Category: Medical

Opinion: Ditch Empathy…Ditch Democracy

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OPINION: Ditch Empathy–Ditch Democracy

OPINION: Ditch Empathy–Ditch Dem0cracy

By Vajra Ma

 

Waggy is Adorable

Have you seen the ads for the new toy that looks and acts “just like a real puppy”​? Waggy is a curly haired AI puppy who tilts its adorable head just like a real dog. Waggy responds to your child’s voice just like a real dog. Sit! It sits. Come! It comes. It cuddles with your child just like a real dog. But it’s not real and according to the ad that’s the selling point. No expensive vet bills, no food to purchase, no long dog walks. No bothersome biological needs whatsoever. No care required.

No Empathy Required

What does such a realistic-seeming virtual puppy teach your child? It teaches them the puppy has no needs, no desires, no life of its own. It exists only to serve the needs and desires of your child.  The only thing that matters is the child, what he feels, what he needs, what he wants. No care or empathy required.

Biological Reality

Waggy weans your child away from biological reality. When biology is canceled, the opportunity to develop empathy for another living being is canceled.  We place our child in a subtle training ground for three things: 1) dissociation from the body 2) the atrophy 0f empathy 3) the development of narcissism. The interaction between the child and the AI dog is narcissistic. It is devoid of any feeling or even thought of the needs of another. Interaction with a virtual being is preferable to interaction with a real being.

Conditioning 

Is this what you want for your child? Is your convenience as a parent worth this programming of your child? Is this the conditioning you want for the next generation?

Toys Matter

Am I being hyperbolic? overstating the situation? I think not. Not when viewed in the context of three things: rapidly progressing AI, the transhumanist agenda and fascism. (Now she’s really getting hyperbolic!) Bear with me… There are plenty of dots to connect between these three things that could easily fill a whole book, but in the scope of this article I can only point briefly to them. Hopefully this will indicate how subtle and insidious the Waggy programming is, why a little toy like this matters.

Ditch Empathy

Elon Musk has stated “The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy.” Remember him prancing about on the stage with his chainsaw? He wielded the perfect tool to represent the lack of empathy it took to slash through people’s livelihoods in his DOGE purge. Musk justifies such actions as protecting us from “civilizational suicidal empathy.” Should we prefer homicidal empathy?

Peter Thiel

In alignment with Musk, his former PayPal co-founder and kingpin of transhumanism, Peter Thiel, rejects “abstract universalism that treats all individuals as fundamentally equal.” Ditch equality, ditch democracy. Enter fascism. This brings us to the new catch phrase of the Christian Nationalist agenda…

“Toxic Empathy”

Christian author Allie Beth Stuckey, titled her book with this now popular term she coined, Toxic Empathy. In a video interview she tells us how much she likes Steven Miller and his deportations. When the interviewer pushes back about sending deportees to El Salvador (and it’s notoriously brutal CECOT prison) she deflects: (the liberals are) highlighting these stories of supposed cruelty from ICE” and admonishes people to ask “but is this true?” True? Has she seen any of the numerous videos documenting the blatant cruelty?  or does she only watch Fox News which deceives largely through omission? (emphasis added) https://www.tiktok.com/@nytopinion/video/7529126187717692703

Transhumanism

Transhumanism, at best, aims to cybor biology, at worst, to eradicate it all together in favor of uploading one’s consciousness into a computer. Either way, AI Waggy aligns and enables this.

Is that what we want for our children? or will we let ourselves see the connections between the dots?

Do we see how subtle conditioning via a cute AI toy disassociates us from biological reality? How it desensitizes us to the living needs of others? How it eradicates empathy? How it paves the way to dehumanizing others? Hitler had the Jews. We have the immigrants.

Waggy, Inside

If that’s what we want for our children, our country and the future of humanity, by all means bring (supposedly) harmless Waggy into the house. Let virtual interaction groom our children for the non-empathic narcissism and de-humanization that fascism requires. Waggy, in his adorable little robot way, helps us get there.

