“She rose to GOP fame as the self-described “The Patriot Barbie” for her vow to fight COVID-19 regulations and government overreach. But Arizona real estate agent Lindsey Graham appears to be losing her battle — and the costs are stacking up. Graham lost a lawsuit against the state of Oregon, was fined thousands of dollars, faces collections for unpaid rent to the city of Salem and now says she could be in danger of losing her home. The former hair salon owner turned right-wing podcaster said the government juggernaut has pursued her from Oregon to Arizona.” 1
Huffington Post, Andy McDonald, October 6, 2018 – Stephen Colbert Thinks If You Like Beer, You’ll Love The Taste Of ‘Kavanaugh’ – “It’s the perfect beer for the judge who doesn’t want to be judged.”
Fascism: A Warning by Madeleine Albright – Available from Amazon.com
A personal and urgent examination of Fascism in the twentieth century and how its legacy shapes today’s world, written by one of America’s most admired public servants, the first woman to serve as U.S. secretary of state
A Fascist, observes Madeleine Albright, “is someone who claims to speak for a whole nation or group, is utterly unconcerned with the rights of others, and is willing to use violence and whatever other means are necessary to achieve the goals he or she might have.”
The twentieth century was defined by the clash between democracy and Fascism, a struggle that created uncertainty about the survival of human freedom and left millions dead. Given the horrors of that experience, one might expect the world to reject the spiritual successors to Hitler and Mussolini should they arise in our era. In Fascism: A Warning, Madeleine Albright draws on her experiences as a child in war-torn Europe and her distinguished career as a diplomat to question that assumption.
Fascism, as she shows, not only endured through the twentieth century but now presents a more virulent threat to peace and justice than at any time since the end of World War II. The momentum toward democracy that swept the world when the Berlin Wall fell has gone into reverse. The United States, which historically championed the free world, is led by a president who exacerbates division and heaps scorn on democratic institutions. In many countries, economic, technological, and cultural factors are weakening the political center and empowering the extremes of right and left. Contemporary leaders such as Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un are employing many of the tactics used by Fascists in the 1920s and 30s.
Fascism: A Warning is a book for our times that is relevant to all times. Written by someone who has not only studied history but helped to shape it, this call to arms teaches us the lessons we must understand and the questions we must answer if we are to save ourselves from repeating the tragic errors of the past.
U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher told a group of Realtors last week that homeowners should be able to refuse to sell their property to gays and lesbians, a statement that cost him the support of a key national Realtor group.
“Every homeowner should be able to make a decision not to sell their home to someone (if) they don’t agree with their lifestyle,” Rohrabacher told an Orange County Association of Realtors delegation at a May 16 meeting in Washington, D.C., according to Wayne Woodyard, a former Orange County Realtor president who was at the event.
On Thursday, Rohrabacher confirmed the accuracy of the sentiment, and added that homeowners should have the right to “choose who they do business with.” [1]
The Orange Country Register, May 24, 2018, Jeff Collins – Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher says it’s OK not to sell homes to gays; loses support of Realtors (PDF)
CNN, May 26, 2018, Clare Foran and Kate Sullivan – Rep. Dana Rohrabacher loses endorsement for saying it’s OK to not sell homes to gay people (PDF)
In this book, The Electoral College 4 Dummmies: Would it be better to simply count the popular vote?, you will learn about the purpose of the Electoral College and be able to come to your own conclusions about whether the Founders were all wet in the late 1700’s and we now need to revert back to the popular vote. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the Popular vote yet Donald Trump won the presidency. Therefore, many of the political left are crying foul. In 2000, when George Bush was elected president without winning the popular vote the same cry was heard.
Neither of these were as bad as in 1824, when John Quincy Adams was elected president despite not winning either the popular vote or the electoral vote. How could this be? Andrew Jackson was the clear winner in both categories. Jackson’s popular vote total was 38,000 more than Adams. Moreover, Jackson beat Adams in the electoral vote 99 to 84. Despite being victorious, Jackson did not win the presidency. Why?
Andrew Jackson did not reach the majority 131 votes needed in the Electoral College to be declared president. Neither candidate did. So, what happened? The decision was made by the House of Representatives. It was the House—the People’s Representatives, which voted Adams into the White House.
There were only two other stories like these. In 1876, Rutherford B. Hayes won the election by a margin of just one electoral vote; but he lost the popular vote by more than 250,000 ballots to Samuel J. Tilden. In 1888, Benjamin Harrison received 233 electoral votes to Grover Cleveland’s 168, winning the presidency. Harrison lost the popular vote by more than 90,000 votes.
Why is this? When U.S. citizens go to the polls to “elect” a president, they are in fact voting for a particular slate of electors, though they vote for a properly named presidential candidate. In almost every state, the candidate who wins the most votes (that is, a plurality) in the state receives all the state’s electoral votes. These are electoral votes based on the popular votes.
Why is this? You bought this book to find out. Is it a good or is it a bad idea? Is there any rhyme or reason to it? Were the Founders out on a bender the night before they made this decision or was the Electoral College a stroke of genius?
This is your best book to discover the answer and for understanding the current system and other possible systems to determine the presidency fairly.
Just because powerful people choose to ignore our rights and freedoms does not mean we must endure tyranny. The first step of course is to understand the most basic written precepts in the Constitution. Understanding the role of the Electoral College in our Constitution is of prime importance. Reading this book is a must.
