American Democracy

The Decline Of Honest Journalism: Washington Post, CBS, And Potential Threat To CNN!

Ronald 4 Comments

American Democracy is in dire danger, with the decline of honest journalism, and with major news sources compromised.

The Washington Post, owned by Amazon tech entreneur Jeff Bezos, has just cut one third of its staff, including such departments as sports, local news, international news, and previously moving opinion columns toward a right wing slant. This was the newspaper which exposed the Watergate Scandal under President Richard Nixon, and has won the second most Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism, only behind the New York Times.

CBS News has become a disaster under Bari Weiss, no longer a beacon of decent, honest journalism, and if Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow were still alive, they would be in shock, as retired 94 year old Dan Rather, most assuredly, is now.

CNN is in danger of being taken over by the same Billionaire Larry Ellison family that now controls CBS News, and could lead to the destruction of the original, award winning cable news channel, created in 1980 by Ted Turner.

With the decline of so many reliable news sources, and Donald Trump interfering with freedom of the press, the future looks gloomy for upholding truth and facts, and maintaining the Constitution and the rule of law in the future!

Trump Administration In Violation Of Five Amendments: First, Fourth, Fifth, Tenth, Fourteenth!

Ronald 83 Comments

The Donald Trump Presidency, the most abusive and unconstitutional Administration by far in American history, is openly defying five constitutional Amendments, including four that are the basic Bill of Rights.

First Amendment–freedom of speech, press, assembly

Fourth Amendment–No unreasonable search and seizure, and no warrants to be issued but upon probable cause

Fifth Amendment–No deprivation of life, liberty, or property without due process of law

Tenth Amendment–The powers not specifically delegated to the federal government, are reserved to the states

Fourteenth Amendment–No denial or limits on due process and equal protection of the laws.

THe actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota in particular, and in Chicago, Los Angeles, Maine, and soon to be in Ohio, and a threat to other “Blue” states and cities, is a massive abuse of power, that needs to be condemned, and opposed vigorously in court cases.

Such organizations as the American Civil Liberties Union; Common Cause; Southern Poverty Law Center; People For The American Way; Southern Christian Leadership Conference; Public Citizen are involved in constant law suits and investigations to protect our civil liberties, protect democracy, and promote the rule of law.

Murder Of Alex Pretti By ICE Agents Escalates Threat To All Americans By Unregulated Gestapo Type Thugs!

Ronald 16 Comments

The murder of ICU Nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by a group of six Gestapo type ICE Thugs on Saturday January 24, the second murder in January in that city (after Rene Good), is a call to arms by all decent people.

The need for resistance to the authoritarian dictatorship being perpetrated by Donald Trump, Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem, and a multitude of other criminals, has been escalated in a very dangerous fashion.

All those Americans who care about civil liberties, American democracy, and the rule of law face a ringing alarm bell that the movement toward white Christian supremacy and Fascist dictatorship is in full swing.

This is a time of a sense of desperation and hopelessness, but at the same time, Donald Trump’s public opinion ratings have plummeted.

In just the first month of 2026, Trump’s administration, in both domestic and foreign policy, has put America into an abyss, where the protection and safety of all Americans is in dire danger.

On Tragic Anniversary Of Second Trump Inauguration, Three Republicans Share The Greatest Blame And Responsibility For Unhinged Donald Trump!

Ronald 4 Comments

On the tragic Anniversary of the Second Trump Inauguration, three Republicans share the greatest blame and responsibility for the unhinged Donald Trump and his authoritarian bent.

As leaders of the legislative and judicial branches, they had the responsibility to protect American democracy, the US Constitution, and the rule of law, which they have totally failed at doing.

This is referring to

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson
Senate Majority Leader John Thune
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts

One might claim that no one could expect them to control their party members in both chambers, and the other Supreme Court Justices.

But this author and blogger vehemently disagrees.

The two legislators were more interested in protecting their own positions than doing what was right, refuse to support and endorse the horrors perpetrated by Donald Trump and his Cabinet in the past year.

And Chief Justice Roberts could have worked with the three Democratic members of the Supreme Court, and with Trump appointees Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh to insure judicial intervention to curb Trump’s authoritarian bent.

