Ongoing work of Greenpeace and Jane Fonda, and by the way Lillie Tomlin, remind us of the benefit that can happen when people understand the good work that can occur from serious integrity.

https://www.ecowatch.com/butterfly-sanctuary-threats.html        –The center’s current plight began in 2017, when it sued the Trump administration over its proposed border wall, according to HuffPost. The center argued that wall construction would destroy habitat for birds and butterflies and cut off migration routes for low-flying species. It also said that the Trump administration began cutting down trees on center property without permission, according to NPR. If the wall were completed, it would divide the property and threaten endangered species. The center later sued We Build the Wall, a nonprofit that supports border wall construction, saying it had defamed the center, leading to “targeted harassment,” according to HuffPost. –end of ecowatch info—

Received from Greenpeace and Jane Fonda—- it’s Jane Fonda with Fire Drill Fridays and Greenpeace.I’m excited about this week’s show because we’re going to talk about one of my favorite things: Strategy.  We are going to walk through our 2022 goals, how we plan to advance our efforts to hold our leaders accountable and stop catastrophic climate change, and most importantly, how you can help!And I’m even more thrilled about our guests — Greenpeace Co-Executive Director, Annie Leonard, and Democracy Campaign Director Folabi Olagbaju — as they will discuss how we’re going to make 2022 a BIG, people-powered year for climate and democracy. RSVP and tune in on Friday, February 4th at 2pm ET / 11am PT on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Twitch.This year, it is absolutely essential that both President Biden and Congress stop doing the bidding of fossil fuel interests and instead prioritize the health and resilience of our communities. Being a climate leader in 2022 means more than just talking about climate — our government needs to step up and stop funding, stop permitting, and stop exporting fossil fuels.Each year our team thinks about how we can get closer to achieving our demands. We know, more than anything else, we need to keep building power. People power. So Jean, our movement, our democracy, and our climate need you to stand strong and take action. And while these are undoubtedly scary and uncertain times, we can remember that we have truth and belief in justice on our side and our movement is growing. The challenges ahead of us are very real and we will meet them with resilience, compassion, and a whole lot of people power. We’ll see you Friday!In solidarity, Jane Fonda–end of greenpeace info———————–https://www.facebook.com/events/648038299805363?emci=d27722b7-8d83-ec11-94f6-281878b85110&emdi=b5cdbaa0-1c85-ec11-94f6-281878b85110&ceid=241441

The USA seems obsessed with promoting interests of oligarchs over interests of the public.  Consider a few examples.  Foreign policy is sold as “spreading democracy around the globe” when it is more about commercial interests.*https://www.rt.com/russia/548307-moscow-china-call-against-nato-expansion/?utm_source=browser&utm_medium=push_notifications&utm_campaign=push_notifications         –Following a meeting between the two world leaders in Beijing on Friday, ahead of the opening of the Winter Olympic Games, the Kremlin published the text of a statement agreed by both sides, calling for dialogue in an effort to reduce tensions.–end of rt info–
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-2022-russia-china-politics-idAFKBN2K90TK  —
In a joint statement, the two countries affirmed that their new relationship was superior to any political or military alliance of the Cold War era.–end of reuters info–

Without taking any view about The Ukraine, and expressing the primary concern as US national security, one finds jolting the continuing threats from US politicians imposing sanctions on Russia as China and Russia form a partnership, and keeping in mind that China produces most of US products, and that China seems to be sanctioning the USA.  National security of the USA would not be deeply compromised if politicians had not sent jobs overseas in compliance with commercial interests byway of trade agreements such as TPP that specifically contains language prioritizing profits over human and environmental rights.
The indoctrination that “we are a 2-Party system”, which we are not, has built the extraordinarily strange Republican/Democratic duopoly that has made more important political Parties over the rights of We The People.
https://www.vox.com/22900113/nato-ukraine-russia-crisis-clinton-expansion  –Ukraine is a former Soviet republic. It isn’t joining NATO anytime soon, and President Joe Biden has said as much. Still, NATO’s open-door policy — the alliance’s foundational principle that any qualified European country could join — cuts both ways. To the West, it’s a statement of autonomy; to Russia, it’s a threat. The core of the NATO treaty is Article 5, a commitment that an attack on any country is treated as an attack on the entire alliance — meaning any Russian military engagement with a hypothetical NATO-member Ukraine would theoretically bring Moscow into conflict with the US, the UK, France, and the 27 other NATO members.–end of vox info–

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-2022-russia-china-politics-idAFKBN2K90TK    –MOSCOW (Reuters) -China and Russia proclaimed a deep strategic partnership on Friday to balance what they portrayed as the malign global influence of the United States as China’s President Xi Jinping hosted Russia’s Vladimir Putin on the opening day of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
–end of reuters info–
It’s not about democracy, boys and girls.  It’s about the money.  It’s not about the nation, it’s about the money.  Oligarchs are dueling for positions of self-interest and greed, regardless of which nation in which each resides.https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/02/03/pipeline-politics-hits-multipolar-realities-nord-stream-2-and-the-ukraine-crisis/   –Since the 1960s when Europe first began importing Russian gas, Washington perceived Russian energy as a threat to US leadership and Europe’s energy security. More recently, with fracking, the US has become the world’s largest gas producer and a major exporter of LNG (liquefied natural gas). It wants to muscle in on Europe’s huge market, displacing Russian gas. With Nord Stream 2 completed and filled while it awaits German regulatory approval, the stakes are high.–end of counterpunch info–
The good news about Trump is that he is crassly and transparently self-interested.  Who knows what the GOP think they get out of their co-dependence with this oligarch.  It surely isn’t about democracy, perhaps it’s about the money.
*https://www.aol.com/news/rnc-gathering-rift-emerges-between-013013506.html         –But a distinct chasm is emerging between Trump’s obsessions and the issues many GOP operatives consider crucial to winning the midterm elections in November. Republican candidates need to make voters’ concerns a central focus, as opposed to Trump’s day-to-day attacks, RNC members suggested this week.
–end of aol info–
The Democratic/Republican duopoly has become organizations to self-promote rather than lead.  
C-Span hosted a politician who expressed a startling bit of info–https://www.c-span.org/video/?517525-3/washington-journal-rep-august-pfluger-r-tx-discusses-russian-threats-invade-ukraine-amp-biden         — FEBRUARY 4, 2022 | PART OF WASHINGTON JOURNAL 02/04/2022

Washington Journal

Representative Pfluger on Russian Threats to Invade Ukraine and Biden Foreign Policy

Representative August Pfluger (R-TX), a member of the Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security committees, talked about Russian threats to invade Ukraine and Biden Administration foreign policy.–end of c-span info–When the host of C-Span asked Representative Pfluger whether his information about Russian/Ukrainian tension came from briefings, his answer (paraphrase) I’m led to believe this view from media reports.
Several thoughts–*A Representative who is on the Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security committees is gathering his info from corporate-owned-politically-influenced MSM*MSM runs on ratings*MSM is warning about a Russian wag-the-dog action*Collaboration between government and commercial interests in matters of governance is fascism*Fascism is expanding in the USA according to sources no less significant than the President, among many others*Russia is especially sensitive to fascism, one may assume, due to having fought against it during WWII
If we are not concerned about US national security, maybe we should attempt dignified messages that don’t insult the intelligence of the public.*

We deserve better.      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.I———————–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.