Junior High Cit Ed Refresher Course... with new things you might want to know.

What used to be Jerusalem Avenue Jr. High

I do believe this lesson bears repeating as we round third base to election day. Just so you understand the terms floating around you. Understand which government you want should impact your vote. Knowledge is power. I hope.

Seventh and eighth grade social studies, at least at the now defunct Jerusalem Avenue Junior High, was called Cit Ed...short for citizenship education. In hindsight, these were by far and away the most important classes I ever had in either junior or senior high school. We learned US history, New York State history, and how our federal and state governments are supposed to work. Yeah, there was a certain amount of indoctrination going on, but the lessons about government and the separation of powers has stuck with me forever. So, let's have a review of what kind of governments are out there.

The United States is supposed to be a constitutional federal republic operating as a representative democracy. This means: 

1. power is divided between the federal and state governments
2. The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the land
3. The federal government has three working branches:
• the legislative - Congress
• the judicial - The Supreme Court
• the executive - The President, Vice President, cabinet, et al

Communist countries are few and far between since Communism as a form of government is difficult to manage. China, Cuba, Laos, and North Korea are pretty much it. 

Communist governments have:

1. One party rule
2. Collective ownership: State owned major industries, resources, and agriculture on behalf of the public.
3. Social and Media Control: Information, mass media, and civil liberties like free speech or religious expression are heavily regulated

Democratic Socialism is a left-wing political and economic philosophy that advocates for political democracy alongside a socially owned or heavily regulated economy. Their stated goals are:

1. Democratic Control: Emphasizes that both political and economic life should be run democratically, aiming to replace what adherents view as the "dictatorship of capital" with worker and community self-management (TIME Magazine)
2. Abolition of the Profit Motive: Advocates for replacing capitalism with an economy driven by social needs rather than corporate profit, (TIME Magazine)
3. Social or Collective Ownership: Long-term goals often include placing key economic drivers—such as utilities, healthcare, and transportation—under public or cooperative control rather than private ownership. (Democratic Socialists of America)

And just to be clear, countries like Denmark and Sweden are NOT democratic socialist governments. No, and they are very clear about that. They are SOCIALIST democratic countries and therein lies a HUGE difference. 

If you get Social Security or Medicare or Medicaid, you are using that very social democratic kind of safety net. Same with SNAP benefits or health insurance through your state program. In a truly capitalist country, these things would not necessarily exist. 

Social democracy emerged in the late 19th century as a response to the challenges of inequalities of the existing class system. They do not seek to abolish capitalism or private property, favoring instead an economy that leverages the economic engine of a free market. Social inequalities of capitalism can be remediated through high taxation, social safety nets (like universal healthcare and public education), and strong labor laws. (Politics Stack Exchange)

1. The Welfare State: Advocates for government-funded public services to ensure a basic standard of living for all citizens.
2. Progressive Taxation: Promotes a tax system where higher earners pay a larger percentage of their income, redistributing wealth to fund public programs and curb extreme inequality.
3. Market Regulation: Supports private enterprise but emphasizes strong labor rights, minimum wages, and environmental regulations to protect workers and society 
4. Democratic Process: Believes in achieving these goals entirely within the framework of a representative democracy.

These days, however, the Democratic Socialists are sucking up all the air in the room, effectively shutting down any sort of debate about what they actually stand for. It's pretty well established they have an unwritten purity test to determine if you can be a part of their movement. Candidates are expected to adhere without question to the following planks in the platform:

1. Health care for all through a single payer system
2. Support for the New Green Deal 
3. refusal to accept any campaign money from corporate PACs or fossil fuel executives.
4. Opposition to foreign military interventions, significant cuts to the defense budget, and support for ending military aid to Israel.

And #4 is where the buck stops. Not just for Israel, but for all the arms industries in the US the Israelis are required to use. No sales, no profits. Who are they really hurting?

In addition to ending military aid to Israel, they have also adopted an "anti-Zionist" plank: 

• Anti-Zionism: The DSA views Israel's character as a Jewish state as inherently exclusionary and officially supports the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
• Denial of Israel's right to exist or the recognition of Jews as indigenous to Israel. 
• Right to Return: The organization advocates for the realization of full Palestinian self-determination and the right of return for refugees, actively supporting protests that use the slogan "from the river to the sea".
• Expulsion Rules: At its national convention, the DSA passed resolutions establishing that promoting or supporting the State of Israel constitutes an expellable offense for members. 