 

Happy Thanksgiving, I think

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Happy Thanksgiving, I think

Happy Thanksgiving, I think

 

By David L. Shadrick

 

It seems that every newspaper headline is bad news and every social post ends in screaming profanity. I’m terrified of what Trump will do next. I feel like I’m being dangled over the fiery medical abyss. I’m 64 years old and my health is mediocre. Trump’s thoughtless and cruel assault on  healthcare, thank God so far isn’t effecting me. I got lucky enough to be pretty sick. Sick enough that so far I’ll be able to keep my Medicaid. That doesn’t mean this last 11 months hasn’t been living hell, every day besieged by media reports of the loss of medical coverage for millions of Americans; was I going to lose my needed care givers? What about my 26 medications? Or my hospital coverage? Every day has been an ‘effing nightmare. This is not the way our government, or any government, is supposed to treat its citizens.

Despite the hairpulling bullshit going on in Washington I do have several things I am happy and thankful for this year. I’m glad 7,000,000 plus  protesters took to the streets to protest Trump and his policies. I am thankful Donald Trump has cankles. I am thankful Donald Trump and MAGA lost every election in our last election cycle. I’m glad the congress overwhelmingly voted to release the Epstein files. I’m glad that the Trump fever seems to have finally broken and he is showing signs of audience weariness. Holy Moly even MTG is questioning our mango tinted captain of chaos.

So, besides the above mentioned issues I am happy we have the first American pope, and that he’s a baseball fan. I’m happy for my prayer group. I am happy for all the support they provide me. I’m thankful for getting out of the hospital in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. Despite all the chaos there are still good things happening. I just need to look a little harder for them. I know its a good time for me to eat a lot of turkey and then take a long nap.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

 

Gratitude and Thanksgiving

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Gratitude and Thanksgiving

Gratitude and Thanksgiving

A Thanksgiving Reminder

By D. S. Mitchell

 

We rush about our daily lives, captives of our cell phones and our computers, isolated from each other by a technology that most of us have no understanding of.  Most of us are angry and aggrieved, often unsure why. We argue with our families over unimportant issues, again not sure why. There is an underlying tension in the country. We have a president that thinks he can “do anything” he wants whether its constitutional or not. People are angry and frightened about what new chaos and cruelty Trump will dream up from day to day. With such social turmoil confronting us it is often easy to overlook everyday ‘miracles’; the beauty of a child’s laugh, the comforting chirp of a robin’s song, or the magnificence of a sunrise.

Don’t let the uncertainty of our social disorder blind you to the everyday miracles around us. Sometimes, being grateful is difficult, I often fail in the endeavor, but as a reminder to my friends and readers if you can’t feel that sense of fulfillment that gratitude provides, you will never find “happiness” no matter how far and wide you search. Take a few minutes each day and celebrate the wonders of existence, the touch of a hand, love, laughter. With the sheer wonder of the universe our gratitude should be overwhelming. Allow yourself be overwhelmed.

 

Mom Said

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MOM SAID

Sometimes You Just Gotta Smile

“Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today-or tomorrow.“

                             Will Rogers and Margaret Williams

 

My Mom, Margaret Helen Brown (Ruffe, Williams 9/22/1909-9/22/1988), said a lot of really wise and often funny things. So, this morning as I’m scanning the internet for a special quote I saw this from Will Rogers, “Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.” Wow, I think what my Mom said was an improvement on Will Rogers. She would often say, “Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today- or tomorrow.” I like it; I hope you do to.

 

Let Go of Compulsive Goal Setting

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Let Go of Compulsive Goal Setting

Let Go of Compulsive Goal Setting. . . and be Happy

By D. S. Mitchell

 

Self Help

The other day, I was pawing through a box of books I had stored in the back of my closet and was trying to decide if they were something I should drop off at The Salvation Army or go to the trouble of pricing them to resell on Amazon. As I debated the question I came upon Stephen Shapiro’s 2006 self-help gem, “Goal Free Living: How To Have The Life You Want Now.”  It has been at least a decade since I read the book, but as I flipped through the pages I remembered it distinctly, and thought it would be a great reminder to pass on to my readers to help them enjoy the closure of 2025. If you’re a compulsive goal setter, burdened by could of’s, should of’s, and would of’s now might be the the right time to put all that baggage aside and take a new look at how we prioritize living our lives.

