressive income tax. The theory behind progressive taxes is that folks favored by society with large incomes are expected to give back by shouldering a larger share of the financial burden involved in making the society a better place in which to live. Tax breaks for the rich defeat the whole system. It's a balancing act that we seem have gotten wrong.
And on Labor Day can we please tear down the ridiculous tRump mugshot on the Dept of Labor building? The fool responsible for mass firings and layoffs has no place at the labor table!
It looks like a great place for target practice for the local Archery Club.
Tomatoes! Or maybe mud?
I think that is symbolic but not unproductive. Rather, bring up restoring CDC, removing Kennedy.
A major necessity!
What a travesty. Why has no one ripped it down yet? Has there ever been a more vain person in the Oval Office?
No bloody kidding! And then how do we tear down the other fool, the one who's just another bower-and-kisser sycophant who put the UNAmerican mugshot up there in the first place?
Block the roads now. Too much is at risk to wait! Mobilize Blue state National Guards when threatened. Wait until then. The invasion of one state by another is a call to state Governors to mobilize their National Guards to resist an UNLAWFUL assault. The U.S. military should not accept UNLAWFUL orders. The sooner we get this over with, the better. This confrontation is coming. It is coming! We are stronger now than we will be tomorrow. The confrontation is not a battle or a war. It is a standoff at State borders. One state would be trying to invade another. One is the offender. The other, the defender. We know TACO.
Also, the gerrymander fight is on. There is a new playbook. The old rules have been struck down by the Supreme Court. We need to change the gears here as fast as possible for deadly PREEMPTIVE strikes. Newsom has moved out on this already. Who is next? Hochul. Where are you? NO EXCUSE! Change your state Constitution. Pritzker. What are you doing?
https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/gerrymander-fight?r=3m1bs
Refrain.
See you in September in DC.
https://removalcoalition.org/
Congress returns. There are many issues we can use to convince a few Congressional Republicans. Brian Fitzpatrick is a case study.
Pressure them directly, their donors, families, social friends etc. Picket. Sit in.
Proportionally 4 x more crime in MAGA Mike's home town than in DC. Memphis is the most crimeridden city in the US. Jackson, Mississippi! Bessemer, AL!
Interview the National Guardsmen. Odds are more crime at home.
It's been gaslighting the American people from the beginning; and we don't need to gather numbers--it's not about numbers. It's about racism, sexism, and wholesale projection.
It's about persuasion. Only takes a few Congressional Republicans. Privately many know Trump is nutsy koo koo.
Daniel: I think you are partly right--(about persuasion); however, if you have children that someone or some powerful group threatened in real-time, . . . . That's a new one for me "nutsy koo koo."
I understand and get your point. However, do we really protect our children by cowering and submitting to a bully? Not for very long...
donna woodward: I would never judge anyone who was protecting their children against such threats--it's not okay in the abstract and, for some, if it's someone else's children, but not in the concrete if it's one's own. Thanks to so many others, however, and to living in a relatively civil culture, such decisions commonly are not necessary fare for living.
Check this out. https://jerryweiss.substack.com/
The idea is that strength in numbers may help--especially if those who protest also flood their Congresspeople with letters, emails or calls! And get out the vote.
To Pat Jones Garcia: Yes--strength in numbers. This idea however flies in the face of the "implicit weakness of democracy" that I hear about from time to time in the talking heads. The problem is FAR from weakness--democracy is quite strong especially now as we have been enjoying it for centuries now--it's in our blood, so to speak.
The problem, then, is rather that so many have taken democracy's wonders for granted and (MAGA) so many don't seem to understand just what they are messing around with. Oddly, the idea of "woke" is the right idea for MAGA type people who are not moral morons (like some who surround Trump) but who really do need to wake up to the source of real weakness--the polity's ignorance and taking for granted what we/they already live in but what is being existentially threatened. NOT WEAK, but strength in numbers, indeed, in those who understand.
Thanks for reply--I would add what has already been actually threatened of democracy and rights.
Pat: Yes, and I think we are hovering around the difference between just being "asleep" politically, and the dead-mindedness of a cult. The other serious problem is the systematizing of corrupt behaviors at the top, which keep the fearful and the voting cult in line, in the form of the president, the Heritage Foundation, and the spineless sycophants whom I don't need to name here.
Refrains are important. :) They become refrains for a reason.
On September 6 They also need to ask that DC be funded properly as it has been your generations. For the first time Congress did not fund DC for its basic budget. Either fund it, or make it a STATE, as all the funds are from DC residents.
I wrote the below for another blog, but it relates directly to this one. I hope it's okay to post it here.
Two things: FIRST, yesterday on her program, Christine Amanpour showed an interview between Walter Isaacson and presidential historian Timothy Naftali. (If it’s “out there,” find it if you can–it was originally aired on April 30). A central point (among many) was that our military takes an oath to the U.S. Constitution, and not to a man. He pointed to that fact while also saying how military takeovers occur in states also as a movement to secure fascism. The context, however, was about the military NOT following Trump down the fascist rabbit hole, so to speak–that is, as direct action to save democracy.