This means, in no uncertain terms, our indigeneity, our right to live in our own homeland, is not permitted under their rules. Their support for "the river to the sea" supports Hamas' goal to exterminate Jews wherever they live. This is not just about Jews who live in Israel; this is open season on Jews in London, Paris, Brooklyn, and in every city in the world. 

Can you imagine what would happen if you tried to tell the French that they are really Italians because Caesar once conquered Gaul, thereby wiping away their language, their culture, their cheese, their wine, and the pastries????? Good luck with that. 

But somehow, it's okay to do to Jews. Because that's what they're telling us: that 5000 years of recorded history in one language (still spoken today) with front and forward archeological evidence in literature (i.e. the Bible,) on tombs and headstones, walls, coins, and paving stones means nothing. Never mind one of their own BIG guy was born in Judea, spoke the language, read the texts, and died because he was a Jew going against the status quo of Rome. 

Nah. Don't look here! Look over there at that purple elephant! 

Let me put this in a way everyone can understand: IT IS NOT ABOUT THE LAND. IT IS ABOUT WE, THE JEWISH PEOPLE.

from tonight's event. 

When they welcome guys like Hasan Piker into their rallies, We, the Jewish People, have to recognize that they are both actively and covertly advocating for the death of Israel and all Jews. Those crowds don't seem to understand the colonization of North Africa and the Levant was a real thing that marginalized all minorities. They still  have cells of LGBTQ+ advocating on behalf of Gaza, not quite grasping the idea that if they actually went there, they would be subject to the death penalty. Just ask Patti LuPone how her gay cruise was welcomed in Türkiye and Egypt, both Muslim countries that actively suppress and criminalize homosexual behavior. Good thing they didn't try to visit Gaza where homosexuality is punishable  by death. Often off a rooftop. 

And that's what they support. Hardly sounds like truth, justice, and the American way. 

Then there's Ilhan Omar welcoming Piker with open arms at Theatre in the Round. Yep. You read that right. This debacle was held at TRP. I don't know about anyone else in this theater community, but that sure as hell makes me queasy. Or maybe it's just another permutation of artists hating Jews. This is, after all, Minneapolis where Jews had to build their own hospital, Mount Sinai, because the others wouldn't grant Jewish doctors privileges, Jews weren't welcome in the local AAA. Welcome to Minnesota?

In a statement to FOX 9, Omar's campaign offered this explanation for why she and Fateh invited Piker to town:

Early voting among people under 40 is down, and we need to do everything to get young people to the polls. The Congresswoman knows the Democratic Party is a Big Tent party, and she's excited to join Senator Omar Fateh's event to mobilize young voters and get them to vote in this critical midterm election.

Which roughly translates to: if you hate Jews, it's okay because we hate 'em, too.

Not to worry, Ilhan and Omar, we got the message loud and clear. 

But here's the  thing: Peggy Flanagan dances around the same pole, as does Matt Little who's running to fill Angie Craig's seat. They're not as blatant as Omar, but none of them are jumping up to recognize our indigeneity on that strip of sand called Israel, or even our right to live in a place where a 3000 year old tombstone can be read by any Israeli kid because they're in the same language we speak today. 

I'm going to be doing a lot of nose-holding when I vote. Part of me asks, why bother? but the other half worries about our bodies, our selves, and our Constitution if we don't get out the vote. Either way, you're dancing with devils who basically want us to disappear.

The ads are disgusting, vile, manipulative, and are pretty much bullhockey all the way across both platforms. We are rapidly losing our democracy to whoever can buy a congressclown or two or three or four. It's not just Bezos and Musk who are undermining our long cherished right to elect a government, it's the government itself who actively attempts to deny We, the People the right to have our votes counted.

Not that it matters in the end. If Feckless President Felon doesn't like the projections, he will try to stop election day. And if he can't do that, he will order federal henchmen to snatch ballots and voting machines. And if that doesn't work, he'll just declare the election corrupted and void. You can be sure the lackeys in congress and SCROTUM...I mean SCOTUS... will allow him to do that. 

Talk to me on November 4th.

The Wifely Person's Tip O'the Week

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

The screening of THE DARKEST LIGHT

is on Wednesday night at 6:30

at Walker/West Music Academy on Marshall Ave in St Paul.

Click here for tickets.

This is the official trailer.