#45:TheLoser To His MAGA Followers

The demagogue is one who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots.
—    H. L. Mencken
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On This Day In:
2023	Give Freedom
2022	8 And 9 (40)
	Prescient (Or Not?)
2021	Or Faith In A Creator…
	It Seemed The Taste Was Not So Sweet (Changes)
2020	Nearer My God To Thee, By George
	I’ve Got To Keep Working On It
2019	Laugh With Me
2018	Both Sides, Mr. President?
2017	Republicans Better Wake Up
2016	Truth Telling
2015	To Be Effective In The Modern World
2014	A Little Cover
2013	Binding
2012	Lift
2011	Another Good Movie, Another Excellent Book
	miSFits
	I’m Just Not Sure

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Every Free And Fair Election Is A Risk – Vote Blue In November To Preserve American Democracy

Risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
―     Leo F. Buscaglia
If we wish to free ourselves from enslavement, we must choose freedom and the responsibility this entails.
―     Leo F. Buscaglia
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On This Day In:
2023	Folk Guitar
	Then We Probably Don’t Really Agree
2022	A Whole New Kind
2021	Yea, Spring!
	Smile On Your Brother (Get Together)
2020	Spoken And Shared
2019	Real Tools
	Three Cruelties
2018	United States
2017	Out Of Luck
2016	Wavelengths Of The Earth
2015	God Said What To You?
2014	Not Saying
2013	Ears And Tongue
2012	The Story Of Joe (Middle-Class Republican)
2011	Happy Birthday, Diana
	Depending On Kindness

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I Choose To Work (And Vote)

As acrimony gets a tighter grip on democratic society, good people can either sit on the sidelines, debilitated by angst and daily distractions, or they can overcome indecision and work towards harmony.
—    Rev. Gudjon Bergmann
From his book:  “Co-Human Harmony:  Using Our Shared Humanity to Bridge Divides“
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On This Day In:
2023	Wide And Yawning
2022	Where One Goes
2021	A Direct Relationship
	Another Night Train South (Can’t You See)
2020	One Person’s Roses…
2019	In The Long-Run
2018	#NeverAgain
	Doss II
	Doesn’t / Does
2017	Talent Hates To Move
2016	Looking To November
2015	It Isn’t The End
	Prospero’s Precepts
2014	Friends
2013	Learning Bitter
2012	Remembrance, Minstrels & Going Off To War
	May I Have More Happiness, Please?
2011	There Is No God, But God
2010	Another Running Book…

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What Will It Take (MAGAs)?

Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.
—     Benjamin Franklin
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On This Day In:
2023	In The Beginning…
2022	I Learn Something New
2021	I’m Retired, I Always Have Time For It!
	Just Mice Elf (Thank You [Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin])
	That Was A Shot In The Arm
2020	Decide, Support, Vote
2019	Aware Some
2018	Know Any Christians?
2017	The Only Thing I Can Give…
2016	Wiser But Less Cocksure
2015	Not Today
	Wicked
2014	…Am Too
2013	Credible?
2012	Both
2011	Risking Hidden Linkage

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Convicted Criminals Are NOT Political Hostages

