Joe Biden has decades of experience - 36 years in Congress, 8 years as our Vice President, and 4 as the President. When he assumed the Presidency in 2021, he inherited Trump’s fiscal mess. In the 2020 budget year, revenue was $3.4 trillion while spending totaled $4.7 trillion up about 49% from the previous year. Anyone or any country that spends almost 50% more than their income is headed for disaster. Our country was well on it’s way to become the fifth Trump bankruptcy. Donald Trump increased the national debt by 40.432% - most of this in his last year of office. Biden, in his first 2 years, increased the debt by only 6.33%. Our economy has now stabilized -the job market is strong, the stock market is positive, inflation is down, and so on. Basically, there is NO other person - man or woman - that I know of who is better qualified for the job of President of the United States than Biden - no matter how old he is.
Trump on the other hand is a convicted sexual predator, a fraud and a felon with 91 charges against him. He openly disparages the U.S. military and the dedicated men and women who serve and protect our freedoms. He attempted to overthrow the U.S. government and incited a riot to destroy our Congress and to stop our government from operating. The rioters were shouting “hang Mike Pence (the Vice President).” They even constructed gallows for this purpose. Trump’s strings are all controlled by Putin - a dictator who has invaded a sovereign nation and killed thousands upon thousands of innocent people. Trump has used dictator techniques such as brainwashing on hard-working and honest people in red states - which is exactly how Hitler ruled Germany and turned a peaceful nation into mass murderers and killed millions of souls. I can almost hear those souls shouting at us and telling us to do the “right” thing before it is too late. It is time for Americans to wake up and decide between a mad-man or an experienced, well-qualified leader. This should be an easy choice. Elizabeth www.democrazy2020.org (Note: All financial figures came from www.cbo.gov)
It's like Trump's firehouse paralyzes the media so they go for the soft and easy target: Biden. Sarah Longwell said on the Next Level pod yesterday that her phone blew up from media regarding the Hur report. It was silent about Trump's NATO comments regarding letting Russia invade an ally. Silent.
It's lazy reporting. They need to get out of the two sides mindset and stop letting Trump control them with his bulldozer.
The more you speak in public, the more you make speaking mistakes. I'm a 71 year old retired academic with more than 35 years experience in the classroom and online, more than 25 years as an Associate Dean in a business school, made countless professional and research presentations, and was in more meetings then I care to remember. Hardly a week went by when I didn't misspeak about something or mispronounce something. Try talking for 2 and a half hours (graduate level night classes) and not make any mistakes. Sometimes your mistake sits in the back of your head until you then say "I think I misspoke about XYZ, here's what I should have said". Sometimes a student will correct you, and a faculty member will always correct you. How many times has a family member or friend misspoken in a conversation and you just let it slide because you know what they meant. I'm not concerned about Biden's gaffe's; I also don't spend any time thinking about Trump's gaffe's. I do spend time thinking about Trump's hatred, meanness, grifting and his other odious behavior. Trump is incompetent in every way that matters.
Good points. It's also important to note that misspeaking* and not remembering dates of events is NOT the same as having impaired judgement and the inability to process information and come to conclusions.
*I don't consider Trump repeatedly saying that he ran against Obama and beat Obama as 'misspeaking'.
TY for this great piece. In my lifetime, I have never seen a president accomplish so much. And with the barest majority AND with a completely corrupt opposing party. Biden has far exceeded not only my expectations of him but of any president. We should be so lucky to have him for a second term and I will be doing everything I can to make sure that happens.
I know this may feed into the conspiracy that Obama is running the WH, but when responding to reports of President Biden's "dementia" no one mentions that he also has a qualified, informed, intelligent team behind him that Trump lacked. Trump surrounded himself with people who would say yes, and if they didn't, he humiliated and fired them without caring if they were right.
Thank you all for your "like" of my recent message. Not only do I have a strong dedication to our democracy, but honestly believe that our country desperately needs Biden's almost 50 years in public service to guide this country through a very difficult time ahead. I spent most of my career living and working in dictator-led and communist countries. As an American, I personally witnessed the "absolute rule" of a dictator and knew that I could be imprisoned or even murdered at any time for any drummed up reason. In 2016, I heard the same type of rhetoric from Trump that I heard from Putin in the early 2000's or from Turkmanbashi (Turkmanistan) in the late 1990s. I worked closely with the Nazarbayev government in Kazakhstan, and was lucky to escape Tajikistan. I was a consultant in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Rwanda - and was smuggled into Afghanistan wearing a burqa and "local" shoes to access the treatment of women during the first Taliban era.
Believe me, I know what a dictator sounds like and behaves like - and Trump's many-sided destructiveness and his "I am God" attitude fits the bill perfectly. He doesn't care about you or me or democracy but only about himself and maybe a few family members. For him, he wants to Russians to continue paying him millions of dollars to support his lavish lifestyle. Turkmanbashi named the months of the year after his family. Trump is just another pathetic mad-man who thinks the world should worship him.
Joe Biden has the experience to lead this country and all of us need to get out and vote. I am sure that Trump will perform his usual temper-tantrum if he looses, but we survived the last one with only five deaths, vital artifacts destroyed, and over 100 Capitol police injured. To elect Trump again would mean the destruction of our way of life, our democracy, and our freedoms. Encourage every one you know to vote in this upcoming election.
