Grant’s Pass, Oregon.
There’s an election coming, please vote, September 12, 2023

The Biggest Flag Wins
When all the votes for 2020 presidential election were counted, Joe Biden won 81,283,098 votes, or 51.3% of the vote. Donald Trump won 74,222,958 or 46.8% of the vote. Miscellaneous other candidates captured a meager 1.8% of the vote. In other words, Joe Biden, kicked Trump’s butt, besting Trump by over 7 million votes. But, those numbers were obviously against Trump’s plan. Votes were counted and recounted and lawsuit after lawsuit brought by Trump challenging the election were dismissed. Everyone from the bloated and lawless Bill Barr to Cybersecurity Director Chris Krebs called Trump’s claim’s of voter fraud, “bullshit.” But, still you see signs saying, “Biden Lost!” usually accompanied by an oversized American flag.
As It Plays Out
We should be celebrating that more people turned out to vote in the 2020 election than at any other time in history. But, we aren’t. In fact, because of Trump’s lies our country is more divided than ever. Instead of the bloated orange fruit fly conceding the election, to Joe Biden like every man before him has, he chose to create chaos.
More Violence and More Lawsuits
In 2016 the Trumpers told us “elections have consequences” as we progressives huddled in our fetal positions, terrified of a Trump presidency. It is now 2023 and those same Trumpers are telling us that despite Trump’s staggering loss both in the Electoral College and the popular vote we libs should sit down and shut up, ‘because it’s obvious Trump won’. If Trump becomes the Republican nominee in 2024 I am sure we will see more armed election observers, more lawsuits, more threats of violence, more white supremacist saber rattling, and more talk of Trump as a lifetime president.
Is It That Bad?
A majority of Americans, especially Black, Brown, Native Americans, Asians, and other marginalized communities, who are at the mercy of this country’s historic, systemic, police abuse and seemingly incurable racism, voted Donald Trump out of office. I want us to celebrate that so many Americans voted to oust his criminal ass, but there is much need for introspection and intense soul searching about those who continue to feverishly support him in his fight to propagate the big lie. My god the brazen fucker is running for president again.
A Cup Of Coffee
I’m ready this morning to have a cup of coffee, eat an apple and reflect on why more than 74, 000,000 Americans would chose a man like Donald Trump to lead this country? His incompetence and stupidity is legendary. We’d already seen the chaos in operation, day after day, over four years in office. Some close to him have called him a “fucking moron.” These words come from those who know him best, yet these voices are ignored by his minions. Or should I be calling them cultists.
Nothing Moves His Base
For the last several days I’ve scoured old newspaper and magazine articles putting together a list of the known criminal activities of Donald Trump. Although well-known to his followers, his criminality seems to have no effect on their loyalty or their intoxicated enthusiasm. Monster flags whipping off the back of pickup trucks advertise their loyalty to Trump, not the United States. Wake up guys. Trump is a fraud and you, his small donors, are his biggest suckers. Recent reports indicate $40 million dollars of donor money has been spent so far this year on Trump defense attorneys. Get real, please, Trump and his whole crew belongs in Sing-Sing, not the Oval Office.
The Habit Of Corruption
Trump is no stranger to corruption and criminality. He has been embedded in it his entire life. As President, he took it to a new level. The Trump administration was without a doubt the most corrupt presidency in American history. No wonder he keeps screaming “fake news” when responding to reporter’s questions. Trump desperately needs to undermine the legitimacy of the fourth estate. Donald John Trump has so much to hide. If his devout followers would listen to the information that is available everywhere, they would drop him like the proverbial hot potato. But, for some reason they are both deaf and blind to the truth. Truth matters, and Trump couldn’t find truth with both hands. Just to refresh the reader on Trump’s criminal history:
It All Started With Daddy Trump
1.) Donald and his father blatantly participated in housing discrimination against people of color and they were sued by the Justice Department.
2.) The Mafia and Donald worked together through the construction trades in New York city.
3.) He hired undocumented Polish workers to rehab the Trump Tower and then refused to pay them.
4.) Trump was fined $750,000 for anti-trust violations during his attempt to take over a rival casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

46 Marvelous Things our Marvelous 46th President Has Done
By Anna Hessel
While some viciously attack Joe Biden I’ve been counting what #46 has done for America.

