Why the Humanities? Seamus.

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Posted to YouTube January 22, 2018.

A fellow said to me last week that he took up law because there was no money or point to having taken a degree in philosophy.

He was wrong.

Are the humanities the “icing on the cake” of civilization — or the yeast that gives rise to civilization?

If you are American — or modern as opposed to feudal or medieval — you are part of a great western experiment and experience that has for its foundation Judeo-Christian and Greco-Roman history, both beautiful in parts and in some horrendous (the signals of the end may be read in the inhumanity of Caligula and Elagabalus).

E Pluribus Unum

However arrived or stanced, we may all agree on our commitment to our Constitutional mission and the reshaping of so many fears and passions in the face of changing demographics and the presence of advancing and revolutionary communication and other technologies.

We have been witness to at least two NATO states marching forward into the past — Hungary and Turkey — and we should wonder why WE should have wanted to do that ourselves.


Well, that was a bit Hyde Park, wasn’t it?

🙂

Here’s a glimpse into how I believe we got here and became so temporarily given to an autocratic/authoritarian and medieval old nutty soul.

https://www.businessinsider.com/exploring-al-qaedas-murky-connection-to-russian-intelligence-2014-6 I believe: 9/11 Reflexive Control -> New Nationalism EU/NATO -> +Syrian Tragedy (refugees) -> Boost for American Christian White Nationalism & Supremacism

It takes a little patience to get the Moscow-in-America story and what it portended — or still portends — for authentic dignity, freedom, and security in America as well as a compassionate and working politics that adds to our national — and natural — political cohesion and coherence.

In consideration of present and future generations, a little intellectual exploration into the greater and more accurate image of our working democracy might be worth it.

Related and Recommended Online

TG – “Mary Trump on the end of Uncle Donald: all he has now is breaking things” – 11/8/2020.

TNY – “The Biden Era Begins” – David Remnick – 11/7/2020.

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Biden’s Win – One Remark

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From the Awesome Conversation

Our military may be unprepared for a crisis involving a petulant CNC, rendered lame by a good election, who may choose to use military force to favor his followers and beat up his opposition. By his words, plus so many actions, Trump has signaled his willingness to weaken our democracy in the cause of his own potential nationalist dictatorship, so we’re going to be sensitive to the potential for political violence here in the aftermath of this election. I hope Barr and the FBI plus the many generals now serving or retired find their way to keeping their forces loyal to our Constitution and American Rule of Law while avoiding the potential for an obvious pseudo-democracy as a cover for dictatorship. I listened to the cheering of multitudes today — and I think that’s how it must feel to feel free of the prospect of absolute control and absolute power.

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Biden’s Win – Trump Relief at Last

Posted to YouTube November 7, 2020
Live at posting.

Lame duck President Trump tried to sway the American People with boast and brag and faked up show business. He may have underestimated the degree to which he inspired his own opposition — and then how much he and his political methods and stances were . . . . well, listen to the street.

Live at posting – 11/7/2020/1448.

I hope other autocratic / authoritarian “leaders” take note of what is today a large and spontaneous shout of national joy resounding across the United States of America. Perhaps a few should reconsider the character of their own career methods in inhibiting and plundering their nations in the cause of their own aggrandizement and insatiable hunger for adoration and validation without end (technically speaking, “Narcissistic Supply“).

Recorded, about 50-seconds.

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FTAC: A Short Rant Referencing Political Reasoning in America

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Inspiration: calls from the Right Far Right for an election “do-over”.

From the Awesome Conversation

To do it needs evidence, and no valid or reliable evidence for recount has yet to surface. Accusation and innuendo (from a president who lies to wives and everyone else) remains — and will be found — insufficient for delaying the calling of a carefully and highly secured election.

Now anyone can be wrong, and most of us will examine things we’ve done, have a look into our souls, and ask if the problem might be with ourselves rather than external forces. We query ourselves and experience either guilt, rightfully, or good conscience, rightfully. That integrity within ourselves is part of our being free to be Americans.

We don’t shout the other fellow down.


Our Left and Right fringes with immoderate human components want to have the world always their way. It’s their response to some perceived political impotence. Most of us want a world — and politics — that work OUR Way Together. So we compile (valid and reliable) data, and we go over our sense of ethics, morals, principles, and values — and we argue. That’s been more the right way of doing things — and getting GOOD things done.


From the hinterland far up north:

WASHINGTON — For 40 hours, President Donald Trump fumed in private and tweeted his grievances in all caps.

When he at last emerged, it was to stand behind the presidential seal in the White House and deliver a diatribe most notable for his litany of false statements about the election and his attempt to cast doubt on the integrity of the democratic process.

Anchorage Daily News – “Trump spreads baseless accusations over the election, at White House and on Twitter – November 6, 2020.

Related Online

Lie and get caught?

Lie better.

Politico – “Trump reframes his baseless claims of widespread voter fraud” – 11/6/2020.

And so the incumbent President Trump has inspired Republican doubt —

Then the Trump campaign then got lucky: The case was assigned to a federal judge who had been appointed by President Trump just last year.

But when the arguments began, and the Trump campaign was presented with every opportunity to come forward with evidence, it had none whatsoever supporting its claim — so the Trump-appointed judge had no choice but to throw out the lawsuit.

NYT – “Fox News Meets Trump’s Fraud Claims With Skepticism” – 11/5/2020.

NYT – “Trump’s False Election Fraud Claims Split Republicans” – 11/6/2020.