I read all of them, Elizabeth, and thanks for sharing some of your personal story. You have lived a fascinating life -- I would love to travel in Russia and Central Asia if the political situation allowed for it. Those are amazing experiences and you bring a unique perspective to discussions of US politics.
Hi Aaron: Thank you for this kind message. I shared my personal story in From Democracy to Democrazy, by Graham. www.democrazy2020.org I also have been extremely alarmed by Trump's similarities to other dictators and his many-sided destructiveness of our democracy. I still have faith that our judiciary will be able to find him guilty of criminal charges which could prevent him from running in the next election.
Both Eric Trump and Trump Jr. have publicly stated that as far back as 2008, the Trump organization had received $100 million from a Russian bank. Russian banks, who are ALL controlled by the KGB/FSB give large sums of money to foreigners for only two reasons: (1) to transfer black cash into another country's economy (which hurts the country's economy, or (2) to entrap and obligate the foreigner to work for Russia. (www.businessinsider) U.S. banks refused to loan money to Trump due to his four bankruptcies. The Russians then saved Trump from a 5th bankruptcy and at the same time trapped him. Just like good ole Al Capone, the interest earned on such a large loan would be impossible to be repaid. Trump and/or his organization was on the KGB payroll at least ten years before sleeping in the White House. Did he commit treason - my guess would be yes. While it may be impossible to prove that Trump was compromised by Russian professional prostitutes (very common practice in Russia), his tax records, business financials, and other documentation prove how long he was been working with Russia.
So while Russia and Central Asia are fascinating places to visit, I would not recommend it at this time. Any American tourist in Russia could be imprisoned on drummed-up charges just so Russia has another person to use for negotiations with the U.S. Russian prisons are cold most of the time with little to no food. I did a prison roof-top food project while working in St. Petersburg. It was like a dungeon.
Please tell everyone to get out and vote this year like your life depends on it - because it does.
I am a 77-year-old organizational psychologist. I worked most of my 45-year career in direct support of top federal officials - civilian agency heads, admirals, generals, the JCS, and the White House. Few colleagues have had as much time in federal board rooms as I have. Thus, I am well aware of the stress levels under which our leaders work. Their workdays are brutal both physically and mentally.
Keep in mind that the average life expectancy of a US male is only 73.5 years! Thus both Trump and Biden are living on borrowed time. Neither is hale and hardy as we all have observed both men for decades on the TV and other MSM. Cognitive-emotional mental health starts to deteriorate noticeably around age 70. That is when we notice we forget things now and then, and are more lacking in impulse control so we say and do things we later regret.
My point is this. Comparing the Trump to current Biden administration is misleading when it comes to judging leadership fitness. Both men are over the hill. When we compare administration we are talking about the work of staff members. Biden's staff are far superior to Trump's in the view of voters. Biden's staff restored our economy after Trump's failure to act effectively in response to a global pandemic. The only conclusion such a comparison validates is that Trump is more autocratic, and thus our country is more vulnerable to his deteriorating mental state than Biden, whose staff are more independent. However, as John Stewart recently pointed out - neither candidate is fit to lead the most powerful country on earth. They are out of touch with young voters and with me too. In the case of both men, we are likely to finish their terms with their vice presidents running the country.
You do have good observations. However, it is incorrect to state that Biden is out of touch. The reverse is true. His accomplishments and his philosophy are very much in touch with the majority of Americans. The problem is that the administration has not been good at communicating these achievements.
Wish the data supported you, but every poll I have seen, including the most recent one https://quchronicle.com/85557/opinion/2024-biden-disapproval-youth-israel-hamas/ supports my assertion about Biden being out of touch with younger voters (younger being Millennials and Gen X, Y, and Z. Of course Boomers too are all younger than Biden too technically.
I am aware that many young people have been disappointed by Biden’s support of Israel, which is unfortunate. That doesn’t mean that he has not supported many, if not most, of the domestic policies supported by millennials and younger.
What is disturbing to the younger people I chat with is that both Afghanistan and Gaza are evidence of an impulsive geezerly overreaction rather than a well-considered action. In both cases, they rapidly imploded into disasters that might have been avoided had a thoughtful meeting explored the situation and risks associated with how Biden should have responded. Despite the the US continuing full support for Israel after the UN and World Court found it guilty of genocide is mind-boggling to most.
Of course, the border mess continues as if Trump is still president. Then there is "Dreamers" - stopped dead by the MAGAs. There is still no limit on tuition, and debt relief is chaotic and limited. Most universities, Harvard especially, have alumni endowments so large that they could cut tuition in half and their endowments would continue to grow. To me, these issues alone justify the moniker "Sleepy Joe."
Finally, the absurd MAGA attacks on "woke" are legislatively removing civil rights around gender, internet access, sexual behavior, medical treatments and other private-none-your-business government interventions strictly so MAGA Boomers and Gen Xers values can be imposed on younger generations. Citizens United is an obscenity loathed by the young - there has been zero effort to upend legalized oligarchy. So, Biden can boast all he wants. However, it comes across to most Americans as being just as hollow as Trump's baseless boasts.
