Thursday, November 30, 2017

PARALLELS - A HISTORY LESSON - OIL EMBARGO and WAR

PARALLELS - A HISTORY LESSON - We ARE headed for WAR. Can we prevent it?

What does history have to say about Trump's call for an oil embargo against North Korea?

Late July, 1941, the United States froze Japanese assets, and establisted an oil embargo on Japan. The situation was that Japan had invaded China, Indonesia, parts of Russia and was in a full on imperialistic march toward world domination. When Japan calculated that their oil and gas reserves were to run out soon, they were then compelled to attack the instigators of the embargo; the United States. Nearly wiping out the entire U.S. Naval Fleet, and capturing key areas of Southeast Asia would allow them to freely exploit the natural resources of those countries in order to continue their march for military supremacy. This resulted in the deaths of over 3 million Japanese and about half a million Americans. There's a lot more to it, so google the history when you get a chance.

While the current threat of North Korea's nuclear capability is on a different level of threat, they are not trying to take over the world. Nonetheless, we've spent the last few decades trying to reduce the risk of nuclear holocaust by reducing stockpiles and using both sanctions and incentives to keep non-nuclear countries from acquiring nukes. Sanctions are important if we're to ever reverse Kim Jung Un's aggression. At the same time, diplomacy is required in order to convince him that we're not trying to conquer North Korea.

GETTING COOPERATION, THEN OBLITERATING THEM; THE PATH TO DISTRUST
One of the biggest challenges is to get Un to overlook the fact that we also convinced Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi to abandon their nuclear aspirations, and then proceeded to support their overthrow and assassinations. Actions speak louder than words, and diplomatic efforts need to be accompanied by guarantees. Frankly, I don't have a clue how we do that, but someone needs to figure it out. Perhaps Republicans need to just look at the progress that we made with Iran in order to find a path with North Korea.

OIL EMBARGO EQUALS WAR
Implementing an embargo on natural resources on North Korea, as Trump has proposed, is almost a guarantee that Kim Jung Un will have no alternative but to declare war against the United States, which means that U.S. strategic positions all around South-East Asia will be under attack. Whether or not this involves nuclear warfare is unknown, but either way, South Korea, Japan and other U.S. allies in the region will suffer unimaginable losses, and North Korea will be destroyed.

All of this is unnecessary. The psychopath that holds the highest position in the country is not mentally equipped to deal with this situation. He continually pokes the bear, and is hell bent to provoke a military response from North Korea in order to start his war. The President of the United States is mentally unstable. Member of his own cabinet say that he has dementia, yet the Republicans who have the majority in both the House and Senate continue looking the other way.

The President, as well as the GOP establishment are threats to humanity. We're currently in a race against the clock. If they do not choose to remove this President very soon, then we MUST remove the Republicans from the House and Senate, so that sanity can do its thing.

We ARE headed for WAR.  

Monday, November 13, 2017

REPUBLICANS SHOULD VOTE FOR ROY MOORE

REPUBLICANS SHOULD VOTE FOR ROY MOORE
By Thom Palmer
November 13, 2017

Be true to yourself, Republicans. You sanctioned and approved of child molestation and sexual assault when you voted in Trump as President.

You supported a man that admitted to sneaking in to Miss Teen America dressing rooms in order to see young girls in the middle of changing outfits. To gain a peek at young boobs, and then kissing them on the lips when they were clearly shocked and taken aback at an old fat man walking in on them.

"Well, I'll tell you the funniest is that I’ll go backstage before a show, and everyone's getting dressed and ready and everything else, and you know, no men are anywhere. And I'm allowed to go in because I'm the owner of the pageant and therefore I'm inspecting it. You know, I'm inspecting, I want to make sure that everything is good.
You know, the dresses. ‘Is everyone okay?’ You know, they're standing there with no clothes. ‘Is everybody okay?’ And you see these incredible looking women, and so, I sort of get away with things like that.." said Trump.
You supported the man who admitted to assaulting women by groping their crotches, stating that they let him do that because he's rich and famous.

