This is both my personal learning project and my contribution in the struggle to confront the ongoing Republican/ libertarian assault on rational science and constructive learning, as manifested in their malicious strategic Attacks on Science ~ A collection of articles, scientific resources, plus my own essays and indepth critique of various presentations from unidirectional-skeptics ~ Hopefully a resource for the busy, yet discerning, student who's concerned about the health of our Earth
{A disconnected individual who believes "truth" is anything he wants it to be.}
DO YOU SHARE MY FEARS FOR THE DESTRUCTION TRUMP'S PEOPLE PROMISE TO REIGN ON AMERICAN AGENCIES ALL OF US DEPEND ON
FOR PROTECTIONS AND HELP AND A WAY OF LIFE TOO MAY TAKE FOR GRANTED? THIS IS FOR KEEPS !
THEN YOU MUST MAKE YOUR FEELINGS KNOWN NOW !
AMERICA LITERALLY DEPENDS ON YOU ADDING YOUR VOICE TO THE CHORUS. YES, THIS IS FOR KEEPS !
Remember politicians are hard of hearing, we must shout to be heard.
IMMEDIATELY, BECAUSE THERE ARE ONLY DAYS TO GO BEFORE
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE MEETS TO MAKE
TRUMP OUR RUSSIAN OBLIGATE PRESIDENT-ELECT.
GET THAT. HE IS NOT THE PRESIDENT YET.
NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE YOUR STATEMENT,
THE REST WILL BE HISTORY.
http://www.december19.us - Here's a movement we've been looking for and it needs your support. Protest where it needs to happen, better late, than . . . We need to send the Electoral College a clear message they have a obligation to our United States Constitution and to protecting our America as one nation indivisible.
For all the protests I read about after Trump’s election, I don’t recall hearing anything indicating that those protests rose above venting, that's a big shame.
What we need is protesting with a determined purpose -
The following is a collection of the articles I've lifted quotes from, I've also included links to their full stories. I hope this collection will help inform. Feel free to copy and pass along. CC
December 11, 2016:
Trump vs. Congress on Russian hacking
Senators Want Investigation Into Russian Election Hacking
CIA At War With FBI – Over Trump
Intelligence figures fear Trump reprisals over assessment of Russia election role
December 10, 2016:
Dem congressman: Electoral College has 'right' to weigh Russian hacking
Mr. Trump responds to CIA report of Russian Hacking ** UPDATED **
Schumer calls for full investigation by Congress of Russian interference in U.S. elections
It’s looking more and more like the election was swung by the FBI in virtual ‘alliance with Putin’
KRUGMAN: Trump will turn America into an 'all-out kleptocracy' like Russia and Ukraine
The Russian Hack Cracked?
How Russian Hackers Can Blackmail Donald Trump—and the GOP
Calls Grow For A New Presidential Election To Be Held After Russia Meddled To Help Trump
Ex-CIA Operative Wants an Election Re-Do Amid Reports of Russian Interference
June 20, 2016:
Is the Kremlin Readying for a Trump Administration?
… Cicilline appears to be the first member of Congress and the highest-ranking elected official in the country to endorse the notion that electors aren’t simply rubber stamps for their states’ popular vote. Earlier Saturday, he retweeted a Rhode Island-based national security expert who argued that the intelligence community “must brief electoral college about Russia before vote.”
Cicilline’s comments come amid the explosive determination by the U.S. intelligence community that Russia interfered in the presidential election in support of Donald Trump. Trump’s transition team has forcefully denied the conclusion.
DemocrEC.org. I listened to this video interview of Amanda Werner, co-founder of the organization and found her well spoken and her ideas worth pursuing and supporting. Then I went to their website to read more and was further convinced of the need to support this effort. This is exactly the sort of information that needs to be broadcast from a thousand beacons of hope in what promises to be a very trying period in American and world history, when the political might of the Oligarchs are going to do all they can to destroy anything that hinders their blind obsessions in any way. I've copied the following off their blog. It explains their goals and the reasoning behind the effort and why some fights are worth the effort even if you don't really expect to win. Go figure America. It's your move. _____________________________________________________
Trump tells Americans: “The president can’t have a conflict of interest!”
How about if Americans tell the Electoral College to, "Dump Trump"?
NOW is the time to think twice and vocally object before empowering this wanna be businessman dictator and Russian Obligate as the President of our United States.
The Electoral College can Dump Donald Trump on Dec. 19. But will they? We spoke to one woman who thinks so. Amanda Werner is the Co-founder of DemocrEC.org, an upstart network of techie activists poised to lobby delegates to the Electoral College to reject Donald Trump when they convene in state capitols around the country on Dec. 19.
DemocrEC is a network of concerned citizens fully invested in honoring democracy and safeguarding America's future. We are an independent, grassroots, unfunded effort. \ https://democrec.org/contact/
Driving to a job the other morning I heard an interview on “Love of Earth” a NPR program with Alden Meyer a proud old environmental warrior, Directory of Strategy and Policy for the Union of Concerned Scientists. His advice: “People should just hold their horses a little bit and wait and see what develops. Let Mr. Trump get his transition team in place, get his key nominees in place, and then see how it plays out.”
That response was like getting slapped in the face on top of everything else that’s occurring (... and that’s not occurring.). Appeasement at it very worst in a time when Meyer and the UCS should be broadcasting and explaining how serious of a national crisis our country has been tossed into. Nothing less than the active engagement of millions of previous sideliners into our national political dialogue will temper their future achievements.
Don’t forget Trump and his Alt-Right and neo-Republican people have promised to dismantle huge programs and protections that our nation and its people’s wellbeing have come to rely on, given half a change. We've f'n given them a full house. Wake up the oligarchs are in charge now.
Democrats and traditional Republicans have proven themselves to be impotent, younger generations you better step up, lordie knows none of us older ones has your back.
The Paris Climate Agreement came into force just before COP22 in Marrakech, this year’s high level UN Climate talks that ended November 18th. Alden Meyer of the Union of Concerned Scientists tells host Steve Curwood member countries at the meeting in Morocco are determined to push ahead with implementing the Paris deal and work on climate protection even though the incoming US president vowed during his campaign he would ‘rip up’ the Paris accord. (09:45)
Demand investigation of FBI's Comey and Trump's Commie Business Connections!
I’ve been seeing a lot of post election directionless venting and finger pointing. The massive protests amaze me, as I wonder where was all that passion before the election, when it could have accomplished something? And now? Where’s any focus besides being mad that Trump won? Why not focus on demanding answers to nagging question of national security importance?
I don’t mean answers about FBI Director Comey's election manipulating Clinton Email announcements. Clinton totally failed in preparing for that inevitability, and she was never capable of putting that contrived scandal into understandable perspective. Her failing. Our loss.
That’s chump change next to demanding that FBI Director Comey explain why he covered up, dismissed and basically hid Trump’s extensive foreign business entanglements with governments that I’ve always known to be USA’s proclaimed enemies. I’ve been writing letters and trying to agitate interest in the Dworkin Report which details some of Trump’s entangles and petitions the Democratic Party to show some interest. Make no mistake, this is of national security interest and if Democrats don’t make a stand now, the Alt-right will steamroller us these next four years.
DEMOCRACY USE IT OR LOSS IT ! Stop waiting for someone else to do the work for you! Contact your Representatives, demand answers and action now. Remember the Elector College doesn’t meet until December 19th. The time to make a stink is now!
I know Obama is bending over backward to be Presidential and ensure a smooth transition I can’t fault him for defending his FBI Director Comey, but we have a democracy and he is our lead, but it is our government and er deserve and must take the right to protest FBI Director Comey one-sided selective meddling in the 2016 US election process.
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Franken Calls for Hearings Into ‘Rogue Elements’ in FBI Trying to Influence Election
“I think it was troubling that [Comey] put that vague letter out 11 days before the election,” Franken said on CNN’s State of the Union. “I think even more troubling is what we’ve heard from sort of the rogue elements within the FBI, seemingly tipping off former Mayor [Rudy] Guliani that something was up … That’s not the FBI. That’s not what the FBI is supposed to do. So I’m on the Judiciary Committee. I’m sure we will have hearings. I’m sure that FBI Director Comey will be before us, and I think he should answer questions about this… What’s been happening there has been a little hinky, I think, so we’ll be asking him questions.”
Franken said the hearings would get to the bottom of the “rogue element within the FBI” that thought it was appropriate to go outside the agency “trying to affect the election.” Franken added agents were responding to “scurrilous right-wing books,” seemingly referring to Peter Schweizer’s book Clinton Cash, which uncovered favorable deals made between Clinton Foundation donors and Clinton’s State Department.
“That’s disturbing, and if you’re the Director of the FBI, you should be able to prevent that from happening,” he said.
“So you’re calling for hearings to talk to Director Comey about what you call rogue elements in the FBI?” host Jake Tapper asked.
“Yeah,” Franken said. “I think that there should be hearings, and I’m certain there will be hearings in the Judiciary Committee on this matter.” …
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DOJ Complaint Filed Against FBI Director James Comey For Interfering In Presidential Election
By Jason Easley on Fri, Oct 28th, 2016 at 4:35 pm (Ancient history, where are the protester demanding we see some results ? We have only a couple weeks to make a big stink and get our point across.
A complaint has been filed against FBI Director James Comey with Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility that accuses him of interfering in a presidential election.
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BREAKING: Comey Admits to Fabricating Email Investigation, Rigging Election in FBI Secret Memo
… “Of course we don’t ordinarily tell Congress about ongoing investigations, but here I feel an obligation to do so given that I testified repeatedly in recent months that our investigation was completed,” Comey wrote. “I also think it would be misleading to the American people were we not to supplement the record.
“At the same time, however, given that we do not know the significance of this newly discovered collection of emails, I don’t want to create a misleading impression,” Comey’s letter continued. “In trying to strike that balance, in a brief letter, and in the middle of an election season, there is significant risk of being misunderstood, but I wanted you to hear directy from me about it.”
Senior Justice Department officials warned the FBI that Director James B. Comey’s decision to notify Congress about renewing the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server was not consistent with long-standing practices of the department, according to officials familiar with the discussions.
Comey told Justice officials that he intended to inform lawmakers of newly discovered emails. These officials told him the department’s position “that we don’t comment on an ongoing investigation. And we don’t take steps that will be viewed as influencing an election,” said one Justice official who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the high-level conversations.
“Director Comey understood our position. He heard it from Justice leadership,” said the official. “It was conveyed to the FBI, and Comey made an independent decision to alert the Hill. He is operating independently of the Justice Department. And he knows it.”
Comey decided to inform Congress that he would look again into Hillary Clinton’s handling of emails during her time as secretary of state for two main reasons: a sense of obligation to lawmakers and a concern that word of the new email discovery would leak to the media and raise questions of a coverup.
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Journalists Blast The FBI For Meddling In 2016 Election(but where is the public outrage at Director Comey for hiding Trump’s extensive business entanglements with sworn enemies of the United States?)
Media outlets and journalists sharply criticized the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for interfering in the presidential election after Director James Comey violated precedent and policy by sending a letter to Congress saying the agency is reviewing newly discovered emails surrounding Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s use of a private server as secretary of state. That announcement was followed by a series of additional leaks from the FBI.
FBI Agents Leak Allegations About Clinton And Trump Investigations After Director Breaks Rules And Precedent To Inform Congress About Update To Clinton Email Probe
This afternoon I received a most surprising and humbling phone call from Democratic National Committee interim chairperson Donna Brazile. Our email exchange caught her attention because although I was heaping scorn, she noticed the thoughtful thread running through my missive, which sadly appears to have been a singular exception in the deluge of anger she’s currently receiving.
I think she reached out because of curiosity, respect for my forwardness and to voice her support and encouragement for this effort. I suspect she also wanted to do a little venting of her own, which was alright considering what she's been going through. She made some excellent points to ponder.
She asked me if I’d been contacting my Senator and Representative, or how many letters to the editor I’d written before the election? She pointed out that a couple months back while the DNC was doing its best to investigate the Russian computer hacks, where were the Democratic Senators and Representatives voicing concern and demanding that more be done by the FBI and others?
Where was the concern and attention of our news media? Where were concerned Democratic voters and other citizens when the DNC needed their encouragement and prodding. That’s how democracy works, only if you are putting pressure on your Representatives are you guaranteed action! That’s the lesson the Alt-right has been perfecting under our noses for a couple decades now, will this experience help us learn?
Yesterday I sent an email to DNC's Donna Brazile, it was on their webpage and I didn't think to make a copy so I can't share that note which basically introduced her to my two previous posts and asked about the Dworkin Report. I received the following response this morning. It's message demands to be examined. I share the email I have sent her. I'm sharing it here because I'm really hoping maybe a few others will step up and do some letter writing and information sharing.
The DNC thinks it can ride out every set back such as losing the majority of local and state leadership positions and losing the most important and winnable election of our time. What do you think. We The People get the government we deserve. What are you willing to do to help protect our way of governing against this coming Russian Obligate President?
First thing you must do is understand, this isn't about taking out frustrations.
This is about recognizing gross failures thus enabling you and the DNC to learn from them.
No obstacles were put in our way! That's simply your way to justify repeating the same mistakes Democrats have been making in election after election (I’m still haunted by 2000’s totally unnecessary loss and its ultimate cost.).
When are you going to stop being so causal about these profound failures that need to be fully recognized and learned from, because it’s obvious the current DNC does not grasp what’s happening out here in America.
Now we've been forced into that unimaginable situation where the Alt-right has been handed our US government so they can really get into high gear dismantling important government agencies and various aspects of our way of life, that promises to only get uglier the more compliant you folks get. Ms. Brazile, your response to me and others is nothing but sweeping it under the rug. Democrats have a right to expect better from you or at least the DNC.
It's about recognizing mistakes > and learning from them!
It's about using your DNC mailing list to inform Americans and encourage them to take action and get involved because only a strong public engagement will temper the coming horrors of the Alt-right owned Trump Administration.
Which brings me back to my Dworkin Report questions, which you so deftly ignored altogether in your response to me.
WASHINGTON ― On Thursday, Democratic Party officials held their first staff meeting since Hillary Clinton’s stunning loss to Donald Trump in the presidential race. It didn’t go well.
Donna Brazile, the interim leader of the Democratic National Committee, was giving what one attendee described as “a rip-roaring speech” to about 150 employees, about the need to have hope for wins going forward, when a staffer identified only as Zach stood up with a question.
“Why should we trust you as chair to lead us through this?” he asked, according to two people in the room. “You backed a flawed candidate, and your friend [former DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz] plotted through this to support your own gain and yourself.”