Thank you for your intuition and positive thoughts about our future. I see women and young people coming out in droves, so many that if they hadn't the GOP would have cheated their way into power. But because of their over reach and greed, and insanity too, they will be thwarted by those who are like "ants coming out of their ant hills" (I am quoting someone I know who saw it like ants in November).
😘 ❤️
Many commentators have doubted Garland would officially investigate Trump. Those who read the minute details of court documents predicted this day would come: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/07/26/trump-justice-investigation-january-6/
Could it be? Is there hope on the horizon?
A recent poll (from Fox News, of all people) has suggested that the repeal of Roe v. Wade may make a bigger impact than people think. In the same poll last month, Democrats and Republicans were evenly split. This time, Democrats went up four points. Methinks women and younger generations are rising up?
And what is this?! Have the Democrats FINALLY learned to beat Republicans at their own game?! The recent news that Manchin did a 180 and is supporting Democrats' passage of a deal designed to combat inflation, climate change, high drug prices, etc. by tacking on a 15% tax hike to the rich corporations. Here is some commentary on the power play by Democrats:
"It doesn't happen often, but Mitch McConnell appears to publicly have been played," said Lemire. "A couple weeks ago Senator Manchin suggested there's no deal for reconciliation, so McConnell gave the okay for the CHIPS bill. House Republicans said they'd support it, too. The White House has given its blessing, now we see McConnell and other Senate Republicans going across to their colleagues in the House, you have to oppose something you previously just a few days ago were for and also have to explain that vote if this bill goes down, seem to be beneficial to China. It's a spiteful action. Democrats think they can get through anyway."
Basically, McConnell got "McConnelled." The Democrats got the Senate Republicans to support the bill to win some support for their moderate members, but they thought there was no chance in h@#$ that the bill would pass because Manchin wouldn't support it. Now that this is no longer the case, Democrats can pass it in the House, and McConnell has lost leverage.
I can't celebrate yet, of course. Manchin is so messed up he might change his mind AGAIN and screw Democrats over. But if Manchin stays the course, he basically redeems himself in the eyes of the Democrats (to a certain degree) while establishes himself as a power broker of sorts.
I can't help but think that these two pieces of news are related. Thanks to the overturn of Roe v. Wade, the hidden power of women and young people are becoming felt. After all, who would be affected most by the prohibition of abortion? Women (obviously) and young people, who are more fair-minded and compassionate than their elders (on average, of course).
What Republicans can't grasp is that childcare has EVERYTHING to do with finances. We aren't stupid. We know that anti-abortion measures are nothing more than a means to make women more dependent on men. Women saddled with pregnancies and don't have a supportive network (the father of the child, the family, a career, the ability to access affordable health and child care, etc.) Why else do Republicans want to go back to the past? Because the day that women had the ability to leave abusive spouses behind and succeed in spite of them was the day they actually had to pay for the consequences of their behaviors.
Because Republicans refuse simple measures such as income equality, access to affordable health and child care, and other measures that would make it easier for women to raise children, it is obvious that the pro-life movement is a sham. Heck, Republicans won't even give counseling to women who give up children for adoption, even though many of them desperately need it.
That is why I am feeling upbeat today. Manchin is a fool, but he is a fool who wants to remain elected. I think he sees the writing on the wall, which is why he has switched sides again. While I don't like him, his actions are akin to a rat jumping a sinking ship. Why switch to Democrats with high inflation and economic woes? Is it because he sees that a tide of Democratic voters are waiting to wreck havoc on Republicans come November?
Yes, things are still bad. But things are slowly getting better. Today, gas where I live fell to $3.79, when it was $4.19 a few weeks ago. Prices also get a bit better in autumn, because temperatures get better for us, and we don't use power as much, so many families will benefit from this. So there is a good chance that the angry tide of voters coming in November will be the women suffering in red states as opposed to the always angry MAGA crowd.
Fingers crossed!
The recent news that Manchin did a 180 and is supporting Democrats' passage of a deal designed to combat inflation, climate change, high drug prices, etc. by tacking on a 15% tax hike to the rich corporations.
This is a BIG deal. I think the heat and fires this summer are starting to cause some people (Manchin?) to get the message that climate change is REAL. It is always so. It is human nature not to want to deviate from a path until danger is obvious, and imminently upon them.
@ana Yes! I also wonder if his bout with COVID 19 made him reconsider his legacy. I faced many hard questions during my own illness leading to shifts in relationships and my general view of personal significance, of that which remains after my death.
"to make women more dependent on men."
This, in a nutshell.
@polarberry Of course… authoritarian patriarchy is the belief system behind GOP obsession with having “the state” control women’s bodies… by making contraception (including condoms) illegal and making miscarriages subject to legal investigation (the assumption of the woman having aborted the fetus)… Abortion must never be allowed under any circumstances (Utah is but one example).. Married women will be back to the expectation of the production of 10 or more children in their lifetime… and an early death
Guns, consumer and worker protection… and pollution… a good education/healthcare for all… mustn’t be controlled by the state of course… that would be evil and in some contorted way “unconstitutional.”
Logic, wisdom and compassion have no place in today’s Republican Party
Of course… authoritarian patriarchy is the belief system behind GOP obsession with having “the state” control women’s bodies… by making contraception (including condoms) illegal and making miscarriages subject to legal investigation (the assumption of the woman having aborted the fetus)… Abortion must never be allowed under any circumstances
this is how they plan to undo the 19th Amendment- by charging women with felonies, and thus taking away their right to vote, one woman at a time