Unregulated Capitalism is Feudalism...

 To return to properly regulated capitalism, we need:

A return to Democracy from the current oligarchy, that's attempting to transition to an authoritarian regime;

To make that change we need a congress that isn't controlled by the Republican, criminal syndicate.  Then, and only then, can legislation to end, make as close to impossible to recreate, Citizens United, literally, come to pass.

Then we must re-institute tax codes, higher taxes on significant wealth, that existed from the late 1940s through the 1970s;

Change back from what the well purchased Reagan administration, serving their wealthy oligarchs, did when taxes were reduced and tax shelters were created, as if tax reductions weren't enough;

Return to trust busting that Teddy Roosevelt's and FDR's administrations introduced...

You know, the things that only Democrats will do when properly pressured by the voters.

Who Let the Doge Out?

 It's great to hear MSNBC's hosts, including former Republicans like Michael Steele and Nicolle Wallace, using their bully pulpit to inform viewers that we have already gone from Democracy to oligarchy, courtesy of the Citizens United vs. the FEC SCOTUS decision.  

We are now transitioning to an authoritarian regime courtesy of the wealthy oligarchs, aristocrat wannabes, who have leveraged Citizens United to do all the damage to Democracy that's possible from said oligarchy.

However:

FAFO is in process;

See the lyrics to: FAFO, A Government Carol (from the blog of  BlueBoomerHD);

See also: RICO Republicans (from the blog of BlueBoomerHD as well);

COBOL flustered the Dogebag incels, because it's a mainframe programming language developed in the late 1950s and early 60s; their grandparents used it in mainframe based data centers.  They never realized that they'd need to understand that sort of old timey thing.  If you really want to see the eyes roll back, in the head of a Millennial or Gen Z programmer, talk about flowcharts;

The reason the Dogebag incels thought someone from 1875 was getting Social Security payments was because they've accessed test and development systems only.  The aforementioned systems use deceased persons so that it is nearly impossible to accidentally, or purposely, get the different computing environs mixed up.

Joe knew on election day that the government needed to be locked down, because the 45 administration; the book, “Project 2025;” and MAGAts that couldn't keep quiet... Let everybody know what was coming.

Lower level staff at various federal agencies were made aware, and given the ability to run interference, because the first priority of the incoming 47 administration was to install toadies in the leadership roles of all executive agencies.

A mess is being made by the 47 administration that is, mostly, being contained while evidence of criminal behavior is collected; charges to come (see: RICO Republicans, above).

To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

A Few Thoughts for Younger Voters...

 Living indoors is far more expensive than it should be; than it has been within my own lifetime.

Why?

Because in 1999 the last of the Glass-Steagall Act (G-S A) was repealed.  G-S A separated risky investments from (regulated to be) safer investments.  Wall Street was able to kill off the Savings and Loan Financial Services Industry (S&L). People got modest interest on savings placed in an S&L branch bank, and that money was made available to people, as a lower than average rate mortgage, for home (house and condo) buyers.  A home was a place where you lived.  Now, a home is an investment... A place where you make money/profit.  Housing inventory has been removed from the market, by large investors, to increase profit by manipulating supply.

I'm a Boomer who is a few years (<5 years) from owning my house, but will not downsize because the aforementioned inventory manipulation means it will cost me more to move to a smaller home, on a smaller lot.

If regulation returns then artificial supply reductions will no longer cause higher profit margins: supply increases; prices drop. More of you younger consumers will be able to afford/own a home. Wall Street, and well purchased politicians, will fight this tooth and claw...

Your move.

Federal, and some states (like my home state of Texas), still have (for 15 years) a minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, and limits on overtime (no time and a half) wages.  That's a living wage absolutely nowhere, and I almost never use the concept of, "absolutes."

https://stephenwyman.substack.com/p/democrats-and-the-economy

Minimum wage needs to be, at least (see the cost of living on east and west coasts), tripled quickly.  The minimum wage should soon be doubled again and track inflation thereafter.