SECOND, Naftali also recalled Mitt Romney saying in his biography how he had to take out expensive protection to secure himself AND HIS FAMILY against the physical threats to all of them. Mitt apparently also related that his colleagues in Congress during the impeachments couldn’t afford to buy such protections, and so they remained silent and did not vote against Trump in the impeachment. (I knew at the time that this problem of threats was bad, but not that bad.)
So, I rethought that insidious White House staff meeting the other day where everyone praised Trump–I wonder just how much of that same physical threat (to those people and their families) was at work in their over-the-top praise–though some I think actually buy into what they are doing.
I have also wondered if the violence (that usually accompanies fascism) hasn’t occurred (yet) precisely because the targeted threats and intimidation has “worked so well” . . . so far, and that it’s just a matter of time before the “real stuff” occurs.
good news joni ernst not running in midterms....
Love the idea of the protests growing, but until MSM starts covering them, little action happens. Everyone needs to see what's happening and gather strength from it to continue the resistance.
Mobilizations should focus on removing Secretary Kennedy as he endangers health of workers. Focus the aim.
From Ralph's Nader's newsletter of Aug. 29, 2025: on a Domestic Compact for America:
"The basic question is, whose side are you on? The key elements of the Compact are:
Raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to at least $15 per hour, benefiting 25 million workers.
Raising all the Social Security benefits, frozen for over 45 years, paying for it by increasing the Social Security tax on the wealthy, benefiting over 60 million elderly. This was supported by about 200 House Democrats in 2022 but was blocked by the Democratic Speaker from going to the floor. Rep. John Larson, the bill’s champion, can provide further explanation.
Restoring taxes on the very under-taxed super-rich and corporations (85% approval).
Establishing a children’s tax credit, cutting child poverty in half, with over 60 million children benefiting. Very popular with parents regardless of their political party affiliations.
Instituting Medicare for All, safer, more efficient, and much less stressful than our current approach to healthcare.
Cracking down on corporate crooks stealing consumer dollars, wages, and worker pensions.
Adopting social safety nets long available in Western Europe and Canada.
Passing labor law reforms put forth decades ago. (See my column on Taft Hartley at Nader.org)
Investing in crumbling public services and infrastructures.
Paying for the above by restoring taxes on the very under-taxed super-rich and large corporations and by ending huge corporate welfare giveaways and debloating the runaway, unaudited military budget.
Why has the Democratic Party declined to lead with such an agenda, which has been proposed for years by various citizen groups? (See winningamerica.net.)
You might like my proposal for Blue State Governors:
https://open.substack.com/pub/jodygorran/p/the-democrat-offensive-move-blue?r=68rn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Oh, duh. The courts have already established that Pres can only call up NG if Gov asks for it or agrees, per the Constitution . All the gov has to do is say NO. Our Repub gov (who walks a fine line in our blue state) told Trump flatly NO when asked to provide part of our Nat Guard to assist Border Patrol. He said "We need them for state purposes." Period. That was that. Gov also will not allow state cops to assist ICE. Trump also asked for info on SNAP recipients. Gov waffled but our Attorney General said NO WAY. There is no need to preempt the NG because the Gov already has that power, simply by saying NO.
Onward!
There are two protests planned close to me. I plan to try both, depending on parking availability.
Thank you, Maria! Everyone - see you out there this weekend and on Labor Day! 💪🏽💙
I'm so glad Tramp is such a fool that when he regained power, he betrayed so many of the people who voted for him three times. Lindsey Graham was a prophet, back before he was a Tramp bootlick. He said if the party made Tramp its candidate, it would be the ruin of it. If the Republicans can't steal the midterms, it will be the beginning of the end.
DO NOT promise to end wealth inequality. It ain't a-gonna happen! Zipf's Law controls variabilities in all kinds of populations, from the sizes of animals sharing a grassland to the sizes of waves on an ocean--and incomes of families in an economy. It is part of what provides rich, healthy ecosystems, motivates sentient beings (like humans) to make efforts to improve their lives.
Zipf's Law, simply put, is the observation that in any bounded system (a field, a town, an economy, etc.) there is room for more little things than for big things. That's why in a human body there are a lot more individual cells than there are organs, like lungs, heart, muscles, etc. On Lake Michigan there are lots of little ripples riding on great, rolling waves. In any economy, there are a lot more people who are relatively poor than relatively rich.
That said, we've been noticing that there is too much wealth inequality in America (and many other nations as well). Wealth inequality motivates people to work hard to get ahead, but too much wealth inequality discourages people from trying because they no longer believe that getting ahead is possible.
The best tool we have to control wealth inequality is a progressive income tax. The theory behind progressive taxes is that folks favored by society with large incomes are expected to give back by shouldering a larger share of the financial burden involved in making the society a better place in which to live. Tax breaks for the rich defeat the whole system. It's a balancing act that we seem have gotten wrong.