Tag: 2024 election

Why Won’t People Learn from History?

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Bi+/LGBTQ Issues, Current Events, History

June 11, 2024

   Why won’t people learn from history? I’d truly like to know because time and time again, humanity continues to make the same mistakes over and over and over again. Disturbingly, we can see it blatantly happening once more before our own eyes.
   Why?
   Perhaps some of you are wondering what I’m talking about. Well, let me tell you. History is full of dictators who manipulated, lied, and generally did whatever they thought necessary to get masses of people to support them in their quest for power and dominance. And once in power, they would do everything they could to keep it. Want an example? Here you go.
   Adolf Hitler is one. We look back on him now with obvious disgust at how horrible he was, but many people seem to overlook the fact that he got elected to power in the 1930s. He took advantage of people’s prejudices in addition to German dissatisfaction with things like the reparations required by the Allies after World War I and the economic hardships brought on by the Great Depression to gain support from the masses who then elected him and the Nazi party to power. And what’s even more disturbing is that if you pay attention to what he said in the 1920s and ‘30s, huge alarm bells should have been going off in people’s minds as his hatred of all things Jewish as well as his megalomania were plain for all to see. Yet, millions of Germans happily supported him electing him into power. And despite all the horrible things he did and the ruin he brought to Germany, as late as 1945 when Allied forces were crushing German resistance and overrunning the country from multiple directions, there were still many who thought that Hitler must have some secret weapon or strategy that would turn the tide of the war.
   Now, let’s take a look at what’s been going on in the 21st century here in the United States. Donald Trump is not Adolf Hitler, but there are some very disturbing similarities. He uses authoritarian tactics to try to get what he wants, even when they are clearly undemocratic in nature. We know for a fact the severe degree that Trump lies in order to gain support from people, and we’ve also seen how millions of Americans continue to blindly follow him no matter what he says or does. In some ways, it’s like we’re watching history repeat itself yet again in tragic ways.  Many around this country are promoting book bans, a dangerous trend that was promoted by the Nazis. A lot of Trump’s Republicans are trying to take rights away from LGBTQ people, another example that is reminiscent of the type of things the Nazis would do. The United States has already been through four years of a Trump Administration. We’ve seen how much he deceives, exaggerates, and flat out lies to people for his own personal quest for power, dominance, and adoration. Look at the 2020 election, one that he clearly lost. Yet he continues to this day to spread outrageous lies claiming that he somehow won even though he absolutely lost. And he has tens of millions of Americans believing these lies and actively supporting him no matter what he does. We all saw on national television how Trump instigated the riotous assault on the United States Capitol Building, yet millions of Americans continue to back him. Trump is saying very clearly how he will take revenge on his political opponents if he gets back in office. Another tactic dictators have used for thousands of years. He’s also describing how he plans to get rid of many Federal  Government career civil servants, who have faithfully served under multiple administrations of both parties, in order to replace them with his cronies. Ukraine is a democratic nation fighting for its life against Vladimir Putin’s brutal invasion of conquest, yet Trump wants to obstruct vital American aid to Ukraine. On top of that, he has repeatedly undermined NATO, an alliance which is vital to keeping authoritarian thugs like Putin in check. Frankly, we’ve seen repeatedly how Trump likes authoritarian leaders. We saw on national television how as President, he believed Putin over US Intelligence. And despite all this, the Republican Party is overwhelmingly supporting Trump’s quest to become president again.
   So yes, history is in the process of repeating itself.
   Why won’t people learn from the past? Why won’t they strive not to repeat the mistakes societies have made throughout history?
   Why?
   I wish I had an answer. The one thing I can say is that for those of us who see the disaster unfolding before us, we must speak up, speak out, make our voices heard, and vote! We must fight for our democratic values and freedoms like we never have before because they are truly in jeopardy now. It’s not too late to defend democracy. But people must take action speaking out and voting in order for this nation to stay free.

How Will Trump’s Felony Convictions Affect Voters?