If you think Wall Street, and company, whined about S&Ls just wait till you hear them scream about how increased wages (and benefits) will create enormous rates of inflation and destroy the economy...  It's BS, because when more people can afford to do more than just live indoors and eat (y'know save and invest, also) the economy, customer base, grows (find the studies that prove that, they're out there, and you'll need 'em).

BTW, there's research out there, quite a bit of it, about how and why the USA has the most expensive, by a lot, and the least effective health care amongst the OECD nations of the world.  The reason we do so poorly, at such a high price, is for profit health care and for profit health insurance, also; medical bankruptcy happens in none of the other OECD countries.

https://stephenwyman.substack.com/p/voting-in-your-own-best-interest

There's only one party that can be convinced to do what's needed, and that's the Democrats.

https://stephenwyman.substack.com/p/why-vote-for-democrats

Regulated capitalism is the only way to make it possible for as close to everyone to prosper (live in reasonable comfort and security)...  My wife and I, along with quite a few other Boomers (the ones who didn't splurge, because they could), are living proof.

https://stephenwyman.substack.com/p/why-government-not-business-provides

Once again: Your move.

I'll help where I can, if you'll let some old timers participate.

https://stephenwyman.substack.com/p/recommended-reading

Just a bit of perspective, and suggested reading...

Xenophobia Explained

 It is important to remember in Germany, the USA and every where on the Earth where you find people: no hominids, then humans, evolved where they live now, unless you live in a specific region in Africa.  Second, the genetic difference between any two human beings is 0.5% of their individual genomes.  

Therefore, all the immigration problems, everywhere, occur when any group arrives in a new place and declares that nobody else needs be allowed in, because, "we're here."

We all need to recognize xenophobia as the enormous problem that it is, always has been, and engage the intelligence, that too many people are prone to denying, to work out a solution that will to be acceptable to a majority, because it will never be acceptable to everybody.

Working with the AfD, and their ilk, in Germany will always be as problematic as is working with the white nationalists in these United States of America. You need not take it from this WASP.  My ancestors arrived in the Americas about 400 years ago and (mostly) have not closed the door behind ourselves.

Working with others is always going to be working with someone who is very much like you; see the last sentence of the first paragraph.  If that doesn't make sense to you, you are the problem.

RICO the Republican Criminal Syndicate

Does this look, and smell (try not to step in it), of RICO activities being committed by Republican, government officials?

 

Massive amounts of evidence have accumulated in: FL, VA, GA, AZ, NY; Mueller, Smith, Senate Intelligence Committee reports, etc... This evidence details the voluntary transition of the Republican party to a criminal syndicate headed by the felon and pathological liar, who is the grifter-in-chief. The syndicate discards oath of office, rule of law and US Constitution whenever it is not convenient to adhere to the aforementioned documents.

Let the RICO prosecution of said syndicate begin.

Senate, bi-partisan, Intel Committee report on Russian interference confirms that the presidential campaigns of 2016 (hindered Democratic and assisted for Republicans) were, indeed, hacked by the Russians: crickets;

Mueller Report documents confirm that there were, at least, 10 counts of obstruction of justice by the Republicans involved in the 2016 presidential campaigns: crickets;

The government of Ukraine was asked to interfere in the 2020 presidential election campaign to get funding, already approved by Congress, released to the Ukrainian war effort.  President impeached, but not convicted, for Ukrainian funds being illegally withheld: crickets;


45 incited insurrection culminating in a violent attack on the US Capitol on 6 January 2021...  President impeached, but not convicted, for his involvement in the insurrection (which would have prohibited him from running for, or holding, any public/government office ever again): crickets;

45 took home government documents that were still the property of the United States and belonged in the National Archives of the USA.  The documents were transported illegally and stored within 45's property/properties, moved and hidden when their return was requested.  The federal government was forced to recover them using legally obtained, search warrants.  The court case around the document theft and potential espionage (improperly shared docs of a classified nature) was slow walked by a 45 appointed judge so that the case could not be concluded before 47 was sworn in to office: crickets;

