Tag: Politics

We used to be the “Good Guys”

On By TonyIn PoliticsLeave a comment

When “Kill Them All” Meets “Refuse Illegal Orders”

In the last week we’ve watched two stories collide in a way that should make every American deeply uneasy.

On one side, we have reporting that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth allegedly ordered U.S. forces to “kill everybody” on a suspected drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean. After an initial strike near Trinidad destroyed the vessel on September 2, 2025, two survivors were reportedly seen clinging to the wreckage. According to multiple sources, a second strike was ordered specifically to ensure there were no survivors. 

If that reporting is accurate, this isn’t just a “tough on drugs” policy. It is the deliberate killing of people who are hors de combat—no longer actively engaged in hostilities and no longer a threat. Under international humanitarian law, that is the textbook definition of a war crime.

You can read some of the coverage yourself:

Washington Post: “[Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: ‘Kill them all’]” (paywalled for some) 

Daily Beast: “[Pentagon Pete in Legal Peril Over ‘Kill Them All’ Orders]”  Overview of the strikes: “[2025 United States military strikes on alleged drug traffickers]” 

Hegseth and the Pentagon have tried to explain this away as debris removal or routine targeting in an anti-narcotics campaign. Members of Congress, military lawyers, and human rights experts aren’t buying it. Some have openly said that, if the facts hold, this was murder ordered from the top.

Maggie Goodlander and the “Illegal Orders” Firestorm

Goodlander and five other Democratic lawmakers — all with military or intelligence backgrounds — released a short video reminding U.S. service members of something that has been drilled into them since basic training: you can, and must, refuse illegal orders. 

Their message was simple:

“You must refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution.” 

For stating what every JAG officer teaches and what military law already requires, they’ve been accused of “sedition,” threatened with execution on social media by the President, and now face FBI interviews. 

Some key coverage:

NHPR: “[Goodlander stands by video urging service members to refuse illegal orders]” 

InDepthNH: “[FBI Investigates Goodlander, 5 Dem Lawmakers For Video Telling Troops Not To Obey Illegal Orders]” 

FactCheck.org: “[Experts Say Democratic Video Not ‘Seditious,’ as Trump Claims]” 

Legal experts are nearly unanimous: reminding troops not to commit war crimes is not sedition. It’s literally defending the rule of law.

This Is Exactly What They Were Warning About

When Goodlander and others said, “You have no obligation to follow illegal orders,” many on the right screamed that they were undermining the chain of command.

But look at the Hegseth episode and ask: Isn’t this exactly the scenario they were talking about?

If a Cabinet-level official orders a second strike on two people flailing in the water, that’s not a gray area. That’s not a complicated split-second battlefield call. That’s an order to execute survivors — an order that any reasonably trained professional should recognize as unlawful.

If that’s what happened, then it’s not just Pete Hegseth who may face legal jeopardy. The officers who relayed the order and the personnel who pulled the trigger on that second strike may be exposed as well. “I was just following orders” didn’t work at Nuremberg. It doesn’t work under U.S. military law either.

And that is the heart of Goodlander’s message: obeying an illegal order is its own crime.

Were We Ever the “Good Guys”?

Growing up, many of us were taught that the United States were the “good guys.” We believed — or wanted to believe — that our country tried to do the right thing, even when we fell short.

But you can’t square that self-image with:

A Defense Secretary allegedly saying “kill them all” about a group of suspected traffickers on a small boat.  A second strike launched to finish off survivors who were clearly no longer a threat.  A President who labels lawmakers “traitors” for reminding service members to follow the law, then calls for them to be prosecuted or worse. 

If we accept that as normal, we are not the “good guys” anymore. We’re just another country that talks about freedom while quietly giving the green light to kill whoever is in the way.

Here’s what accountability should look like:

A full, independent investigation into the Caribbean strikes, with all relevant intelligence and targeting data made available to Congress and, as much as possible, the public. Clear legal analysis, made public, explaining how this operation was supposedly lawful — or admitting that it was not. Accountability up and down the chain of command if the facts confirm that survivors were deliberately targeted. That includes the person who gave the order and those who carried it out. Protection, not persecution, for lawmakers who are reminding our troops of their duty not to commit war crimes. They are defending the Constitution, not attacking it.

Maggie Goodlander’s point was simple: Service members are not required to surrender their moral judgment, their legal obligations, or their oath to the Constitution just because someone powerful barks an order.

If the reports about Pete Hegseth are accurate, then this is precisely the kind of illegal order our troops should refuse.

If we want to be the “good guys” again — or maybe for the first time — we have to prove it. Not with slogans. Not with flag pins. But with the courage to say:

Killing survivors is wrong. Ordering it is a crime. And no one, no matter how high their office, is above the law.

