This just in: Psychological projection is a defense mechanism people subconsciously employ in order to cope with difficult feelings or emotions. Psychological projection involves projecting undesirable feelings or emotions onto someone else, rather than admitting to or dealing with the unwanted feelings.

In simple terms, at least for me: A bank robber is videoed robbing a bank. The police stop him outside the bank and say, “You’re under arrest.” The robber caught red-handed responds with, “No, you’re under arrest for robbing a bank.”

This “projection defense” is the unwritten first law of the Republican playbook. If they are caught doing something that they know they shouldn’t be doing, step one is to accuse the other party of doing that very same thing.

For example, Donald Trump lies obviously and continuously. One of his favorite adjectives he uses to describe someone that he no longer likes is to call them “dishonest.”

Republicans call any attempt to hold Trump accountable for things like (1) lying and providing false information to further his political campaign (Stormy Daniels) or (2) Attempting to get a state official to aid in the overturning of a fair election (Georgia) or (3) Income tax evasion and insurance fraud (New York) or (4) Illegally hoarding highly classified documents and then lying about it (twice) or (5) Inciting a violent attempt to overthrow the United States government. Just to name a few. To the Republican party, attempting to even investigate these potential crimes is an abuse of power.

Republicans are projecting when they do this. They ignore things like (1) Barr reading the Muller report and then publicly and wrong reporting that the report cleared Trump of all claims about Russian interference or (2) DeSantis in Florida using his position to punish Disney because they came out publicly against his anti-LGBTQ initiatives and pledged to stop supporting Republicans in the state.

What does this mean to me?

I try to fact-check things if possible. I do have a couple of shortcuts. For example:

1. I try not to believe that something is true just because I want it to be true.
2. I look for “projection”. For example, is Matt Goetz accusing someone of pedophilia? Is Lindsey Graham taking anti-LGBTQ stances?
3. I look for inconstancies. For example, would a headline like “Biden is against school lunch programs for the poor” really be consistent with what we know about Biden? Is it reasonable to think that Donald Trump broke the law?
4. I know that Fox News and MSNBC are both extremely biased so I never hang my hat on a position that they put forth.
5. Do a few Google searches. Check the source of those searches.

Time to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim

This just in: The reason we can’t have nice things is that our politicians are corrupt.

The reason this is the case has been the case and will continue to be the case is that the only ones that can pass laws to stop corruption are the very people that profit wildly from the corruption.

Now, just in case you are getting ready to say, “Yes, they all do it,” pause for a moment. Yes, there have been instances of a Democrat or Independent acting corruptly. However, the Republican Party has institutionalized this behavior. If you are a Republican, you are expected to be corrupt.

Republicans are paid by the insurance lobby to make sure healthcare remains profitable for those that sell it.

Republicans are paid by big oil to oppose Green Energy so that big oil will continue to profit.

Republicans are paid by the gun lobby to make sure millions of guns continue to make their way into households across the country.

Republicans give tax breaks to the rich and to corporations because these entities pay them to do so.

There are other things Republicans do that falls short of corruption but are just as damaging.

Republicans legally create laws that prevent voters from voting against them.

Republicans have redefined Gerrymandering so that they can be in a vast minority and still win elections.

Republicans don’t treat poverty issues because there is no money in it.

Republicans don’t solve economic problems because the solutions often are counter to what their donors are paying them to do.

Republican choose hot topics such as abortion or immigration to attract single-issue voters.

I was a Republican. I have not been one since we invaded Iraq on a false premise. An invasion that led to 20 years worth of needless was in the middle east.

I left the party when the evidence was overwhelming to me that they had no interest in actual governance. They were simply corrupt.

And…they become more so every day.

Time to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim

As far as I can see, the Republican party lacks any ability to govern.

