Profiles in Treason - Citizens United

I’m a very busy individual and there is simply too much to keep up with and though I am familiar with the basic outline of their democracy shattering court case Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission and how Right-wing activist Supreme Court Justices decided that it’s okay for corporate Oligarchs to buy US elections in our evolving Corporation of American.  I actually never visited their website to take a look myself until a couple days ago after another story about Bernie Sanders going after them.  I was surprised, nay, shocked, to say the least.  Their basic pitch starts:

Citizens United who We Are:

Citizens United is an organization dedicated to restoring our government to citizens' control. Through a combination of education, advocacy, and grass roots organization, Citizens United seeks to reassert the traditional American values of limited government, freedom of enterprise, strong families, and national sovereignty and security. Citizens United's goal is to restore the founding fathers' vision of a free nation, guided by the honesty, common sense, and good will of its citizens.

Officers and Board of Directors

David N. Bossie, President and Chairman of the Board

Burtonsville, Maryland

Michael Boos, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Manassas, Virginia

Brian Berry, Director

Media Consultant

Austin, Texas

Ron Robinson, Director

President, Young America's Foundation

Reston, Virginia

John Bliss, Director

Attorney

Denver, Colorado

Kirby Wilbur, Director and Treasurer

Duvall, Washington

All that sounds reasonable enough, in a contrived sort of way.  At least, it’s rational words linked together.  One would hope it offers a basis for dialogue with ideological ‘opponents’.

Except, I know from other conversations that when they use the word “honesty” it means: their own self-certain opinions - it has nothing to do with an objective evaluation of facts.

They make it really simple, everything that doesn’t conform with their perspective is a lie (period!) and anyone opposed to their notions are enemies.  Fellow Americans, don’t exist in their universe, it’s us vs them. 

Okay that’s looking at the words, now try to view their blog at http://www.citizensunited.org.  I had no idea that Citizens United was actually a blatant hate group that seems to be dedicated to fomenting a civil war amongst Americans.  

It was hideously shocking, then as the surprise wore off, it was deeply frightening to realize many fellow Americans have become so saturated with blind hatred and misplaced anger.  These people don’t want to reform our government, they want to destroy it !  Cut off your nose and poke out your eyes, to spite your face is what it sounds like to me.  

Wake up America, this is not a drill!  Democracy use it or lose it!

Most Americans are totally unaware that Citizens United is actually Koch's Bullies.  Ironically there’s every indication that Russian Oligarchs have had a heavy hand in this election - and I tell you what, take a look at those videos and tell me that Citizens United website sure don't look more like a vintage Russian Propaganda review than anything we could have imagined coming out of our United State of America?    

Americans, it’s your move!

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Citizens United (organization)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_(organization)

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http://endcitizensunited.org

Co-sponsor a constitutional amendment to

OVERTURN CITIZENS UNITED

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OpenSecrets.org - Center for Responsive Government

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/reports/citizens_united.php

The Supreme Court's 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission helped unleash unprecedented amounts of outside spending in the 2010 and 2012 election cycles. The case, along with other legal developments, spawned the creation of super PACs, which can accept unlimited contributions from corporate and union treasuries, as well as from individuals; these groups spent more than $600 million in the 2012 election cycle. It also triggered a boom in political activity by tax-exempt "dark money" organizations that don't have to disclose their donors. Learn more here about how the Supreme Court transformed the campaign finance landscape with this decision, and how it is now affecting U.S. politics. ...

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Leaked 'John Doe' Docs Offer Stark Look at Post-Citizens United Landscape

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/09/14/leaked-john-doe-docs-offer-stark-look-post-citizens-united-landscape

Help Monitor the Impact of Trump on Science

Yup, I know I'm saturating this place with posts, but these are extraordinary times, even if most haven't figured it out yet!  I believe one of the future looking things that must be started immediately is to thoroughly document Trump's coming War on Science and Earth Stewardship concerns.  In my last post I highlighted John Dupuis' noteworthy effort in that direction at ScienceBlogs.com.  