First Person

Stephen Shapiro is the first person that I can remember that gave me permission to release the religion of goal making that permeates our culture, and try to live without the restrictions  of a set of goals or rules for success. I have been told since I was a kid, that goals of all kinds, big, small, wildly ambitious were all within my reach. I just had to want that dream bad enough. The rule seemed to be,  if you can visualize it, you can have it; if you don’t know what you want  (can’t visualize it), you might as well be lost at sea without a life preserver.

Not So

Shapiro disputes this time worn American myth.  In fact, Shapiro argues that if you want to be happy in its most broad interpretation, you need to throw that “five-year plan,” and the “life-time to do list,” into the garbage can. Originally Shapiro was a motivational researcher.  While doing interviews with business leaders for a book he discovered that after interviewing 150 of the country’s most successful people and traveling over 12,ooo miles the most fulfilled people were also the most spontaneous,  and believe it or not, the least goal oriented. What?  How could that be true?  It goes against everything I’ve ever been taught.

Taking a Detour

After interviewing those 150 successful people in all fields of enterprise, from all parts of the country, Shapiro discovered that most of the successful people had taken a circuitous route to their eventual success, and it seems that the circuitous trip was what made the result, all the more satisfying. Shapiro became convinced that the key to happiness comes from checking out the back roads and detours, both literally and figuratively, without fear of changing course. Shapiro is convinced that following goals may lead a person to financial wealth, but there is a good chance that if you follow the plan unquestioningly you will lose yourself and potential happiness.

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Change Course

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 Change Course, You’ll Feel Better

Change Course, You’ll Feel Better

 

By D.S. Mitchell

 

Lyin’ Eyes and Mouth

I could feel my blood boiling as I watched Donald Trump’s ugly orange face come into focus as Chris Hayes switches to Trump and a meeting of his billionaire cabinet. Holy Christmas! What a disgusting display of the ultra wealthy making disastrous decisions that effect the remaining 98% of us. Before he could even open his ‘lyin mouth, I sensed my blood pressure going stratospheric. Our tariff king say he’s tired of hearing about affordability and he doesn’t want to hear any more about such nonsense. “All fake news. Best economy in history.”  I could only tolerate about 2 minutes of his crap and con before I switched the channel to Cold Case Files where at least in the end the family always  gets an answer.

Ranting and Raging

After about 10 minutes of ranting and raging instead of calming down I was actually ramping myself up about something that I had little power to change. I remembered my psychology classes and implemented long proven ways to relax; deep breathing, meditation, or stepping away from the drama. I guess in the case of Trump I need a better distraction than a 2 decade old TV show. The only message here is don’t let the current political situation cause you physical or emotional distress. Deep breathe.

Outraged and Angry

Between the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Nigeria, the rollbacks of human rights, mass shootings, cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, ACA subsidies, the extreme weather events, it is easy to feel outraged, overwhelmed, and in many ways helpless and hopeless. As I’ve grown older I have learned that even in the darkest places, the human spirt can find light and hope when we come together.  Do what you can in your neighborhood. Feed a hungry person, volunteer at a shelter or the local hospital, speak up for human rights, voting rights, start  a pod cast or a website, and be sure to protest.  You might not be able to effect events in Gaza or Ukraine but you can help someone in your community, and that local action makes a big difference to you as the giver, and to those who benefit from your contribution of time, energy, or money.

Powerful Positive Emotions

Giving and volunteering triggers powerful positive emotions known as “helpers high.”  When we help others dopamine and oxytocin flood our brain, reducing stress, boosting happiness, and creating feelings of purpose, self worth, and connection while also enhancing empathy and energy. As we become more connected to our community, we shift focus from our personal struggles and worries to helping others.  Like Hillary said, “We’re Stronger Together.”

No Kings #2: From A Wheelchair

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“No Kings #2”: From A Wheelchair

“No Kings #2”: From A Wheelchair

Editor: So, until the next protest, please vote in every election, write your opinion and send it to the local newspaper, call your law makers, light up the switchboards, and donate-donate-donate, we need to keep Trump and the MAGA’s feet to the fire, there are “NO KINGS” here.