The following quotes are taken from:
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, v. Case No. 1:21-cr-315-RCL JAMES LITTLE, Defendant.
A pdf copy of the original document is linked below.
Mr. Little has consistently refused to take responsibility for his actions on January 6 — today is the first time he has come close to accepting responsibility.  He has denied the gravity of what happened that day and the legitimacy of bringing the criminal justice system to bear on those who participated.  He says he has been persecuted, condemned to “political prison” for having peacefully protested in the Capitol.
The Court is accustomed to defendants who refuse to accept that they did anything wrong.  But in my thirty-seven years on the bench, I cannot recall a time when such meritless justifications of criminal activity have gone mainstream.  I have been dismayed to see distortions and outright falsehoods seep into the public consciousness.  I have been shocked to watch some public figures try to rewrite history, claiming rioters behaved “in an orderly fashion” like ordinary tourists, or martyrizing convicted January 6 defendants as “political prisoners” or even, incredibly, “hostages.”  That is all preposterous.  But the Court fears that such destructive, misguided rhetoric could presage further danger to our country.
The Court cannot condone the shameless attempts by Mr. Little or anyone else to misinterpret or misrepresent what happened.  It cannot condone the notion that those who broke the law on January 6 did nothing wrong, or that those duly convicted with all the safeguards of the United States Constitution, including a right to trial by jury in felony cases, are political prisoners or hostages.
So let me set the record straight, based on what I’ve learned presiding over many January 6 prosecutions, hearing from dozens of witnesses, watching hundreds of hours of video footage, and reading thousands of pages of evidence.  On January 6, 2021, a mob of people invaded and occupied the United States Capitol, using force to interrupt the peaceful transfer of power mandated by the Constitution and our republican heritage.
This was not a protest that got out of hand.  It was a riot;  in many respects a coordinated riot, as is clear from cases before me including Hostetter (21-cr-392) and Worrell (21-cr-292).  “Protestors” would have simply shared their views on the election — as did thousands that day who did not approach the Capitol. But those who breached and occupied the Capitol building and grounds halted the counting of the Electoral College votes required by the Twelfth Amendment.  The rioters interfered with a necessary step in the constitutional process, disrupted the lawful transfer of power, and thus jeopardized the American constitutional order.  Although the rioters failed in their ultimate goal, their actions nonetheless resulted in the deaths of multiple people, injury to over 140 members of law enforcement, and lasting trauma for our entire nation.  This was not patriotism;  it was the antithesis of patriotism.
And the rioters achieved this result through force.  Not everyone present that day was violent, but violence is what let them into the Capitol.  At first, a police line protected the Capitol, but eventually law enforcement was subjected to such force by such a mass of people that the rioters pushed through.  Upon entering the Capitol, many rioters vandalized and looted, some hunted for members of Congress.  And even those who say they simply wandered around the building still played a meaningful role in the events of that day.
…Some have questioned whether it is proper for a court to sentence to prison a January 6 defendant convicted of a misdemeanor rather than a felony.  The Court wishes to emphasize something: Misdemeanors can be serious crimes.  What the Court already said in reference to Mr. Little at his original sentencing remains true:
January 6, 2021, marked a tragic day in American history.  The peaceful transfer of power — one of our most important and sacred democratic processes — came under a full-fledged assault.  While the immediate threat may have subsided, the damage from January 6 persists.  Rioters interrupted the certification of the 2020 Electoral College vote count, injured more than one hundred law enforcement officers, and caused more than a million dollars of property damage to the U.S. Capitol.  Some of the rioters — now defendants in criminal cases — directly contributed to this violence by assaulting members of law enforcement or by planning, preparing, and facilitating this violence.  Others, like Little here, did not directly assault officers.  But even Little and those who engaged in this “lesser” criminal conduct were an essential component to the harm.  Law-enforcement officers were overwhelmed by the sheer swath of criminality.  And those who engaged in violence that day were able to do so because they found safety in numbers.
…
Let me add one more thing.  According to the defendant, the criminal justice system has denied him his freedom of speech.  Of course, Mr. Little has a right under the First Amendment to believe that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.  He has a right to express that view today, and he had a right to do so on January 6th as well.  He even has a right to argue that this was politically motivated prosecution.  But the First Amendment does not give anyone the right to enter a restricted area or to engage in riotous activity in the Capitol. In resentencing Mr. Little on the count to which he pleaded guilty, the Court is not suppressing his constitutional right to freedom of expression.  For Mr. Little to style himself a political prisoner and to accuse the Court of infringing his rights is not only incorrect, it is offensive to the Court.  The public should understand that such notions are preposterous.
This is a matter of right and wrong.  Little cannot bring himself to admit that he did the wrong thing, although he came close today.  So, it is up to the Court to tell the public the truth:  Mr. Little’s actions, and the actions of others who broke the law on January 6th, were wrong.  The Court does not expect its remarks to fully stem the tide of falsehoods.  But I hope a little truth will go a long way.
Date:  1 – 25 – 24
Royce C. Lamberth
United States District Judge
gov.uscourts.dcd.230440.73.0
Disclaimer:  I make no claim of ownership to this pdf document.  It was copied from a public web site and as far as I can determine, it is in the public domain.    —    kmab
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On This Day In:
2023	Simpler Is Better
2022	Modern Republicans Have Long Since Concluded…
2021	Do Senate Republicans Believe In The Constitution And The Rule Of Law (Or Not)?
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2020	Morally Treasonable
2019	Lost Again Or Still?
2018	Why #LazyDonald Starts Work At 11AM
2017	At Least Most Of The Time
2016	But Doctor, I Never Learned How To Read
2015	Punch The Keys, For God’s Sake!
2014	Ouch!
2013	Revelations
2012	Movies And Juicing
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2011	What About Good Blogs?
2010	Slowly, Slowly…