Let’s take a look at their positions on major issues:

1. Gun control: Love the gun
2. Feeding the poor: Not on the agenda
3. Ukraine: Half support, half like Putin
4. Homelessness: Not on the agenda
5. Abortion: Complete ban, including birth control
6. Immigration: Don’t care but like the problem since they can blame it on someone else. No solutions offered.
7. Education: Unimportant
8. Military: Love it. The entire party is funded by the defense industry
9. Voting: Oppose all efforts to let people vote that don’t vote Republican
10. Campaign finance: Unrestricted and unregulated
11. Healthcare: No plan
12. Taxes: Cut them on the rich
13. States rights: Opposed to any state right issue that might get Trump in trouble
14. Election fairness: Election was stolen even though there is no evidence and they secretly admit it was fair.
15. LGBTQ: Nope, against it. Want to make it a crime
16. Books: Ban them if they talk about slavery, misogyny, murder, revenge, homosexuality or anything that is uncomfortable.
17. Opinion of the Bible: Think the Constitution should be based on it even though it promotes: slavery, misogyny, murder, revenge, homosexuality and many other things that make people uncomfortable.
18. The poor: No plan
19. International Affairs: One plan – oppose anything the Democrats initiate.
20. Climate change: Denialists
21. White supremist: Like looking in the mirror but don’t say it out loud.
22. January 6th: Normal political discourse.
23. Next candidate for president: Trump
24. What should be taught in schools: Up to angry parents that don’t believe in science and think school is where the Bible should be taught.
25. Mass killings: A good time to send thoughts and prayers and buy more stock in gun manufacturing.
26. Inflation: They don’t understand the causes or solutions but they love it because they can blame it on someone else.
27. Small government: Yes, with the exception of controlling your sexuality and what you learn in school, who can vote, how you raise your kids, how your taxes are spent and stuff like that.
28. Racism: Love it, but can’t say it out loud
29. Opinion of voters: Doobs
30. Opinion of Free Press: Great so long as that only applies to Tucker Carlson

Time to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim

The Right has been calling the Left “woke” for the last couple of years. They do this even though they are unable to define the term itself. I believe it has 2 definitions that apply simultaneously. The first is that you don’t believe in what I believe in. For example, one person that is anti-LGBTQ will call a pro-LGBTQ person “woke” because their beliefs differ. The second is racist. “You are woke because you support political correctness.” This last statement is code for “I want to live in a white Christian American but I’m not allowed to say that our loud.”

As I read the papers today, I see Tucker Carlson hates Trump and thinks that Joe Biden won the election. He also says just the opposite on TV because, according to Fox owner Rupert Murdock, that’s where the money is. People will watch if Fox supports Trump nonsense. The greater the audience, the greater the ad revenue.

Trump started the rumor that he was going to be arrested yesterday. Online, the top 2 comments about this were: (1) Which of his multiple crimes is he going to be arrested for and (2) Is it possible that Trump will be tried as an adult?

Trump supporters start calling the United States a “police state” because they are arresting a man that they like for crimes he is believed to have committed. Gym Jordan, yesterday, called Trump’s payoff to a porn star an “accounting error.”

The Republicans are investigating Hunter Biden. I have no problem with this. If he committed a crime, he should do the time. However, when one of the investigating Republicans was questioned about this, they admitted they had found no criminal activity thus far but would continue to investigate until they found something. By this logic, every person in the country could be subjected to an investigation.

There is so much hypocrisy/duplicity in the Republican Party, I no longer try to keep track. Corruption is their brand. I see nothing to contradict this and evidence daily to support it.

I have also discovered, sort of, the reason that there are any Republican supporters out there.

Here it is: Back in the 70s, McDonald’s introduced the Quarter Pounder. Not to be outdone, Burger King introduced the 1/3 pounder. Burger King’s offering failed because a large portion of the American public believed that a 1/3 pound burger was smaller than a 1/4 pound burger. This is why we have Republicans.

There is significant evidence that the more educated you are, the more you know, and the less likely you are to vote Republican.

I bring this up because the problem isn’t Tucker Carlson or Fox news. These are instances of people taking advantage of the market. It’s like blaming an umbrella maker on the rain. There is going to be rain. The umbrella maker is just capitalizing on this.

If Fox news and Carlson disappeared, their replacements would start competing for that slice of the market the very next day. Why? Because there is money in it.

Thus, the problem is not the media. The problem is with the consumers of that media. People seek out someone telling them what they want to be true, even in the face of contrary evidence.

So, when your neighbor tells you he/she votes Republican, you know you are looking at a sponsor of a fascist form of government. They would certainly deny this because they won’t think of it this way. They think they are following the truth.

They will say, I vote Republican because I always have. They won’t say, I support a racist based political party because I am secretly racist. They can’t see that far. Once they have their desired beliefs confirmed, they stop inquiring about the truth.

Time to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim