Ken Said That

Personal blog of Ken Rogers

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Ken's Political Point

As we all know, November 5, 2024 will be the day that America decides its future. Its citizens will either choose to remain a democracy or follow a fascist into autocracy. Given what we know about the presidential candidates, there is one clear choice for those who believe in the Constitution and the rule of law, something that no one is immune to (the other candidate wants to "suspend the Constitution"). In a race where there's a former prosecutor running against a felon with 34 convictions and counting should be a no-brainer, yet the 2024 U.S. Presidential Race is statistically tied. I could literally list a hundred reasons why one of the candidates is unfit for the office but I know that it wouldn't sway anyone's opinion. Given that, I urge you to check out the political playbook for one of the candidates. If you believe that Project 2025 (aka Agenda 47) is something that you're cool with, then have at it (click the link to download the "Mandate for Leadership" pdf). For those who believe in bodily autonomy and the right to privacy without government interfere, then Project 2025 is not for you. If you believe that the police should be given carte blanche to stop-and-frisk (whether the accused "fit the description" or not) with impunity, then Agenda 47 is for you (by the way, if you're cool with that while allowing the president and his cronies to go hog wild with law breaking, then you're a hypocrite). If you want the government to keep you informed of the weather as opposed to abolishing NOAA (along with other government agencies) and privatizing the National Weather Service, then you should be opposed to Project 2025. As you can see, I could literally go on and on about the dangers of Project 2025/Agenda 47, but it won't matter to those who don't mind sacrificing America's essence for what they believe will be a better economy. They want to go with the guy who wants to impose high tariffs on all imports (including from Canada and Mexico), with China getting hit with 60% tariffs. Just about every economist who isn't "MAGA" says that tariffs will ultimately be paid for by consumers. Uh, DUH! That's everything from cars to TVs to avocados that you have to import because most of America's farm workers would have been deported (Alabama tried to deport its workers and got miserable results). Now if anyone has a problem with that or anything else regarding Project 2025, good luck in protesting against a president who is anxious to use the military via the Insurrection Act to put down any opposition. In the end, America will become a dystopian nightmare if Vladimir Putin's biggest fan (who also is a fan of that tiny mustache guy from World War II) becomes the President of the United States. I would much rather have the other candidate who, while far from perfect, is a much better and saner choice. I hope that the two-thirds of Americans who aren't "MAGA" will follow uber-conservative Dick Cheney's advice and vote for Kamala Harris. For those who are thinking about voting "third party" or not voting, you might end up helping Kamala's opponent (it would be nice if Harris and a filibuster-free Congress can enact reforms like Ranked Choice Voting so voters aren't stuck with two choices that they don't like). If she wins, America and the world can breathe a sigh of relief while drinking pineapple mimosas.

If you need more information about voting, go to vote.org. The website has information about polling locations, registering to vote (although Tennessee's deadline has passed), checking voter registration and other useful tools for voters. By the way, early voting in Tennessee ends October 31, so make a plan to vote soon. PROTECT AMERICAN DEMOCRACY!

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Not Smart

The Tennessee Legislature is pushing a bill that could ban cold beer sales in convenience stores and groceries. The reasoning behind the bill is to cut down on DUIs across the state, but I'm doubtful it will be effective. Most people I know (including me, unfortunately), get hammered at bars, restaurants and other places that serve alcohol (speaking of that, the bill also has provisions that hold bars and restaurants accountable if they "overserve" customers). Besides, if cold beer sales at stores are banned, my guess is that it will drive people to liquor stores for much harder stuff that doesn't need to be chilled. As a consequence, this bill will likely hurt small brewers who rely on sales to grocery and convenience stores for most of their revenue while making highways less safe. While having empathy for one of the legislators who was injured by a drunk driver, this bill is idiotic and an example of the GOP's feckless leadership. The people of Tennessee deserve better.

Article: https://pro.stateaffairs.com/tn/politics/cold-beer-ban

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Don't Take My Word For It

I've said for years that America's 45th president was a threat to democracy. Long before January 6th, "45's" shakedown of Ukraine's president and many other offenses, I have said that the former president was bad for American democracy because of his disregard for the Constitution, the rule of law and the institutions that protect them. But don't take my word for it, but rather take it from Orange Mussolini's own people.

