U.S. No. 1 in death dealing covid, No. 1 in death dealing arms sales

The U.S. has the dubious distinction of being No. 1 in two terrible categories of death: covid and arms sales. Our covid infections of 8,100,000 and deaths of 221,000 outpace all other 194 countries.

While we didn’t intend to top the covid death charts, we actively lust for world leadership in arms sales, slaughtering hundreds of thousands in the Middle East and Africa. They represent the grotesque underbelly of American capitalism and military posturing worldwide. Nobody specializes in weapons of mass civilian destruction like Uncle Sam, accounting for half the world’s supply. Trump’s first foreign presidential trip was to Saudi Arabia where he embraced their vicious rulers, inking a $115 billion in arms sales, upwards of $350 billion over ten years. We’ve been the principal supplier of death stuff to Saudi Arabia for their near genocidal war against Yemen causing mass starvation to those not killed by U.S. ordnance. When Congress passed a resolution ending U.S. support for the Saudis’ murderous war, Trump vetoed it, essentially abrogating the Constitutional requirement that only Congress wages war.

The recent Abraham Accords Trump brokered between Israel and the UAE is a U.S. arms maker delight. They get to sell more lethal war implements to Arab countries, then placate a worried Israel by selling them an additional $8 billion in weaponry. Everybody wins expect the innocents blown to bits.

Massive covid at home, massive weapons of civilian destruction abroad….America tops leadership board in senseless death.

Two billionaire takes on wise use of vast wealth

Illinois' richest resident Ken Griffin has donated $46.75 million to prevent Illinois' flat tax from being converted under the Illinois Constitution to a progressive tax. He likes the current flat tax just fine. Even tho 34 states, Washington D.C. and the federal government have a fairer progressive income tax, Griffing and his billionaire buddies want Joe Sixpack to continue to pay the same rate as them. One Illinois billionaire not a buddy of Billionaire Ken is billionaire Governor J.B. He not only proposed the progressive Fair Tax, he's donated $56.5 million to promote its passage by voters November 3. Unlike Ken Griffin, Gov. Pritzker is a billionaire who uses his wealth to promote the public good instead of simply increasing his and his friends' personal bank accounts.

Open letter to Attorney General William Barr

 Mr. Attorney General, what is wrong with you? You are charged by the Constitution with being the highest law enforcement officer of all the people. Instead you choose to serve the racist, xenophobic policies of your boss, President Trump. Our country faces a crisis with his subtle and not so subtle encouragement of White Nationalist violence which you ignor. When asked recently if you were aware of such threats against Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who just dodged a kidnap threat by six White Nationalists, you answered “No”. When challenged you demurred by stating there are threats against lots of people you’re not aware of. Your answer doesn’t pass the smell test for honesty and decency. You follow the President’s lead and focus almost exclusively on alleged terrorism from a largely imaginary group called Antifa. While not a true organization like the ‘Wolverine Watchman’, seven members of which plotted death to Michigan police officers to foment civil insurrection, Antifa is a mindset. It consists of tens, if not a hundred million or more Americans who follow the most American of virtues, being ‘antifascist’.

Sixteen million such folks marched off to defeat fascism in WWII. Virtually the entire country of 130 million back then were antifascist. I joined this mindset in 1951 when my parents explained to me the concept of fascism that, sadly, still had twisted American followers. Senator Joe McCarthy was the threat back then, spewing fear and loathing of the ‘other’ that ruined thousands of lives. But McCarthy was largely a lone ranger of xenophobia and authoritarianism, not led or backed by the president and attorney general. Today’s threat is directly propagated by the president, who just took a page from Joe McCarthy, calling VP candidate Senator Kamala Harris a “monster and communist”. Your silence on such deplorable behavior screams complicity. 

In addition to enabling the threat posed by the president’s dog whistle hints at mob violence, you’ve actively supported his ominous threat to delegitimize his likely loss November 3, prejudging the election a fraud based on mail in ballots. That threatens violence dwarfing that of the fringe White Nationalist militia groups.

Mr. Attorney General, you’ve been in public service for 47 of your 70 years. You’re in the home stretch. Whatever good you may have done in those five decades is being overshadowed by your sycophantic support for a defective human being unleashing hate against his imagined enemies. That hate is actually directed at the fragile fabric of our polity. You’ve just 100 days to redeem your damage to our country and your lasting reputation. Don’t delay. Time is running out.