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Kid Berwyn

(24,870 posts)
Sat May 2, 2026, 09:32 AM 10 hrs ago

Platner: 'Shut This White House Down!'

I agree with Graham. Win a Democratic majority. Formulate a Theory of Power: Define Democratic goals, policies and the organization to build and direct the political will to reach the Party’s defined goals. In the meantime, tie up Trump and the pedo protectors with subpoenas and investigate their myriad treasons, crimes and perversions — even if it takes 30 years to get them all.



Really happy we have someone with vision, guts and the vocab to state why the nation should stand with and for the Democratic Party.

24 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Platner: 'Shut This White House Down!' (Original Post) Kid Berwyn 10 hrs ago OP
Let's just hope Platner doesn't suffer a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), also known as a stroke. sop 10 hrs ago #1
The Way of Capitalism's Invisible Army Kid Berwyn 10 hrs ago #2
Did Fetterman ever visit Russia? sop 10 hrs ago #3
GRU makes house calls. Kid Berwyn 9 hrs ago #5
Knowing what Putin has been shown to be capable of, harumph 9 hrs ago #9
Putin was selected as Yeltsin's replacement by America's oligarchs. Kid Berwyn 8 hrs ago #13
Well he has never weighed over 400 lbs. so there's that BeyondGeography 9 hrs ago #4
"Nothing brings people together like wanting to beat Susan Collins!" ShazzieB 9 hrs ago #6
Truth. Kid Berwyn 9 hrs ago #7
Yes. mr715 6 hrs ago #18
I haven't paid much attention to him, but I kinda like what he's saying. tinrobot 9 hrs ago #8
Elizabeth Warren will have a wingman. Kid Berwyn 9 hrs ago #10
I'll believe it when I see it. infullview 8 hrs ago #11
Agree wholeheartedly. Kid Berwyn 7 hrs ago #14
Many of us will believe it when we see it. In the meantime, we can only hope and vote for those who at least say what KPN 2 hrs ago #24
Democratic party establishment or you listening? Are you going to get on board and help us save this country? Or are Fil1957 8 hrs ago #12
The failure of leadership to stop MAGA's fascist and unconstitutional agenda is stunning. Kid Berwyn 7 hrs ago #15
Warrior Spirit thought crime 7 hrs ago #16
Warrior Spirit does not mean Warmonger Kid Berwyn 6 hrs ago #19
Once again I'm persuaded that Platner . . . peggysue2 7 hrs ago #17
We have LOTS of Dems Fighting For Us Cha 5 hrs ago #20
If we do not win in Maine, we are not going to win the Senate. mr715 3 hrs ago #21
Of Course. But all Dems have to Win.. . Not Cha 3 hrs ago #22
Yup. mr715 3 hrs ago #23

sop

(19,097 posts)
1. Let's just hope Platner doesn't suffer a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), also known as a stroke.
Sat May 2, 2026, 09:46 AM
10 hrs ago

harumph

(3,355 posts)
9. Knowing what Putin has been shown to be capable of,
Sat May 2, 2026, 10:51 AM
9 hrs ago

I would argue, and as you appear to allude, that defenders of the status quo in the US will also try targeted remedies should they fear their power is in any real danger. Really, nothing is beyond the pale for these monsters. That is the biggest lesson to come out of this miserable 20 or so year period of history. My wife for more benign reasons, warns my kids to open their own canned drink at parties and never lose sight of it. If I were an effective opposition pol, I'd practice the same "hygiene" and then some. I might even carry some atropine for good measure. I know your post was more than black humor - and I'm with you.

Kid Berwyn

(24,870 posts)
13. Putin was selected as Yeltsin's replacement by America's oligarchs.
Sat May 2, 2026, 11:32 AM
8 hrs ago


A: The Carlyle Group and Friends.

Who’s Enabling Putin’s Enablers?


BY SAM PIZZIGATI
CounterPunch, March 29, 2022

Where would Vladimir Putin be without the Russian oligarchy? Without Russia’s oligarchs, political leaders of the Western world have concluded, Putin would be tottering. Western leaders have made squeezing Russia’s richest a central piece of their strategy to end Putin’s Ukraine cross-border assault.

These same Western leaders, unfortunately, have failed to take seriously what ought to be an equally pressing question: Where would Russia’s oligarchs be without the West, without the Wall Streeters, wealth managers, and assorted other high-finance riff-raff “paid millions,” as Institute for Policy Studies analyst Chuck Collins puts it, “to help billionaires sequester trillions”?

Western leaders have essentially been ignoring this question almost ever since the old Soviet Union collapsed. And now we’re paying the price. Those Ukraine sanctions against Russia’s oligarchs? They come with a huge loophole. The Western world’s opaque web of tax havens and anonymous corporations is essentially rendering much of those sanctions ineffective.

