Most students in civics classes noticed a paragraph in government-approved textbooks about a scandal in the Warren Harding Administration called the Teapot Dome.  One doesn’t remember anything about this scandal other than it was about kickbacks.  FACTually speaking, that this scandal was included in textbooks seems to assuage any notion that this system continued unabated, but the insinuation was that this scandal was an anomaly.  One’s eyes popped open after reading the following about which one recently commented—–

This book reminds that the past can warn those who have the awakening to notice..

Incidentally reading the following—-https://www.davidgrann.com/book/killers-of-the-flower-moon/—In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, they rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe.

Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. 

—end of davidgrann info–

Librarians are said to be under attack from bureaucrats.  No wonder.  

The infamous Teapot Dome Scandal may have reached over decades unabated and hushed into a system known as “running government like a business”.

https://www.history.com/topics/roaring-twenties/teapot-dome-scandal      –In 1920, Warren G. Harding, a senator and Ohio newspaper publisher, won a long-shot bid for the White House with the financial backing of oilmen who were promised oil-friendly cabinet picks in return. As Laton McCartney wrote in his book The Teapot Dome Scandal, How Big Oil Bought the Harding White House and Tried to Steal the Country, the back-slapping Harding was a consummate “go along to get along man.”

–end of history info–

—-end of recap——

An argument can be made that the bribing of government officials was dealt with after the Teapot Dome Scandal, not by challenging corruption legislatively and judicially, but by legalizing without legitimizing corruption in the government by such determinations as Citizens United.  In other words, laws were passed to legalize “running government like a business”, which may be defined as either fascism or organized crime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAnpvte1l10    —

So THIS Is Why US Wants War In Ukraine——- Jul 17, 2022 This week I spoke with investigative journalist with the Grayzone, Aaron Maté, about efforts by the US proxy war in Ukraine and its efforts to weaken and destabilise Russia. #ukraine #russia #US

—–end of RB info–

Can these governmental anomalies add to Climate Change?  Perhaps…..https://theintercept.com/2022/07/18/joe-gayle-manchin-condo-climate-canaan-valley/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=The%20Intercept%20Newsletter    –But while Manchin has sabotaged federal efforts at combating climate change, he has used federal dollars to preserve his own corner of the world. Public records reviewed by The Intercept show that even after Manchin’s decadeslong efforts to upend environmental policy that would undercut the fossil fuel companies funding his political campaigns (and the waste coal industry generating his personal fortune), he and his wife, Gayle Manchin, have directed millions of federal dollars to a small, pristine valley in West Virginia where the couple owns a condo. Hundreds of miles north of the coal communities decimated by the mountaintop removal mining that Manchin fostered in the state, the Manchins’ Canaan Valley residence sits in an unadulterated watershed, surrounded by the Dolly Sods Wilderness, the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, and Blackwater Falls State Park.

–end of theintercept info–

But don’t blame Joe Manchin for acting true to his character.  He won’t be the first.

https://portside.org/2022-07-20/joe-manchin-symptom-its-senate-thats-sick?utm_source=portside-general&utm_medium=email  –Two-hundred and thirty-five years later and the United States Senate still works to stymie and stifle the “pernicious innovations” that might help ordinary Americans, or preserve the planet for their children and grandchildren.

–end of portside info–

As one who is fairly informed and curious, still I was shocked to hear Howie Hawkins inform that the Senate is not a requirement and is not a part of the 3 branches of government.  And so if it feels like the function of the Senate is to maintain supremacy by a certain group of people, it may be a FACT.

If the Senate isn’t a requirement, maybe this should be discussed.

One has watched a concept of American exceptionalism that to some people seem like hubris, pretend to supremacy by being woke, to an extent that has blinded Americans to real-time democratic (small d) actions that predominate just South of the borders of North America.  Could this be a type of racism?  Could Northern chauvinism be another excuse for imperialism inflicted under the excuse of “spreading democracy around the world” that promises privilege to those who support this system?  Could the North learn anything from the South, as pertains to the Americas?—

https://portside.org/2022-07-20/global-left-midweek-focus-latin-america?utm_source=portside-general&utm_medium=email      —

1. Lessons From Colombia
2. Internationalism of the Landless
3. Panama National Strike
4. The Mapuche: Across Borders
5. Argentina: Trans Rights
6. More on Chile’s New Constitution
7. CARICOM/Venezuela
8. Ecuador: Indigenous Protests Against Austerity
9. Antigua: Same-Sex Marriage Victory
10. Cuba: Referendum on Family Plan