Thank you all for your "like" of my recent message. Not only do I have a strong dedication to our democracy, but honestly believe that our country desperately needs Biden's almost 50 years in public service to guide this country through a very difficult time ahead. I spent most of my career living and working in dictator-led and communist countries. As an American, I personally witnessed the "absolute rule" of a dictator and knew that I could be imprisoned or even murdered at any time for any drummed up reason. In 2016, I heard the same type of rhetoric from Trump that I heard from Putin in the early 2000's or from Turkmanbashi (Turkmanistan) in the late 1990s. I worked closely with the Nazarbayev government in Kazakhstan, and was lucky to escape Tajikistan. I was a consultant in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Rwanda - and was smuggled into Afghanistan wearing a burqa and "local" shoes to access the treatment of women during the first Taliban era.
Believe me, I know what a dictator sounds like and behaves like - and Trump's many-sided destructiveness and his "I am God" attitude fits the bill perfectly. He doesn't care about you or me or democracy but only about himself and maybe a few family members. For him, he wants to Russians to continue paying him millions of dollars to support his lavish lifestyle. Turkmanbashi named the months of the year after his family. Trump is just another pathetic mad-man who thinks the world should worship him.
Joe Biden has the experience to lead this country and all of us need to get out and vote. I am sure that Trump will perform his usual temper-tantrum if he looses, but we survived the last one with only five deaths, vital artifacts destroyed, and over 100 Capitol police injured. To elect Trump again would mean the destruction of our way of life, our democracy, and our freedoms.
Encourage every one you know to vote in this upcoming election like their lives depend on it - because they do!!!
Dear Donald: Thank you for your kind message, and please tell everyone you know to get out and vote this year like their life depends on it - because it does. Please read From Democracy to Democrazy by Graham. www.democrazy2020.org
Here is today's writings and an invitation to join me on my own Substack called From Democracy to Democrazy.
In the back of the book called From Democracy to Democrazy by E. Graham (www.democrazy2020.org) and published July 2023, on page 175, there is a description of the TIME 100 Edition, June 2022 called "The Most Influential Persons of 2021-2022." This edition is described by Edward Felsenthal, the Editor-in-Chief, as "Power for Good." He said "we have one barometer: INFLUENCE. Who stood up? Who stood out? Who shaped this year? Influence, of course, may be for good or for ill - a dichotomy never more visible than in this year's TIME100 which includes the Russian dictator (Putin) behind a brutal war, and his foe, the Ukrainian President (Zelensky) whose leadership has made him a rare heroic figure in our diverse time." The description of Zelensky was written by U.S. President Joe Biden, and the description of Russian President Vladimir Putin was written by Alexei Navalny.
As most of you know, Alexei Navalny, age 47, was murdered this past week in a brutal Penal Colony in Siberia, Russia. A prison where torture, starvation, and cold death were common-place. The world has lost a great hero, and Putin has put another notch in his gun.
The following is Navalny's exact words to describe Putin: "Perhaps Vladimir Putin's true mission is to teach lessons. To everyone - from world leaders and pundits to ordinary people. He has been especially good at this in 2022. He reminded us once again that a path that begins with 'just a little election rigging' ALWAYS ends with a dictatorship." When I read this statement in TIME100, all I could think of was Donald Trump's call (which was recorded) to Brad Raffensperger (R), the Secretary of State for Georgia pressuring him to "just find 11,780 votes" in order to overturn the 2020 presidential election in their state. As a reminder, Joe Biden won that election by over 7 million votes.
Unfortunately, half our nation are victims of brainwashing who still believe Trump's lies and think the election was stolen. The only person attempting to rig the 2020 election was Trump - and he tried over and over - and eventually staged a coup to attack our Senate and stop our government from operating.
Navalny goes on to say: "Putin has reminded us all of the 'duck test' - if something looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. The very same logic should be applied to this case: if someone destroys the independent media, organizes political assassinations, and sticks to his imperial delusions, then he is a madman capable of causing a bloodbath in the center of Europe in the 21st century . . . However, the answer to the main questions he poses - how to stop an evil madman with an army, nuclear weapons, and membership in the U.N. Security Council - is yet to be answered." Guess what folks - Trump as the President of the United States, also had an army, control of nuclear weapons, and a membership in the U.S. Security Council. Would you trust a convicted felon with the button to kill other populations worldwide? I wouldn't.
Navalny was the leading opposition leader and Presidential contender fighting the tightly-held dictatorship of Vladimir Putin. He exposed corruption and opposed Putin's United Russia party. His Russian following exceeded millions, and many if not most Russian citizens watched or learned about the CNN show that detailed the KGB process and the PROOF of how Putin attempted to murder Navalny with poison. Navalny survived that attempted murder, only to feel the strong need to return to Russia and continue his drive for a free and just Russia. He was immediately arrested and eventually murdered. It was only a week or so ago that I predicted in a blog "that Navalny will not survive the hardships of a Siberian prison." He was sent there to die.
My soul is filled with sorrow and pain - for all of Russia, but also for all of the United States. Our country is on the verge of deciding an election choice between our own "madman" (a convicted sexual predator, a fraud conviction, and 91 criminal felony charges) and a man with almost 50 years experience in public service. The Republicans in Congress have implemented a dishonest and destructive campaign against Biden - all false information and a reflection of how Trump operates - as does Putin.