Here I want to highlight another effort to track Trump's impact on actual scientists and their work, while encouraging a broader awareness, discussion and engagement of citizens with our political system.  As ScienceDebate.org explains it:  "We are seeking to rapidly gather your concerns and to document any changes you may be experiencing. We need to move from rumors to a set of case studies to help inform what we need to monitor and respond to."

Can you help? 

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Monitoring the Impact of the Trump Presidency on Science

http://questions.sciencedebate.org/forums/562990-monitoring-the-impact-of-the-trump-presidency-on-s

What impacts have you seen or concerns have you voiced over science under president Trump?  

Go to http://questions.sciencedebate.org/forums/562990-monitoring-the-impact-of-the-trump-presidency-on-shttp://  where there's a text box you can use to describe your concern.  You can also join the discussion under other commentaries.

Dupuis - Documenting Trump's War on Science

This speaks for itself, written by John Dupuis at ScienceBlogs.com it's a partial compilation documenting Trump's War On Science.  I myself believe we (that would be, the science respecting fact-over-faith crowd) need something more, a dedicated website that has the space to document, categorize, catalogue, fact check and followup on the multi-frontal assaults serious science is going to be weathering, or folding to, these next years.    But, this is a good start and hopefully an inspiration for some others to pick up the ball and run with it.  One person can only do so much.  Although for these early days John has put together a pretty collection of important information.

Wake up America, this is not a drill!  The oligarchs want it all and they couldn't care less about you and your needs.  America, it's your move.

Documenting the Donald Trump War on Science: Pre-Inauguration Edition

By John Dupuis on November 11, 2016, at http://scienceblogs.com

… This time around, I’m going to start a project about science in the new Donald Trump administration. I believe Trump will be terrible for science, technology, the environment and public health. And I intend to document that here. 

Of course, Trump won’t be terrible for science in exactly the same way that Harper was in Canada. For example, he may not target research funding in the same way. On the other hand, the environment may fare much worse and ultimately muzzling may also prove to be a problem. It’s only over the course of the next couple of years that we’ll really and truly get a sense of the implications.

But why wait until we see the share of how exactly Trump is bad for science to start keeping track?

Most important lesson of Election 2016

My column in the December Four Corners Free Press

Dec 19th is rapidly approaching and too few are questioning Trump's many foreign entanglements among other serious National Security questions. Matters that need public outcry, because no politician has the backbone to confront these real concerns without strong public support.  Where are you?

During Thanksgiving I had a fascinating discussion with a career Navy man who introduced me to an entirely new perspective I hadn't thought of before.  My take away understanding is that,  once we had a United States of America and a government that required a president, now we have a multinational corporation with a CEO in charge of marketing and PR and we (armed forces) are there to serve him.  If true, it seems to me a disastrous turn of events.

It's going to take many individual citizens proactively engaging in a rational thoughtful constructive and vocal resistance to the coming Oligarch onslaught.  If these memes resonate with your own thinking, please figure out how to make them yours and pass them along.  Help jump start the dialogue.  One way or another we've got to get out of old comfort zones and engage in the reality of today's political landscape.   

Well, ... actually, that's not true, is it?  We can allow the dogs of war to have their way with us yet again.  America, it's your move!

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Seems to me the single most important lesson of this election is that “The Lie” has become acceptable mainstream political currency. Though the Left is guilty of this, Trump and his Alt-Right champions and Republican tea-partiers have taken it to an entirely new level.

Sure politicians have always added their creative spin to the truth, but this is something different. Namely, a complete strategic rejection of ethics and honestly appraising the evidence at hand.

It manifested itself in Trump and the Alt-Right’s disregard for, plus their hideous incivility and hostility towards bona fide experts across the entire spectrum of our society. 

Well, that is, if those experts happen to bring unwelcome news about the reality of the physical world we depend on. On the other hand, any two-bit dilettante gets treated as a singularly authoritative “expert” if they spin a pleasing yarn. That is, plastering over serious down to earth facts with cynically crafted bull-poop whose sole intent is to hide from a true assessment.