So Johnson, Thune, and Roberts are NOT Profiles in Courage, but rather Betrayers of their oaths of office, and their names and reputations in history long term will be that they were villains, enemies of American democracy!

They have solidified their negative stain on history, which will never be overcome, as they should be perceived as Traitors!

Trump Administration In Violation Of Five Amendments: First, Fourth, Fifth, Tenth, Fourteenth!

Ronald Leave a comment

The Donald Trump Presidency, the most abusive and unconstitutional Administration by far in American history, is openly defying five constitutional Amendments, including four that are the basic Bill of Rights.

First Amendment–Freedom of speech, press, and assembly

Fourth Amendment–No unreasonable search and seizure, and no warrants to be issued without probable cause

Fifth Amendment–No deprivation of life, liberty, or property without due process of law

Tenth Amendment–The powers not specifically delegated to the federal government, are reserved to the states

Fourteenth Amendment–No denial or limits on due process and equal protection of the laws

The actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota in particular, and in Chicago, Los Angeles, Maine, and soon to be in Ohio, and a threat to other “Blue” states and cities, is a massive abuse of power, that needs to be condemned, and opposed vigorously in court cases.

Such organizations as the American Civil Liberties Union; Common Cause; Southern Poverty Law Center; People For The American Way; Southern Christian Leadership Conference; Public Citizen are involved in constant law suits and investigations to protect our civil liberties, protect democracy, and promote the rule of law.

The US Senate: Highly Undemocratic, And More So In Future With 15 States Having 70 Percent Of Population, But Only 30 Seats In Senate

Ronald 2 Comments

The future of American democracy is in danger from more than Donald Trump and an extremist right wing majority on the US Supreme Court.

The US Senate, considered the greatest legislative institution in the world, has, from its inception, been highly undemocratic in nature, with its idea of states rights, and every state having the same amount of representation.

So in a nation that now has 340 million people, we have the 15 smallest states in population, all tending to be Republican for a long term, have about 41 million people combined, and have 30 seats in the Senate.

At the same time, California, the largest populated state with about 39 million people, has 2 seats in the Senate.

So the estimate is that by 2040, only 15 years from now, 70 percent of the United States will be represented by just 30 US Senators, while the remaining Americans, disproportionately whiter, older, and more rural, will have 70 US Senators.

This will make progress and revival of policies and programs, that are now rapidly being demolished, ever the harder to achieve.

This means the great advances of American democracy from the time of Democratic and Republican Presidents, including Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, George H W Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden will, in many cases, be permanently impossible to revive, due to the deleterious effect of Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump on American democracy and the rule of law.

Trump Attack On Legal Immigrants And Naturalized Citizens After Attack On National Guard In DC: Outrageous!

Ronald 13 Comments

Donald Trump is now inciting greater nativism, utilizing ICE, and targeting legal immigrants and naturalized citizens, some here for decades, and undermining the security of various ethnic groups that have settled in America, specifically Afghan nationals and Somali nationals in recent years.

Trump also has said he wants the end of immigration from “third world nations”, displaying his racism, considering only “white” immigrants from Europe and elsewhere, including whites who have been allowed to migrate from South Africa, to be acceptable.

This is all part of a plan that the Ku Klux Klan, and the American Nazi Party historically, and many recently formed hate groups, as outlined by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the American Civil Liberties Union, and all other past and present white supremacist Christian groups and advocates, such as Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes, as examples, are celebrating.

But it also threatens those of Jewish and Muslim religions, so is also an attack on religions outside of right wing Christianity.

Even Pope Leo XIV has promoted compassion, empathy, decency, and an open attitude toward immigration, reminding us that true Christianity and true democracy puts out its arms for the downtrodden, the oppressed, the victimized, totally opposite what Donald Trump is espousing and implementing.

Trump And Republicans Suffer Major Setbacks!

Ronald 19 Comments

Donald Trump and the Republican Party are suffering major setbacks, and giving hope to those who believe in the preservation of American democracy!

After resisting the issue of the Epstein files, Donald Trump finally caved in, and today, the House of Representatives saw all members, except for one Republican, give up on trying to avoid revelations on the issue of sexual abuse of women and young girls, by a host of wealthy people promoted by Jeffrey Epstein, who called Donald Trump his “best friend” for many years.