Snippe…

The U.S. wealth defense industry, we need to remember, hasn’t just been helping Russian oligarchs hide their fortunes. America’s money-handlers have for years been helping them pile up ever grander fortunes. They’ve steered the illicit funds of Russian oligarchs into U.S. real estate, investment funds, and “even factories,” says Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jake Bernstein, a senior reporter on the 2016 bombshell “Panama Papers” tax avoidance exposé.

The Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has used “a network of banks, law firms and advisers in multiple countries,” the New York Times just reported, to invest “billions in American hedge funds.” Along the way, he tapped the expertise and contacts of U.S. high-finance giants ranging from Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to BlackRock and the Carlyle Group.

https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/03/29/whos-enabling-putins-enablers/







How Billionaires Picked Putin as "Russia’s Pinochet"

By Greg Palast
BuzzFlash, March 16, 2022

Vladimir Putin did not arrive from outer space on an abalone shell.

Putin went from the virtually unknown Deputy Mayor of St. Petersburg to Russia’s President and potentate by winning a weird competition organized by Russian billionaire Boris Berezovsky who sought a "Russian Pinochet" to succeed Boris Yeltsin as President.

The competition, dubbed "Operation Successor," went so far as to send Russia’s "Larry King," Mikhail Leontyev, to interview General Pinochet for Russian TV while Pinochet was under indictment in Chile on murder charges. Russians were treated to the old dictator’s advice on choosing a leader who could imitate Pinochet’s "strong hand," a police state, while promoting a hyper-capitalist economy.

And Putin fit the Pinochet profile.

Continues…

https://www.gregpalast.com/how-billionaires-picked-putin-as-russias-pinochet/



Putin is so paranoid, during a TV interview, he refused to accept a document from Chris Wallace.

And Putin is paranoid for good reason. He knows there’s no place on the planet he can run.

Thank you and Mrs. harumph for grokking.

Kid Berwyn

(24,870 posts)
7. Truth.
Sat May 2, 2026, 10:41 AM
9 hrs ago

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz , I thought, were doing an excellent job of bringing the country together in opposition to the return of one orange shitheel. And then the team welcomed the pro pol consultants who brought in caution and OG warmonger Dick Cheney. Out went, “They’re weird!” And POOF! came the political scumback of Lardo the Traitorclown and Couchhumper.

mr715

(3,977 posts)
18. Yes.
Sat May 2, 2026, 01:14 PM
6 hrs ago

Few seem to complain that our former nominee resurrected Dick Cheney and campaigned with war criminal Liz Cheney while sidelining Tim Walz because he was too much a of a "loose cannon".

tinrobot

(12,104 posts)
8. I haven't paid much attention to him, but I kinda like what he's saying.
Sat May 2, 2026, 10:43 AM
9 hrs ago

I've just skimmed headlines about him up until now, so I've heard all the attacks.

But now that I hear him speak, I get why he's doing so well in Maine. He's definitely saying things that need to be said. Could be a very good addition to the Senate.

Kid Berwyn

(24,870 posts)
10. Elizabeth Warren will have a wingman.
Sat May 2, 2026, 10:52 AM
9 hrs ago

Both are leaders who define goals and spell out plans of action. What concepts…

Thank you for the kind reply, tinrobot. We absolutely need to hear and share the things that need to be said in order to unite and do what needs to be done — from a New New Deal to Nuremberg Trials for the traitors, murderers and grifters.

infullview

(1,138 posts)
11. I'll believe it when I see it.
Sat May 2, 2026, 11:18 AM
8 hrs ago

Tough talk, but what we need is scorched earth investigation of ALL the wrongdoing and real punitive sentencing for all the criminals. I would also add that if we retake the senate the nuclear option should be invoked and all the bad seeds on the Roberts court impeached. If all this happens I’ll once again have faith in our political system. Oh and one more thing, we need to kill Citizens United forever.

Kid Berwyn

(24,870 posts)
14. Agree wholeheartedly.
Sat May 2, 2026, 12:10 PM
7 hrs ago

Rhetoric is important. Intelligent planning is essential. However, action is what counts.

KPN

(17,484 posts)
24. Many of us will believe it when we see it. In the meantime, we can only hope and vote for those who at least say what
Sat May 2, 2026, 05:10 PM
2 hrs ago

needs saying. The proof is always in the pudding. In the absence of that proof, I'm going with the candidates who say what needs saying. It's that simple. Workers over billionaires!

Fil1957

(804 posts)
12. Democratic party establishment or you listening? Are you going to get on board and help us save this country? Or are
Sat May 2, 2026, 11:24 AM
8 hrs ago

you going to reach across the aisle and compromise with your "friends"?

Kid Berwyn

(24,870 posts)
15. The failure of leadership to stop MAGA's fascist and unconstitutional agenda is stunning.
Sat May 2, 2026, 12:14 PM
7 hrs ago

We had four years to ensure he would not return, but for some reason we missed that opportunity.