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Probably Not

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution encourages a diversity of religions but does not prohibit criticism of religion.  In fact it protects and encourages criticism of religion.  Religions ought to be subject to at least the same degree of skepticism as, for example, contentions about UFO visitations or Velikovskian catastrophism.  I think it is healthy for the religions themselves to foster skepticism about the fundamental underpinnings of their evidential bases.  There is no question that religion provides a solace and support, a bulwark in time of emotional need, and can serve extremely useful social roles.  But it by no means follows that religion should be immune from testing, from critical scrutiny, from skepticism.  It is striking how little skeptical discussion of religion there is in the nation that Tom Paine, the author of The Age of Reason, helped to found.  I hold that belief systems that cannot survive scrutiny are probably not worth having.
—    Carl Sagan
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On This Day In:
2022	Streaming Life
2021	If You Do Nothing About Climate Change
	Standing By (Baby, Baby Don’t Cry)
2020	Each Over All
	Rollin’ Along (Ol’ Man River)
2019	And Integrity For Today’s Elected Republicans
2018	A Faulty Start, Too
	Honorable Resignation And Syria
2017	Beneath The Tree Of Wisdom
	The Republican Rape Of The American Middle Class
2016	Something Authentic Happened
2015	Back On The Bricks
	On, Rocinante!!
2014	Changing Frequently
2013	Trifles
2012	Simple, Ordinary And Wonderous
2011	Humane Writers

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#45:DonTheCon

Facts mean nothing when they are preempted by appearance.  Do not underestimate the power of impression over reality.
―    Brian Herbert
You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.
―     Abraham Lincoln
[A good conman can create the perception of reality – but not indefinitely.    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2022	Ultimate Response
2021	Going Home
	In The Morning Hour (Take Me Home, Country Roads)
2020	Seeking Wisdom
	Relying On The Old Man (Rich Girl)
2019	More Proof #45 Is Incompetent?
2018	Every Time I Think I’m Falling (All I Am)
2017	Still Testing The Hypothesis
2016	Excessive Weakness In January
2015	That Burns
2014	Hey, I Resemble That Remark… (4!)
2013	Sit, Put, Until…
2012	Lessons For My Son
2011	Reaching The Right Audience
2010	Christmas Trees and Profession of Faith

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Government (At Any Level) Should Not Interfere With A Woman’s Right Of Choice

The right to be let alone is indeed the beginning of all freedom.
—     William O. Douglas
Former Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court
From the case:  “Public Utilities Commission v. Pollak, 343 U.S. 451”.
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On This Day In:
2022	Seek And You Shall Find (Or At Least Get Closer)
2021	Candlelight Serenade
	Golden (Thank You For Being A Friend)
	A Roots Man, Myself
2020	Wonder And Dreams
	Gatherin’ Up The Tears (Reelin’ In The Years)
2019	I Resemble That Remark… (7!)
2018	Mueller Investigation Comparison To #LyingDonald
2017	#DonTheCon And Russian Collusion
2016	Balance The Truth
2015	Still Itchin’
2014	One Life
2013	Reason Is Your Light
2012	Bordering Manhood
2011	Even Christ Couldn’t

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A Warning About #45 Becoming #47

Those in power need checks and restraints lest they come to identify the common good for their own tastes and desires, and their continuation in office as essential to the preservation of the nation.
—     William O. Douglas
Former Associate U.S. Supreme Court Justice
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On This Day In:
2022	Sits Loose
2021	My Fear Is She Loses This Bet
	Gotta Stay Hungry (Dancing In The Dark)
2020	Still On The Obstacle Course?
	Thunder (December ’63 – Oh What A Night)
2019	Expecting A December Correction
2018	Dominoes II (Update From Last Year’s Post)
2017	Dominoes
2016	Itchin’
2015	In The Not So Distant Future
2014	Sources
2013	Three Essentials
2012	Just Looking
2011	Religious Lessons
2010	View From Under The Bus… (A mid-term report card on the Obama Administration. Long, but still worth reading for historical perspective.)

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MAGA-Republicans Do Both

There are two ways to be fooled.  One is to believe what isn’t true, the other is to refuse to believe what is true.
—     Soren Kierkegaard
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On This Day In:
2022	Honesty In Business
2021	Momentary Offering
	Happy Noise (Down On The Corner)
2020	No Crumbs
	Too Many Detectives On This Case (Whodunit)
	A New Day Is Coming (Crystal Blue Persuasion)
2019	Or In This Case – What’s Wrong
2018	Just Passing Through
2017	True Torture
	Happy Thanksgiving – 2017 !!
2016	Overtaken
2015	Alone Praying
2014	A Full Man
2013	Off Defending The Universe
	Taking Precautions
2012	Never, Never, Never
2011	Testing 1, 2, 3

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Thoughts About Climate Change, Peace In the Middle-East And Gun Control In America

