Category: GOP USA

Trump declares MARTIAL LAW. “Postpones” Elections.

On By Rick McIn bad news, economics, GOP USA, government, human rights, Islam, things getting worseLeave a comment

An international crisis. Trump uses the excuse to declare martial law in the USA.

He suspends civilian legal processes. Commander in Chief Trump and the U.S. Military are in charge.

It could happen.

The martial law concept in the United States is closely tied with the right of habeas corpus, which is in essence the right to a hearing on lawful imprisonment, or more broadly, the supervision of law enforcement by the judiciary.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday lent some support to calls to suspend habeas corpus as part of the administration’s immigration crackdown after aide Stephen Miller said the White House was considering the idea.

The Hill – May 14, 2025

We know Trump wants to be a Royal like murdering dictator-for-life MBS in Saudi Arabia.

Trump’s first international visit?

To the nation of bin Laden. 15 of the 19 terrorists in 911 were from Saudi Arabia.

Is this really America First? It looks like Trump First.

You know Elon Musk would be 100% supportive of declaring martial law. He’s already openly emulating Hitler who did exactly this in Germany ➙ February 28, 1933, effectively suspended many constitutional rights, creating a state of emergency and giving the Nazis significant control.

Here’s the best discussion on this issue, I’ve seen. Timothy Snyder is an American historian who’s an expert in Tyranny.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Tony Retrosi on Compassionate Governance

On By Rick McIn education, ethics, GOP USA, government, gymnastics, human rightsLeave a comment

Tony Retrosi is a highly respected Gymnastics coach, educator, and leader.

He’s one of the Americans dismayed with the turn of Republican politicians to ReTrumplicanism. Angry, hateful, intolerant, near totalitarianism.

In 2025 you must parrot the low IQ Trump’s lies, or be banished from the GOP.

I was impressed with Tony summing up in this post:

  • a country should take care of its weakest members … children, disabled, sick, and elderly
  • healthcare is a right, not a privilege
  • higher education should be affordable
  • massive moral problem with a society where a handful of people can possess the majority of the wealth while there are people literally starving to death, freezing to death, or dying
  • companies should be required to pay their employees a decent, livable wage
  • don’t force religion on me or mine
  • LGBT people should have the SAME rights as everyone else
  • we NEED regulations to prevent cut corners, environmental destruction, tainted food/water, unsafe materials in consumable goods or medical equipment, etc. 
  • systemic racism and misogyny in our society is much worse than many people think
  • enforcement of present firearms laws and enacting new, common sense gun regulations
  • I believe in so-called political correctness … social politeness
  • funding sustainable energy
  • women should be paid the same as men who do the same work, should have the same rights as men and should be free from abuse

Read more …

The Value of Compassionate Governance

Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari

On By Rick McIn Artificial Intelligence AI, bad news, books, climate change, economics, education, ethics, GOP USA, government, happiness, health & fitness, human rights, internet, things getting worseLeave a comment

Any panel put together to save the world, would certainly include Professor Yuval Noah Harari. 

He’s a BIG thinker. 

Some feel he overstates the risks to mankind. I’d rather we err on the side of caution.

His 2024 book is …

Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI

I’m not smart enough to explain his thinking — but here’s a ChatGPT summary of the non-fiction tomb.

Main Focus: Nexus explores the intersection of technology, human evolution, and the future of societies, emphasizing the merging of biological and digital realms.

Technological Convergence: Harari examines how advancements in genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology are changing humanity’s relationship with itself and the world.

Human Enhancement: A central theme is the idea that humans may soon be able to enhance their biological and mental capacities through technology, leading to “post-human” forms of existence.

Ethical Implications: The book raises questions about the ethics of altering human biology, creating artificial life, and the consequences of tampering with the essence of what it means to be human.

Social and Economic Impact: Harari discusses how these technological advancements could lead to social divides, with some individuals or groups gaining access to powerful enhancements while others are left behind.

Surveillance and Control: A significant concern is the potential for increased surveillance and control over individuals’ minds and bodies, both by governments and corporations.

Evolution of Consciousness: Harari reflects on how human consciousness may evolve or change in response to these new technologies, as well as the philosophical questions surrounding free will and identity.

End of Homo Sapiens: The book suggests that humanity might be on the verge of an epochal shift, where Homo sapiens could be replaced by a new, technologically-enhanced species—either through natural evolution or deliberate engineering.

Uncertainty of the Future: Harari emphasizes the unpredictability of the future, acknowledging that the developments discussed could lead to both utopian and dystopian outcomes.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Other booksSapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2011)
Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow (2015)
21 Lessons for the 21st Century (2018)

USA is a ‘Flawed Democracy’

On By Rick McIn economics, GOP USA, government, happiness, human rights, things getting worseLeave a comment

The American economy might never have been stronger relative to the rest of the world than in 2024.

BUT more and more of that money is going to the very rich. If that continues, you can project the States will be come some kind of oligarchy. Perhaps even a totalitarian state.

Government power in an oligarchy rests with a small number of people; nobility, fame, wealth, education, or corporate, religious, political, or military control. Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Iran are all oligarchies.

The Economist still ranks the USA as a ‘flawed democracy‘ in their annual Democracy Index. Only 29th on the list of democracies.

The full democracies 2023:

  1. Norway
  2. New Zealand
  3. Iceland
  4. Sweden
  5. Finland
  6. Denmark
  7. Ireland
  8. Switzerland
  9. Netherlands
  10. Taiwan
  11. Luxembourg
  12. Germany
  13. Canada
  14. Australia
  15. Uruguay
  16. Japan
  17. Costa Rica
  18. United Kingdom


I want to live in a full democracy where it’s easiest to get rid of leaders the majority don’t want. As Churchill said: “democracy is the worst form of government – except for all the others that have been tried.”