"...I moved on her, actually. You know, she was down on Palm Beach. I moved on her, and I failed. I’ll admit it. I did try and fuck her. She was married...and I moved on her very heavily. In fact, I took her out furniture shopping. She wanted to get some furniture. I said, “I’ll show you where they have some nice furniture.” I took her out furniture —I moved on her like a bitch. But I couldn’t get there. And she was married. Then all of a sudden I see her, she’s now got the big phony tits and everything. She’s totally changed her look.  Yeah, that’s her. With the gold. I better use some Tic Tacs just in case I start kissing her. You know, I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything...", said Trump

You supported a man who had more women accuse him of rape and assault than Roy Moore, and then made them go away with threats of both bodily harm as well as financial ruin. The evidence is clear.

"...Eleven women came forward during the 2016 campaign to accuse the then-Republican presidential candidate of unwanted touching or kissing. Other women accused Trump of walking in on them when they were undressing at beauty pageants he owned." -Washington Post

You supported a man who, while the tape has yet to be made public, accepted the bribe of prostitutes in Russia, and let them urinate on him. Multiple sources confirm that a tape exists. It's just a matter of time, but you knew about it a year ago.

You voted for a Russian conspirator
You voted for someone who called for violence against non-supporters.
You voted for someone thought Puerto Rico was a separate country with its own President.
You voted for someone who threatened nuclear war against Iran and North Korea, and continues.
You voted for someone who hired multiple Putin operatives.
You voted for someone who ripped off hundreds of contractors, bankrupting several in the process.
You voted for someone who has evaded taxes, and lied about releasing his tax returns.
You voted for someone who continues insulting American national security leaders.
You voted for someone who praises dictators and murderers.
You voted for someone who doesn't understand democracy.
You voted for a DRAFT DODGER, who is now Commander-in-Chief.
You voted for someone who insults women, Gold Star families, and anyone who isn't white.

There is actually too much to list, but putting it simply, you're disgusting human beings.

It should also be noted that sexual assaults in primary, middle and high schools are up 70% in 2017, and so are hate crimes against non-whites. Nicely done, Republicans. You're getting what you paid for. In addition, your state income tax deduction is about to be removed. Your party lied to you, as they do election after election, promise you crumbs of cake, and you gladly accept it. Then, the football is lifted, just as you are about to kick it, just like Lucy and Charlie, and just like Charlie, you're right there next time swinging your leg at the air.

So, be true to yourself. Vote for Moore. You're an idiot, so be true to yourself and stick a firecracker up your ass.

ps: It's articles like this that disqualify me to run for Congress. Truth isn't always appreciated, but nasty articles like this can be a breath of fresh air nonetheless.


Thursday, April 20, 2017

VOTER'S GUIDE TO 2017 and 2018 STATE, HOUSE and SENATE RACES

VOTER GUIDE TO 2018 SENATE, HOUSE,  GOVERNOR and STATE RACES
Prepared by Thom Palmer
Updated April 20, 2017


ADDED ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION LINK. Share with your community. Let's keep BLUE districts and States BLUE, and make RED districts and States BLUE. Time is short for registering new voters. State your case, and then remind them to get to the polls. 


IMPORTANT: Ask your friends and families to mark mid-term election date in their calendar, which is currently on November 6th of 2018. ALL 435 House of Representatives members will be up for election once more, and with good voter turnout, we can gain a strong Democratic majority, but....you have to either show up, or accept the consequences when Republicans gain seats back and then rub your nose in it.


Throughout this post, you'll find these LINKS. Each link "should" open in a separate window. Please let me know if this gives you want you need. I am unable to list all 435 House of Representative members, but the SAMPLE BALLOT and HOUSE RACE link will show you the matchup. You'll want to compose helpful emails, Facebook and Twitter posts for your local groups and friends. 

Grab a piece of paper and a pen. You'll want to jot down some notes.