And a great victory against discriminatory Texas gerrymandering was won by the decision of a three judge panel, including a Trump appointed judge, that Texas was promoting an unjust action, negating it, which gives Democrats who successfully are redistricting California, a major edge for midterm elections in 2026!

And cases are being lost in court about the use of the National Guard and ICE agents around the country, in the midst of horrendous abuses being visited on immigrants who are victims of racial profiling, even when citizens.

The Catholic clergy are also taking a strong stand against the mistreatment of immigrants by ICE Agents.

Additionally, with the effects of tariffs causing rise in prices of all kinds of goods, public opinion ratings of Donald Trump are collapsing, coming close to an all time low, near what it was at the time of the US Capitol January 6 Insurrection!

The fight for democracy will be won by resistance of decent Americans against the abuses being perpetrated by Donald Trump and his Fascist lawbreakers!

It is a fight that will take patience and determination, but it can be won!

Massive Setbacks On A Century And More Of Reforms Since Theodore Roosevelt!

Ronald 36 Comments

The United States, from the time of Theodore Roosevelt and the Progressive Era (1900-1917), began what has been a century of massive political, social, and economic reform, making America a growing vibrant democracy that survived two World Wars and the Cold War.

But now, under Donald Trump and his evil aims, America is in the process of losing a multitude of reforms that have benefited the nation.

Among them:

Environmental legislation
Consumer legislation
Social Security
Medicare and Medicaid
Women Suffrage
Civil Rights Legislation
Labor Legislation
Corporate Regulations
Housing Legislation
Agricultural Legislation
Disabilities Legislation
Immigration Reforms
Educational Legislation

These areas of reform occurred under multiple Presidents of both parties.

But leave it to “Project 2025”, and the entire century plus of reforms and commitment to a better nation for all, is in the process of being wiped out!

Republican Vice Presidents Since 1969—Vance The Worst Of The Worst Since Spiro Agnew! :(

Ronald 4 Comments

In the past 56 years, we have had six Republican Presidents—Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump.

In that same period, we have had eight Republican Vice Presidents—Spiro Agnew, Gerald Ford, Nelson Rockefeller, George H W Bush, Dan Quayle, Dick Cheney, Mike Pence, and JD Vance.

It is well recognized that three of these six Republican Presidents are rated higher than the other three—meaning Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush, and Gerald Ford.

George W. Bush, Richard Nixon, and Donald Trump are in the bottom third, with Trump nearly at the total bottom.

When one looks at the eight Republican Vice Presidents, only Gerald Ford, Nelson Rockefeller, and George H W Bush are seen as above average.

Ranking the remaining five is ranking as much lower and far worse in performance, with Spiro Agnew seen as the bottom, but with Dan Quayle and Dick Cheney seen as not much better, and with Mike Pence just slightly above them.

And then, there is the present Vice President, JD Vance, who in seven months has managed to cause outrage by his utterances and his actions, making one fear the thought that he might be the successor to Donald Trump.

At age 41, if Vance became President by succession before the summer of 2027, he would be the youngest President in American history, as Theodore Roosevelt was 42 years and 10 and a half months of age when he succeeded the assassinated William McKinley in September 1901.

Compared to his predecessor, Mike Pence, Vance has managed to be much more controversial, and makes one at least admire Pence for having strong convictions, including refusing to accept Donald Trump’s assertion that he should support a rejection of the Electoral College results in the Presidential Election of 2020.

This led to the threatened hanging of Mike Pence by the January 6, 2021 US Capitol Insurrectionists, who had set up a noose outside the building.

One cannot be sure that Vance would be any improvement on Donald Trump, as he is clearly totally unprincipled and insensitive in his statements and actions, and therefore, cannot be trusted as a potential future Commander in Chief.

Vance should be promoting the preservation of American democracy, but seems more interested in supporting the authoritarianism of Donald Trump, which presents a dire threat to the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.

By comparison, the Democratic Party has had four Vice Presidents since 1969—Walter Mondale under Jimmy Carter; Al Gore under Bill Clinton; Joe Biden under Barack Obama; and Kamala Harris under Joe Biden.

While the view of Harris is too recent to be reliable, any estimation of the significance of Mondale, Gore, and Biden makes it clear that they are the top three Vice Presidents of modern times, and arguably, of all time!