 

By David L. Shadrick

No King’s #2

Yeah, that’s a picture of the real me. On October 18th, 2025, there was a “No Kings” protest in deep red Grants Pass, Oregon. I along with my neighbors joined the 7 million plus Americans who hit the streets to demonstrate against Donald Trump and the implementation of the Project 2025 agenda in the No Kings Protest #2. I was stunned, even in red butt GP there were at least 2,000 angry anti-Trump folks lining 6th Ave in front of the Josephine County Courthouse and several blocks in either direction on both sides of the street. Holy Shit! I mean, Whoopeee!

Targeted

I had barely assumed my place facing 6th Ave when trouble headed my way. Once again I was targeted by the MAGA crowd. The first one to approach me was a woman in her mid-thirties. She was quite agitated, breathing fast and hard. Literally this woman had her nose within a centimeter of my nose, her waving index finger brushed my cheek. Her speech was rapid and confused and her demeanor was quite threatening. In fact, several of my buddies recognized I was about to get punched in the face and they quickly surrounded my wheelchair and told her to move on. She hesitated, but only for a few seconds; before she realized there were now 10 people there supporting me, and the “No Kings Day.” It was clear that the woman was off her psych meds or she needed to see a doc and get her dosing increased because she obviously needed something to help her out mentally, because she was having some serious hallucinations.

My Faithful Sign

So after the crazy lady was sent down the street I held my ground and sat on my chosen section of sidewalk in my wheelchair holding my faithful “8647”  sign. The horns were honking and I lifted up the sign and waved it in the air above my head. The folks in the cars were yelling positive comments when suddenly a little white car slows down and stops in front of me and the driver leans out the window and screams, “Hey, you-PerVert-yeah-you. Why don’t you fuck off and die!” “Nice talk, asshole, back ‘atcha,” I hollered at him. The next Trumper in a car yells something I can’t write here, and I give it right back to him, when the cop in the next car leans out his window, and speaks directly to me, “You need to be nice.”

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Stoner Brain Isn’t A Bad Thing

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Stoner Brain Isn’t A Bad Thing

Stoner Brain Isn’t A Bad Thing

Editor: New studies are shedding light on the effects of long time Cannabis use, and despite the images from pop culture of the lazy, foggy brained, and  unmotivated stoner, stuck someplace between his last hit and his next one, is being dispelled by new science. Yes, folks it seems the “stoner brain” is mere myth.

 

By D.S. Mitchell

Introduction

My first introduction to pot was when I was 16 years old. I was invited to stop by a friend’s house and when I arrived I was directed to the basement party room. When I got to the bottom of the stairs I could smell something in the air, but I wasn’t sure what the stinky smell was. So…still on my own, I wandered into the party room looking for my friend and found her and at least 12 of our little crowd sitting in a gigantic circle. A space was made for me in the circle, next to Suzie, and I quickly settled cross legged onto the carpeted floor, curious as to what was up. There was significant giggling and laughter amongst the group.

Thai Stick

Suzie leaned close and whispered, “It’s Thai Stick. John (her older brother) smuggled it back from Thailand.” My only response, was “oh-h-h-h,” as I watched the doobie move around the circle on its way to me. “Holy fuck,” I whispered, mostly to myself. What was I going to do I worried. My parents would be horrified if they ever found out I’d been smoking pot, but I couldn’t say no, everyone in my network was there, I’d look like a “pussy,” if I refused to smoke the iconic weed. I took my turn at the doobie, trying to look as cool as I could manage, before I started to cough and giggle. Nearly 60 years later I’m still smoking and giggling.

Jail Time

That day in 1962, possession of marijuana in Oregon was a big time offense under the Uniform Narcotic Drug Act, with a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 2 t0 10 years for a first offense and a potential $20,000 fine. This was reflective of the intense War on Drugs policies of the era. Our little harmless party could have gotten us all in big trouble, not only with our parents but state law.