Step 1. Locate your Congressional District
Step 2: Lookup your actual ballot using the SAMPLE BALLOT LOOKUP tool.
Step 3. Senate Races : See who is running by using your SAMPLE BALLOT LOOKUP
Step 4. House Races : A very comprehensive look at the system.
Step 5. Gubernatorial (Governors) Races : See if you Governor is up for re-election.
Step 6. Your Governor's Races (if applicable this year)
Step 7: Don't forget your STATE and LOCAL Legislators. 
Step 8. A list of top GOP leaders to knock off in 2017 and 2018.


FIRST THINGS FIRST. 
Find your Congressional District
You don't need to enter your full address. Just put your zip code in the address field, and it should find you unless your zip is split between two districts. Let me know if anything looks goofy.

If you're like most Democrats, you'll just choose anyone with a "D" next to their name. Frankly, this is the most sure-fire way of straightening out Congress and saving the planet. However, Only 31% of the electorate are registered Democrats.

Here's the breakdown...
Democrats 31%
Republicans 27%
Independents and Third Party 38%

And when you factor in Independents that lean Democrat or Republican, you have...
Democrats 48%
Republicans 41%
Any way the wind blows 11%

WHO IS UP FOR RE-ELECTION?
All 435 U.S House of Representatives go up for re-election EVERY TWO YEARS. The two year term is required by our Constitution. HOWEVER, Only 1/3 of the 100 Senators (there are two for each state) go up for re-election EVERY TWO YEARS. Their term is six years, but they rotate in order to keep drastic changes from happening.

In 2014 mid-terms, only 17% of registered Democrats showed up to vote. So, with a 10% congressional approval rating, Republicans in both the House and Senate gained seats. This is why it's so important that you not only showed up on November 8th of last year, but mark your calendar for November 6th, 2018 as well. Otherwise, whatever gains Democrats make in the Presidential year they graciously give back to the GOP two years later. Republicans then say "THE VOTERS HAVE SPOKEN" and call it a mandate to screw the President. Having the moral high ground means NOTHING if you freely donate House and Senate seats to Republicans. We need to put them in the penalty box for about a decade. It is imperative that you promote elections and SHOW UP EVERY TWO YEARS.


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SAMPLE BALLOT LOOKUP
This is a really good tool once we get closer to the election. There won't be sample ballots until a couple of months before the election, but the tool will direct you to local election dates and other great information.  I love it, because you're able to get ahead of the curve, look up your candidates and ballot measures, and then start conversations on Facebook and Twitter, or the grocery store. Once candidates are figured out, post information about your Democratic candidates in order to bolster and promote name recognition and policy positions. Don't make it too long (like me) because less people will read it, and this is a numbers game.
SHOW ME MY NOVEBER 6th BALLOT

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UNITED STATES SENATE
Click the link to find your Senate races. Then, locate your candidate's web site, and share their policy page with all of your groups and contacts. With what we hope to be increased turnout for Democrats and Independent voters, we can't afford to lose the opportunity to re-take the Senate. We will need a Democratic Senate in order to reduce the obstructionism that the GOP has already vowed to continue.

1/3 of SENATORS GO UP FOR RE-ELECTION EVERY TWO YEARS. HERE'S THIS YEARS MATCH-UPS
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U.S. House of Representatives
ALL 435 HOUSE of REP MEMBERS GO UP FOR RE-ELECTION THIS EVERY TWO YEARS. 
Here's your ballots for November, but don't forget 2018 as well. We only need to pick up 24 seats out of the 435 up for re-election to retake the House. "YES WE CAN"




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GOVERNORS RACES


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STATE and LOCAL RACES
Don't forget your STATE Senate and House races. These are SEPARATE from the U.S. House and Senate races and play a HUGE role in the things that pertain to your individual state, such as regulations which control the cleanliness of your water, safety of your food, wages, clean energy, and infrastructure, taxes, voter suppression, and a whole lot more. You can have two Democratic U.S. Senators, but if your state legislators are all Republican, you'll still be wondering how the majority of your electorate voted for Democrats, yet gerrymandering gave your state a majority of Republican lawmakers. 42 states are holding state Senate races on November 6th. Keep in mind that most local ( Mayors, City Council, etc ) races happen during summer or fall in off years, so you need to check your city web site for election dates. Build DEMOCRACY from the ground up. City and State first, Congress and Senate next.