Even sources like Fox and the New York Post that have been favorable to the conservative framework have questioned President Trump’s political perception.

Fox – “Ex-Arizona GOP AG Woods: Trump claims of election fraud are completely baseless — his lawsuits will fail” – 11/6/2020. Note from this piece: “Yet in Florida’s primary earlier this year, Trump actually voted by mail himself.”

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A Voice from the Radical (Republican!) Middle

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Posted to YouTube November 3, 2020.

Posted to YouTube November 19, 2019.

WASHINGTON — President Trump repeated his unfounded claim that political foes were trying to steal the election from him during a briefing on Thursday evening as he trailed his opponent and remaining swing states were leaning toward a Joe Biden presidency.

https://nypost.com/2020/11/05/trump-to-speak-from-white-house-as-vote-count-leans-toward-biden/ Published November 5, 2020

Posted to YouTube November 6, 2020.

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Nevada – Trump Lawsuit to Disrupt Count Meets Resistance in the Courts

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So your eyes don’t glaze over with the legalese, here’s only the opening salvo fired at incumbent President Trump’s effort to derail or disrupt the election count in Nevada –>

For the fifth time since April, a conservative leaning entity or organ of the Republican Party has run to a Nevada state or federal court with entirely fabricated claims of voter fraud and vote dilution.1 Each time, their claims have been unsuccessful. Indeed, just four days ago, in a nearly identical case, Judge Wilson from the District Court in Carson City found after an eight-hour evidentiary hearing that the same lawyers who filed this lawsuit had failed to offer evidence of “any fraudulent ballot being validated or any valid ballot invalidated” or any evidence of “debasement or dilution of a citizen’s vote” because of Clark County’s use of a signature match machine. Ex. B, Nov. 2, 2020 Order, Kraus v. Cegavske, No. 20-OC-00142-1B, Dept. 2, at 4, 13. Similarly, Judge Wilson found baseless Plaintiffs’ claims that public observation of the process was being in any way unlawfully impeded. Id. at 10-11. Now, with nearly all of the votes in the state having already been counted, a group of plaintiffs backed by President Trump’s campaign has filed a lawsuit requesting a remedy that would meaningfully slow Clark County’s ballot processing just as its votes could swing the presidential election.2 The Democratic National Committee (“DNC”) and Nevada State Democratic Party (“NSDP,” together, “Proposed Intervenors”) plainly have a significantly protectable interest in this case.

https://www.democracydocket.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2020/11/201106-Doc10-Motion-to-Intervene-as-Defendants-by-DNC-and-Nevada-State-Democratic-Party.pdf Note: document filed November 6, 2020.

Originating page: https://www.democracydocket.com/cases/clark-county-vote-count-halt/

Related Online

BBC – “US election 2020: Donald Trump’s speech fact-checked – 11/6/2020

BI – “Trump accused of undermining US democracy by international elections watchdog – 11/5/2020

CNN – “Top Republicans defend Trump on baseless voter fraud as concerns grow in the ranks” – 11/6/2020

NYP – “Downcast Trump makes baseless election fraud claims in White House address” – 11/5/2020

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FTAC: Remember When?

Some have characterized President Trump as careless of law and without morality.

Well, I’ve chosen to disagree –>

Trump cares passionately about laws!

2018 – https://fortune.com/2018/09/21/donald-trump-lawsuit-investigation-charges-news-update/

2019 – https://www.businessinsider.com/all-the-investigations-lawsuits-involving-president-donald-trump-businesses-2018-12

2020 – https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/10/case-criminally-investigating-ex-president/616804/

He tests their limits — and his lawyer’s limits too — all of the time.


Posted to YouTube February 27, 2019.

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FTAC: A Note on President Trump and the ‘Far White Right’

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https://www.businessinsider.com/trumps-history-of-support-from-white-supremacist-far-right-groups-2020-9

Boogaloo Bois, Oath Keepers, Patriot Prayer, Proud Boys, and The Base, among others, appear to love him.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/18/white-nationalist-hate-groups-southern-poverty-law-center

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/oct/06/joe-biden/fbi-director-warned-about-white-supremacist-violen/

I’ll agree that leftward spin attempts to conflate the President’s attitude with laxity toward these groups, but that these groups find hope with Trump and number among his supporters — and they have grown with his presidency — tells us about the character of his mission despite the harness that comes with high office.

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/10/fbi-wont-have-doc-on-domestic-terror-until-after-election.html

Trump’s enthusiasm for Alex Jones, his several felons (start with his initial selection of “campaign manager” Paul Manafort), and his positive relationship with conspiracy theories tell us about us and what we are willing to endorse.

Of course no American President would endorse the Far White Right cadre of committed supremacists, but the persistent relationship — they like him! — plus soft stance from Trump’s podium remain. While The Donald may wrestle with the phantom of father Fred (e.g., https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/02/28/in-1927-donald-trumps-father-was-arrested-after-a-klan-riot-in-queens/ | https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/28/us/politics/donald-trump-housing-race.html), his here-and-now image has been and will probably remain besmirched by the tolerance so far shown those bigoted apparently for fear of displacement or narcissistic want of exception, both predicated on white Christian identity.

Post-Election — and the FBI will soon publish a report on domestic terrorism that includes an assessment of white-supremacist threats — race and religious issues will continue to fester in America despite so much progress made through civil rights and other activism across decades. They will do so — we will have this region of domestic conflict — because of the resonance between “camps” set up by those who foster and harbor fear and hate in relation to their chosen targets among fellow Americans.

E Pluribus Unum?

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