Times Change

By 1973, Oregon became the first state to decriminalize cannabis, making the possession of a small amount of weed  a violation rather than a crime. More like a traffic ticket. Governor Tom McCall signed legislation that abolished criminal penalties for possessing up to an ounce (28.3 grams) of cannabis, shifting penalties from jail time to fines of from $500 to $1,000. The intent was to divert minor marijuana offenses from crimes to simple violations. Growers, traffickers, and dealers still faced tough sentencing laws.
Medical Maryjane
As time passed and medical marijuana was legalized; the view of cannabis use changed and became much more acceptable. In fact, when my mother asked me about my pot use, I told her I had smoked it and would probably keep smoking it. She laughed and gave me a hug, “Please, whatever you do just stay away from alcohol. It’s the curse that destroys families.” I knew she was speaking from personal experience. My beloved father had a ‘sipping’ problem. I personally never drank much, because I too, had seen the damage done to my dad, my best friend’s parents, my half-brother, friends from school, and an ex-husband, and understood that for some people although alcohol is legal it is one of the most dangerous of drugs.

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Things That Make Me Cry

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Things That Make Me Cry

Things That Make Me Cry

D. S. Mitchell

No Smiles

My regular monthly post, “Things That Make Me Smile” has been replaced this month with the “Things That Make Me Cry.” The egregious activities of dictator Trump have brought me to tears more than once this last 10 months. “Trump’s egregious infractions range from unfair to the unconstitutional to the unconscionable,” according to Ruben Navarrette. Its not just Trump, but his cronies in congress who are allowing Trump to bulldoze our government. Navarrette continues that Trump has “defaced, defiled, and destroyed the institutions and traditions that make America great.”

Spot On

Sadly, Navarrette is spot on, and that’s why I can’t stop crying. I am watching the death of our democracy, one executive order at a time. How about you? Is this president breaking your heart too? We are together in this thing. Grab my hand and let’s commit to do everything within our power to elect a blue House and a blue Senate. Stop the oligarchs. Stop the madness. Protest and demonstrate. Donate as much as you can, as often as you can. It takes a lot of money and a lot of noise to defeat the billionaire boy’s club.

Self-Interest Above All

Trump will go down in history as a morally corrupt conman, carnival barker, bigot, and 35 count convicted felon who only asked what the presidency could do for him, not what he could do for the presidency or the country.

15 Things That Trump Has Done That Made Me Cry 

No. 1: The bulldozing And Complete Destruction Of The Historic East Wing Of The White House: A woman on the tellie called it a “gut punch,” and I feel the same. When I saw the pictures of the demolished East Wing on the Rachael Maddow show it took my breath away. Literally. I was gasping for air, it ‘effin looked like we’d just been bombed. And I guess we were, but it was a domestic terrorist, and his name is  Donald Trump. No one asked the American people if they wanted a gaudy skid road carney show at the White House. How in the ‘eff is Trump getting away with this. Private donations? Ahhh….nothing about this is sounding okay.

No. 2: Trump’s Illegal Dumb-Ass Tariffs: Weaponizing trade policy by imposing punitively high tariffs on imports from more than 180 countries, even on an island inhabited only by penguins. Boy, DJT, you look so stupid and ignorant, you leave us in breathless shock. Trump has recklessly added more fucking taxes on the already overwhelmed  U.S. citizenry. Great messaging. Another gold toilet for Trump. I think George III was sent the message, “No Kings Here,” back in 1776, now it appears you, Mr. Trump need a history lesson. Making matters worse he’s paused the tariffs, schizophrenically changed the tariff rate multiple times to the same country, then for no reasonable rationale restarted them, before in some panicked moment paused them again.

No. 4: Intentional Suppression Of The Epstein Files: Trump has used the power of his lawless government to stop the release of the Epstein files and distract from that suppression in every imaginable way. Trump and the most infamous sex trafficker of the 20th century was according to Trump, “his best buddy” for over a decade. My mom always said, “you’ll be judged by those you associate with.”  So, using that old time truism, you are who you run with. Trump like former Prince Andrew was running around with a sex trafficker extraordinaire Jeffrey Epstein which says to me, he was participating in the abuses right along with dozens of other rich and powerful men. How many trips to Epstein Island, Donald? I say, release the files and let the American people judge how involved Trump was in Epstein’s crimes.