A Question for Trump Supporters: The Jeopardy! Edition

On By TonyIn PoliticsLeave a comment

Answer:
That when you saw a man who had owned a fraudulent University, intent on scamming poor people, you thought, “Fine.”
(Source)

That when you saw a man who had made it his business practice to stiff his creditors, you said, “Okay.”
(Source)

That when you heard him proudly brag about his own history of sexual abuse, you said, “No problem.”
(Source)

That when he made up stories about Muslim-Americans cheering 9/11, you said, “Not an issue.”
(Source)

That when you saw him brag that he could shoot a man on Fifth Avenue and you wouldn’t care, you exclaimed, “He sure knows me.”
(Source)

That when he mocked a bleeding man on his marble floor, you said, “That’s cool!”
(Source)

That when he mocked the disabled, you thought it was the funniest thing you ever saw.
(Source)

That when he bragged he doesn’t read books, you said, “Well, who has time?”
(Source)

That when the Central Park Five were found innocent and compensated, and he still said they should be in prison, you said, “That makes sense.”
(Source)

That when he told his supporters to beat up protesters, you said, “Yes!”
(Source)

That when he had a protester thrown out into freezing cold without his coat, you said, “What a great guy!”
(Source)

That you watched the parade of white supremacists and Nazis he refused to denounce, and you said, “Thumbs up!”
(Source)

That he insulted our allies and cozied up to dictators, and you said, “That’s the way I want my President to be.”
(Source)

That he removed experts from government and replaced them with lobbyists and Fox News TV personalities, and you said, “What a genius!”
(Source)

That he profited off the presidency, overcharging even the Secret Service, and you said, “That’s smart!”
(Source)

That he said helping Puerto Rico was hard because it’s surrounded by water, and you said, “That makes sense.”
(Source)

That he praised Russia and North Korea while picking fights with Canada and New Zealand, and you said, “That’s statesmanship!”
(Source)

That he separated children from their families and locked them in cages, and you said, “Well, OK then.”
(Source)

That after witnessing all of this—every con, every cruelty, every corruption—you still wear that red hat and threaten anyone who disagrees, and say, “MAGA!”
(Source)

That when Trump claimed the Unabomber had his Uncle John as his professor and you thought, “Well, who hasn’t stretched the truth about a relative?”
(Source)

Question:
Why do you still support him?

Let’s be honest.
Is it ignorance?
Tribalism?
Fear?
Rage?
Are you so desperate to “own the libs” that you’ve sold your soul?

Because at some point, it’s not just about Trump anymore.
It’s about you.

Your Turn:
Leave a comment.
Tell me what I’m missing.
Tell me why, in spite of all of this, you’re still cheering him on.

I’m not asking to mock you. I’m asking because I genuinely want to understand.

The Moral Imperative: Leaders and Accountability. Let’s See the Epstein Files.

On By TonyIn PoliticsLeave a comment

Trump’s Wild Claims and Deflections

Trump’s recent rhetoric—blaming everyone from pharmaceutical companies to the deep state, and now claiming he’ll reduce drug prices by 1000%—isn’t just exaggerated. It’s mathematically and logically impossible. A 1000% reduction would mean you’re being paid to take medicine, which sounds more like a parody than a policy.

This kind of grandstanding isn’t new for him. When cornered or criticized, Trump often doubles down with wild promises, scapegoating, and blame. But now, as legal pressure mounts—from indictments to civil trials—he appears to be flailing, not leading.

The Epstein Connection: What Matters and What Doesn’t

Yes, Trump’s name appears in association with Jeffrey Epstein—he’s in flight logs, was photographed with Epstein, and spoke positively of him in the past. But here’s the nuance that must be acknowledged:

  • Being in the files or logs doesn’t automatically make someone guilty of a crime. Many powerful people, including politicians, academics, and celebrities, crossed paths with Epstein. That alone proves nothing.

However…

  • If any person—Trump or anyone else—is documented as having paid for or engaged in sex with minors, that crosses a bright, unforgivable line. That person must be investigated, charged, and prosecuted.

No exceptions. No excuses.

That’s not a political take. That’s a moral imperative. We cannot have anyone, let alone someone seeking or holding the highest office in the land, credibly implicated in crimes against children without full transparency and legal scrutiny.

What Kind of Leaders Do We Want?

This goes beyond Trump. If any leader—left, right, or center—is tied to Epstein’s abuse in a criminal way, the public has a right to know, and that person has no business in public life. Period.

The U.S. cannot move forward if it continues to look the other way when elite individuals are accused of the most heinous crimes. Whether it’s Trump, Clinton, Gates, or anyone else, the standard must be the same:

  • Were they involved in criminal acts?
  • Were they complicit in human trafficking?
  • Did they protect or fund this abuse?

If yes—they must go. No fanfare, no martyrdom. Just justice.

Final Thought

This isn’t about cancel culture. It’s about not allowing child abusers to walk among us with impunity because they have money, influence, or a loyal voter base.

It’s not just about Trump’s flailing. It’s about a system that too often protects the powerful. The Epstein files are a test—not just of our justice system, but of our collective moral backbone.

Will we look away? Or will we finally, fully demand the truth?

GOP Accountability: Why Economic Health Depends on It

On By TonyIn economy, Elections, PoliticsLeave a comment

Let’s not mince words: the Republican Party — at every level of government — needs to be held accountable for the economic mess we’re in. They’ve sold out working people. They’ve sold out seniors. They’ve sold out the country. And they’ve done it all in broad daylight.