An excerpt from a Washington Post article:

“He has never cared about America, its citizens, its future or anything but himself. In fact, as history well shows from his divisive lies, as well as from his unrestrained contempt for the rule of law and his related crimes, his conduct and mere existence have hastened the demise of democracy and of the nation. Our adversaries and our allies both recognize that even his potential reelection diminishes America on the world stage and ensures continued acceleration of the domestic decline we are currently enduring. If that reelection actually happens, the consequences will extinguish what, if anything, remains of the American Dream.”

Ty Cobb, one of "45's" former attorneys.

America is at a crossroads. I hope its citizens make the right choice.

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"Family Values" My Ass!

Another reason why I won’t vote for a Republican again.

Iowa Republicans want to "cut" SNAP benefits by barring recipients from buying foods like white bread and white rice, forcing them to buy wheat bread and brown rice? Where's the savings? After doing a quick check on the Kroger app, the "brown" foods are more expensive, probably because there's less demand for them (if more people wanted those things, food producers would make more and pass the savings in producing them on to the consumers). Bottom line, the Republican Party are dicks, plain and simple. They certainly aren't like Jesus, who fed the poor on bread and fish (another item banned from SNAP unless it's in a can). If this passes in Iowa (a rather "homogeneous" state), I'm sure their backers at ALEC will foist this BS on other states. Bottom line, this is a 🦬💩 bill that is more punitive than cost saving that's meant to hurt poor people. Instead of screwing over poor people, Iowa GQP, do something meaningful to help your citizens, but that's a pipe dream that will never happen.

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Stop "Orange Mussolini!"

I read an article in The Atlantic written in 2016 about the threat that "Orange Mussolini" posed to American democracy. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, an expert in Fascism, accurately predicted what "45" would become as POTUS. Why didn't more people (particularly political leaders and the media) take her seriously? Had Ben-Ghiat been given a bigger platform, maybe she could have gotten Democrats to regard "45" as the democratic threat that he turned out to be and work harder in getting the "base" (particularly black people in "swing" states) out to vote. Now that we know who "45" is, I hope the Democrats and the media don't make the same mistakes again about him and a Republican Party who is too afraid to confront him. Starting with the midterm elections, Americans need to vote in the masses for people who support American democracy. And as a side note, the Democratic Party should stop undercutting Republicans who support democracy (in other words, Democrats should stop supporting Far Right Republicans who they see as easier to beat in a general election; that tactic doesn't always work). The stakes are high in our upcoming elections, and those who value democracy should take the threats to it seriously, even if it means working with political opponents to preserve it. America's future depends on it.

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Supreme Screwjob

Check out The Atlantic article about the Supreme Court gerrymandering case involving North Carolina. Barton Gellman has been pretty accurate in his reporting, predicting the insurrection at the Capitol. The Supreme Court gerrymandering case that he's writing about concerns the future of American Democracy. What pisses me off about it is that the court initially ruled that only state courts can rule on gerrymandering. So when the plaintiffs did that and won, the Supreme Court took on the Republicans' appeal. It seems that consistency/precedent isn't the court's thing but rather political power.

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My Decadent Snack

Hooters' curly fries with clarified butter

Yum

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When You Don't GAF...

There is a Supreme Court case involving a Christian group wanting to fly its flag on public property. Boston, who allowed other groups to fly flags in front of its city hall without reviewing them (and setting no rules for what is allowable), put itself in a jam. Something like this was inevitable, for flags are a symbolic medium for nearly anything. As someone in the flag business, I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly in people wanting to express themselves. The Supreme Court will probably rule in the Christian group's favor, but it wouldn't have come to that if Boston city officials were a little less lazy in doing their jobs.

You can read the article from Vox here.

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GOP boots Cheney

According to Axios, the central committee of Wyoming’s Republican Party voted 31-29 to rescind recognition of Liz Cheney as a member of the party. So let me get this straight. A person with strong conservative views and who has shown fidelity to the Republican Party for decades is persona non grata, because she wouldn't kiss the butt of a Johnny-come-lately asshole who doesn't give a crap about the party's agenda? So now the party's only "agenda" is showing loyalty to "Orange Mussolini?" If that's the litmus test for being a Republican, then the GOP should start calling itself a cult because it's no longer a respectable political party. And with America's political system being binary, having one side committed to governing and adhering to the Constitution while the other being hell bent on autocracy (with a theocratic bent if Michael Flynn gets his way), American democracy is hanging by thread that's about to break. If those who can stop this don't do something soon, I see a bleak future for the United States of America.

