The history of the modern Republican Party putting its own interests ahead of the interests of the country goes back to at least 1980 when Ronald Reagan operatives travelled to the Middle East to PREVENT Iran from releasing the hostages before the November election. This has long been suspected and had been repeatedly denied. Now, one of the operatives directly involved has come clean and apologized to the dying President Carter.

https://tinyurl.com/4p23p46d

If that article is paywalled, here is another . . .

https://www.businessinsider.com/ben-barnes-october-surprise-reagan-supporter-jimmy-carter-1980-election-2023-3

Beyond disgraceful. Americans continued to be held hostage for months because the Republicans wanted to win an election.

It is a fact of life that many very young girls begin menstruation early. Even as young as 10 or 11. They are very much children, but can become pregnant if they behave ignorantly or are molested. When a child is capable of becoming pregnant, sex education is not only age-appropriate, it is vital. But not in MAGA world apparently.

The Florida GOP in its wisdom wants to add discussion of menstrual cycles and sexual health to its list of forbidden topics for school kids. Their bill to do so is so poorly crafted that it would make it illegal for young girls to discuss the subject amongst themselves. And God forbid that a teacher try to help a youngster by explaining why they are bleeding.

https://www.businessinsider.com/florida-bill-bans-young-girls-from-discussing-periods-school-2023-3

Why is there political advantage in propagating dangerous ignorance? Maybe some MAGA-Republican can explain the logic?

https://tinyurl.com/5n9a622b

The conflict between the leader of the Wagner Group and the Russian Ministry of Defense has bubbled into public view with extremely serious accusations flowing in every direction. And, as this article points out, other Russian oligarchs are preparing themselves with their own private armies should they have to go to the mattresses – a deliberate Mafia reference because these are gangsters we are talking about. What a country!

From the article . . . “Andrei Piontkovsky, a Russia-born commentator now living in exile in the United States, argues that the Russian elite believes that defeat in Ukraine is looming and that the Putin era is doomed. The feuding clans are gearing up for what comes next: protecting what they already have and contending for the vast assets that will be available after the regime’s collapse.”

Just as Putin has accomplished something no one else could get done – re-vitalizing NATO, so too has Israeli Wannabe Dictator Netanyahu achieved the formerly impossible – Getting Iran and Saudi Arabia moving towards better relations.

But, beyond that, his efforts to solidify is authoritarian control are carrying Israel towards disaster.

https://tinyurl.com/mtwujkfh

https://tinyurl.com/52xprbjx

This is for those who want to believe that the legality of abortion is a settled isse and is not likely to affect politics going forward. It is also for those of you who think fundamental human rights are for the Legislatures to decide for each state. If you think that, you are endorsing the idea that a woman who takes a morning after pill can be put to death.

https://tinyurl.com/268hb74y

Republican witness Matt Taibbi had a very bad day when Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz got her five minutes to question him on journalistic ethics.

s://www.cnn.com/2023/03/11/politics/mike-pence-gridiron-dinner/index.html

“President Trump was wrong. I had no right to overturn the election and his reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day, and I know that history will hold Donald Trump accountable . . . Tourists don’t injure 140 police officers by sightseeing. Tourists don’t break down doors to get to the Speaker of the House or voice threats against public officials . . . Make no mistake about it, what happened that day was a disgrace, and it mocks decency to portray it in any other way”

https://tinyurl.com/yckfuvsh

“The passing of these laws signals the dawn of a new authoritarian age in the United States, where the state uses laws restricting speech to intimidate, bully and punish educators, forcing them to submit to the ideology of the dominant majority or lose their livelihoods, and even their freedom.” – Jason Stanley

The author puts CRT, Intersectionality, and Structural Racism – bugaboos for the “anti-woke” – into their actual and very valid context.

https://tinyurl.com/3vb8bn4c

Isn’t it just terrible how Russia is under attack and has no choice but to invade its neighbors. They are such peace-loving peaceful. Look how peaceful it is in Chechnya. And, gosh, people even laugh when Foreign Secretary Lavrov tells the simple truth of how the war in the Ukraine was “launched against us.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/04/russia-sergei-lavrov-ukraine-war-india-conference