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Current Events, Social Issues

5-31-24
   Donald Trump has been convicted of 34 felonies. He is a criminal by any definition. In addition, we also know that he is an habitual liar, has authoritarian tendencies, and is more than willing to undermine America’s democratic values for his own personal benefit and quest for power. Millions and millions of Republicans have continued to blindly follow Trump despite the clear evidence of how dangerous and unqualified he truly is. Now, the question is how will his felony convictions affect voters’ decisions.
   One thing that is extremely obvious is that if Trump was a Democrat, Democratic voters would have rejected him a long time ago. Don’t believe me? Consider Al Franken, the popular comedian who became a Democratic Senator. When photos emerged that had been taken years before showing him on a USO tour pretending to touch a sleeping female colleague’s breasts, Democrats turned on him very quickly which resulted in his resignation. What he did in the photos was clearly inappropriate, but it does not appear that he actually touched the woman. He was pretending to as a joke. While in particularly poor taste, it pales in comparison to things Trump has said, done, been accused of, and now convicted of, yet Republicans continue to blindly follow Trump. Here’s another example of what I’m talking about. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York was a very popular Democrat that many Americans turned to for leadership during the COVID Pandemic. It seemed that his political future was quite promising. But after allegations of sexual misconduct came to light, Democrats rejected him very quickly. High ranking Democratic leaders even recommended an investigation of him. His political career was over.
   Most Republicans have continued to blindly follow Trump despite everything he has said and done. The truth is, most Republicans have shown themselves as much more likely to be blind followers as compared to Democrats. The way millions and millions of Republicans continue to blindly follow Donald Trump is overwhelming proof of this. So it leaves the question: how will the fact that Donald Trump is now a convicted felon affect how people vote in the November election? The scary and extremely dangerous fact is that the vast majority of his core followers are going to believe Trump’s lies and vote for him in overwhelming numbers. Even though Trump has been convicted of 34 felonies by a jury of 12 ordinary Americans (who had been agreed upon by both the Prosecutor and the Defense), MAGA supporters will devotedly believe Trump’s lies making ridiculous, outrageous conspiracy claims and other nonsense.
   The big question will be if and how Trump’s convictions affect Independents and other swing voters. How many of them will think twice about voting for Trump? How many of those who were leaning towards voting for Trump will now reconsider that possibility? At this point, nobody knows. The United States is in uncharted waters. An American President, or former President, has never been convicted of a felony before. Plus, we are dealing with a severely divided nation politically and an authoritarian style leader whose mass of hard core supporters have proven themselves to be blind followers.
   Troubling and scary times indeed.
   It’s that much more reason why those of us who see how dangerous Trump is need to get out and vote against him in overwhelming numbers. We also need to be smart about our vote because like it or not, the next president will be Trump or Biden. That is reality. It’s also why we must get out and vote for Joe Biden in overwhelming numbers, even those of us who have legitimate concerns about Biden, because voting for a third party candidate, who has zero chance of winning, or not voting at all is helping Donald Trump. That is cold, hard reality. And this country cannot afford another 4 years of Donald Trump in the White House, especially now that he’s a bitter, convicted felon.

Why are Open-mindedness, Tolerance, and Diversity Under Threat?

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Bi+/LGBTQ Issues, Current Events, Social Issues

5-1-24
   It’s the 21st century, and one would hope that open-mindedness and tolerance would be improving, that perhaps there would be a glimmer of hope on the horizon of a better, more supportive world in our future. But alas, that is not what is happening. Instead, much of the Republican Party is now pushing policies that are based on ignorance, bigotry, and blatant prejudice. They are trying to take us backwards. What happened to kindness, tolerance, and understanding? What happened to celebrating diversity? What happened?
   For a while, it seemed like the United States was moving in a positive direction in this area, such as when same gender marriage was made the law of the land. But unfortunately, hardcore, right wing extremists are pushing back with policies that are based on ignorance, fear, and horrendous bigotry. They want a world where their narrow-minded vision of how they want everyone to be is forced upon the entire population, even when the majority does not agree. I mean look at what’s happening in states such as Florida, Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas, and others where vicious anti-LGBTQ laws are being passed and female reproductive rights are being severely restricted or abolished. Most people in the United States support a woman’s right to choose and back things like same gender marriage, but the far right extremists don’t care. And what’s even more dangerous is how so many other people, who deep down may realize what the far right is doing is wrong, are going along with it.
   It’s sad, tragic, and dangerous. The rights of millions of Americans are literally at stake, as is democratic values for all Americans.
   Again, I ask: why is this happening?  I think fear, ignorance, closed-minded thinking, and prejudice in many ways are feeding this. People are often afraid of things they don’t understand or when they feel their way of life is being threatened. A significant number of cisgender, straight individuals don’t get the LGBTQ community and often have intolerant views with regards to it. Quite a few even see being queer as a sin. Speaking of religion, many of these far right extremists see abortion as a sin as well and are actively trying to legislate their personal beliefs upon everyone else despite the fact most people support a woman’s right to choose. Then consider how conservative,  straight, white individuals, especially men, who have had dominant control over American government and society for hundreds of years, fear that their authority is slipping away as diversity and open mindedness are encouraged. Many of these individuals have a serious lack of understanding of what it’s like for people who are queer or for a poor young woman who finds herself with an unexpected pregnancy. This frequently leads to intolerance and prejudice, and let’s be frank, there are some who do have some understanding of these issues but don’t care due to blatant bigotry and desire for control. And what makes this even worse is how there are many Republicans, or individuals who often vote for Republicans, who realize the actions of these far right extremists are wrong but still go along with it.
   So what do we do about it?
   Speak up and speak out, at least those of us who are able to do so. We need to make our voices heard and try to educate people. I realize that hardcore MAGA enthusiasts are not going to listen to us anytime soon, but there are some moderate Republicans as well as Swing voters who might. We at least have to try. Remind them that some of their friends and relatives are LGBTQ or have contemplated having an abortion. Bring home the fact that we are people too and deserve the same rights as everyone else. And another thing we need to do: is vote! Vote like our futures depend on it because in many ways, they do. And be smart with your vote. We need to vote as many Republicans out of office for the foreseeable future as possible, and in terms of the 2024 presidential election, whether people like it or not, the next president will be Biden or Trump. So let’s get out there and vote for Biden in order to make sure Trump doesn’t get back in. Voting for a third party candidate or staying home is helping Donald Trump. That is cold, hard reality everyone.
   Let’s do our part in battling for a better, more open-minded future.
  

