And so they have ended. Maybe. And on the first day after the fourteen of the House Select Committee “Investigating” January 6, the airwaves, print pages and cyber-spaces are zinging with words and thoughts about it all.
The final session ended with the Committee voting, 9-0, to subpoena the missing point of the mess, former (according to everyone but him) President Donald Trump.
Anyone following the final session, or any of the previous six meetings, would have to agree that Trump’s got a lot to answer for. Including death and destruction not seen in Washington since 1814, when the British re-landed on what was once their colony and burned the Capitol building.
So if Trump agrees to appear, following what may be weeks of stalling via legal gyrations, and if the Committee continues to exist beyond what may be a Republican takeover of the House in this November’s election, and if the then reigning Republicans don’t succeed in re-orienting the “questioning” of Trump onto marginal matters like Hunter Biden’s alleged transgressions rather than Trump’s spurious victory claims. And if Trump is named as responsible for his followers shockingly violent and illegal behavior. Then, maybe…what?
Trump and Trumpism will not go away. He has reached the rare distinction of conferring his name upon an era. The few others who managed to do so – Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Nixon - had nothing in common with him other than their titles of office. But he isn’t finished yet, and neither has the Trump era ended.
“History” has yet to reach a stopping point. It never does. And numerous profiteers, be they authors or fund-raisers or consultants who cling like rancid barnacles on the ship of state. Their books remain to be completed and published, their quasi-legal multi-billion dollar stashes of blatantly political money don’t yet need to be re-directed.
And, no matter what happens to him in courtrooms or before Congress, Trump won’t much care. He’ll still live more luxuriantly than all but a few people on earth. He’ll still have acolytes running for state and local offices who are free of all but the most minimal laws and regulations on their wealth and how they use it. Entities most of us have never heard of like the BH Trust, the Judicial Crisis Network, the Concord Fund and CRC will continue buying ads, contributing to campaigns, issuing statements whose net effect is meant to be the preservation of of their immense fortunes.
The few principal bandits whose names are known named may not even bother to live in the country they’ve helped ruin. Peter Thiel is reportedly headed for Malta, a notoriously corrupt backwater. Musk has his choice of European castle homes.
Not content (far from it) from buying power and influence on supposedly democratically elected officials, the “dark money” mob wants to stop any opposing forces from arising. Meaning they will continue to try to prohibit corporations from spending their money in support of ideals at variance from the right-wing norm.
Collectively known as E.S.G. (Environmental, Social, and Generational) causes, these mild and totally inadequate palliatives on the cruel and destructive fabric of our country are nevertheless too much for so-called conservatives and their secretive cabals.
“Restricting or eliminating right to abortions, ending affirmative action, supporting religious groups that oppose L.G.B.T. rights, opposing “liberal” school curricula, opposing efforts to increase transparency of money in politics and supporting efforts to restrict voting rights” are some of the right-wing “Dark Money” gangs’ goals. For a thorough discussion, see the 10/13/2022 N.Y. Times, “The Hidden Hand Guiding Conservative Causes,” profiling Leonard A. Leo, who has personally benefitted, a la Trump, from “conservative” machinations.
You and me?
However wearily, and without all but the most paltry hope that it will matter, we now can vote. As anyone with a postal or e-mail address or telephone can tell you, there’s a whole lot of stuff coming at us these days about voting.
Even the most mindless, distant distraction from the November election – a baseball game – isn’t a safe harbor. At least not on TV. The other day I was startled out of my gazing at ecstatic athletes and ridiculous screaming spectators, by a stark ad. Immigrants, it seems, have been flooding our fair land and mass murdering our people! Who lets them in? Joe Biden!
But Biden isn’t running for re-election next month. So the casual sports fan gets to have a TV fright moment, in the hope that they’ll be inspired to vote against Biden’s political party as a way to stop murderous maniacs!
Makes no sense? Not factually based? Racist? Avoids mention of guns and gun laws? Fails to account for the fact that Democratic and Republican leadership, interventionist or isolationist, keeps the military-industrial death and fear circus performing?
Non-Fox, non-denialist media is, finally trembling at what’s been wrought. “We can’t divide our psychological state from the forces that dictate our lives,” concludes the NY Times, after devoting its entire Sunday “Opinion” section to Mental Health. And then goes back to mostly ignoring those “forces”, focusing instead on a safe subject, like election polls
Meanwhile, here’s one Californian’s take on what to do if you do vote if you choose not to, you’re in good company. Half those eligible won’t bother to participate.
1.Nine Justices for Court of Appeal. Options to vote either Yes or No on them continuing their terms “provided by law.” (“Terms” not specified here..)
LB sez: Don’t vote either way. Leave blank. Never heard of any of them or any decision they’ve ever made.
2. Superintendent of Public Instruction. Useless office. Work could and should be done by Legislative Committee. LB sez: Don’t vote, though Thurmond elected would be much better at fronting for doing nothing than his nearly anonymous opponent.
3. District Attorney, Alameda County. LB sez: Pamela Price. Long record of defending people against spurious charges, made in the guise of law enforcement.
4. City of Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board. LB sez: Soli Alpert, Nathan Mizell, Vanessa Marero, Ida Martinac, Negeen Mosaed, Their opponents would make one of tenants last, if ineffectual, protections even weaker.
5. School Director, Berkeley. LB sez: Ka’Dijah Brown, Mike Chang, Jennifer Shanoski
AC Transit Director. No recommendation. Board should be abolished and region-wide Committee elected/appointed.
State Measure 1. Right to Reproductive Rights and Abortion. LB sez: Vote Yes. Trumpy Supreme Court of ideological hypocrites will eventually get around to sabotaging states’ rights for women to protect themselves. Though not states’ rights to allow weapons everywhere.
State offices: Governor, Lt. Governor, Sec. of State, Controller, Treasurer, Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner. LB sez: Don’t vote. Only two of these are necessary for proper functioning of government: Governor and AG. Rest of offices could be eliminated with. Many $$$ saved. Current Governor and AG can’t lose, due to nature of primary system.
State Propositions;
26, 27 Gambling. Lies about what they contain and what they will do. Disgraceful TV commercials. Assistance to Native Americans should not be a gamble or depend on gambling. LB sez: NO, NO.
28. Arts and Music in Public Schools. LB sez, vote Yes. Although this should be a locally determined and funded matter.
29. Why are we voting on this? Are we medical professionals? Aren’t there Legislative Committees and Medical Associations who can determine what’s right and wrong for patients who need dialysis? LB sez: Don’t vote.
30 Not clear why this isn’t being dealt with by Legislature. LB sez: Don’t vote.
Measures L M, N, City of Berkeley. Confusing and impenetrably complex. Seem to be part of a continuing effort by the non-representative permanent City Council and Mayor, who have transformed Downtown Berkeley into an unaffordable high-rise ghetto and destroyed small businesses,, homes, and theaters. Now they want to spread the blight, which benefits only property speculators. LB Sez: Vote NO, NO, NO.
Don’t forget to mail your ballot, someplace where it will be postmarked by November 8. And don’t forget to write with praise and/or condemnation: LBensky@igc.org Feel free to approach me, an old guy using a walker, on the street. The large dog with me is usually friendly.
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