Have you heard the USSR Brezhnev joke ….From the book The Gates of Europe…..”But the Soviet economy was in no condition to accelerate anything other than rates of decline…….” ‘We were on the edge of an abyss………but since then we have made a huge step forward’……”

https://wcfia.harvard.edu/publications/gates-europe-history-ukraine   –Ukraine is currently embroiled in a tense fight with Russia to preserve its territorial integrity and political independence. But today’s conflict is only the latest in a long history of battles over Ukraine’s territory and its existence as a sovereign nation. As the award-winning historian Serhii Plokhy argues in The Gates of Europe, we must examine Ukraine’s past in order to understand its present and future.

–end of harvard.edu info—

One was interested to learn that both Khrushchev and Brezhnev were Ukrainian.  Is there a connection between Ukraine and Russia?

One remembers the hilarious American stories about the societal depravity in the Former USSR.  A few of the story lines were—

*Incredible bureaucracy without which a citizen could do nothing, and the slow pace of said bureaucracy along with the confusion of red tape

*Red tape was nearly synonymous with the Former USSR

*unavailability of products needed by consumers

*Supply-chain problems

*Injustice depending on rank

*Substance abuse

*Police state

These hilarious stories appear to have been FACTual.

This sounds alarmingly familiar, wouldn’t one say?

A recent local news report revealed a senior living facility that had a broken elevator system in a 4-floor residential building.  Apparently according to reports this had gone on for some time.  The laughable character of this report would be humorous if it weren’t so tragic and dangerous.  This surely recalls Former USSR stories from the communist days.

One has no idea what living conditions are in Russia of 2023; but the USA seems to mirror the caricature of communism.  Some people aren’t surprised who have recognized that capitalism and communism are opposite sides of the same coin of authoritarian overreach and self-interest.

All things Russian seem to have been censored from US media.  Russia no longer calls itself communist, but one suspects the lingering reputation and the similarities between US and Russian Authoritarianism are a reason US Establishment wishes that We The People do not draw a comparison.  Hence censorship.

One also reads in The Gates book that after the Chernobyl disaster, a Green Party expanded in representation in Russia.  One mentions this at this odd moment when a Proxy War is waged by the USA in Europe with Establishment raising the bygone specter of communism, as the “Western values” that are surely capitalism are being promoted as being that which is desirable to Europeans who FACTually seem to veer toward political parties that are outside of either of capitalism or communism.  

When capitalism and communism are used as rallying banners to polarize humanity, this feels too nearly like the polarization by the US Democratic and Republican Parties to stir the pot of voters into team frenzy, using this deflection in order that actual policy is not discussed or promulgated for the good of We The People.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdubDaj6GH4   —

Did Russell Brand ‘End’ The WEF?

–end of russellbrand info–

https://popularresistance.org/social-media-is-filled-with-spooks-with-mike-papantonio/       –In this latest edition of “Behind The Headlines”, Lee Camp sat down with Mike Papantonio. Papantonio is one of the most successful lawyers in the U.S., and has built up a reputation for holding corporate America accountable. He has also hosted successful TV and radio shows, such as “Ring of Fire.” In this interview, the two discuss the power and influence of social media.

–end of leecamp info–

From lakotalaw  —  Oki (Hello). I am thrilled and honored to team up with you and the Lakota People’s Law Project family as the new Social Media Coordinator! My name is Lailani Upham, and I’m an enrolled member of the Amskapi Pikuni (Blackfeet Nation), and a Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, Nakoda, and Aaniiih descendent. I look forward to creatively engaging with you on important issues facing our Indigenous communities.

My professional storytelling journey started when I studied journalism at the University of Montana and the University of South Dakota. One project close to my heart was covering the Dakota Access pipeline protests in 2016, through a series called “Framing a Movement.” We researched how the media covered the events at Standing Rock, and I wrote a short blog on my experience there. You can read it here.

I grew up on the Blackfeet and Fort Belknap reservations in Montana and was fortunate to be raised by Native language-speaking grandparents from all my ancestral nations. They grounded me in who I am as an Indigenous woman through our stories, history, and language. Through their influence, I grew up wanting to become a writer — and then, in high school, a journalist. It’s been a lifelong journey getting to the point of intentionally practicing the power of storytelling and sharing this craft with others. My personal belief as an Indigenous person is that it’s critical that we tell our stories and share experiences from our perspective.

For decades, I’ve reported from an Indigenous perspective in newsrooms across Montana. Here is a piece I did for Audubon Magazine on the Trumpeter Swan reintroduction with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Eventually, I moved into film documentary work. My latest project focuses on conservation and land stewardship practices of the Amskapi Pikuni, called “Life in the Land.” 

The drive to share my skilled craft also led me to teaching video production at Salish Kootenai College and writing at Aaniiih Nakoda College, both encompassing an Indigenous angle. In addition, I launched a tourism business, Iron Shield Creative LLC, which fosters our human connection to our natural world through cultural workshop hikes in Blackfoot homelands throughout Montana. In this way, I can help people to be better stewards of all that Creator gave us.

My discipline as a U.S. Army veteran also informs my perspective. I aspire to inspire people of all walks of life to consider their responsibility to advocate for Indigenous rights and support our tribal communities so we can thrive into the next generations. This comes from my personal hope as a grandmother and mother, roles I take very seriously. So, thank you for your ear, and it’s wonderful to connect with you. I’m ecstatic about this opportunity to promote crucial issues and make a difference through Lakota Law’s social media channels. I hope you’ll stay tuned. Let’s continue to change our world through collaborative action!

Sukapi — thank you from my heart to yours.
Lailani Upham
Social Media Coordinator
The Lakota People’s Law Project

–end of lakotalaw info—-

From Veterans For Peace    —https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUvf-qqqDgjGtKhsNTBpeObd6pXSz2Qpfxi?emci=9a35d345-8493-ed11-9d7b-00224832e811&emdi=b73c1c41-1d99-ed11-994c-00224832eb73&ceid=10527506               –

Direct Action to Stop the War Machine!

–end of vfp 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!