–end of portside info–

New ideas and perspectives seem appropriate as we watch the chaos from Establishment—-

https://mailchi.mp/bee6e05f2358/green-party-of-st-louis-meeting-wed-april-19-2017-recent-and-future-elections-6155137?e=d624642c9f     —

Wood Pellet Manufacturing in a Rainforest

The true scale of the global North’s economic  

appropriation of the SouthWaiting on the French Left to Decolonize ItselfThe Only Commonality Is Uncommonality: Progressive Protest from 

Below since the Mid-1980s

Green Capitalism Can’t Work

UKRAINE IS A PAWN ON THE GRAND CHESSBOARD

US, Russia, Ukraine: What went Wrong?Climate Change is Killing TreesThe Climate and the Republic, Melting Down in Real Time

–end of gatewaygreens info–

****As one who would be perfectly contented to retain the Senate if they adhered to Oaths of Office more than to Citizens United campaign donations, one is interested in a topic raised as to the reason we maintain the US Senate—-
 This is a reminder of how much we don’t know.  This brings one around to Howie Hawkins, who continues to impress with original thought.  We also could acknowledge Hawkins often speaks to censored information.
One such topic about which one would never have even considered, is whether the USA needs The Senate.  Apparently The Senate is little other than expensive window dressing, promoting hierarchical interests, and too often placed in positions of power by big-money via Citizens United.  But the public gets to fund this curiosity of pompous supremacy.  Who knew?
The Democratic Branch of the Republican/Democratic Duopoly are especially functional in voter suppression—–https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNbdkuU1edw          —#GreenSocialist Notes #76
Howie Hawkins brings up the concept of whether the USA needs the Senate.  Apparently according to some people, the Senate isn’t necessary.  This brings up the blockage from the Senate of many bills that would benefit We The People.  Combined with Citizens United that promotes big-money interest choice of Senators, in which laws are passed that benefit big-money interest rather than We The People, and that We The People support economically, the members of the Senate, this seems a good topic for discussion.
The US Constitution doesn’t seem to sanction elections run by political Parties, and to permit control of political debates by political Parties seems equally corrupt.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ7kn2-GEmM       —

Ross Perot in 1992 on NAFTA and the “Giant Sucking Sound”

Centralization is the lifeblood of the R&D duopoly.  It’s the way to enforce capitalism onto workers in 2022.———————–We can do better———-

That “we are a 2-Party system” is a fabrication of the Republican/Democratic duopoly and spread by MSM.  In FACT the majority of voters aren’t either registered Democratic or Republican.  The censorship about this info must be envied by bureaucrats of the Former USSR and their simplistic style of 1-Party elections.  
Regardless of which character sits in the Oval Office, We The People have work to do to maintain principles of our democratic (small d) Constitutional republic.  Several items to challenge—*We need the integrity of ranked-choice voting so voters won’t feel compelled to “hold your nose and vote”*Censored debates must be stopped.  The Democratic/Republican duopoly pretends to legitimate debates in what is nothing other than another campaign show.  Independent debates run by uninterested sponsors such as The League of Women Voters, must be restored.  (Access www.debates.org to understand the extent of duopoly control).  The so-called Debate Commission is a corporation to promote the Democratic corporation and Republican corporation, not to inform We The People*Challenge and stop gerrymandering that is a trick especially of the Republican branch of the duopoly.*Stop voter suppression by political Parties, and especially confront and stop Party suppression, which is the over-arching approach to voter suppression.  Party suppression seems to have been the responsibility of the Democratic corporation*Promote by law ranked-choice voting, so we won’t be told again, by D&R duopoly, to “hold your nose and vote”If these issues are handled, our next elections can be honorable. *******************************************************************https://news.gallup.com/poll/15370/party-affiliation.aspx—-Political Party affiliation of voters.
    https://www.lwv.org/newsroom/press-releases/league-refuses-help-perpetrate-fraud–LEAGUE REFUSES TO “HELP PERPETRATE A FRAUD”

WITHDRAWS SUPPORT FROM FINAL PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE–end of lwv info–Murray Bookchin, who founded social ecology, a theory that strongly influenced early Green Socialist thought, strongly advocated the discussion and study group as the first step of any revolutionary movement. A group of individuals meets to expand their knowledge of radical thought and form a radical intellectual community; through the give and take of discussion, can eventually form ideas for next steps in organizing and political activity. According to Bookchin, study groups help create solidarity and a shared language — with a shared coherent vision — for building a mass, organizing, political movement!
Along with Climate Change, many people oppose the imperialism of the USA under control of the Republican/Democratic duopoly.  Use of the wealth of our nation should be to enhance quality of life for We The People rather than for imperialism.  Some people vote accordingly.