Proof Many Americans Can Be Blind Followers

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Current Events, Social Issues

4-13-24
   Ever hear of the Milgram Experiment?
   It was a study conducted in the 1960s at Yale University by psychologist Stanley Milgram. The purpose was to see how far people would go in obeying an authority figure, and it’s results were truly frightening, more so when considering the ramifications we’re seeing today. The proof is happening right before our eyes in how millions of Americans are blindly and devotedly following authority figures such as Donald Trump and others no matter how outrageous, dangerous, or despicable their actions and lies.
   Let me explain.
   Participants were selected via an ad that was put out in a newspaper looking for volunteers to be part of a study that involved learning. They were all men between the ages of 20 and 50 whose jobs ranged from unskilled labor to professional. They did not know that the real purpose of the experiment was to see how obedient they would be to an authority figure.
   The set up was as follows.
   There was an experimenter who would wear a white lab coat and two other individuals. One of these was the volunteer and the other was actually working for Stanley Milgram but was pretending to be a volunteer. These two individuals drew straws to decide who would be the teacher and who would be the learner (this was rigged so that the volunteer would always be the teacher). The volunteer was told that the learner would be given word pairs to remember. As the teacher, he would then be expected to say a word to which the learner was supposed to choose the correct match out of four choices. When the learner made a mistake, the volunteer was to administer an electric shock. Furthermore, every time the learner made a mistake, the shock would increase by 15 volts. There were two rooms that were connected via microphone. In one was the experimenter and the volunteer (the teacher) while in the other room was the learner. The experimenter was sitting at a desk wearing his white lab coat, and the volunteer was at another desk that had the device which he believed would deliver the shocks to the learner. The first switch said 15 volts, and each of the following switches increased by 15 so that the last switch said 450 volts. The volunteer had been told that each switch would send a shock of electricity to the learner whom the volunteer believed was sitting in a chair with electrodes attached. In reality, the learner had no such electrodes.
   Once a session started, the learner purposely made lots of mistakes and had a prearranged script that he would use as the voltage increased. If the volunteer questioned the experimenter about what he was doing, the experimenter would prod him to continue up to 4 times.
   Prod 1: Please continue.
   Prod 2: The experiment requires you to continue.
   Prod 3: It is absolutely essential that you continue.
   Prod 4: You have no other choice but to continue.
   At 75 volts, the learner would start the scream in pain. From 150 to 330 volts, the learner would protest with increasing intensity and complain of his heart bothering him. At 330 volts, the learner would refuse to go on, and after 330, he would go silent.
   The results were beyond disturbing. All the volunteers continued up to 300 volts, and 65% of them went all the way to 450 volts. Think about that. After the learner went silent, the volunteers would have no idea whether the learner was unconscious or possibly even dead, yet 65% of the participants continued asking questions and inflicting shocks up until the maximum 450 because the authority figure in the form of the experimenter told them to.
   Think about that. I mean really think about it. When you combine the strong tendency many people have to follow authority figures with devotion that has gone too far, this easily leads people to go along with and contribute to distortions, misinformation, and wrongdoings to a dangerous degree. Authoritarian leaders have relied on this behavior throughout history, often adding fear into the mix as well.
   In the United States today, Donald Trump is an example of someone using these types of tactics in his quest to gain and hold as much power as he can get away with. Many people have shown a willingness to an extreme degree to follow his authority, even when he is clearly and outrageously in the wrong. The evidence that Trump lost the 2020 election is beyond overwhelming. He lost fair and square. Yet millions of Americans and numerous Republican politicians continue to go along with and even spread Trump’s lies about the outcome. Republicans are even pushing for new laws based on these blatant lies. A number of individuals who were in the mob that stormed the United States Capitol Building on January 6th, 2021 have openly said they did so because they believed Donald Trump wanted them to. While Trump doesn’t use fear to the degree that people like Joseph Stalin did, he does use use it, like when trying to make his followers afraid of immigrants and of those who disagree with him politically. Many Republican politicians continue going along with Trump no matter what. Some are true devoted followers while others do so because they fear Trump will turn on them and get his blind followers to vote them out of office.
   It’s scary seeing this behavior going on in the 21st century, but it absolutely is.
   People need to open their minds and think for themselves. They should get information from a variety of different, independent, reputable sources and not just from those that tell them what they want to hear. People should strive to learn about what a leader is really trying to do so that they can then make informed decisions about whether they agree with that individual or not.
   People need to quit blindly following others because our democracy and decency as a society depend on it!

