@TheaConstantia
@TheBeatWithAri
OK, Ari. ‘Splain yourself! 2 ways of framing build back stuff: (1) GOP choice—It’s all @ amt of **spending**. (2) Balanced choice—it’s @ a/ programs & policies, b/ increasing revenue, *&* c/ spending “b” to provide “a.” You *always* use language [and thereby] framing #1. Why?
This entry will be about indignities and humiliations of aging. Specifically, about teeth. And also about America’s ridiculous system of taxation.
A little background. I suffer from progressive osteoarthritis and neuropathy. I’ve had two operations on my spine. I cannot stand, even with support to hold onto, for more than about 60 seconds. This makes brushing my teeth (as well as everything else!) very difficult.
I haven’t had my teeth cleaned by a dental hygienist for at least two years. Why? First, complications flowing from the totally politicized, irresponsible, death spreading policies of Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis regarding the pandemic. Second, we have no dental insurance – so, the cost. Third, transportation. I have trouble standing (as I said), let alone walking or driving.
So my teeth are crumbling, breaking off, leaving the base and root to be surgically removed. Latest casualty lies in the right back of the upper row of my teeth. We had no trick-or-treaters tonight. (I miss the kiddos, but I like the idea that they’ll be enjoying Halloween in a safe environment.) Anyhow, we had purchased some candy just in case. I bit into a miniature white chocolate and cookie crumbs confection, and my tooth broke off at the gumline.
Bummer!
Good news? No pain, since apparently this tooth had had a root canal. (Though there is a bit of unpleasant throbbing going on back there, I admit.) Bad news? I’ll need to have what remains surgically excised, and I don’t have that many teeth left. Let alone money to pay for dental surgery when we have no insurance.
So it goes on the planet Tralfamadore.
BTW, why is it that Jeff Bezos paid income tax on just $83,000 in declared earned income, despite having had his total wealth increase by many billions of dollars during the pandemic – but the rest of us non-billionaires see no provision for dental insurance in our Medicare coverage? And why won’t Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema agree to make millionaires pay their fair share of taxes?
No point in mentioning the Republicans. They’ve become pretty much entirely a party of White-supremacist autocracy. (Black politicians who align with them – like Allen West of Texas or Joseph Ladapo of Florida – are beyond my comprehension. Come the GQP/MAGA revolution, they’ll be back to chopping cotton on the plantation.) The remaining Republicans, those with vestiges of the character like we used to see in people like Goldwater and Baker, retain only their absolute commitment to regressive principles of taxation—the wealthier you are, the less you pay in taxes.
Donald Trump said he hired only the very best people. In saying this, as in almost everything else he’s ever done, he was either lying, exhibiting exceptionally poor judgment, or both.
What follows is an excerpt from an Alternet article on one of those wonderful people: John Eastman, the lawyer who developed the rationale behind the January 6th insurrection.
You may recall that last week Eastman said in public that the plan to overthrow the government he outlined in his notorious memo, and that Trump adopted and followed, was “crazy” and “not viable.” Then, a couple of days later, he was caught on video by undercover reporter Lauren Windsor insisting that if Pence hadn’t been so “spineless” it would have worked.
The image below shows Eastman (dressed for a Wild West shoot-out) with Rudy. Trump was going to be late for his appearance at the “pre-coup pep rally,” so these two were asked to speak for awhile pending his arrival.
Rudy has already lost his license to practice law in Washington DC and New York. Let’s hope that Eastman will soon join hin in disbarment.
The report, written by Washington Post reporters Josh Dawsey, Jacqueline Alemany, Jon Swaine, and Emma Brown, explains how Eastman attempted to build a case to persuade former Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the election. It has been revealed that “even as rioters overran the Capitol and a recalcitrant Pence was forced into hiding, Eastman emailed a Pence aide to actually blame Pence for the scene.”
To anyone who reads this (assuming anyone does read it!), at several points I note that I can’t adequately respond to Waltz because I don’t yet have sufficient information.
Barack Obama once told a reporter he hadn’t yet commented on some matter because he liked to be sure he knew what he was talking about before he spoke. I feel the same way; so I’ll much appreciate any information or pointers toward information I can get.
(Remembering how Obama’s successor had no such qualms–and no compunction about lying even on the rare occasions when he did know what he was talking about–I trust you’ll appreciate my reticence.)
The response is lengthy; so, instead of posting it here, I’ve decided to upload it as a PDF. Here’s the link: Waltz lies
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Michael Waltz’s congressional district covers Volusia and Flagler counties.
MSNBC—
News organizations like yours use words and pictures (sometimes pictures that move) to communicate information and opinion. So how can on-air talkers and those who write the chyrons etc. for such organizations be so clueless about the framing power of the words they use?
Republicans *always* refer to the President’s investment in America package as a “spending bill.” What’s a “spending” bill? It’s a bill whose purpose is to spend money. Obviously. That’s the way Republicans want the voters to see it.
Democrats want voters to see it as a bill whose purpose is to provide goods, services, protection of the environment, etc. So instead of referring to it as a “spending” bill, Democrats refer to it as … a “spending” bill!!? WTF!
On the last two nights Ari Melber referred to it continually as a “spending bill.” This morning the MSNBC chyrons referred to it continually as a “spending bill.” With friends like MSNBC, who needs Republicans to destroy our democracy?
—Wayne
P.S. Manchin and Sinema might be “moderate” or “centrist” politicians, but they are not “moderate” or “centrist” Democrats. They are “conservative,” “right-wing,” “reactionary,” “regressive” Democrats.