The FBI has not set a minimum number of casualties to qualify an event as a mass shooting, but U.S. statute (the Investigative Assistance for Violent Crimes Act of 2012) defines a “mass killing” as “3 or more killings in a single incident.”
A Lovely Dinner
I think it was 2001. My husband and I were having dinner on the sidewalk service area of a popular restaurant & bar at the corner of SE Milwaukie Ave and Powell Blvd in Portland, Oregon. It was about 10:30 pm. We were having fun, lingering over a glass of wine and laughing and chatting with other diners.
Running In All Directions
Several loud “cracks” caused me to look around curious, but certainly not frightened. Several more “cracks” echoed in the night. By that time, I realized the sound was coming from the AM/PM gas station across the street. People in the gas station parking lot were screaming and running in various directions. It was only then, I saw flashes of light coming from the driver’s window of a small red sports car, stopped on Powell Blvd.
In The Leg
More shots rang out and a man thirty feet to the left of me, in the restaurant pavilion area fell to the ground screaming. He had fallen to the sidewalk clutching a leg wound. The time between the first shot and my realizing I was in an active shooter situation was probably an entire minute. Realization time. If the bullet had been 30 feet to the right either my husband or I could have been shot; probably in the head since we were sitting and the injured man had been standing.
Little Red Sportscar
The shooter revved the engine, popped the clutch, and sped away. I’m an RN and I have a duty to give aid, so I raced across the street to help. The Portland Police were on site at the same time as I got there. Several ambulances arrived, sirens screaming. Two young men were wounded, one with a bullet in the upper arm and the other fellow with a bullet in the shoulder. In addition to the three wounded two others lay dead. All the dead and wounded at the AM/PM were young- most likely high school age.
“There He Is!”
While the cops were asking questions, I saw the perpetrator’s red sports car slow down and slowly drive past the crime scene, again. They say criminal frequently return to the scene of the crime, but this guy was unbelievably stupid. I raised my arm and pointed toward the car and screamed, “There he is, there’s the shooter!” The wounded young man sitting on the asphalt, that I had been helping, chorused, ‘There’s the son of a bitch! There’s the shooter!!!”
The Morning Oregonian
The cops were on it and I read in the morning Oregonian, two 16 year old Cleveland high school students, members of a notorious local gang, were arrested on suspicion of murder and were being held in jail as adults. I tossed the paper on the breakfast table. What a waste. Two funerals and potentially two life sentences for the perpetrators.
Unready, Unprepared
All situations are different. I think one of the reasons it took so long for me and other diners to realize there was a shooting in progress was because we were across the street from the center of the events, with lots of traffic and noise between us. It wasn’t until a fellow diner was shot by a ricocheting bullet that any of us realized there was even a shooting. Another factor, I believe, may have something to do with the fact that in 2001 mass shooters were not quite as common as today. Whatever the reasons, we were stupidly unprepared for this deadly situation.
****
The Department of Homeland Security offers Americans several suggestions that might save your life if you are caught in an Active Shooter Situation.
Run
If you can get out of the situation, do it. Run toward the first escape route you can find. Leave your belongings and just get away. Once safe, dial 911 and give the police all the information you can.
Play Dead (this is NOT on the DHS list)
I have added this suggestion. I have heard several survivors of mass shootings tell of rubbing blood from victims on themselves and hiding in plain site among the dead as the shooter moves away to find new victims.
Hide
If you can’t escape; take cover, find a place to conceal yourself. You want to be out of sight, with some offered protection, between you and the shooter, such as a locked door. If you can blockade the door with furniture-do it. Be smart, turn off your cellphone as an unexpected call could alert the shooter to your location.
Fight
Take action against the shooter only as a last resort. Throw items and improvise weapons in an effort to disrupt and incapacitate the shooter.
When Law Enforcement Arrives
When the cops arrive, immediately put down any weapons or items you have in your hands. Keep your hands visible and raise your arms. Follow instructions. Refrain from making quick movements toward the officers.
Mushroom information was the topic of discussion between David Shadrick and Bill Cook when they met up at the Calamity Politics studio today. Mushrooms and more mushrooms was the consensus of our guys. Between these two men we are talking 50 years of eating enjoyment. You can also watch the video casts on the Calamity Politics YouTube channel or the David Shadrick YouTube channel.

We are admitted President Joe Biden supporters. We just wanted to take a couple minutes to thank Joe for not being Donald Trump and point out 12 reasons Trump was a flop and Joe’s not.
COVID Catastrophe
The Real Illegal
The People Have Spoken
An A– And Class
The Right Way, Not The Right-Wing Way