Look around. Inflation remains painfully high. The dollar is weak. Our economy is teetering, and our reputation on the world stage has taken a beating. And what’s the GOP’s response? More of the same greed-driven policies that got us here in the first place.

This didn’t happen in a vacuum. Donald Trump didn’t just bungle leadership — he installed some of the most unqualified, corrupt, and outright dangerous people into positions of power. And the GOP-controlled Senate? They confirmed every single one of them. They clapped along. They cheered. They rubber-stamped the destruction.

Now, Trump and his enablers are preaching “belt-tightening” to the rest of us. They say we need to prepare for economic “hardship.” But who is really feeling the pain? Not the billionaire class. Not Trump’s inner circle. They’re getting richer, hoarding wealth while everyday Americans are forced to make impossible choices — between rent and medicine, between groceries and gas.

And what’s the GOP’s solution? More tax cuts for the rich. More deregulation. More gutting of programs that help actual people survive. You think Medicare and Medicaid are safe? Think again. They’ve made it clear: these programs are next on the chopping block. Social Security? They don’t want to strengthen it — they want to privatize it. Turn your hard-earned retirement into Wall Street’s latest jackpot.

Let’s be clear: this is not mismanagement. This is intentional. This is class warfare. This is a party that has embraced cruelty, corruption, and corporate greed as governing principles. They talk about patriotism, but their policies betray the very people they claim to serve.

The GOP owns this. Every bit of it. And we have to call it out. Loudly. Relentlessly. Because if we don’t, they’ll keep pretending this is someone else’s fault. They’ll keep distracting. They’ll keep blaming immigrants, or “wokeness,” or whatever culture war nonsense they’re peddling this week.

But here’s the thing: this country can’t afford silence anymore. Especially not from those who still call themselves Republicans and believe in something better.

“Restoring responsibility and accountability is essential to the economic and fiscal health of our nation.”
— Carl Levin

To every patriotic Republican out there — this is your moment. You know this isn’t the party you once believed in. You know this isn’t conservatism — it’s chaos in service of the wealthy and well-connected. If you still believe in integrity, in democracy, in putting country before party, then you need to speak up. Loudly. Publicly. Bravely.

Call out the lies. Reject the corruption. Demand better. Because your voice matters. And if enough of you stand up, you can help stop this runaway train before it crashes into the very foundations of our democracy.

Winner-Take-All Politics by Jacob S. Hacker and Paul Pierson, which argues that:

“Those at the very top of the economic ladder have developed and used political muscle to dramatically cut their taxes, deregulate the financial industry, and keep corporate governance lax and labor unions hamstrung.”

The time for quiet discomfort has passed. Now is the time for action.

Robert Reich: The Big Picture: How We Got Into This Mess, And How We Get Out Of It – OpEd

On By TonyIn economy, PoliticsLeave a comment

Donald Trump isn’t the cause of what ails America. He’s the consequence. The real causes go back four decades. 

Let me start with a bit of family history. During the 1950s and 1960s, my father, Ed Reich, owned a shop on the main street from which he sold women’s clothing to the wives of factory workers.

This time of year reminds me of his anxious dependence on holiday sales (and in the days after Christmas, the frantic returns). Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, he needed to earn enough to pay the bills and have a sufficient sum to carry us through the first part of the following year.

We weren’t rich but never felt poor, and our standard of living rose steadily through the 1950s and 1960s — as factory workers and their spouses did better and better.

This was an era when the income of a single factory worker or schoolteacher or baker or salesman or mechanic was enough to buy a home, have two cars, and raise a family.

FOR THREE DECADES after World War II, America created the largest middle class the world had ever seen. During those years, the earnings of the typical American worker doubled, just as the size of the American economy doubled.Over the last 40 years, by contrast, the size of the economy has more than doubled again, but the earnings of the typical American have barely budged (adjusted for inflation). Most of the gains have gone to the top. 

In the 1950s and 1960s, the CEOs of large corporations earned an average of about 20 times the pay of their typical worker. Now they rake in over 300 times the pay of an average worker.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the richest 1 percent of Americans took home about 10 percent of the nation’s total income. Today they take home more than the bottom 90 percent put together.

Then, the economy generated hope. Hard work paid off. The living standards of most people improved through their working lives. Their children enjoyed better lives than they had. Most felt that the rules of the economic game were basically fair.

Although many women, Black people, and Latinos were still blocked from getting a fair share of the economy’s gains, the nation committed itself to changing this. New laws guaranteed equal opportunity, barred discrimination, promoted affirmative action, and expanded educational opportunity for all.

Today, confidence in the economic system has sharply declined. Its apparent arbitrariness and unfairness have undermined the public’s faith in it. Cynicism abounds. Equal opportunity is no longer high on the nation’s agenda.

