Florida Republicans advance draconian bills banning abortion, discussions of sexuality and white racial ‘discomfort’ aim to establish Florida as capital of Trumpistan
The Guardian of London, UK, 1-31-2022
Doomsaying is epidemic as fascism rises worldwide. US Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Caligula, was recently asked what he intends to do when he regains the senate majority next year. He promised to let America know next year.
In 2016, ex-Russian KGB agent Vladimir Putin broke the European Union and elected a commie-friendly American president. Internet disinformation is much cheaper than tanks. He bit off a major chunk of Ukraine, which foolishly gave up its nukes after the Cold War in exchange for flimsy promises of western protection.
Might as well believe two-faced S. Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham when he says he’ll support a black supreme court nominee.
“This will always remain one of the best jokes of democracy — that it gave its deadly enemies the means by which it was destroyed,” Hitler propaganda boss Joseph Goebbels once said.
The playbook is easy.
“Naturally, the common people don’t want war, but after all, it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag people along whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship,” Nazi leader Herman Goering once said.
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country,” Goering noted.
Czar Donaldov said we were being attacked by brown foreign rapists.
Instant president.
And so we carry on with business as usual.
NAMING NAMES. Last week, I promised the names of applicants for the still organizing Sparks Equity and Inclusion Advisory Board, 15 years in the making since us NAACP types got the city council to pass a resolution authorizing one in 2007. Here they are.
- A’Keia Sanders, a lead legal administration specialist, US Veterans Benefit Administration, Sparks resident for 21 months.
- Elvira Diaz, Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada civil engagement coordinator, 15 years (and a great baker; we both serve on the Reno-Sparks NAACP executive committee)
- Jarell D. Green, counselor/coordinator, 18 years
- Melissa M. Nordeen, chief marketing officer, 3 (years or months, not specified)
- Michael K. Scherzer, chief technology officer, 5 months
- Roberto J. Castillo mortgage consultant, not noted
- Rose J. Meza, UNR outreach project coordinator, 22 years
- T. Tran, real estate broker, 32 years Links to applications at NevadaLabor.com/
The Rail City’s new Citizen Police Advisory Committee met at city hall for the first time on January 31. Report next week.
BOOK ‘EM. “David Toll’s NEVADA” is now available. His prize-winning Nevada writing is well worth perusal and purchase. It will soon be reviewed in the Nevada Historical Society Quarterly. Hie thee to nevadabookstore.org/
80 PERCENT OF SUCCESS IS SHOWING UP, as Woody Allen once calculated the math. Thanks to all those who showed up at United Parcel Service in Sparks last Thursday. The brown box behemoth is trying to cut the pay of its part-timers as much as $6.00 per hour for dangerous and physically rough labor. In the last three months of 2021, UPS made $2.9 Billion with a capital “B.”
So why is unionization in the private sector continuing to drift downward (six per hundred workers) while the public sector has held steady for decades at 34 per 100 employees? The answer is easy: labor laws stacked against private sector unions and corporations willing to perpetrate any abuse, legal or illegal, to stop workers from organizing.
And the costs of hiring $1,000-perhour union-busting thugs is fully tax deductible, thus underwritten by suckers like you and me. (NYTimes 1-29-2022)
Speaking of union-busting blackguards, lack of COVID-19 safety measures is a major reason why the Washoe County Regional Transportation Commission’s foreign owned bus contractor Keolis Transit can’t get enough drivers. The system has been falling apart since Keolis took over in July, 2019, fully eight months before the plague hit.
Local pols including Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson are at least paying attention. “We need to blow the thing up and…build a better system,” Lawson said last month.
Some corporations other than UPS and Keolis Transit know that the age of the disposable worker is over.
SEND PRAYERS AND GOOD VIBES FOR MIKE. My Sparks union brother, RTCRide bus operator Michael Lansborough, goes under the knife in a day or two.
He is sole support of his wife and son, Logan, who has no lower legs due to a genetic flaw. In his wheelchair, the intrepid 10 year-old supported his dad on Teamsters Union picket lines during last summer’s Hot August Strike. (Photos on the front page of NevadaLabor.com/)
A GoFundMe page set up by friends just broke $3k at $3,180 and they’ve raised the goal from $4k to $6k, which is great. Mike faces a rough recovery.
Here is the link Be generous. If you would like to help by check, make it payable to Michael Lansborough and send to his attention at Teamsters Local 533, 1190 Selmi Drive, Suite 100, Reno NV 89512.
Join me in donating. Please. And tell your friends.
¡Sí se puede!
Take care of each other and be careful out there.
Be well. Raise hell. / Esté bien. Haga infierno.
Andrew Quarantino Barbano is a 53-year Nevadan and editor of NevadaLabor.com, SenJoeNeal. org and MississippiWestNV.org/ He is a longtime member of the Reno-Sparks NAACP. As always, his comments are strictly his own. Barbwire by Barbano has originated in the Tribune since 1988.
john sebastian says
Good Old Andy: All the Left-Wing Wacko news that’s fit to print. Of course, there’ll be absolutely NO static from the “Who’s Side Are You On” team at the ACLU, GoFundMe, ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, RGJ, USAToday, NAALCP, Karen Johnson or anyone in Washoe county (because no one in Washoe county except me reads Andy’s demented diatribes). But, most importantly, we will fight and die for Andy’s (and the merry band of “other voices in his head”) right to speak freely. Hail the 1st and 2nd and all the rest of, you know, the thing!