We Need to Fight Against Republican Extremism

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Bi+/LGBTQ Issues, Current Events, Social Issues

7-6-23
   These are scary times for many of us. Much of the Republican Party has become steeped in extremism, intolerance, prejudice, authoritarianism, and frankly ignorance. In states throughout the country, Republicans are attacking LGBTQ rights, women’s reproductive rights, diversity programs, environmental initiatives, and more. Millions of us are feeling swirling mixtures of uncertainty, anxiety, fear, anger, fury, and a desire to fight back. To defend our rights and retake them in places where rights have been lost.
   But that leaves the question: What is the best way to do this?
   Here are some of my thoughts on that subject. Now I recognize there is no one single way to do this. Multiple factors come into play with regards to how fight back, and remember to keep it peaceful. Violence is not the answer.
   Speaking up and speaking out is so important in fighting for our rights because it educates people which in turn can lead to gaining badly needed allies. It may also encourage others who feel similarly to speak up themselves. Now I realize there are some people for whom speaking up is not an option for a variety of reasons, and that’s okay. But for those who are able and willing, it really can make a difference. There are numerous ways to speak up which include talking to people you know, posting on social media platforms, and even joining peaceful protests. One thing which is extremely important (and unfortunately gets overlooked by many people) is that it is vital to be accurate in what you say. Be able to back up your positions with good evidence that you’ve obtained from reliable, independent sources. Don’t just automatically repeat something that you hear and like without double-checking it’s accuracy because there is a lot of bad information out there. Just because something sounds good and you want it to be true, doesn’t mean that it actually is true. It may be grossly exaggerated or downright false. And spreading information that turns out to be inaccurate ends up hurting the cause because people become less likely to listen in the future even when you are correct and on point. So double check the information using reliable, independent sources.
   Another tactic is picking and choosing how and where you spend your money. For example, when able, you can avoid businesses that are particularly anti-LGBTQ while striving to support businesses that are pro-LGBTQ. This is why I refuse to go to Chick-fil-A. I don’t want that organization to get a penny of my money. In addition to that, you can tell people what you are doing and why. Maybe it will encourage them to do the same thing. Another idea money-wise is if you donate to charities, support well run organizations who are fighting for what you believe in.
   And here’s one more thing you can do, an extremely vitally important thing you can do: VOTE! Vote as many of these conservative Republicans out of office as possible and vote for individuals who will fight for the rights of LGBTQ people, women’s reproductive rights, diversity, etc. And be careful in how you use your vote. I’d recommend against voting for some third-party candidate who has zero chance of winning because often that ends up helping the Republican candidate by splitting the anti-Republican vote. Try voting for someone who will fight for our rights and also has a chance of winning their election.
   So while these are scary times, there are things we can do to fight for our rights and work to make this a better place for everyone.
   So let’s do it! The future is depending on us.