DEMOCRACY REQUIRES VOTING, AND VOTING HAPPENS NEARLY EVERY YEAR, SOMETIMES TWICE IN ONE YEAR. Pay attention, list your dates and mark your calendars. IT'S FREE(DOM). 


THIS LINK GETS YOU TO YOUR STATE SENATE and LEGISLATURES MATCH-UPS 

Friday, March 24, 2017

ELECTION 2017 - Don't Forget to Vote

By Thom Palmer
March 24, 2017

The following States are holding local and state elections in 2017. It is extremely important in these Republicans hold over 2/3 of State Legislative offices and Governorships in the United States. Even Pennsylvania, a predominantly blue collar liberal state is dominated by Republicans. Think of local governments as the base of the pyramid. This is where the feet meet the pavement, and the power of the people can play strong role in the policies and positions of the House and Senate. If we continue to allow corporate America to buy and choose leaders who do not represent their constituency, we'll always be taking hits. These elections are not publicized well, and most voters don't even know they are happening.  

The winners in local elections seldom represent the people of the city or state.  For example. Of the 8%-12% of eligible voters that show up in local off-year elections, about half are Democrats. How are we going to fix this stuff with only 1 in 10 registered Democrats show up? Unfortunately, numbers like this are seen in local elections nationwide in odd numbered years. About 90% of the people who DO NOT vote in off-year elections say things like "They're all corrupt...my vote doesn't matter...why should I bother". I say "You didn't vote, so of course your vote didn't matter".

Scroll through the election dates below and find out if your state and/or city is holding elections, and when. Then you'll need to do a little bit of research. Political party is not listed, so you'll need to figure out who is Democrat and who is Republican. Many local and state elections go uncontested (no challenger). If you see that it appears a Republican is running uncontested, contact your local Democratic Headquarters and find out who is thinking about running, or you may choose to run yourself. They will help you. 

THESE STATES ARE HOLDING LOCAL AND STATE ELECTIONS IN 2017
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin.

Note: The information below is taken directly from BALLOTPEDIA, a non-profit, non-partisan resource run by the Lucy Burns Institute. Their mission statement is simple. "To empower our audience to engage in democracy by delivering exceptionally high quality information."   

By locating and clicking your city, you will be re-directed to the Ballotpedia page containing more details on your particular local and state elections. It's not "click-bait", just a great resource. I'm a huge fan of this resource and recommend it for all to keep track of the political spaghetti that confuses us all.


YOU ARE A CAMPAIGN MANAGER
Use your social media contacts to promote these elections. Do some research and write about your results. Everybody needs to be a promoter in order to double the numbers of Democratic voters that show up at the polls. It's up to each one of us, and it begins locally in 2017. Then we can gain momentum heading into November 2018 and re-take the House of Representatives through improved support and turnout.

April 4, 2017

Special primary election

Primary election

General election

May 2, 2017

Primary election

General election

May 6, 2017

General election

May 9, 2017

General election

May 16, 2017

Primary election

General election

June 6, 2017

General election

June 10, 2017

Runoff election

June 13, 2017

General election

August 1, 2017

Primary election

August 8, 2017

Primary election

August 22, 2017

General election

August 29, 2017

Primary election

General election

September 12, 2017

Special election

Primary election

September 26, 2017

Primary election

October 3, 2017

General election

Runoff election

October 10, 2017

Primary election

General election

October 14, 2017

Primary election

November 7, 2017

Primary election

General election

Runoff election

November 18, 2017

General election

November 21, 2017

General election

Runoff election

December 5, 2017

Runoff election

December 7, 2017

Runoff election