In addition to Georgia, last week’s posts and reader commentary, we offer an update on Trump’s GA call to the Secty of State, three News in Briefs capturing ramifications of the recording of Trump’s stunning phone call and what looks like his planned flight to Scotland, Jan 19.
We have lately resisted giving Trump any coverage, preferring to focus on more uplifting analysis of what social, racial and economic justice could look like in America. But yesterday’s news of Trump’s overtly committing election fraud was too brazen to ignore, especially with publication of a recording of the full call (link below). But all of you will be seeing headlines, so we tried to bring you access to the easiest way to distill what has happened. But of all that is covered below, the most important piece is the one immediately below. One day to the runoffs, updated polls show the races much closer and we provide links to help you ensure two wins. I expect, we will all be tethered to our TVs tomorrow beginning about 4pm. Please note that today the Methane Hearings begin and the last post in today’s reprise of all last week’s posts includes links to that hearing and speaking points.
A note of caution: On Wednesday, the Proud Boys are planning a three day campout protest in Santa Fe beginning today, along with other events in the state capitol. I’d suggest, it would be a good idea to avoid the area. This is not the time for friends of democracy and justice to challenge people who are clearly unhinged. We’ve won; Trump will go away, we really don’t need anyone hurt in trying to counter-protest these people. They are always armed and they are dangerous.
One More Day, So Georgia is Dominating My Mind
The polls look pretty good, albeit not as good as Friday, but these leads are within the margin of error and who knows what other drama could unfold today. Folks are calling and texting like crazy, but SO MUCH DEPENDS UPON TOMORROW’S VOTE. So, I really hope that you can devote some time to this today. Let’s bring this one home and put a huge !!!!!! to the 2020-21 election!
Phone bank for both Ossoff & Warnock:
https://www.mobilize.us/togetherfor2020/event/362350/
Speak Spanish?
https://www.mobilize.us/georgiademocrats/event/366470/https://www.mobilize.us/electjon/event/365613/https://www.mobilize.us/teamudh/event/364570/
Text bank for the Georgia Runoff:
https://demvolctr.org/resources/textbanking
Multiple phone banks, some focusing on absentee ballot chasing (verifying /reminding to return ASAP with voters who requested) w reclaim our vote,
https://www.votinginformation.org/rovphonebankcentral
News In Brief: Five breaking reports on what has transpired in the last 24 hours. You can’t make this up.
FromYouTube: “The full audio of the call between Trump and Raffensperger“ Link offers the whole dirty mess and it truly is extraordinary. How anyone could believe this man has even one toe in reality is beyond me. But here you have it.
From US Today: “Raffensperger says probe of Trump call by Fulton County DA call would be ‘appropriate’ ” With a member of the GA Election Board calling the phone call “textbook election fraud,” the Secretary of State has affirmed that an investigation is appropriate.
From The Daily Beast: “Plane Sightings Fuel Rumors Trump Planning Escape to Scotland on Day Before Biden Inauguration.” There is an awful lot of verified info here about security operations at a US military airbase near Trump’s golf resort in Scotland, with plans unfolding for a high security flight arriving on January 19. Could Trump recognize his next term will involve prison?
From NBC: “Extraordinary warning to Trump by 10 former Pentagon chiefs”. All ten living former Secretaries of Defense, including 3 appointed by Trump, have signed a joint letter telling that the military has no role in the election, the election is decided and to do anything to usurp that vote would be illegal.
From Letters from an American: “January 3, Heather Cox Richardson“. While the other NIBs provide more details on the calls and an update on what has transpired, only HCR can make sense of it all. From her analysis.
“So what are we going to do here folks? I only need 11,000 votes. Fellas, I need 11,000 votes. Give me a break… a lot of Republicans are going to vote negative, because they hate what you did to the president…. And you would be respected, really respected, if this can be straightened out before the election.”
From Letters from an American: “January 3, Heather Cox Richardson“
I truly hope this horror does take flight to Scotland and let us sort the mess he has left behind without his threats and bluster. Just go away. If you need comic relief from all this, word is that tomorrow on Netflix a series hosted by Nicholas Cage and including a range of comics will examine the history of swear words.
Retake Conversation from January 2 with Roxanne Barber and Paul Gibson examining some of the silver linings in a very bleak year (yes, there actually were some) and a look forward what we may find in 2021. Click here to get to our Retake Conversations page where all of our past recordings can be found. Some great interviews.
On the Serious Side: A Week of Posts & Tremendous Reader Comments
While the US spun out of control, reeling from Covid and in disbelief as a president dissolves into what can only be called madness, here in NM, Retake conducted a week long analysis of a variety of forms of economic and political reform, largely focused on various forms of democratic socialism. Retake posts generated thoughtful comments from many readers and tomorrow, we will continue our discussion of democratic socialism and we will include a thread of all the reader comments from last week.