Why would any forward thinking adult embrace such childish misdirection and just-so fairytales? By what manner of twisted logic do we rationalize ignoring evidence based constructive learning and the increasing understanding that has come through generations worth of dedicated capable individuals the world over?

What happened to humanity’s Intellectual Enlightenment? It suddenly seems farther away than ever and getting dimmer fast.

America DUMP TRUMP - Electoral College lessons

DemocrEC.org.  

I listened to this video interview of Amanda Werner, co-founder of the organization and found her well spoken and her ideas worth pursuing and supporting.  Then I went to their website to read more and was further convinced of the need to support this effort.  

This is exactly the sort of information that needs to be broadcast from a thousand beacons of hope in what promises to be a very trying period in American and world history, when the powers of the Oligarch are going to do all they can to destroy anything that hinders their blind obsessions in any way.  

I've copied the following off their blog.  It explains their goals and the reasoning behind the effort and why some fights are worth the effort even if you don't really expect to win.  Go figure America.  It's your move.
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Trump tells Americans: “‘The president can’t have a conflict of interest!”

How about if Americans tell the Electoral College to, Dump Trump? 

NOW is the time to think twice and vocally object before empowering this wanna be businessman dictator and Russian Obligate as the President of the United States. 

We The People Could do it.  But Will We Try?  Democracy Live it or Loss It!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/uC9Qie83mdo

Published by TYT Politics on Nov 23, 2016

The Electoral College can Dump Donald Trump on Dec. 19. But will they? We spoke to one woman who thinks so. Amanda Werner is the Co-founder of DemocrEC.org, an upstart network of techie activists poised to lobby delegates to the Electoral College to reject Donald Trump when they convene in state capitols around the country on Dec. 19.

Producer   Eric Byler, Film Director & Freelance Journalist

Category   News; Politics

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DemocrEC is a network of concerned citizens fully invested in honoring democracy and safeguarding America's future. We are an independent, grassroots, unfunded effort.  \  https://democrec.org/contact/

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https://democrec.org/aboutec/

The Bottom Line:

A Trump presidency poses an unprecedented danger to our democracy and would be a clear violation of the will of American voters.

WHY?

Reality Check - George Monbiot - Drums of War

I'm a tradesman, a carpenter, evolved into a handyman during these "semi" retired years, which turn out to be way more crowded with commitments and distractions than expected.  My plan had been becoming a semi-recluse devoted to reading, ruminating on my experiences, on the world and trying to write about it.  But as John said: Life is what happens while you're busy making plans.  No complaints, there's a beauty to being needed (and loved) and being able to make a difference, even if writing potential and output suffers.  Still, there are things I feel a need to enunciate that I simply can't get the time required to do them any justice.  Then I read something like this piece from Monbiot and it's bingo - finally something real and potentially useful understanding.

All this is by way of explaining to George Monbiot and Guardian editors, why I've taken the liberty of bootlegging and Reposting yet another full text of an article of his.  Monbiot studies these issues full time and does an excellent job of describing his objective understanding.  He's sharing information that's no longer optional.  It's become required background understanding.  Many more people need to wake up and get up to speed on what has just happened; why it happened; what it means for us, the USA and the world and what you can do to help minimize the coming destruction of decades, heck a century's, worth of progress and awareness.  

These are now extraordinary times !
  

Every single wasted day and 
every unaroused US citizen 
will cost our nation and the world dearly !  

A STITCH IN TIME ~ SAVES NINE !  

Wake up America, this is not a drill ! 
We are under attack by the oligarchs !

Keep in mind the most fundamental observation of this past election is that "The Lie" has become accepted political currency.  Normalized as part of modern living. United States of America is no longer a government with a President, it is now a business with a CEO in charge of marketing and PR.  And people seem okay with that.  Are you? 

For the record, jettisoning honesty is an utterly insane strategy for left, right, rational and faith-based and most of all, for future generations!  Yet, this fundamental far-reaching lack of honesty is largely ignored, an example of destructive seepage if there ever was one.  

The following article by George Monbiot offers a basic, yet detailed overview of the reality that our politicians and our media and our business leaders are doing their utmost to ignore.  If you are concerned, this will offer you valuable background.  Information can be power.  