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A Reading List for Democracy

With American Democracy being threatened by the Far Right, the Washington Post has written numerous articles about the dire future of the United States if the threat isn’t addressed.

I’m not posting this to change minds, but rather to inform those who aren’t aware of whats going on. I hope the articles will inspire others to get involved in preserving the rights of all Americans.

Opinion: The Trump nightmare looms again:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/10/11/trump-nightmare-looms-again/

Opinion: I’m no Democrat — but I’m voting exclusively for Democrats to save our democracy:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/10/11/im-no-democrat-im-voting-exclusively-democrats-save-our-democracy/

Opinion: Distinguished pols of the week: Pulling back the curtain on the attempted coup:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/10/10/distinguished-pols-week-pulling-back-curtain-coup/

Opinion: The media are finally waking up to the ‘rolling coup.’ They must take the side of democracy:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/10/11/media-are-finally-waking-up-rolling-coup-they-must-take-side-democracy/

Opinion: As a stunning new report reveals Trump’s threat to democracy, Republicans shrug

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/10/07/stunning-new-report-reveals-trumps-threat-democracy-republicans-shrug/

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Watch "New Rule: The Slow-Moving Coup | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)" on YouTube. What he says about America's future is eerily prophetic.

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Bernie, Don’t Give In

Bernie, don't do anymore compromising. For anyone complaining about spending $3.5 trillion on social programs (amounting to $350 billion a year for a decade), just remember that America spent two trillion dollars over twenty years propping up Afghanistan's "democracy" only for the Taliban to do away with it after retaking the country. If we can burn... er, spend money on that (and tax cuts that hardly anyone complains about and only benefits the rich) then why not spend money to help those in need. Oh, and addressing climate change, the reason why the Louisiana coast is always under water.

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Democrats, MAN UP for democracy!

Democrats are wimps. All they have to do is change the filibuster rules in a way to force senators to defend their position on the house floor (also known as the "talking filibuster"). In filibustering the bill, they can't deviate into other subjects unrelated to the bill or read Dr. Seuss books as a stalling tactic. Also, require senators to maintain the filibuster in the Senate chamber at all times during the process, with a vote taking immediately after the opposition falls below 41. This change in the filibuster rules will spotlight the dickishness of Moscow Mitch and his (and 45's) GQP lemmings on many issues that has majority support in the country. If only the Democrats can man up to defend democracy.

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Horn Lake resists mosque

Recently, the City of Horn Lake denied a permit for the building of a mosque. Obviously this is discriminatory. Every reason for denying this is bullshit.

1) Noise: with the mosque not installing outside speakers (something that was specifically and falsely listed in the denial), the mosque won't be any noisier than a church, something that the property was zoned for.

2) Traffic: are you kidding me? Most large (and not so large) churches have traffic issues. Some even have "rent-a-cops" directing traffic. Besides, this is Horn Lake, not Mecca. It won't have every Muslim in the area going to it (there are other mosques in and around Memphis).

3) Water issues: Horn Lake is concerned that the mosque won't get enough water pressure to safely operate? That's rich, in a state where many of its residents don't have access to drinking water.

In all, what the City of Horn Lake is doing is racist and Islamophobic. There is no legitimate reason for denying the permit for building a mosque. I'm not saying this as a Muslim or any other religious person, but as an American who believes in the Constitution, particularly as it relates to the freedom of religion. For anyone who claims to be for the Constitution (other than the 2nd Amendment), they should support the lawsuit that the would-be mosque will file against Horn Lake. If this is what America is becoming, I'm afraid of its future.

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There are times (like now) when I'm lonely as fuck.

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With the third season of Killing Eve airing tonight at 8 o'clock, I'm torn over what to watch. But it got me thinking, in a three-way match between Villanelle vs Dolores vs Carrie, who would win? Side bets: Carrie vs Eve and in a fight between Russian hotties, Villanelle vs Strike Back's Katrina Zarkova.

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If Congress and POTUS don't respond quickly to this, there will be a lot more people (including me) filing for unemployment in the next couple of weeks.