So much is happening that I am overwhelmed and spend whole days in front of my screen reading, and evenings poring over books, writers' fodder. Most writers read a lot.
But scarcely a word has escaped my "pen"a few blips in the last six months, a Valentine's Day blog most recently.
I've already written about the Execrable Trump and his followers and coterie and, on the other end of things, about my ambivalence about acquiring another catI've lost count of how many I've owned in the past, including several litters of kittens I've successfully given away.
I've written about the voting law abominations spreading like toxic lava to 43 states so far and counting.
But not enough.
Had I peered into the future from the deaf wilderness ignoring "election integrity" issues in 2001, I'd be amazed that our issues would climb to the headlines and editorials and op-eds and features, as well as prime time network TV, not to mention social media. I'd be devastated about the sacrilege of parody that the Trump Republicans have re-created from the issues and values we championed, to the point that some activists want to substitute other terminology for election integrity. This term was actually first co-opted, to my knowledge, by the right-wing True the Vote, offspring of the Tea Party, at the turn of the last decade along with Project Redmap that is so abetting the havoc in progress of voting legislation of canceling all but white supremacist policies.
Project Redmap painted a majority of state legislatures its signature color in 2010, which in turn abetted the scarlet gerrymandering that quickly followed.
Every day I scour the media to be sure that election-related corruption is covered and analyzed and tell myself that at least I don't bear the burden of having to report on it myselfothers are doing a great job at it, but no excuse for this vet to remain silent, as MLK admonished. What can I add that hasn't been said, or review in a meaningful context?
Nauseating angst about Elections 2022 and 2024, bound to be corrupted? So many close-call elections have since E2020 been awarded to the Republican candidate. But I read yesterday that five Republican senators are retiring as of 2022, all in states that the Democrats have a chance of winning. This raises the specter of a blue Senate and red HR, which is already predicted. Whaat can be accomplished?
The Senate alone confirms most of the president's appointments and advises and consents to most treaties. But the HR is involved in treaties related to foreign trade and approval of choices of the vice president.
Not much? Back to executive orders as the most effective recourse?
Senators represent far fewer of we the people than Representatives ideally do, though the stats are grim in the latter case because of gerrymandering. Senator Manchin thinks that small-state representation by the same number of senators as California is fineread his op-ed in the Washington Post yesterday.
Elections 2022 and 2024 also promise credibly to yield hostile controversy over all results, not only close ones. Violence is a predictable reaction. The Elections Assistance Commission (EAC) is being sued for allowing ES&S (Electronic Systems and Software), the by far largest vendor of electronic voting machinery in this country, for allowing the attachment of modems to these devices, even though the EAC has disallowed this in its most recent Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG).
The right wing will seize on this for their purposes, just as they lashed out, along with the "left" (traditional election integrity activists), against Dominion Election Systems (the second-largest vendor in this country). But the Trump Republicans accused the company of fixing the elections in Biden's favor while the EI advocates oppose the specific technology used to record and count votes. Note that ES&S has traditionally supported the right at many levels, from financial support to other forms of collusion I have written about in the past.
Dominion is suing the Trump Republicans for the damaging misinformation, to the tune of $2bn and some change, lots of it.
At this point, as a long-time EI advocate, which is by definition a nonpartisan stance, I have to berate myself for partisanship. Substitute "right wing" for every "red" partisan reference above but alas, I'm accurate in terminology as is.
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Also plaguing me is the McConnell-brand obstructionism blocking essential and exigent changes that must occur if we are to have a chance at saving the world if not the people here and our infrastructure. And so much more.
And Democrats are abetting this attitude: Manchin most outspokenly, insisting on reaching across the aisle. If Biden has just about given up, how does he propose to accomplish this? By voting with them?
"Instead of fixating on eliminating the filibuster or shortcutting the legislative process through budget reconciliation, it is time we do our jobs."
Famous last words, Joe III. The majority of the people in this country supported the Recovery Act and want the infrastructure legislation to pass. Isn't supporting the people's will your ultimate job? Isn't infrastructure improvement vital to the welfare of your own West Virginians? I'm know that you've been reminded of this "pork."
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Some crucial issues are in play: white supremacy rule vs. ethical representation of the will of a growing majority. It is amazing how McConnell has tweaked the system in his cohorts' and whole party's favor so effectively: minority rule. And mangling of the real form of election protection furthers this goal. Election 2022 will react to these issues and point the way forward.
Every person in this country must be addressed one on one, in terms of needs and education and face-to-face interaction, a tall order. We have to work harder than ever. I've said this before. The work of democracy now must be excruciating or its values will be crucified, a cognate term. The oxymoron? Die for democracy to keep it alive.