Since one of the dominant comments was that it was important to offer examples of what this could look like and how it could be brought to scale. We will also examine a report from the Sunday’s New York Times Business Section which described a Basque model of what for a “softer capitalism,” worker owned collectives employing 70,000 workers who retained their jobs despite the pandemic. So, there is more to come.
Normally, I would try to pick one or two of the prior week’s posts as “must reads” if you missed them, but this past week, each post built upon the prior one and each contained much of value. Given the uninspiring Sh*t Show of our national political scene, if you want to find something 100% uplifting, try the January 1 post and its discussion of how Soledad prisoners pooled their nearly non-existent savings to subsidize one students high school education.
Read on!
2020 Is Almost Done: What Next? Thoughts on Georgia, Democratic Socialism & 2021
Monday, December 28, 2020. Another Monday post packed with information, links, actions, & video including a rich video from David Korten on what 2021 could look like if we want economic justice. This video kicked off a week long discussion of democratic socialism and capitalism. There were also summaries and links to posts from the previous week, including video from Richard Wolff on the failed Covid relief effort and a powerful story from Chris Hedges on the state of America. We are almost to 2021 & to the GA Runoffs, so we reported on that, as well.
Click here to read the post & watch the Korten video.
A Remarkable Report on Wounded Knee Massacre from Heather Cox Richardson MUST READ, Plus…
Tuesday, December 29, 2020. Heather Cox Richardson’s piece on Wounded Knee was so good, that we simply posted every word. I don’t ever do that but we promote her work so much that I figure, just this once. It is that good. Plus, Mick Nickel is a regular contributor in our comments. For yesterday’s post, he commented with a series of definitions of Socialism-Liberalism-Individualism-Freedom and we offered those definitions in this post. Two really good pieces. Read on!
Click here to read the full post.
Examining what 2016-2020 Means for 2021 Plus Shocking New GA Polls & What You Can Do!
Thursday, December 31, 2020. We examined promising poll results from Georgia and offered links to opportunities to be part of the final push to retake the US Senate. Then we shared our thoughts and excerpts from a tremendous Heather Cox Richardson who did her usual brilliant historian thing of connecting the nation’s current phobia of socialism, connecting it to Reconstruction and historic racism. We also examined what we’ve been through these past four years and what we must learn from them if we are to restore our nation and return to governing for the people, the essential workers, women, communities of color, and the planet.
Click here to read the full post.
New Georgia Text, Phone Bank Options & More Encouraging News, Plus Soledad Inmates Pool $.08/Hour Earnings
to Subsidize Sy’s Education
Friday, January 1, 2021. We were ever so glad to write “2021.” We were so glad that in this post we offered a series of good news stories in a brief post. We began with more good news from Georgia and options for your volunteering. But the focus of the post was a really important message from a high security prison in California. This isn’t just a feel-good story to start the year, it has a good deal to say about US incarceration, private prisons and alternatives to both, plus new opportunities to ensure we win in GA. Please share this post.
Click here to read the full post.
Reflections on Silver Linings to 2020 & More from Good News from Georgia & Reflections on Democratic Socialism
Saturday, January 2, 2021. A strong movie recommendation (The Best of Enemies), a focus on Richard Wolff’s “10 Things to Know About Socialism” & a thoughtful reader critique of that post. In the comments on this post, we are generating quite a lively discussion on the potential of democratic socialism, with some also offering warnings. We also included an update on Georgia and an examination of the strategy being employed throughout Georgia to expand the voter base. We also offer thoughts on how this might apply in NM. Good stuff. Plus we offer the video of Roxanne and my KSFR Conversation on the silver linings we found in 2020. Read and watch on!
Why & How the US Government Has Failed Us:
Excerpts from a Sun Interview with Economist Dietrich Vollrath + New GA Polls!
Sunday, January 3, 2021. We extend our discussion of economic & political policy from a different vantage point. Dietrich Vollrath identifies the root cause of our inability to respond effectively to the Covid crisis as the structural mechanisms of government being too aligned to serving corporations, not people. He goes further to describe his thinking as to why direct payments to individuals, in the form of Universal Basic Income are the most effective means of alleviating poverty, not subsidies to corporations. A most interesting interview focused on economic justice, but from a different point of view.
Click here to read the full post.
In solidarity and hope,
Paul & Roxanne
Categories: National Politics
Thank you for wisely warning people to avoid getting sucked into the mob violence these crazy fascist dupes are trying to foment.
So, Trump might flee to a U.S. military air base in Scotland. We’re so jaded we scarcely notice the huge clue to reality in that sentence. Why in the F**K do we have a military base in Scotland?
Time to dismantle the empire.