As you’ll see in “The Big Picture” video on this page, recent American history can be divided into five periods:

  1. 1946-1979, we grew together. Almost everyone gained ground.
  2. 1980-2008, the great U-turn. Most economic gains began going to the top.
  3. 2008-2010, the financial crisis. The banks were bailed out but millions of Americans lost their jobs, homes, and savings. The experience revealed the gross inequalities of wealth and power that underlay the new economy. This caused widespread disillusionment with the system.
  4. 2010-2016, anger at the establishment. Both Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump emerged as anti-establishment candidates — although Trump’s anti-establishment persona was fake (and still is). 
  5. 2016-2050, the choice between oligarchy and democracy. The 2024 election represented a lurch toward oligarchy, but I believe Trump and his oligarchy will overreach, and we’ll choose a more robust democracy. 

***

WHEN MOST PEOPLE STOP BELIEVING that they and their children have a fair chance to make it, the tacit social contract begins to unravel. And a nation becomes susceptible to demagogues such as Donald Trump peddling the politics of hate. 

Many of the most vocal proponents of the “free market” — including Elon Musk, executives of large corporations and their ubiquitous lawyers and lobbyists, denizens of Wall Street and their political lackeys, and numerous multimillionaires and billionaires — have been actively reorganizing the market for their own benefit.

The consequence has been a market created by those with great wealth for the purpose of further increasing their wealth.

This has resulted in ever-larger upward distributions inside the market, from the middle class, working class, and poor to a wealthy minority at the top. 

Because these distributions occur inside the market, they have largely escaped notice. We tend to debate only downward “redistributions” that occur outside the market, through taxing the rich and transferring some benefits to the poor and working class. 

Musk and Trump want to reduce such redistributions. 

But the hidden upward redistributions inside the market are arguably larger.

This is why it’s so important that those of us who care about social justice speak out and explain what has happened. And why it’s crucial that Democrats focus on reversing the staggering inequalities of this era and getting big money out of politics. 

Otherwise, the only explanation most Americans receive for what has happened comes from Trump authoritarians who falsely blame immigrants, “socialists,” the “deep state,” “woke”ism, Democrats, Black people, women, and other countries. 

And the only agenda most Americans receive for remedying what has occurred is by backing Trump and Musk and their lurch toward fascism. 

My friends, the underlying issue is not the size of government. It’s whom the government is for. The fundamental choice is democracy or oligarchy.

Your VOTE is Your VOICE

On By TonyIn Elections, PoliticsLeave a comment

If you find yourself questioning former President Trump’s approach or feel that he may not be the best candidate to lead us forward, you’re not alone. A steady succession of ex-administration advisers – including some of his highest-ranking Cabinet officials who spoke or met with him regularly – have spoken out against his leadership and character, a remarkable break in precedent.  It’s perfectly acceptable  for you to reevaluate your options. 

Here in New Hampshire we like to emphasize the values of democracy, respect for diverse viewpoints, and the importance of engaging in the political process. While Kamala Harris may not align with all your ideals, it’s essential to consider the broader implications of our votes and the future of our country.

If you believe that certain policies or her leadership style could positively impact our nation, then exercising your right to vote for Kamala Harris is not only your prerogative but also a reflection of your commitment to informed decision-making.

Voting against Trump—or for Kamal Harris—is not a betrayal to your party or beliefs; it’s an exercise of your right to choose what you believe is best for our country. In doing so, you are fulfilling your duty as an informed citizen and prioritizing the principles that matter most to you and your community.

Embrace the courage to make a choice based on your convictions, and remember that the strength of our democracy lies in the ability to speak up, question, and vote according to our beliefs. True patriotism is about participating in the democratic process and making choices based on the betterment of society. So, if you feel that supporting Harris would be a step towards achieving shared goals or addressing pressing issues, then it’s within your rights and responsibilities as an American citizen to cast your vote accordingly. Your vote is your voice—make it a powerful one.

Project 2025, if allowed, will cement America as a rightwing authoritarian state

On By TonyIn Elections, PoliticsLeave a comment
Protesters enter the Senate Chamber on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Congress held a joint session today to ratify President-elect Joe Biden’s 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump. Pro-Trump protesters have entered the U.S. Capitol building after mass demonstrations in the nation’s capital. | Win McNamee/Getty Images

BARRINGTON SALMON.

 In 1970, as political activist Angela Davis languished in a jail cell for a crime she didn’t commit, acclaimed writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin warned her and us in an open letter “… If we know, then we must fight for your life as though it were our own – which it is – and render impassable with our bodies the corridor to the gas chamber. For, if they take you in the morning, they will be coming for us that night.”

In 2023, women of childbearing age, young adults, children, African Americans, undocumented immigrants and other marginalized communities have the most to lose if Donald Trump wins a second term because he’s coming for us.

Trump — aided and abetted by far-right extremists, MAGA supporters and the remnants of the Republican Party — poses a clear and present danger to the country. They are gearing up to reassert racial and political dominance by upending the political system, eviscerating the rule of law and wielding unconstrained power in service of the interests of the far-right conservative and Christian nationalist minority.

The instrument they plan to use to implement this strategy is Project 2025. In a nutshell, as Harold Meyerson explained in a recent article, Project 2025 is a blueprint for a conservative presidency.

“The actions of liberal politicians in Washington have created a desperate need and unique opportunity for conservatives to start undoing the damage the Left has wrought and build a better country for all Americans in 2025,” the Project 2025 manifesto said. “It is not enough for conservatives to win elections. If we are going to rescue the country from the grip of the radical Left, we need both a governing agenda and the right people in place, ready to carry this agenda out on day one of the next conservative administration.”