Every revolutionary idea seems to evoke three stages of reaction.  They may be summed up by the phrases:  1)  It’s completely impossible.  2)  It’s possible, but it’s not worth doing.  3)  I said it was a good idea all along.
—    Arthur C. Clark
It has been said that the reception of any successful new scientific hypothesis goes through three predictable phases before being accepted.
First, it is criticized for being untrue.
Secondly, after supporting evidence accumulates, it is stated that it may be true, but it is not particularly relevant.
Thirdly, after it has clearly influenced the field, it is admitted to be true and relevant, but the same critics assert that the idea was not original.
—    Adrienne Zihlman
All truth passes through three stages:  First, it is ridiculed.  Second, it is violently opposed.  Third, it is accepted as self-evident.
—    Arthur Schopenhauer
[We are stuck between “One” and “Two”, so we may never get to “Three”…  It strikes me that we simply lack the moral fiber to recognize the truth and the political leadership to address the issues.    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2022	Truth Without Humiliation
2021	My Thoughts On Global Climate Change
	And Never Understand (Sign Of The Times)
2020	Waiting For 20 January 2021
	#45: You Would Cry Too… (It’s My Party)
2019	#Corrupt45 Fails Another Great Test
2018	Where The Economy Is Headed Thanks To #IncompetentDonald
2017	Time For More Research, Too
2016	Original Thoughts
2015	If They’re Good Enough
2014	Three…
2013	Uncle Joe’s Song
	Live, Then, As If…
2012	Still Trying
2011	Not Deserving

 

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MAGA Republicans Still Support #45DonTheFailure

Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.
—    Brian Herbert
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On This Day In:
2022	And The Truth Shall Set You Free
2021	Do What You Can
	From The Shadows (Lifted)
2020	Mostly To Just Smell A Few More Roses
	Above The Storm (I Believe)
	R.I.P.: Jerry Jeff Walker (It’s A Good Night For Singing)
2019	Ought To More Often Than Once
2018	Talking About Egypt, Not The White House
2017	Left Behind (To Leave Something Behind)
2016	Self-Restraint
2015	In The Midst
2014	Match Book
2013	Disservice And Disingenuous
2012	Giants Win Game 1 Of The World Series 8 to 3!!!
	On Death
2011	The Spirit Of Universal Connectivity
2010	SF Giants Pitchers Witness Protection Program
	Orange Outside (Too) & Fear The Beard
	Non-Taxing Read

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The Challenge Is In Making The “System” Work

We have a system which, though far from perfect, is strong with idealism.  It gives elbow room for men of all races and all beliefs.  It is vital and dynamic.  And it works.  We have the means of shaping the world in our pattern.  If we do, freedom will be assured for all men.  The decision is in the hands of this generation.  It is a challenge to our political competence.  For Western civilization it is the greatest challenge of all time.
—     William O. Douglas
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On This Day In:
2022	Probably A Very Small Set
2021	The Only Winning Move
	Says Who? (I Feel Fine)
2020	I’m Guessing It’s Real
	For One More Day (Hold On)
2019	Like Smartphones And FOMO?
	Getting Ready For Halloween
2018	Nothing To Build On
2017	This One Is…
2016	Happy Is…
2015	Dare Yourself To
2014	Damned If You Do…
2013	On A Rainy Sunday
2012	Not Sure Anymore
2011	But What Does It Cost?
2009	Another Day, Another Diet…

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Paths And Slippery Slopes

A people who extend civil liberties only to preferred groups start down the path either to dictatorship of the right or the left.
—     William O. Douglas
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On This Day In:
2022	Exaggerating, Imagining, Anticipating
2021	Creation Without Reservation
	From The Tiniest Embers (I’m No Angel)
2020	Listening To The Trees
	Your Mind’s Made Up? (He’ll Never Love You Like I Do)
2019	In Silence
	Not Much Light Here
2018	A Gift
2017	Unless You Genuinely Are Small
2016	B1
2015	Five Things
2014	Have Faith
2013	Found In A Mine
2012	Two-Sided Coin
2011	Passionately Scorned Rules

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Why #45 (The Loser) Is Especially Needy

Every man in his lifetime needs to thank his faults.
—    Ralph Waldo Emerson
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On This Day In:
2022	Only More Democracy & Honest Elections Can Keep America “Great”
2021	Of Course The Term “Value” Is Undefined
	Waiting (Sweet Love Of Mine)
2020	I Hadn’t Thought Of That
	Keep Looking! (Look On The Bright Side)
2019	Knocking On Impeachment’s Door
2018	Do You Remember?
2017	Choose Life
	My Response To President Trump’s Threat To NBC
2016	We, Us, All
2015	No Less
2014	Life Advice (50)
	Orange October (IV) – Giants Win Game 1 Of NLCS!
2013	Running To
2012	Suddenly
2011	Liberal Washington
2010	Giants Advance To NLCS!!

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