Biden inherited Trump's fiscal disaster where in his last year in office, Trump spent almost 50% more than our Treasury collected in income. (www.cbo.gov) Anyone or any country that spends 50% more than their income is headed for a fiscal disaster and probably Trump's fifth bankruptcy. By his second year in office, Biden's economic policies corrected this situation - the economy is strong, unemployment is down, the stock market is positive, inflation is down, and so on.
Biden is by far, the most qualified person to lead the United States - no matter his age. We need every American to vote for Biden in this next election as if your life depends on it - because it does!! Elizabeth
My latest message and an invitation to join my own Substack called From Democracy to Democrazy.
In the back of the book called From Democracy to Democrazy by E. Graham (www.democrazy2020.org) and published July 2023, on page 175, there is a description of the TIME 100 Edition, June 2022 called "The Most Influential Persons of 2021-2022." This edition is described by Edward Felsenthal, the Editor-in-Chief, as "Power for Good." He said "we have one barometer: INFLUENCE. Who stood up? Who stood out? Who shaped this year? Influence, of course, may be for good or for ill - a dichotomy never more visible than in this year's TIME100 which includes the Russian dictator (Putin) behind a brutal war, and his foe, the Ukrainian President (Zelensky) whose leadership has made him a rare heroic figure in our diverse time." The description of Zelensky was written by U.S. President Joe Biden, and the description of Russian President Vladimir Putin was written by Alexei Navalny.
As most of you know, Alexei Navalny, age 47, was murdered this past week in a brutal Penal Colony in Siberia, Russia. A prison where torture, starvation, and cold death were common-place. The world has lost a great hero, and Putin has put another notch in his gun.
The following is Navalny's exact words to describe Putin: "Perhaps Vladimir Putin's true mission is to teach lessons. To everyone - from world leaders and pundits to ordinary people. He has been especially good at this in 2022. He reminded us once again that a path that begins with 'just a little election rigging' ALWAYS ends with a dictatorship."
When I read this statement in TIME100, all I could think of was Donald Trump's call (which was recorded) to Brad Raffensperger (R), the Secretary of State for Georgia pressuring him to "just find 11,780 votes" in order to overturn the 2020 presidential election in their state. As a reminder, Joe Biden won that election by over 7 million votes.
Unfortunately, half our nation are victims of brainwashing who still believe Trump's lies and think the election was stolen. The only person attempting to rig the 2020 election was Trump - and he tried over and over - and eventually staged a coup to attack our Senate and stop our government from operating. Keep in mind that Trump has been convicted of business fraud - he has a long history of dishonesty and this was proven in court.
Navalny goes on to say: "Putin has reminded us all of the 'duck test' - if something looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. The very same logic should be applied to this case: if someone destroys the independent media, organizes political assassinations, and sticks to his imperial delusions, then he is a madman capable of causing a bloodbath in the center of Europe in the 21st century . . . However, the answer to the main questions he poses - how to stop an evil madman with an army, nuclear weapons, and membership in the U.N. Security Council - is yet to be answered." Guess what folks - Trump as the President of the United States, also had an army, control of nuclear weapons, and a membership in the U.S. Security Council. Would you trust a convicted felon with the button to kill other populations worldwide? I wouldn't.
Navalny was the leading opposition leader and Presidential contender fighting the tightly-held dictatorship of Vladimir Putin. He exposed corruption and opposed Putin's United Russia party. His Russian following exceeded millions, and many if not most Russian citizens watched or learned about the CNN show that detailed the KGB process and the PROOF of how Putin attempted to murder Navalny with poison.
Navalny survived that attempted murder, only to feel the strong need to return to Russia and continue his drive for a free and just Russia. He was immediately arrested and eventually murdered. It was only a week or so ago that I predicted in a blog "that Navalny will not survive the hardships of a Siberian prison. He was sent there to die."
My soul is filled with sorrow and pain - for all of Russia, but also for all of the United States. Our country is on the verge of deciding an election choice between our own "madman" (a convicted sexual predator, a fraud conviction, and 91 criminal felony charges) and a man with almost 50 years experience in public service. The Republicans in Congress have implemented a dishonest and destructive campaign against Biden - all false information and a reflection of how Trump operates - as does Putin.
Biden inherited Trump's fiscal disaster where in his last year in office, Trump spent almost 50% more than our Treasury collected in income. (The Economist) Anyone or any country that spends 50% more than their income is headed for a fiscal disaster and probably Trump's fifth bankruptcy.
By his second year in office, Biden's economic policies corrected this situation - the economy is strong, unemployment is down, the stock market is positive, inflation is down, and so on. Biden is by far, the most qualified person to lead the United States - no matter his age. We need every American to vote for Biden in this next election as if your life depends on it - because it does!!
Joe Biden has decades of experience - 36 years in Congress, 8 years as our Vice President, and 4 as the President. When he assumed the Presidency in 2021, he inherited Trump’s fiscal mess. In the 2020 budget year, revenue was $3.4 trillion while spending totaled $4.7 trillion up about 49% from the previous year. Anyone or any country that spends almost 50% more than their income is headed for disaster. Our country was well on it’s way to become the fifth Trump bankruptcy. Donald Trump increased the national debt by 40.432% - most of this in his last year of office. Biden, in his first 2 years, increased the debt by only 6.33%. Our economy has now stabilized -the job market is strong, the stock market is positive, inflation is down, and so on. Basically, there is NO other person - man or woman - that I know of who is better qualified for the job of President of the United States than Biden - no matter how old he is.