 Former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during the Georgia state GOP convention at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center on June 10, 2023 in Columbus, Georgia. On Friday, former President Trump was indicted by a federal grand jury on 37 felony counts in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s classified documents probe. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

A vast and secretive dark money network

Project 2025 is a sweeping rightwing blueprint for the next Republican president, Trump or not, to run the country for the foreseeable future. Funded by The Heritage Foundation, Koch Brothers and a vast and secretive dark money network, the project has recruited at least 80 far-right organizations and entities to the cause.

Conservative warriors’ plan “to defund the Department of Justice, dismantle the FBI, break up the Department of Homeland Security and eliminate the Departments of Education and Commerce,” the 30-chapter, 920-page tome says.

The president would have “complete power over quasi-independent agencies such as the FCC, which makes and enforces rules for television and internet companies that have been the bane of Trump’s political existence in the last few years. And they want to ensure that what remains of this slashed-down bureaucracy is reliably MAGA conservative — not just for the next president but for a long time to come — and that the White House maintains total control of it.”

Project 2025 offers proposals to deregulate targeted industries, privatize government functions and help American corporations to make more money at the expense of American workers, the middle class and everyone except the oligarchs and the 1%.

Meyerson, editor-at-large at The American Prospect, said far-right conservatives and The Heritage Foundation have an extensive enemies’ list that includes “welfare recipients, lazy and liberal civil servants, anti-business regulators, environmentalists, and union bosses, “scientists, woke bureaucrats, woke educators, woke diplomats, woke generals and admirals, woke G-men, and anyone who doesn’t indulge the next Republican president’s every whim (an adaptation to the likelihood of a Trump nomination),” in the commentary titled, “The Far Right Has a Plan to Remake America. They Even Wrote It Down.”

Those in charge in the incoming administration are prepared to purge those deemed disloyal after identifying and interviewing “every Treasury Department official who participated in its DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) activities and programs, and make such activity ‘“per se grounds for termination of employment.”’

Leonard Leo, a major right-wing donor who significantly influenced and shaped the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority under Trump, has been a major fundraiser for Project 2025. (On Nov. 30, the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary voted to subpoena Leo “as part of an ethics probe into undisclosed financial ties to U.S. Supreme Court justices.”)

According to a press release from the nonprofit Accountable.US, recent reporting from NBC shows that “The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, stepped up efforts to boost its Project 2025 initiative by ramping up grants to the venture aimed at creating a ‘government-in-waiting’ for the next Republican presidential administration, according to a new tax filing.

“The foundation distributed over $1.67 million in grants in 2022 — including a total of $965,000 to organizations on the advisory board of Project 2025, tax records show. These donations accounted for 58% of Heritage’s total grant-making in 2022.

“Project 2025’s board of more than 80 conservative organizations includes nearly 40 that have received funding from dark-money groups linked to Leonard Leo … a prolific fundraiser, Leo is affiliated with an extensive network of tax-exempt groups, including DonorsTrust, a donor-advised nonprofit that directs money to other organizations and groups seeking to influence policy.”

Vacillating on a knife’s edge

America is at an inflection point, vacillating on a knife’s edge because of Trump, who has tapped into a deep reservoir of grievance, hatred and resentment plans that will be fully unleashed in a second term. Trump’s incendiary rhetoric – mirroring Hitler and Mussolini – is convincing observers that he’s a fascist, to add to his authoritarian bent.

In interviews, rallies and on social media Trump has boasted of unleashing political violence, targeting and crushing his enemies, routing the media, appointing a special prosecutor to pursue President Joe Biden and his family for alleged corruption, and snatching up undocumented immigrants and holding them against their will in vast concentration camps before deporting them.

In addition, a number of critics charge, during “Trump’s Revenge Tour,” he and his allies are determined to establish a rightwing, authoritarian, theocratic, white nationalist government.

Writing recently on Truth Social, Trump said:“Republicans are already thinking about what we are going to do to Biden and the Communists when it’s our turn.”

He elaborated further.

“We pledge to you that we will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country that lie and steal and cheat on elections,” Trump said in a recent speech. “They’ll do anything, whether legally or illegally, to destroy America and to destroy the American Dream … the threat from outside forces is far less sinister, dangerous and grave than the threat from within. Our threat is from within …”

This anti-democratic, illiberal move to upend the U.S Constitution and government should be cause for deep concern. I am not alone in fearing that if Trump gets back to the White House, there may not be a free and fair American election again in my lifetime.

Astonishingly, a year before the 2024 contest, Trump is running away with the presidential nomination despite being impeached, indicted four times and charged with 91 felonies in state and federal courts. He leads the pack even though his former officials warn the electorate not to vote for him and despite being called “morally bankrupt and lethally incompetent” by a former Trump White House official.

Author and legal analyst James Zirin, said in an op-ed in The Hill on Nov 13 Trump wants to “terminate the Constitution to restore himself to power, an insurrectionary act in and of itself. That power would be “in the hands of the president with neither checks nor balances.”