Thank you Mr. Monbiot for being such an astute observer.
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The Drums of War By George Monbiot, published in the Guardian 23rd November 2016 The combination of automation, complexity and climate change is dangerous in ways we haven’t even begun to grasp. Wave the magic wand and the problem goes away. Those pesky pollution laws, carbon caps and clean power plans: swish them away and the golden age of blue-collar employment will return.  This is Donald Trump’s promise, in his video message on Monday, in which he claimed that unleashing coal and fracking will create “many millions of high-paid jobs”. He will tear down everything to make it come true. But it won’t come true. Even if we ripped the world to pieces in the search for full employment, leaving no mountain unturned, we would not find it. Instead, we would merely jeopardise the prosperity – and the lives – of people everywhere. However slavishly governments grovel to corporate Luddism, they will not bring the smog economy back. No one can deny the problem Trump claims to be addressing. The old mining and industrial areas are in crisis throughout the rich world. And we have seen nothing yet. I have just re-read the study published by the Oxford Martin School in 2013 on the impacts of computerisation. What jumps out today,

Profiles in Delusion - Betsy DeVos

WAKE UP AMERICANS* - If you care about public education you'd better get informed, up to speed and engaged.  No one else is going to do it for you! 

The Faith-shackled crowd certainly know what they want to do with rational observation and fact-based learning, destroy it.  In favor of their favorite so-so tribal story telling, ...  self-certain, uncritical yarn spinning - that does nothing for preparing us to live with the future world we are ignorantly creating for ourselves.

Can someone say Critical Thinking Skills?

Democracy, live it or lose it.  America, it's your move.

For a more complete introduction see here.

* I apologize. I know current sensibilities demand everyone be coddled nonstop or I risk losing their attention.  But, I'm over thinking anyone deserves coddling anymore.  Let's get real,

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How Trump Could Gut Public Education

By Dana Goldstein

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Trump hires Christian Fundamentalist who doesn’t believe in Public Education as Secretary of Education.

By Jameson Parker 

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What you should know about Betsy DeVos
Philissa Cramer.
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Trump Names Anti-Gay Marriage Activist And Amway Billionaire Betsy DeVos To Be Education Secretary

Joemygod.com

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Strategy for Privatizing Public Schools Spelled out by Dick DeVos in 2002 Heritage Foundation Speech

Rachel Tabachnick

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Secretary of Education Pick Betsy DeVos May Be a Disaster for Church/State Separation

November 23, 2016 by Hemant Mehta 

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2016/11/23/secretary-of-education-pick-betsy-devos-may-be-a-disaster-for-churchstate-separation/

Donald Trump has selected Michigan Republican Betsy DeVos as his Secretary of Education. While that may sound like a relief when you consider the others who were in the running, DeVos’ appointment should frighten anyone who cares about church/state separation.

DeVos has been a longtime supporter of school voucher programs, which use the pleasant-sounding phrase “school choice” to take money away from public schools and leave them in the dust. (Trump elaborated on his vision of dismantling our public education system while on the campaign trail.)

More pressing on this website is the question of whether parents who want to send their kids to a private religious school would be given taxpayer dollars to do so.

There’s reason to believe she’ll want to make that an option, laws be damned. DeVos grew up in a Religious Right-loving home and gave money to organizations working to push Christian beliefs through the government. As Americans United for Separation of Church and State’s Rob Boston wrote in a 2010 profile of her:

Growing up in the strict Calvinist Christian Reformed Church, Betsy DeVos’ antipathy toward public education may run in her blood. She comes from a politically active, socially conservative family. Her parents are Elsa Prince Broekhuizen and the late Edgar Prince, a Michigan couple that has funded the Religious Right for years.

The Princes have provided huge sums to both Focus on the Family and its quasi-affiliate, the Family Research Council (FRC). Even today, the FRC maintains a fulfillment center in Grand Rapids, where the Princes and the DeVoses are based. (Betsy DeVos’ brother, Erik, is notorious in his own right: He founded the controversial international security company Blackwater.)