No. 5: Abandoning Ukraine: Who could forget that February meeting at the WH between Trump and Zelenskyy that ended in an ugly rant by Trump. Zelenskyy was invited back to the White House a week ago when Trump dangled the possibility of providing Ukraine with long range Tomahawk  missiles, giving Ukraine the ability to launch offensive attacks on Russia. After luring him to the WH with false promises Trump told Z just to give Putin the land and it would all be over. Unimaginable. Since when does a president of the United States humiliate and demonize an ally and hook their panties to a dictator.

No. 6: War Against Birthright Citizenship: Trump’s on going assault against the Constitution is on full display on this one. The 14th Amendment  spelled out by the Founding Fathers, states unequivocally if you are born in the United States you are entitled to full citizenship, by right of being born here, no questions asked.  Trump wants to turn 250 years of law on its head without going through the amendment process, just do it because Trump tells us to. The argument being that only children of citizens born here are entitled to US citizenship the-children of undocumented immigrants would not be given such privilege.

No. 7:  The Loss Of Due Process: Unleashing, without due process, a flurry of legally dubious deportations, not just of the undocumented but also green card holders, legal residents, AND even U.S. citizens. Blowing up boats in the open ocean without arrest or warning, based on some “belief” the targeted craft could be smuggling drugs is unbelievable. Here’s that pesky Constitution again, The 5th Amendment to the Constitution explicitly states “no person shall … be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law.”  Quite simply, due process guarantees that no one will be arbitrarily fined, arrested, deported or killed by the state-unless they are told the accusations against them, and then be allowed to contest those allegations before a judge (neutral 3rd party).The loss of due process is a scary prospect.

No. 8: Taking A Big Jet From Qatar: What the hell? Since when do we take used equipment, I’m talking about the the Boeing 747 Trump wants to use as Air Force One, that requires billions of dollars to refit? Just B.S. We’ve got airplane manufacturers here in the United States. How about building something that the government gets to keep, not one that Trump plans on using until his death when supposedly his estate will turn it over to the Trump Library. Some say that Qatar bankrolls Hamas terrorists, but oh, well, fearless leader wants it- so-of course the Congress said, “yes, sir, yes, sir, yes, sir.”

No. 9: Trump Demanding $230 Million Dollars From DOJ: Trump himself said it seemed ridiculous that he had the ability to okay the transfer of $230 million dollars from the DOJ to himself. Why would the DOJ pay this con man anything, I ask. Trump claims wrongful prosecution by Jack Smith and others. Oh, really. According to the emoluments clause Trump has no such ability. He cannot pay himself more than his salary. The corruption is so blatant and so in your face I a left speechless. Every day something new, and more corrupt. Take for instance the Trump family crypto scam.

No. 10: Cyrpto Contest Shenanigan’s: Back in May Trump offered to the highest paying customers of his personal cryptocurrency a dinner and tour of the WH by Trump himself. Sounded like Trump was selling access to himself and the White House for personal profit. Seems like a logical conclusion. Trump began selling his new tokens three days before his inauguration. The coin, which has zero intrinsic value, soared to $75 each, allowing  60 of the earliest buyers to profit over $10 million each before the $TRUMP coins plummeted in value. When Trump announced his contest in late April to award a “gala” dinner at his golf resort in Sterling, Virginia, to the top 220 Trump coin purchasers, based on how much they held on average from Jan. 17, 2024 through May 15, 2025. At that time the coin was a depressed $8 each. The top 25 coin holders would also be invited to a “VIP” reception with Trump before the dinner and then a tour the following day. The contest website originally had said a White House tour was part of the package, but subsequently changed the webpage to delete the White House reference. Sometimes when it looks like in your face corruption, it is. As part of the crypto corruption Trump just pardoned Changpeng Zhao, commonly called CZ, for admitted money laundering. Mr Zhao just happens to be in the crypto business with the Trump family. Nothing to see here folks, just move along.

No. 11: Trump Claims Immunity From Judicial Review: The Supreme Court under  John Robert’s is a sickening collection of outlaws and revisionists. Historically this court will be viewed as a shameful period for the law. It seems that this pathetic court has underwritten just about anything Trump dreams up. Recently the Mango Mussolini claimed there could be no judicial review of his administration’s actions. Trump stated the president didn’t have to answer to the federal courts, and even threatened sitting judges that strike down his policies as unlawful and need to be impeached and replaced with those that are blind MAGA supporters.