Trump on the other hand is a convicted sexual predator, a fraud and a felon with 91 charges against him. He openly disparages the U.S. military and the dedicated men and women who serve and protect our freedoms. He attempted to overthrow the U.S. government and incited a riot to destroy our Congress and to stop our government from operating. The rioters were shouting “hang Mike Pence (the Vice President).” They even constructed gallows for this purpose. Trump’s strings are all controlled by Putin - a dictator who has invaded a sovereign nation and killed thousands upon thousands of innocent people. Trump has used dictator techniques such as brainwashing on hard-working and honest people in red states - which is exactly how Hitler ruled Germany and turned a peaceful nation into mass murderers and killed millions of souls. I can almost hear those souls shouting at us and telling us to do the “right” thing before it is too late. It is time for Americans to wake up and decide between a mad-man or an experienced, well-qualified leader. This should be an easy choice. Elizabeth www.democrazy2020.org (Note: All financial figures came from www.cbo.gov)
Great observation.
It's like Trump's firehouse paralyzes the media so they go for the soft and easy target: Biden. Sarah Longwell said on the Next Level pod yesterday that her phone blew up from media regarding the Hur report. It was silent about Trump's NATO comments regarding letting Russia invade an ally. Silent.
It's lazy reporting. They need to get out of the two sides mindset and stop letting Trump control them with his bulldozer.
Are you suggesting that the media should actually, you know, work for stories, rather than go for the easy hit?
For shame, Madame!
I know. I'm so radical! 😂
You possess far more sense than you do sensibility, My Dear Miss Austen....
::tears open shirt to reveal a Chippendale Model's body, flexes my manboobs at you::
I love a good Bulwark/Sarah Longwell reference!
Gotta love her and them!
The more you speak in public, the more you make speaking mistakes. I'm a 71 year old retired academic with more than 35 years experience in the classroom and online, more than 25 years as an Associate Dean in a business school, made countless professional and research presentations, and was in more meetings then I care to remember. Hardly a week went by when I didn't misspeak about something or mispronounce something. Try talking for 2 and a half hours (graduate level night classes) and not make any mistakes. Sometimes your mistake sits in the back of your head until you then say "I think I misspoke about XYZ, here's what I should have said". Sometimes a student will correct you, and a faculty member will always correct you. How many times has a family member or friend misspoken in a conversation and you just let it slide because you know what they meant. I'm not concerned about Biden's gaffe's; I also don't spend any time thinking about Trump's gaffe's. I do spend time thinking about Trump's hatred, meanness, grifting and his other odious behavior. Trump is incompetent in every way that matters.
Good points. It's also important to note that misspeaking* and not remembering dates of events is NOT the same as having impaired judgement and the inability to process information and come to conclusions.
*I don't consider Trump repeatedly saying that he ran against Obama and beat Obama as 'misspeaking'.
TY for this great piece. In my lifetime, I have never seen a president accomplish so much. And with the barest majority AND with a completely corrupt opposing party. Biden has far exceeded not only my expectations of him but of any president. We should be so lucky to have him for a second term and I will be doing everything I can to make sure that happens.
I know this may feed into the conspiracy that Obama is running the WH, but when responding to reports of President Biden's "dementia" no one mentions that he also has a qualified, informed, intelligent team behind him that Trump lacked. Trump surrounded himself with people who would say yes, and if they didn't, he humiliated and fired them without caring if they were right.
Excellent point!!
Thank you all for your "like" of my recent message. Not only do I have a strong dedication to our democracy, but honestly believe that our country desperately needs Biden's almost 50 years in public service to guide this country through a very difficult time ahead. I spent most of my career living and working in dictator-led and communist countries. As an American, I personally witnessed the "absolute rule" of a dictator and knew that I could be imprisoned or even murdered at any time for any drummed up reason. In 2016, I heard the same type of rhetoric from Trump that I heard from Putin in the early 2000's or from Turkmanbashi (Turkmanistan) in the late 1990s. I worked closely with the Nazarbayev government in Kazakhstan, and was lucky to escape Tajikistan. I was a consultant in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Rwanda - and was smuggled into Afghanistan wearing a burqa and "local" shoes to access the treatment of women during the first Taliban era.
Believe me, I know what a dictator sounds like and behaves like - and Trump's many-sided destructiveness and his "I am God" attitude fits the bill perfectly. He doesn't care about you or me or democracy but only about himself and maybe a few family members. For him, he wants to Russians to continue paying him millions of dollars to support his lavish lifestyle. Turkmanbashi named the months of the year after his family. Trump is just another pathetic mad-man who thinks the world should worship him.
Joe Biden has the experience to lead this country and all of us need to get out and vote. I am sure that Trump will perform his usual temper-tantrum if he looses, but we survived the last one with only five deaths, vital artifacts destroyed, and over 100 Capitol police injured. To elect Trump again would mean the destruction of our way of life, our democracy, and our freedoms. Encourage every one you know to vote in this upcoming election.
Warm wishes to all of you, Elizabeth
www.democrazy2020.org
I read all of them, Elizabeth, and thanks for sharing some of your personal story. You have lived a fascinating life -- I would love to travel in Russia and Central Asia if the political situation allowed for it. Those are amazing experiences and you bring a unique perspective to discussions of US politics.