Loud Noise
I fell asleep last night watching television. In my own defense I’d had a long and busy day. So, at about 11:30, my sleep was interrupted when the volume on the television rose a dozen decibels, bringing me unceremoniously awake. As I’m looking for the elusive TV remote to shut off the offensive noise I hear an amazing news drop.
Marching On Moscow
My eyes flickered stupidly as I listened to a CNN commentator announce that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group, Russia’s state sponsored mercenary army, had pulled out of Ukraine and was instead pointing 25,000 troops under his control toward Moscow. What the hell?
Prigozhin Screaming Mad
Prigozhin has been raging on social media for weeks against the military generals in the Kremlin, accusing them of lying to Putin and the Russian people. As the situation deteriorated between the sides; Prigozhin claimed that Russian military forces attacked his Russian mercenary forces, killing at least 2500 of his men encamped along a defensive line in Ukraine.
Move On Moscow
After weeks of complaints of no food, equipment, armament, weaponry, or ammunition; Prigozhin had a new and greater outrage to fume about. The killing of Wagner mercenaries threatened the very seat of power as Prigozhin began moving his troops toward Moscow. By this time I was channel surfing the cable news channels to get the most recent information. Holy, moly this was the biggest news on the Russian front since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
A Quick Snooze
I fell asleep sometime after 2 am and woke up about 8 am. The first thing I did was turn on the TV to see what was going on in Russia. Streaming pictures from the streets around the Kremlin showed a military defensive build up. All the cable channels were playing video of Putin reassuring the Russian people in a speech. Yikes.
Belarus Calling Prigozhin
After about 12 hours of chaos, Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus announced to the world that he has fixed everything, and that Prigozhin had agreed to stop his rebellion and turn his troops around. Prigozhin states he does not want to spill Russian blood. Just like that? What the fuc? It’s over?
What The Kremlin Is Saying
In a whiplash move, Putin’s communication office indicates that the criminal complaint against Prigozhin will be withdrawn. Prigozhin agrees to exile to Belarus. Lukashenko promised him a hotel without windows; so he signed on for exile. Wagner mercenaries will be given amnesty and are encouraged rejoin the fight against Ukrainian defense forces.
Looks Weak
Putin’s debacle in Ukraine has shown clearly that the Russian military is second rate at best. If it weren’t for Iranian drones, and conscripted prisoners working as mercenaries the Russian military would have already lost in Ukraine. After 23 years in power, Putin looks as weak and anemic as his army. It looks like Vladimir Putin just got kicked in the head and he’s still seeing stars. Whatever happens, Putin’s image has been damaged severely.
The Potential
The Ukrainians need to make advances on the battlefield while the Russians fight amongst themselves. I’m sure Volodymyr Zelensky realizes Ukrainian forces have a very narrow window to take advantage of the current chaos. And what about Putin? Will he be able to hold onto power or does his weakness embolden his enemies? These are questions that only time will answer.

By Ross Turner
Not a New Idea
During times of turbulence and upheaval, ideas that were once thought fantastical suddenly seem quite rational. Such is the case of Universal Basic Income (UBI). UBI is also known as a “basic income guarantee.” The concept first appeared in the book ‘Utopia” by Thomas More published in 1516. The idea has been revived more than once over the centuries. In the early 1920’s British philosopher, essayist and social critic, Bertrand Russell wrote of the advantages of such a system. But it has only been in the last fifty years with the advent of technology, the internet, robotics, and Artificial Intelligence that there been a true necessity and demand for it.
UBI May Be an Idea Who’s Time Has Come
The idea, at its core, is to give every citizen a regular, untaxed sum of money regardless of employment status or income. The thought is that this will raise the poorest recipients out of poverty and help the overall economy by boosting consumers’ purchasing power and economic mobility. Many people, however, have a negative visceral reaction to “handing out” free money, worrying that people will stop working, or worrying about how to pay for such a program in the first place. First, let’s look at why something like Universal Basic Income will be needed in the very-near future.

Editors Note:
The Trump Town Hall on CNN the other night, had the hair on my arms standing up and I felt a deep visceral anger and disgust I haven’t felt since Trump was president. With that disgust of everything Trump renewed, I was prompted to go back and revisit numerous calamitypolitics.com articles from Trump’s first few months in office.
Listen folks, all you need to do is read the newspaper to know Trump is a bad dude. He is a shameless narcissist, a fake and a liar, a sexual predator, a grifter, a tax fraud, among many other proven things, but most importantly he is a real threat to our democracy. Now here he comes again, after fomenting an insurrection, asking us to give him a second chance to bring down the damn government. It’s happening in Israel, Hungary, and Turkey. It could happen here. We must stop Captain Chaos. Donate to the re-elect Biden-Harris 2024 presidential campaign.
Back in 2016
Millions of people across the country were deeply disturbed and shocked in 2016 after the Electoral College determined Donald J. Trump to have been elected president of the United States. Many protested in the streets, some like me took to the computer to Resist the insanity of a TV huckster and an absurdity like Donald Trump becoming president.