 The pro-Trump insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021 | Alex Kent

Trump has vowed on Day 1 to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy the military to violently crush any protest or dissent. He plans to purge the Justice Department of anyone deemed disloyal and deploy across four federal agencies a 50,000-strong bloc of loyalists to defense, legal, judicial and regulatory slots.

Political consultant and media strategist Rick Wilson expressed alarm at the Trump-induced danger that looms.

“He’s using the power of government, the state, to punish his political enemies, use the power of the state to achieve his personal political vengeance on people who he believes have wronged him,” said Wilson, a former Republican, co-founder and board member of The Lincoln Project, who lives in Tallahassee. This is not America, this is something much darker, much different, much more dangerous.”

Alex Aronson, executive director of Court Accountability, a nonpartisan judicial research and advocacy organization, said Americans should be working assiduously and in concert to confront, disrupt and obliterate this insidious plot.

“Project 2025 is a plan to destroy the U.S government,” said Aronson. “It’s an enormous problem, a huge problem that the U.S government isn’t standing up to this moment. It’s complicated and speaks to some tensions on the Left.”

Aronson said no one should assume that the Republican Party is an honest operator, explaining that the party and its allies are willing to use violence and extremism to reach its ends.

And like James Baldwin, he said Americans are fighting for their very lives.

“The impulse is to work with these people and misconceive the nature of their project which is a blueprint to destroy the U.S government. We have to see this threat for what it is,” Aronson said.

A Few Questions For Trump Supporters.

On By TonyIn Elections, PoliticsLeave a comment

Some Questions on 2 important Dates for Trump Supporters. 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, in Washington, U.S, January 6, 2021. REUTERS/Jim Bourg/File Photo

On January 6, 2021, at the urging of then president Donald Trump, a mob stormed our nations  Capital.  They were looking for revenge for what they had been told was a stolen election. They were chanting the names of Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence. Loudly chanting, “HANG MIKE PENCE”. They broke into many offices as Democrats and Republican alike ran for their lives.  If not for the bravery of Capital police surely some lawmaker would have been killed or injured.  

QUESTION 1-  What would have happened if the rioters had gotten their hands on Nancy Pelosi, Mike Pence or another lawmaker?  Would they have carried out their threats? Would the torture or death of a lawmaker been shown all around the world on CNN? 

QUESTION 2- What would have happened on January 7 if the insurrection had been successful?  Would Trump have rounded up his enemies? What would have happened to President Elect Joe Biden? Trump could not have let him stay free making speeches. 2020 was a free and fair election and Joe Biden won. In order for Trump to stay in power he would at least have to have Biden placed under house arrest where he would be unable to speak to the media.  

QUESTION 3- If the insurrection was successful, what would happen to anyone who spoke out against it and against Trump and his supporters? Would they have been rounded up? Arrested? Jailed? Maybe even killed?  Would mobs of Trump supporters go door to door demanding oaths of allegiance to Trump? Who knows what would happen to those who said “no”. Would a new armed force exist to pick up and jail, deport, beat up or kill anyone who even LOOKED like they might be an immigrant? 

It is not a stretch to see this happening. To see how very close we were to losing our democracy.  

In all that turmoil- would a foreign power seize the opportunity to launch an attack on US interests? Would countries that currently sell us goods decide that we were not a good risk because of our instability? Would US companies close down because of the instability and inability to get people to risk leaving their homes to got to work or even to the store  for fear of being picked up because they looked different or spoke out against the dictator? Would foreign markets boycott our goods and place economic sanctions against us? 

Would parts of the country secede from the US because they did not want to be part of this new dictatorship? Would an Army from one state attack another state?  

This was all a VERY REAL possibility. 

Now Trump is running again. He is the GOP favorite.  He has NO policies. He just wants retribution. Trump is on the record saying, “ that we will root out Marxist fascist, and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country”

Retribution has become Trumps campaign ideology.

He’s not running to accomplish anything. He’s talking about a personal agenda of using the United States government  and The Presidency for retribution and revenge. His agenda for a second term is  finishing the radical and extreme unfinished business of a Trump first term. He hasn’t given up on things like building his wall, withdrawing from NATO, withdrawing from South Korea  and using the justice department to go after his political enemies. Those are all things that he tried to do wanted to do in his first term. Trump 2024 is not Trump 2016 or even 2020. He has eight years worth of grievances he has  91 felony charges against him. 

Trump himself is a threat to American Democracy. He has the natural inclination and goals of an anti-democratic authoritarian leader. He wants to impose a police state.  HE HAS SAID THIS. 

Every administration wants to have loyalists. They want to surround themselves with people who believe the movement.  That is fine. BUT this one is just too far. It has become a CULT.  Where a person cannot believe science or fact. They can only believe what their dear leader has told them to. This idea was hatched at the end of the last Trump administration. It is called Schedule F. Schedule F is getting rid of people who are independent experts, The absolute enemy is Tony Fauci. They don’t want a scientist who is worrying about the entire countries national health what they want is someone who is loyal to Trump if Trump says, “ivermectin is the thing” that person will tell the country take your ivermectin. Related to that is the idea that they will also staff the national security and military space with people who share a similar skepticism about independent authority. They would review flag officers  and general officers to try to assess whether they have loyalty to Donald Trump’s ideological project. 

From the very beginning, Trump has a strong man’s natural attraction to what it in Russia would be called the “power ministries” and understanding he who controls the guys with guns control the power structure. In 2020 there was a backstage confrontation between Trump, and both the senior civilian and military leadership of the Pentagon as well as the Attorney General.  It was about the very question of Trump, potentially seeking to use the power ministries for his own political advantage first through shows of strength in photo ops  and then in an even more menacing way. Using the military as part of his unprecedented effort to overturn the 2020 election results. Given that he’s already contemplated doing that; given that he’s already clashed with people; you need to assume that this is a very real part of his second term agenda. It flows directly from his experience in the first term of wanting to do this and being stymied.  

What would happen in 2028? Would he allow another election? Would he come up with a reason why the election in 2028 needed to be delayed indefinitely? His supporters stormed the US Capital once. Given a chance would they do what is necessary to disrupt the election or primary process? 

Not only should Donald Trump’s actions disqualify him from being president, the entire idea of another Trump presidency should scare the hell out of you. You can dislike Biden, you can dislike the democrats, but if you like our republic you cannot vote for Trump. Not in the primary, not in the general.

Trump business got at least $7.8 million in foreign payments during presidency.

What’s Been Going on In New Hampshire House of Representatives?

On By TonyIn PoliticsLeave a comment

Every community in our state is facing many challenges. While I was out canvassing and speaking with constituents this fall I heard a list of so many problems. 

  • Crime and cleaning up our cities parks. 
  • Finding solutions for our un-housed population 
  • The lack of affordable housing
  • Mental Health. 
  • Ever-rising taxes (not feeling that we are getting the level of service for what we pay. 
  • The appearance of non-transparency in the governing process 

New Hampshirites are fiercely proud of our independence BUT Consistent with the Northern New England tradition of strong legislative oversight of local government, New Hampshire is not known as a home rule state. All powers of local government in New Hampshire stem from the legislature, and few freedoms have been delegated to units of local government.

In short, In order for the local municipality to do anything, we have to be given the power by the state.  

In the  current House of Representatives the Republican Party has a narrow majority (198-195 with a few open seats). 

Here are some mod the bills the New Hampshire GOP has spent time on. 

PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 20

RELATING TO: Declaring independence from the United States of America.

PROVIDING THAT: If the National debt reaches $40 Trillion, NH shall declare independence and proceed as a sovereign nation.

SPONSORS: Rep. Gerhard, Merr. 25

COMMITTEE: State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs

ANALYSIS: This constitutional amendment concurrent resolution amends the constitution to provide that if the US national debt reaches $40 trillion, New Hampshire shall secede from the union.

NH House Republicans are pushing another secession bill in 2024.  Meanwhile, NH House Democrats aim to strengthen democracy by introducing HB 1426 to establish independent redistricting.

Let’s focused on what matters — not culture wars and conspiracy theories

HOUSE BILL 1482 

AN ACT relative to the sale of human blood and organs.

SPONSORS: Rep. Gerhard, Merr. 25; Rep. T. Mannion, Hills. 1

COMMITTEE: Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs

ANALYSIS This bill provides that the state of New Hampshire shall not prohibit, restrict, or regulate the private sale, purchase, use, possession, or donation of human blood or organs in the state.

HOUSE BILL 1294-FN

AN ACT relative to prohibiting the state of New Hampshire from enforcing the regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency.

SPONSORS: Rep. Granger, Straf. 2; Rep. Bailey, Straf. 2; Rep. Burnham, Straf. 2; Rep. Gerhard, Merr. 25; Rep. Cushman, Hills. 28; Rep. Belcher, Carr. 4

COMMITTEE: Environment and Agriculture

ANALYSIS- This bill states that the federal Environmental Protection Agency has no constitutional validity in this state, and requires that the New Hampshire department of environmental services provide for all environmental protection in this state.

HOUSE BILL 1073-EN

AN ACT: Relative to repealing the prohibition of simulated explosives .

SPONSORS: Rep Santonastaso, Ches. 18

COMMITTEE: Criminal Justice and Public Safety

ANALYSIS- This bill repeals the prohibition on the placement of simulated explosives. The only realistic purpose for a simulated explosive device is to scare or terrorize someone. It makes no difference if a GUN is real or realistic (but fake), or if it is real but not loaded if it is used to scare or terrorize someone.. The only difference is that if you use a fake gun, your sentence might be a bit lighter because it is evident that you never intended to actually kill anyone. But why don’t we make it easier to terrorize the public.

HOUSE BILL 1276-FN

AN ACT relative to repealing the prohibition on the possession or sale of blackjacks, slung shots, and metallic knuckles except by or to minors.

SPONSORS:Rep. Spillane, Rock. 2; Rep. Moffett, Merr. 4; Rep. Popovici-Muller, Rock. 17; Rep. Hoell, Merr. 27; Rep. Harrington, Straf. 18; Rep. Ulery, Hills. 13; Rep. Notter,

Hills. 12; Rep. Aures, Merr. 13; Sen. Pearl, Dist 17; Sen. Lang, Dist 2

COMMITTEE: Criminal Justice and Public Safety

HOUSE BILL 1035

AN ACT: Relative to limitations on extradition.

SPONSORS: Rep. Gerhard, Merr. 25

COMMITTEE: Criminal Justice and Public Safety

ANALYSIS- This bill prohibits the extradition of an individual charged solely with violating a firearm licensing regulation of another state.

HOUSE BILL 1246

AN ACT: relative to allowing for payment of wages in gold or silver.

SPONSORS: Rep. Granger, Straf. 2; Rep. Belcher, Carr. 4; Rep. Coulon, Graf. 5; Rep. Soti, Rock. 35

COMMITTEE: Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services

ANALYSIS- This bill allows employers to pay the weekly or biweekly wages due to employees in gold or silver.

HOUSE BILL 1332-FN

AN ACT: relative to prohibiting electric vehicles from parking in parking garages.

SPONSORS: Rep. Proulx, Hills. 15; Rep. Bernardy, Rock. 36; Rep. Hobson, Rock. 14

COMMITTEE:Transportation

ANALYSIS- This bill prohibits the parking of electric vehicles in parking garages.

There’s a car fire roughly every five minutes in America. The vast majority of them never make the news. But if a Tesla or a Chevy Bolt catches fire? It’s probably on the front page nationwide and going viral online.  YOU’RE WRONG ABOUT EV FIRES

HOUSE BILL: 1473

AN ACT: relative to social-emotional learning in public schools.

SPONSORS: Rep. Sellers, Graf. 18; Rep. Seidel, Hills. 29; Rep. Hill, Merr. 2; Rep. Andrus. Merr. 5; Rep. McCarter, Belk. 8; Rep. Gagne, Hills. 16; Rep. T. Cahill, Rock. 4;

Rep. K. Perez, Rock. 16; Rep. Gerhard, Merr. 25

I. For the purposes of this section, “social emotional learning” means:

(a) Any evidence-based or non-evidence-based programming that promotes school and/or civic engagement nd/or builds an equitable learning framework that creates or uses evidence-based benchmarks, standards, surveys, activities, learning indicators, programs, policies, processes, professional development, or assessments that address non-cognitive social factors including but not limited to, self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, responsible decision making, and/or other attributes, dispositions, social skills, attitudes, behaviors, beliefs. feelings, emotions, mindsets, metacognitive learning skills, motivation, grit, self-regulation, tenacity, perseverance, resilience, and/or intrapersonal resources.

HOUSE BILL 1599-FN

AN ACT relative to the use of artificial intelligence for personal defense.

SPONSORS: Rep. Santonastaso, Ches. 18

COMMITTEE:

Criminal Justice and Public Safety

ANALYSIS- This bill affirms that, under the second amendment to the United States Constitution, a person may use autonomous artificial intelligence for defense purposes, subject to specified limitations.

HOUSE BILL 1634-FN

AN ACT relative to universal eligibility for the education freedom account program.

SPONSORS: Rep. A. Lekas, Hills. 38

COMMITTEE: Education

ANALYSIS- This bill removes the household income criteria from eligibility requirements for the education freedom account program.

HOUSE BILL 1248-FN

AN ACT relative to restrictions on access to abortion.

SPONSORS: Rep. Testerman, Merr. 3; Rep. Sellers, Graf. 18; Sen. Gendreau, Dist 1

COMMITTEE: Judiciary

ANALYSIS- This bill prohibits abortion, other than for a medical emergency, if the gestational age of the fetus is more than 15 days.

C’MON. WE ARE BETTER THAN THIS. 

My Sincere Thanks To All The Voters of Dover

On By TonyIn Elections, PoliticsLeave a comment

I am deeply moved by the expression of confidence from the residents of Dover’s Ward 3, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I also need to thank Jan Nedelka  for  his guidance and advice and Deb Thibodeaux whose advice and introductions to Ward 3 voters gave me the confidence to run. My opponent, Mr Eric Spurling,  is a total class act.  He ran a great campaign and I know he will continue to help the city.  

Being an effective City Councilor involves listening to constituents, translating their concerns into workable proposals, and building consensus to implement them. I could not do this job without the involvement and openness of the people I represent. You have taken the time to share with me your ideas, your concerns, and your aspirations, and I sincerely appreciate your willingness to discuss what really matters to you. Not only have you entrusted me with the responsibility of speaking on your behalf as your city councilor, but you also continue to provide me with the ideas and feedback I need. For that, I thank you once again.  

Our beautiful city faces many challenges but we can overcome them by working together towards our common goals.  I look forward to representing you and to work for you as  we strive to make Dover a City where we can all live, work and raise a family.

I send a hearty thank you to ALL voters of Dover who made their voices heard, by showing up and voting on Tuesday. I spent a great deal of time knocking on doors and meeting many people at events  I’ll continue to be very conscious of the fact that I’m working for you, the best interests of our community and all residents. If you have an issue or information I need to hear, please feel free to contact me.

Tony Retrosi

and thank you to my amazing family.