The full democracies tend to have a smaller gap between rich and poor.

Russians can’t get rid of Putin. Ali Hosseini Khamenei has been the leader of Iran since 1989. Iranians can’t get rid of him.

Americans should be wondering whether they can get rid of Musk or Trump.

It’s obvious that the top 1% buy American politicians who vote in their interest. This chart is from 2014. Things are much worse in 2024.


At its heart, this is a problem of corruption – caused by money in our political system. 

THE U.S. IS AN OLIGARCHY? THE RESEARCH, EXPLAINED

Thanks Tony.

Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions

On By Rick McIn books, ethics, GOP USA, government, human rightsLeave a comment

I’m against Capital Punishment. I still recall the moment I decided — in Ms. Dalton’s class. She was my favourite High School teacher.

If it was wrong for people to kill, it was wrong for the government to kill.

ONE reason is the risk of wrongful conviction. Wrongful death penalty.

Check this new non-fiction publication.

In ‘Framed,’ John Grisham teams with an activist to spotlight real-life injustice

Grisham and Jim McCloskey tell 10 gripping and galling tales of the wrongly convicted.

One of the worst cops wrongfully putting people in jail was Norfolk, Virginia Police Detective Robert Glenn Ford. In February 2011, Mr. Ford was sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison for other crimes. Ford served his sentence and been released — though some are calling for further investigation into his past extorting confessions from innocent people.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Will and Harper

On By Rick McIn anti-smoking, education, ethics, GOP USA, government, happiness, human rights, movies, things getting worseLeave a comment

An important film.

Unscripted road trip.

Touching.

It’s about friendship. Life. … Aging.

Acceptance about who you are. And being tolerant of others to be who they want to be.

I was quite charmed by the warm welcome Harper got dropping into a random Oklahoma biker bar. (You can still smoke in Oklahoma bars?)

Face to face, people are most often welcoming and open minded. Even rednecks in country bars.

Since 2020, right wing politicians have been attacking the rights of transgender people — simply as a way to motivate their most deplorable voters. Very few of those haters have ever once had an encounter with a trans person.

Considered and attempted suicide rate of transgender people in the United States

from 2000 to 2022, with a forecast from 2023 to 2030

Right wing politicians and influencers like Musk and J. K. Rowling are partially responsible for those suicides.

I admire Will Ferrell trying to bring trans folks some hope with this movie.

I’d to do the same if any of my friends announced they were transitioning.

It’s a complicated process. And different for every single person.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I found the ending of this movie just perfect.

My Favourite Podcasts 2024

On By Rick McIn audiocasts, GOP USA, government, gymnastics, internet, mediaLeave a comment

Looking back on my favourite podcasts 2020 — things have changed.

If interested, search for any of these in your favourite Podcast Player.

These are podcasts I rarely skip:

Next most essential in 2024:

Sadly, most of The Economist podcasts went behind a paywall. I’ll probably buy those again, one day.

For some reason I’ve grown less interested in the TWIT network podcasts. Too much filler, not enough content.

I subscribe to perhaps 70 additional podcasts, but listen to them far less than 50% of the time.

I AM definitely listening to podcasts less than ever. I prefer audio books most of the time.

Billionaires should PAY more TAXES

On By Rick McIn economics, ethics, GOP USA, governmentLeave a comment

… six people control more wealth than the bottom half of America, and pay an average tax rate of 6%. …

You can argue the number 6% — but American billionaires pay a lower tax rate than YOU.

And that’s stupid.

Professor Galloway argues that it’s a waste of resources to have very few people hoarding so much money:

Hoarders

If I give YOU $100 dollars, you’ll spend it. The economy rolls.

If I give another $100 to a billionaire, it will get locked away in NVIDIA stock. Be less productive.

Billionaires argue that they will GIVE AWAY most of their wealth to worthy charities.

That does help — but Galloway only respects the way it’s being done by two:

  • MacKenzie Scott
  • Melinda French Gates

Immigration in 2024

On By Rick McIn bad news, economics, GOP USA, governmentLeave a comment

Everyone agrees the USA is a disaster when it comes to FIXING their immigration laws.

Trump shot down the most recent border bill effort.

ReTrumplicans want the disaster to continue at least as long as the 2024 election. They really don’t have many REAL issues to campaign on.

Freakonomics posted a 3 part audiocast series. Well worth listening to.

Listen to Freakonomics episode 580:

The True Story of America’s Supremely Messed-Up Immigration

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Click PLAY or listen to part 2 on YouTube. Episode 581.

I’ve always felt Canada is one of the best nations in handling immigration.

We welcome those who can fill necessary jobs.

The USA still uses a lottery. And mostly fills their quota with families.

Click PLAY or watch part 3 on YouTube. Episode 582 — Why Is Everyone Moving to Canada? 

Canada recently reduced their immigration target numbers. Not good for the economy. But there simply isn’t enough affordable accommodation for new citizens or foreign students.

Finally, the ReTrumplican GOP in 2024 is anti-immigrant. The opposite of Ronald Reagan.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

International Fact-Checking Day

On By Rick McIn bad news, climate change, ethics, Facebook, GOP USA, government, internet, product complaints, TwitterLeave a comment

International Fact-Checking Day was introduced at a conference for journalists and fact-checkers at the London School of Economics in June 2014.

… officially created in 2016 and first celebrated on April 2, 2017. …

It rose in importance after the 2016 elections, which brought fake news, as well as accusations of it, to the forefront of media issues. …

The invention of the Internet ➙ and Social Media made it much easier to circulate disinformation and misinformation.

What that means for YOU and ME is that we need check everything with sources we trust.

FactCheckingDay.com