Trump warns of ‘big trouble’ as Supreme Court agrees to hear Colorado ballot case

by Nick Robertson
The Hill, January 6, 2024

Former President Trump warned Friday that there will be “big trouble” if the Supreme Court does not rule in his favor on his eligibility for the 2024 presidential ballot.

The Supreme Court is set to hear the Colorado case after the state’s Supreme Court determined last month that Trump should not be on the primary ballot due to his involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

“Because if we don’t, our country’s in big, big trouble. Does everybody understand what I’m saying?”

SNIP...

“They’re saying, ‘Oh, Trump owns the Supreme Court, he owns it. He owns it. If they make a decision for him, it will be terrible. It’ll ruin their reputations,” he said. “‘He owns the Supreme Court. He put on three judges. He owns the Supreme Court. If they rule in his favor, it will be horrible for them. And we’ll protest at their houses.’”

Continues...

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4392902-trump-warns-big-trouble-as-scotus-agrees-hear-colorado-case/

SCROTUS tossed Colorado and then came silence.

thought crime

(1,745 posts)
16. Warrior Spirit
Sat May 2, 2026, 12:35 PM
7 hrs ago

Yeah, I know that's not exactly a popular term among Democrats but in the coming years we're going to need some legislators who are a bit younger, more aggressive, and somewhat less risk-averse. This kind of leader may rustle some feathers and make some mistakes, but if they have good intentions and are effective we're going to need to keep calm and carry on. Politics has become a contact-sport.

Kid Berwyn

(24,870 posts)
19. Warrior Spirit does not mean Warmonger
Sat May 2, 2026, 01:14 PM
6 hrs ago

Thank you for putting it into words, thought crime.

Warriors serve to defend their nation, communities, families and future. Warriors do not like or want war, but are willing to do what is needed to defend the Constitution and country, even at the greatest of personal sacrifice.

OTOH, there are plenty of armchair war lubbers and warmongers. Many hold academic and political credentials. Take Tyler Cowen:



The Pitfalls of Peace

The Lack of Major Wars May Be Hurting Economic Growth


By Tyler Cowen
The New York Times, June 13, 2014

The continuing slowness of economic growth in high-income economies has prompted soul-searching among economists. They have looked to weak demand, rising inequality, Chinese competition, over-regulation, inadequate infrastructure and an exhaustion of new technological ideas as possible culprits.

An additional explanation of slow growth is now receiving attention, however. It is the persistence and expectation of peace.

The world just hasn’t had that much warfare lately, at least not by historical standards. Some of the recent headlines about Iraq or South Sudan make our world sound like a very bloody place, but today’s casualties pale in light of the tens of millions of people killed in the two world wars in the first half of the 20th century. Even the Vietnam War had many more deaths than any recent war involving an affluent country.

Counterintuitive though it may sound, the greater peacefulness of the world may make the attainment of higher rates of economic growth less urgent and thus less likely. This view does not claim that fighting wars improves economies, as of course the actual conflict brings death and destruction. The claim is also distinct from the Keynesian argument that preparing for war lifts government spending and puts people to work. Rather, the very possibility of war focuses the attention of governments on getting some basic decisions right — whether investing in science or simply liberalizing the economy. Such focus ends up improving a nation’s longer-run prospects.

Continues…

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/14/upshot/the-lack-of-major-wars-may-be-hurting-economic-growth.html



On Iran -- 2007 heh heh heh:





“Money trumps peace.” — Pretzeldent George W Bush, Conqueror of Baghdad, February 14, 2007

Q A lot of our allies in Europe do a lot of business with Iran, so I wonder what your thoughts are about how you further tighten the financial pressure on Iran, in particular, if it also means economic pain for a lot of our allies?

THE PRESIDENT: It's an interesting question. One of the problems -- not specifically on this issue, just in general -- let's put it this way, money trumps peace, sometimes. In other words, commercial interests are very powerful interests throughout the world. And part of the issue in convincing people to put sanctions on a specific country is to convince them that it's in the world's interest that they forgo their own financial interest.

Source: WH Press Conference, February 14, 2007

https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/02/20070214-2.html



For reasons in and out of its control, the Democratic Party has allowed itself to be mischaracterized, falsely defined and generally misperceived as allies of undeserving immigrants, minorities, and the poor -- people we, of course, must defend, respect and represent. However, it's up to us to make certain the message is loud and clear in the coming months. We need young people, working people, patriotic people and all who can stand up to fascists, foreign and domestic.

Cha

(320,117 posts)
20. We have LOTS of Dems Fighting For Us
Sat May 2, 2026, 03:07 PM
5 hrs ago

WE NEED TO WIN THE MIDTERMS.

ONE PERSON CAN'T DO IT ALONE.

Thank You.

mr715

(3,977 posts)
23. Yup.
Sat May 2, 2026, 04:57 PM
3 hrs ago

Wouldn't it be wonderful if your words could be taken literally and we win... every... race in the Senate? Like not just Texas, Ohio, and Alaska, but Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, and South Carolina too?

Oh that'd be fun.

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