Hi Aaron: Thank you for this kind message. I shared my personal story in From Democracy to Democrazy, by Graham. www.democrazy2020.org I also have been extremely alarmed by Trump's similarities to other dictators and his many-sided destructiveness of our democracy. I still have faith that our judiciary will be able to find him guilty of criminal charges which could prevent him from running in the next election.
Both Eric Trump and Trump Jr. have publicly stated that as far back as 2008, the Trump organization had received $100 million from a Russian bank. Russian banks, who are ALL controlled by the KGB/FSB give large sums of money to foreigners for only two reasons: (1) to transfer black cash into another country's economy (which hurts the country's economy, or (2) to entrap and obligate the foreigner to work for Russia. (www.businessinsider) U.S. banks refused to loan money to Trump due to his four bankruptcies. The Russians then saved Trump from a 5th bankruptcy and at the same time trapped him. Just like good ole Al Capone, the interest earned on such a large loan would be impossible to be repaid. Trump and/or his organization was on the KGB payroll at least ten years before sleeping in the White House. Did he commit treason - my guess would be yes. While it may be impossible to prove that Trump was compromised by Russian professional prostitutes (very common practice in Russia), his tax records, business financials, and other documentation prove how long he was been working with Russia.
So while Russia and Central Asia are fascinating places to visit, I would not recommend it at this time. Any American tourist in Russia could be imprisoned on drummed-up charges just so Russia has another person to use for negotiations with the U.S. Russian prisons are cold most of the time with little to no food. I did a prison roof-top food project while working in St. Petersburg. It was like a dungeon.
Please tell everyone to get out and vote this year like your life depends on it - because it does.
Warm wishes, Elizabeth
www.democrazy2020.org, graham1elizabeth@aol.com
"Biden has if anything toned done the gaffes with age"?
Here are some possible rejoinders for Mr. Hur, regarding his apparent dark lord, the former::
Rejoinder:
A morbidly obese, syphilitic, snorting pathetic “man.”
The “man”, an evil pestiferous slob whose dyed hair and flesh oozes perfidy.
A disjointed, empty shell of a “man” from whose slimy lips continuously spew scurrility and lies.
A flatulent, corpulent oily “man” whose callous ignorance streams from its fetid maw ceaselessly.
I am a 77-year-old organizational psychologist. I worked most of my 45-year career in direct support of top federal officials - civilian agency heads, admirals, generals, the JCS, and the White House. Few colleagues have had as much time in federal board rooms as I have. Thus, I am well aware of the stress levels under which our leaders work. Their workdays are brutal both physically and mentally.
Keep in mind that the average life expectancy of a US male is only 73.5 years! Thus both Trump and Biden are living on borrowed time. Neither is hale and hardy as we all have observed both men for decades on the TV and other MSM. Cognitive-emotional mental health starts to deteriorate noticeably around age 70. That is when we notice we forget things now and then, and are more lacking in impulse control so we say and do things we later regret.
My point is this. Comparing the Trump to current Biden administration is misleading when it comes to judging leadership fitness. Both men are over the hill. When we compare administration we are talking about the work of staff members. Biden's staff are far superior to Trump's in the view of voters. Biden's staff restored our economy after Trump's failure to act effectively in response to a global pandemic. The only conclusion such a comparison validates is that Trump is more autocratic, and thus our country is more vulnerable to his deteriorating mental state than Biden, whose staff are more independent. However, as John Stewart recently pointed out - neither candidate is fit to lead the most powerful country on earth. They are out of touch with young voters and with me too. In the case of both men, we are likely to finish their terms with their vice presidents running the country.
You do have good observations. However, it is incorrect to state that Biden is out of touch. The reverse is true. His accomplishments and his philosophy are very much in touch with the majority of Americans. The problem is that the administration has not been good at communicating these achievements.
Wish the data supported you, but every poll I have seen, including the most recent one https://quchronicle.com/85557/opinion/2024-biden-disapproval-youth-israel-hamas/ supports my assertion about Biden being out of touch with younger voters (younger being Millennials and Gen X, Y, and Z. Of course Boomers too are all younger than Biden too technically.
I am aware that many young people have been disappointed by Biden’s support of Israel, which is unfortunate. That doesn’t mean that he has not supported many, if not most, of the domestic policies supported by millennials and younger.
What is disturbing to the younger people I chat with is that both Afghanistan and Gaza are evidence of an impulsive geezerly overreaction rather than a well-considered action. In both cases, they rapidly imploded into disasters that might have been avoided had a thoughtful meeting explored the situation and risks associated with how Biden should have responded. Despite the the US continuing full support for Israel after the UN and World Court found it guilty of genocide is mind-boggling to most.
Of course, the border mess continues as if Trump is still president. Then there is "Dreamers" - stopped dead by the MAGAs. There is still no limit on tuition, and debt relief is chaotic and limited. Most universities, Harvard especially, have alumni endowments so large that they could cut tuition in half and their endowments would continue to grow. To me, these issues alone justify the moniker "Sleepy Joe."