SCOTUS Justice Alito flew flags at his properties that signified support for the insurrection at the US Capitol: crickets;

SCOTUS Justice Thomas took undeclared money and gifts from very wealthy persons who would have business before the court. Thomas should have, and did not, abstain from said cases: crickets;

SCOTUS Justice Thomas' wife was an active participant in the run-up to the insurrection at the US Capitol: crickets;

Thiel presented a well purchased person as a Republican candidate for Vice President in the elections (primaries and general) of 2024, so that the oligarchs would have a puppet in the White House should a 78 year old, 47th President be unable to finish the term: crickets;

SCOTUS majority expedites a case that blocks, at least, CO and ME from controlling access to each of the state's own primary ballots (prohibiting, via 14/3 Constitutional authority, 45 from running to be the 47th President): crickets;

SCOTUS majority expedites a ruling that the 45th President was immune from, not subject to, the rule of law. 46th President did not avail himself of the assumption that the ruling extended to his time in office.  47th President immediately operates as if the precedent does, in fact, still apply: crickets;

While 47 distracts with wildly unlikely ideas and executive orders, there were more executive orders, derived from (written by the authors of), “Project 2025,” (Orwell's, “1984,” made real) that were also being signed: crickets;

The signs of RICO inspired illegal, oath violating, and/or unconstitutional, Republican activity abound.

What are the federal government's Inspector Generals and/or the Department of Justice going to do about it?

Showing Those, Who Aided and Abetted Insurrection, the Exit.

The USA is in the throes of oligarchy, spiraling towards aristocracy, because the Republicans, in choosing to become a criminal syndicate, allowed 45 to be able to become 47; impeached and convicted 45 prevents the possibility of the 47 catastrophe.

The wealthy oligarchs needed 45/47 because they aren't able to do much of anything for themselves, except keep, for themselves, the money they don't pay in taxes, or employee wages and benefits.  However, they can buy primary candidates to oppose uncooperative legislators, and bribe SCOTUS justices in support of the grifter in chief.

Oligarchs and 45/47 are bullies... A bully is someone who talks a big game, but has an entourage of gullible goofs that mindlessly carry out the bully's wishes.  Goofs get into trouble for doing what the bully can't/wouldn't do for him/her self.

Are any of you: Elizabeth Warren, Jasmine Crockett, Mark Elias, Eric Holder, etc... able to start the process involved in dismissals from public office, based on 14/3 disqualification parameters, for  legislators and  justices who have aided and abetted the insurrectionist in chief?

If the legislators that voted against impeaching or convicting 45 are appropriately shown the exit, will there still be a quorum capable of doing the business of Congress?

If the SCOTUS Justices that disallowed the states of ME and CO the ability to control their own states' ballots (remove 45 from said ballots) are also, appropriately, ushered out the door... Will SCOTUS be able to function properly?

There's the exit!

 

The Inauguration Has Been Postponed Indefinitely...

14/3 (Section 3 of the 14^th Amendment to the US Constitution) specifies how one might be absolved (...Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability) but not who might charge someone with participation in insurrection.

45 did get impeached for inciting insurrection, but was not convicted; did not get enough votes to, “remove such disability.”

Does Trump slide, again, on a technicality?

Does the DOJ/AG create the path to another method for holding a body responsible for following, or not, their oath to protect and defend the US Constitution?

If there are no consequences for involvement in insurrection, this time, the precedent becomes, “repeat as often as one thinks it might be helpful to evade oath, law and Constitution.“

45, Congress and SCOTUS participated in the insurrection of 2020 and '21.

Trump should never be inaugurated again. Nor should he ever be allowed to hold any public office ever again. Contact: Bezos, Musk, Zuckerberg, etc.. if a refund is requested.