Checkout the 11/29 episode of “the daily” podcast. Turns out abortions have increased nationwide since the overturning of Roe. Another example of fuck you we win!
I am watching this, doc about Romania's Decree 770 which banned abortion and contraception. Other docs have been focused on the orphanages, this is about the women. Some of it is reminiscent of the USA now. 'When is an abortion needed to save a woman's life, a Dr has to have approval from a militia man or policeman to perform it' https://youtu.be/rNP-ybp0AYo?si=mgTdnGzoaVcvBs5W
Those anti choice folks saying that people don't get to vote because they made their choice by electing their representatives are spouting a faulty argument since Ohio allows citizens to submit amendments. This is in line with the funding fathers who always saw the people as the final protection against a corrupt government.
How can the Catholic Church keep its tax exempt status when they’re literally stealing money from parishioners to make women 2nd class citizens? It’s a travesty. Tax the churches now.
The church activity is very organized and becoming more so, even on college campuses. An independent journalist could write an informative article about the money churches are donating from their Sunday donation plates to candidates, PACS, and anti-choice organizations, which is often listed on FEC reports under “individual” donations. I think some parishioners would be shocked, just as someone reported recently in a thread.
I just watched: People You May Know documentary (on Apple) which came out in 2020 and ties Cambridge Analytica to CNP and churches. Highly recommend.
That's easy, they have millennia of practice of screwing their congregation over. If only their parishioners would smarten the hell up, and cut them off for their bad behavior, they would knock it off, and return to maybe doing what the J-dude said to do: and stay out of politics and pay their taxes. (render unto Caesar, etc...).
Yeah, so many invoke the J-dude but very few actually absorb the things he said. And you don't have to believe in the divine to accept that telling the truth, being humble, and taking care of the less fortunate, would be a pretty good way to live.
Yes, the Catholics are particularly awful because they have such a huge, old, power structure (and I come from a Catholic family), but other Christian churches have plenty of their own sins. I don't trust any organized religion.
I'd like to give a shout out to scientology. Htf did those loons get and are able to keep being tax exempt? Hubbard beats orangie poo head in grifting too. He's still doing it despite being dead for decades.
Hubbard was a piss-poor sci-fi writer, who started the religion on a of a bar bet between L. Ron Hubbard and Robert A. Heinlein, if I recall correctly. Germany refused to recognize them as a church for decades. Unfortunately they do what they have always done ,threw a huge amount of money at the problem, and won their case. They actually killed a woman here in St. Pete at their 'temple' she had called her family and said she was trying to leave them. That was the last they heard from her, she never made it out. and they locked her up with no food or water, then some of them dumped her in the hospital parking lot as she lay dying. There was a big lawsuit over it, but eventually they beat it.
Yes! And they've got Elisabeth Moss too. In her defense, her parents were Scientologists so she learned it as a kid, and when you think about it, most people first heard the Christian story when they were children, or that one would seem pretty fishy too. (And yeah I guess that might be a pun since a lot of Christians use the fish as a symbol!)
Yes, and yet so many Catholics are such lovely people, the evil done in their name though...
I recognize many good people find comfort in religion, but I find anyone telling me what to think abhorrent, and the indoctrination is deplorable. I live in the south, where it is routinely used as a tool of oppression. I also trust no organized religion.
One other thing, separate from the other comment, is I do still think our side should be more careful about how we talk about gerrymandering. Wherever Republicans win statewide elections, you would expect them to win the legislatures, regardless of the maps. Maps can give them more seats than what's fair, but it's less common to flip control. For an example of that you need something like my home state of Wisconsin, where Democrats often get narrow statewide victories but the legislature is rock solid Republican. Our supreme court is looking at those maps right now btw. In the past it's been an issue in Michigan and Pennsylvania, but they have maps that are supposed to be neutral now, and it's just that geography gives Republicans an edge because the Democratic vote is so concentrated in a few cities. North Carolina is a problem but that's because the voters elected a Republican supreme court (among other statewide races). If Democrats ever start winning state races in Georgia, then that could be a situation like WI, MI, PA. But Texas, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa and all the other southern and western states with horrific bans, have solidly Republican legislatures not because of gerrymandering, but because these are red states, full of voters who don't like Democrats and elect people like Mike DeWine, Ron DeSantis, and Greg Abbott, by double digits. If we tell Democratic voters they don't win because 'gerrymandering', that's not an accurate representation of the facts, and holding misinformation tends to make it harder for people to address the problems that do exist.
The main reason Democrats don’t win is largely due to people not voting. From this lens, your gerrymandering comment carries weight. What Dems really need is to dummy down what they have accomplished into short easily digestible slogans as well as provide hope through policy for the future. Complaining too much about gerrymandering doesn’t provide a positive reason to vote. The language needs flipped as a challenge, in spite of, we can overcome IF we show up to fight for reproductive freedoms, healthcare needs, safety, quality education, economic stability, democracy.
Yes, but the problem is afaik the research doesn't really suggest that the non-voting population would skew any more Democratic than those who do. I know that's sometimes hard to believe, but when you consider that Republicans do better among the less educated it makes more sense. It's not that people are necessarily against those things; it's that they don't believe Democratic policy will bring them about. So it's at least as much about needing to persuade them to vote Democratic as it is about persuading them to vote at all.
Sharing my concern that Narxcare will be used to track abortion medication. This has been used for some time to target disabled and physicians and it may now be used to target women.
If Republicans win next year's election we won't have to worry about democracy anymore anyway. People here understand, but every citizen needs to know that a Republican win would give them complete control of all branches of the federal government, putting them in a stronger position than any party since at least the Democrats in 1965. I'd be very surprised if they didn't very quickly become very unpopular, and that's when they have to decide if they really want to risk losing their power in free and fair elections in '26 and '28. My guess is not, and they push the limits of what's within the bounds of democracy, with 'national security' laws to stifle dissent and such. This newsletter is the type of publication that wouldn't be allowed by the end of 2025, or maybe it would be technically legal but Jessica wouldn't be allowed to publish it. Anyhow happy holidays.
Yeah. I absolutely HATE surprises. So my way of coping is to imagine the worst, and let it ruminate in my mind, until it seems almost 'normal' or manageable, and I can try to tell myself, okay, we can handle this. (And also that way any surprises are good ones). That might not be anyone else's way of coping ! but I do think there is a lot of strength in the American people and if we are pushed hard enough we will respond, and that it's good to be prepared. I just would much rather defeat the fascists before they take power, rather than after, because I know so many people are going to get hurt if America ends up learning this the hard way.
Checkout the 11/29 episode of “the daily” podcast. Turns out abortions have increased nationwide since the overturning of Roe. Another example of fuck you we win!
Thanks, Jessica. I actually find shorter emails a bit easier to handle so I like this new approach.
I am watching this, doc about Romania's Decree 770 which banned abortion and contraception. Other docs have been focused on the orphanages, this is about the women. Some of it is reminiscent of the USA now. 'When is an abortion needed to save a woman's life, a Dr has to have approval from a militia man or policeman to perform it' https://youtu.be/rNP-ybp0AYo?si=mgTdnGzoaVcvBs5W
Thanks for posting this.
Those anti choice folks saying that people don't get to vote because they made their choice by electing their representatives are spouting a faulty argument since Ohio allows citizens to submit amendments. This is in line with the funding fathers who always saw the people as the final protection against a corrupt government.
I like the autocorrect typo in a sentence about corrupt government :) The Funding Fathers indeed!
Oops!
How can the Catholic Church keep its tax exempt status when they’re literally stealing money from parishioners to make women 2nd class citizens? It’s a travesty. Tax the churches now.
The church activity is very organized and becoming more so, even on college campuses. An independent journalist could write an informative article about the money churches are donating from their Sunday donation plates to candidates, PACS, and anti-choice organizations, which is often listed on FEC reports under “individual” donations. I think some parishioners would be shocked, just as someone reported recently in a thread.
I just watched: People You May Know documentary (on Apple) which came out in 2020 and ties Cambridge Analytica to CNP and churches. Highly recommend.
Also- https://youtu.be/1P7Peah0xPI?feature=shared
Oxford U interview with those who made the documentary.
And - https://apple.news/Ahw8MJm2zRj-EVKRmXqR_jg
That's easy, they have millennia of practice of screwing their congregation over. If only their parishioners would smarten the hell up, and cut them off for their bad behavior, they would knock it off, and return to maybe doing what the J-dude said to do: and stay out of politics and pay their taxes. (render unto Caesar, etc...).
Yeah, so many invoke the J-dude but very few actually absorb the things he said. And you don't have to believe in the divine to accept that telling the truth, being humble, and taking care of the less fortunate, would be a pretty good way to live.
I mean, he actually says to be a good citizen by helping those less fortunate, and to pay taxes. None of which these venal Bishops want to do.
Yes, the Catholics are particularly awful because they have such a huge, old, power structure (and I come from a Catholic family), but other Christian churches have plenty of their own sins. I don't trust any organized religion.
I'd like to give a shout out to scientology. Htf did those loons get and are able to keep being tax exempt? Hubbard beats orangie poo head in grifting too. He's still doing it despite being dead for decades.
Hubbard was a piss-poor sci-fi writer, who started the religion on a of a bar bet between L. Ron Hubbard and Robert A. Heinlein, if I recall correctly. Germany refused to recognize them as a church for decades. Unfortunately they do what they have always done ,threw a huge amount of money at the problem, and won their case. They actually killed a woman here in St. Pete at their 'temple' she had called her family and said she was trying to leave them. That was the last they heard from her, she never made it out. and they locked her up with no food or water, then some of them dumped her in the hospital parking lot as she lay dying. There was a big lawsuit over it, but eventually they beat it.
Yes! And they've got Elisabeth Moss too. In her defense, her parents were Scientologists so she learned it as a kid, and when you think about it, most people first heard the Christian story when they were children, or that one would seem pretty fishy too. (And yeah I guess that might be a pun since a lot of Christians use the fish as a symbol!)
Yes, and yet so many Catholics are such lovely people, the evil done in their name though...
I recognize many good people find comfort in religion, but I find anyone telling me what to think abhorrent, and the indoctrination is deplorable. I live in the south, where it is routinely used as a tool of oppression. I also trust no organized religion.
Yes, and there are also so many charities that are so much more worthy than religious organizations.
One other thing, separate from the other comment, is I do still think our side should be more careful about how we talk about gerrymandering. Wherever Republicans win statewide elections, you would expect them to win the legislatures, regardless of the maps. Maps can give them more seats than what's fair, but it's less common to flip control. For an example of that you need something like my home state of Wisconsin, where Democrats often get narrow statewide victories but the legislature is rock solid Republican. Our supreme court is looking at those maps right now btw. In the past it's been an issue in Michigan and Pennsylvania, but they have maps that are supposed to be neutral now, and it's just that geography gives Republicans an edge because the Democratic vote is so concentrated in a few cities. North Carolina is a problem but that's because the voters elected a Republican supreme court (among other statewide races). If Democrats ever start winning state races in Georgia, then that could be a situation like WI, MI, PA. But Texas, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa and all the other southern and western states with horrific bans, have solidly Republican legislatures not because of gerrymandering, but because these are red states, full of voters who don't like Democrats and elect people like Mike DeWine, Ron DeSantis, and Greg Abbott, by double digits. If we tell Democratic voters they don't win because 'gerrymandering', that's not an accurate representation of the facts, and holding misinformation tends to make it harder for people to address the problems that do exist.
The main reason Democrats don’t win is largely due to people not voting. From this lens, your gerrymandering comment carries weight. What Dems really need is to dummy down what they have accomplished into short easily digestible slogans as well as provide hope through policy for the future. Complaining too much about gerrymandering doesn’t provide a positive reason to vote. The language needs flipped as a challenge, in spite of, we can overcome IF we show up to fight for reproductive freedoms, healthcare needs, safety, quality education, economic stability, democracy.
Yes, but the problem is afaik the research doesn't really suggest that the non-voting population would skew any more Democratic than those who do. I know that's sometimes hard to believe, but when you consider that Republicans do better among the less educated it makes more sense. It's not that people are necessarily against those things; it's that they don't believe Democratic policy will bring them about. So it's at least as much about needing to persuade them to vote Democratic as it is about persuading them to vote at all.
Thanks so much for this important work.
Sharing my concern that Narxcare will be used to track abortion medication. This has been used for some time to target disabled and physicians and it may now be used to target women.
If Republicans win next year's election we won't have to worry about democracy anymore anyway. People here understand, but every citizen needs to know that a Republican win would give them complete control of all branches of the federal government, putting them in a stronger position than any party since at least the Democrats in 1965. I'd be very surprised if they didn't very quickly become very unpopular, and that's when they have to decide if they really want to risk losing their power in free and fair elections in '26 and '28. My guess is not, and they push the limits of what's within the bounds of democracy, with 'national security' laws to stifle dissent and such. This newsletter is the type of publication that wouldn't be allowed by the end of 2025, or maybe it would be technically legal but Jessica wouldn't be allowed to publish it. Anyhow happy holidays.
I agree with this, I just wish I didn't have to choose "like" to express it, because I sure don't like that it's a strong possibility!
Yeah. I absolutely HATE surprises. So my way of coping is to imagine the worst, and let it ruminate in my mind, until it seems almost 'normal' or manageable, and I can try to tell myself, okay, we can handle this. (And also that way any surprises are good ones). That might not be anyone else's way of coping ! but I do think there is a lot of strength in the American people and if we are pushed hard enough we will respond, and that it's good to be prepared. I just would much rather defeat the fascists before they take power, rather than after, because I know so many people are going to get hurt if America ends up learning this the hard way.