Finally, the absurd MAGA attacks on "woke" are legislatively removing civil rights around gender, internet access, sexual behavior, medical treatments and other private-none-your-business government interventions strictly so MAGA Boomers and Gen Xers values can be imposed on younger generations. Citizens United is an obscenity loathed by the young - there has been zero effort to upend legalized oligarchy. So, Biden can boast all he wants. However, it comes across to most Americans as being just as hollow as Trump's baseless boasts.
Thank you all for your "like" of my recent message. Not only do I have a strong dedication to our democracy, but honestly believe that our country desperately needs Biden's almost 50 years in public service to guide this country through a very difficult time ahead. I spent most of my career living and working in dictator-led and communist countries. As an American, I personally witnessed the "absolute rule" of a dictator and knew that I could be imprisoned or even murdered at any time for any drummed up reason. In 2016, I heard the same type of rhetoric from Trump that I heard from Putin in the early 2000's or from Turkmanbashi (Turkmanistan) in the late 1990s. I worked closely with the Nazarbayev government in Kazakhstan, and was lucky to escape Tajikistan. I was a consultant in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Rwanda - and was smuggled into Afghanistan wearing a burqa and "local" shoes to access the treatment of women during the first Taliban era.
Believe me, I know what a dictator sounds like and behaves like - and Trump's many-sided destructiveness and his "I am God" attitude fits the bill perfectly. He doesn't care about you or me or democracy but only about himself and maybe a few family members. For him, he wants to Russians to continue paying him millions of dollars to support his lavish lifestyle. Turkmanbashi named the months of the year after his family. Trump is just another pathetic mad-man who thinks the world should worship him.
Joe Biden has the experience to lead this country and all of us need to get out and vote. I am sure that Trump will perform his usual temper-tantrum if he looses, but we survived the last one with only five deaths, vital artifacts destroyed, and over 100 Capitol police injured. To elect Trump again would mean the destruction of our way of life, our democracy, and our freedoms.
Encourage every one you know to vote in this upcoming election like their lives depend on it - because they do!!!
Warm wishes to all of you, Elizabeth
www.democrazy2020.org
Dear Donald: Thank you for your kind message, and please tell everyone you know to get out and vote this year like their life depends on it - because it does. Please read From Democracy to Democrazy by Graham. www.democrazy2020.org
Here is today's writings and an invitation to join me on my own Substack called From Democracy to Democrazy.
In the back of the book called From Democracy to Democrazy by E. Graham (www.democrazy2020.org) and published July 2023, on page 175, there is a description of the TIME 100 Edition, June 2022 called "The Most Influential Persons of 2021-2022." This edition is described by Edward Felsenthal, the Editor-in-Chief, as "Power for Good." He said "we have one barometer: INFLUENCE. Who stood up? Who stood out? Who shaped this year? Influence, of course, may be for good or for ill - a dichotomy never more visible than in this year's TIME100 which includes the Russian dictator (Putin) behind a brutal war, and his foe, the Ukrainian President (Zelensky) whose leadership has made him a rare heroic figure in our diverse time." The description of Zelensky was written by U.S. President Joe Biden, and the description of Russian President Vladimir Putin was written by Alexei Navalny.
As most of you know, Alexei Navalny, age 47, was murdered this past week in a brutal Penal Colony in Siberia, Russia. A prison where torture, starvation, and cold death were common-place. The world has lost a great hero, and Putin has put another notch in his gun.
The following is Navalny's exact words to describe Putin: "Perhaps Vladimir Putin's true mission is to teach lessons. To everyone - from world leaders and pundits to ordinary people. He has been especially good at this in 2022. He reminded us once again that a path that begins with 'just a little election rigging' ALWAYS ends with a dictatorship." When I read this statement in TIME100, all I could think of was Donald Trump's call (which was recorded) to Brad Raffensperger (R), the Secretary of State for Georgia pressuring him to "just find 11,780 votes" in order to overturn the 2020 presidential election in their state. As a reminder, Joe Biden won that election by over 7 million votes.
Unfortunately, half our nation are victims of brainwashing who still believe Trump's lies and think the election was stolen. The only person attempting to rig the 2020 election was Trump - and he tried over and over - and eventually staged a coup to attack our Senate and stop our government from operating.
Navalny goes on to say: "Putin has reminded us all of the 'duck test' - if something looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. The very same logic should be applied to this case: if someone destroys the independent media, organizes political assassinations, and sticks to his imperial delusions, then he is a madman capable of causing a bloodbath in the center of Europe in the 21st century . . . However, the answer to the main questions he poses - how to stop an evil madman with an army, nuclear weapons, and membership in the U.N. Security Council - is yet to be answered." Guess what folks - Trump as the President of the United States, also had an army, control of nuclear weapons, and a membership in the U.S. Security Council. Would you trust a convicted felon with the button to kill other populations worldwide? I wouldn't.
Navalny was the leading opposition leader and Presidential contender fighting the tightly-held dictatorship of Vladimir Putin. He exposed corruption and opposed Putin's United Russia party. His Russian following exceeded millions, and many if not most Russian citizens watched or learned about the CNN show that detailed the KGB process and the PROOF of how Putin attempted to murder Navalny with poison. Navalny survived that attempted murder, only to feel the strong need to return to Russia and continue his drive for a free and just Russia. He was immediately arrested and eventually murdered. It was only a week or so ago that I predicted in a blog "that Navalny will not survive the hardships of a Siberian prison." He was sent there to die.