No. 12: The Weaponization Of The Department of Justice: The takeover of the DOJ and the FBI, by Donnie Dearest is becoming increasingly alarming. Daddy Trump is now directing who should be indicted and prosecuted. Revenge and retribution for anyone who stepped on the fat one’s swollen toes or someone who may have angered him, or got ahead of him at the buffet line is in danger of having their lives turned upside down. John Bolton, Leticia James, James Comey are just the beginning of a boatload of politically targeted prosecutions. Watch out Chris Wray, Miles Taylor, Chris Krebs, John Brennan, Chris Christie, Adam Schiff, and even special prosecutor, Jack Smith.

No. 13: Pardoning The January 6th Rioters:  Trump on his second Inauguration Day distinguished himself by pardoning nearly 1600 people who participated in the January 6th, 2020 riot. Many of these offenders beat up cops, damaged, defaced, or stole government property, and threatened the lives of legislators. Since the pardon at least a dozen of these folks have been rearrested for new crimes.  Recently, a 1/6 pardon recipient was subsequently arrested for threatening to kill Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic Leader of the House.

No. 14: Tax Cuts For Oligarchs, Insurance Cuts For Americans: On July 4, 2025, Trump signed “The Big Ugly Bill” leading to the largest cuts to health care into law. The entirely Republicans back reckless legislation cuts more than $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, destabilizing the health care system and making health care more expensive and harder to access for all Americans. The latest estimates from the nonpartisan, independent congressional Budget Office (CBO), Republicans’ health care cuts will terminate health insurance for roughly 15 million Americans. Some reports mistakenly suggest that Americans will not feel the harms of this legislation in the near term. Republicans are saying that select cuts could be stopped or delayed, while others are lying and saying there are no cuts to Medicaid. Month by month, hospitals are shutting down, clinics are closing, staff are being laid off, services are being cancelled, and families are paying more out of pocket, unable to access the care they need.

No. 15: Targeting Marginalized Groups: Trump and associates have instituted a campaign of anti-LGBTQ+ policies. Human rights groups note that Trump has stripped legal protections for transgender people and restricted access to gender affirming care. Trump has been openly hostile to the LGBTQ community and vehemently opposed the Equality Act, which would have ensured that existing civil rights protections cover sexual orientation and gender identity in the way that they already do for race, disability, veteran status, and more. The Dumpster also blocked basic job protections for LGBTQ people, insisting that employers should be free to fire workers for their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Department of Health and Human Services under the Trump administration also eliminated nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people established under the Affordable Care Act.

 

Gaza-The Golden Age

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Gaza-The Golden Age

Gaza-The Golden Age

 

By John Curran

 

I actually can’t believe I’m still here and in one piece. I live in the rubble now of what once was our home. The nights are starting to get cold and its harder and harder to find fuel now to keep the rickety old heater going. Food they say will be coming now because there has been a truce, a ceasefire, whatever they want to call it. I hardly ever eat now and I’m hungry all the time as are the rest of the kids. My family is gone, they’ve all been killed, mother, father, my three sisters. There’s just me and my two younger cousins now. We have a small space here that we’ve cleared out of the rubble. They’re both younger than me. They rely on me now-we’re all we have, though all of our neighbors and people we know try to help out because all of us, children, adults, old people, all of us, we’re all in the same boat, just trying to survive day to day.

Its very hard. My cousin Maki is just six and he has no hands, they were blown off. He picked up something that he thought was something else and the thing exploded and blew off his hands. He needs a lot of help all the time. My other cousin, Fabio is blind. He’s only eight years old. At least he has the rest of his little skinny self to help out as best he can. He’s actually a big help and he’s getting pretty good at adjusting to his blindness. He helps so much with Maki, feeding, the toilet, all ‘a that. I can’t always be there. I’m twelve and I feel grown up already because I guess I need to be. We’re just trying to stay alive like always only it’s harder and now and its so sad. I miss my family so bad. They say that a golden age is coming now but really, for me, its just grey as ever. I just hope we can get something to eat.