My soul is filled with sorrow and pain - for all of Russia, but also for all of the United States. Our country is on the verge of deciding an election choice between our own "madman" (a convicted sexual predator, a fraud conviction, and 91 criminal felony charges) and a man with almost 50 years experience in public service. The Republicans in Congress have implemented a dishonest and destructive campaign against Biden - all false information and a reflection of how Trump operates - as does Putin.
Biden inherited Trump's fiscal disaster where in his last year in office, Trump spent almost 50% more than our Treasury collected in income. (www.cbo.gov) Anyone or any country that spends 50% more than their income is headed for a fiscal disaster and probably Trump's fifth bankruptcy. By his second year in office, Biden's economic policies corrected this situation - the economy is strong, unemployment is down, the stock market is positive, inflation is down, and so on.
Biden is by far, the most qualified person to lead the United States - no matter his age. We need every American to vote for Biden in this next election as if your life depends on it - because it does!! Elizabeth
www.democrazy2020.org
My latest message and an invitation to join my own Substack called From Democracy to Democrazy.
In the back of the book called From Democracy to Democrazy by E. Graham (www.democrazy2020.org) and published July 2023, on page 175, there is a description of the TIME 100 Edition, June 2022 called "The Most Influential Persons of 2021-2022." This edition is described by Edward Felsenthal, the Editor-in-Chief, as "Power for Good." He said "we have one barometer: INFLUENCE. Who stood up? Who stood out? Who shaped this year? Influence, of course, may be for good or for ill - a dichotomy never more visible than in this year's TIME100 which includes the Russian dictator (Putin) behind a brutal war, and his foe, the Ukrainian President (Zelensky) whose leadership has made him a rare heroic figure in our diverse time." The description of Zelensky was written by U.S. President Joe Biden, and the description of Russian President Vladimir Putin was written by Alexei Navalny.
As most of you know, Alexei Navalny, age 47, was murdered this past week in a brutal Penal Colony in Siberia, Russia. A prison where torture, starvation, and cold death were common-place. The world has lost a great hero, and Putin has put another notch in his gun.
The following is Navalny's exact words to describe Putin: "Perhaps Vladimir Putin's true mission is to teach lessons. To everyone - from world leaders and pundits to ordinary people. He has been especially good at this in 2022. He reminded us once again that a path that begins with 'just a little election rigging' ALWAYS ends with a dictatorship."
When I read this statement in TIME100, all I could think of was Donald Trump's call (which was recorded) to Brad Raffensperger (R), the Secretary of State for Georgia pressuring him to "just find 11,780 votes" in order to overturn the 2020 presidential election in their state. As a reminder, Joe Biden won that election by over 7 million votes.
Unfortunately, half our nation are victims of brainwashing who still believe Trump's lies and think the election was stolen. The only person attempting to rig the 2020 election was Trump - and he tried over and over - and eventually staged a coup to attack our Senate and stop our government from operating. Keep in mind that Trump has been convicted of business fraud - he has a long history of dishonesty and this was proven in court.
Navalny goes on to say: "Putin has reminded us all of the 'duck test' - if something looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. The very same logic should be applied to this case: if someone destroys the independent media, organizes political assassinations, and sticks to his imperial delusions, then he is a madman capable of causing a bloodbath in the center of Europe in the 21st century . . . However, the answer to the main questions he poses - how to stop an evil madman with an army, nuclear weapons, and membership in the U.N. Security Council - is yet to be answered." Guess what folks - Trump as the President of the United States, also had an army, control of nuclear weapons, and a membership in the U.S. Security Council. Would you trust a convicted felon with the button to kill other populations worldwide? I wouldn't.
Navalny was the leading opposition leader and Presidential contender fighting the tightly-held dictatorship of Vladimir Putin. He exposed corruption and opposed Putin's United Russia party. His Russian following exceeded millions, and many if not most Russian citizens watched or learned about the CNN show that detailed the KGB process and the PROOF of how Putin attempted to murder Navalny with poison.
Navalny survived that attempted murder, only to feel the strong need to return to Russia and continue his drive for a free and just Russia. He was immediately arrested and eventually murdered. It was only a week or so ago that I predicted in a blog "that Navalny will not survive the hardships of a Siberian prison. He was sent there to die."
My soul is filled with sorrow and pain - for all of Russia, but also for all of the United States. Our country is on the verge of deciding an election choice between our own "madman" (a convicted sexual predator, a fraud conviction, and 91 criminal felony charges) and a man with almost 50 years experience in public service. The Republicans in Congress have implemented a dishonest and destructive campaign against Biden - all false information and a reflection of how Trump operates - as does Putin.
Biden inherited Trump's fiscal disaster where in his last year in office, Trump spent almost 50% more than our Treasury collected in income. (The Economist) Anyone or any country that spends 50% more than their income is headed for a fiscal disaster and probably Trump's fifth bankruptcy.
By his second year in office, Biden's economic policies corrected this situation - the economy is strong, unemployment is down, the stock market is positive, inflation is down, and so on. Biden is by far, the most qualified person to lead the United States - no matter his age. We need every American to vote for Biden in this next election as if your life depends on it - because it does!!
Elizabeth
www.democrazy2020.org