Free. And Fair.

The value of your vote. Or absence thereof.

It’s free to vote. It’s a right granted by the constitution. It costs nothing to register and nothing at the polls. Billions are spent in getting each and every one of us to vote and also by some to vote in a particular way.

Each vote represents a certain kind of life or death to the one on a ballot. Corporations and people with REAL money think their vote and their future and their jobs and their ideas should dominate. The push for more money to them is also a leverage that they will continue to dominate both the idea and physical landscape.

Once upon a time, people considered their votes between themselves and themselves. A private, sacred affair protected by a privacy curtain. Today in our fractured fairytale world, our votes, who we are most likely to vote for is signaled by flags, signs, car stickers do we vaccinate, wear masks. The divide is wide and surly and violent too often. It’s all a scenario for your vote. To get it and with that failed, to suppress it.

The Hidden Persuaders, written in 1957 is a must read or at least must understand book that explained and gives a road map to our buying habits. What makes us “want”. What we sign on for, want to be associated with. How to herd us ultimately to decide one thing or another over one thing or another.

The Hidden Persuaders was the first book to expose the hidden world of “motivation research,” the psychological technique that advertisers use to probe our minds in order to control our actions as consumers.

Propaganda is little different than persuasion, advertising and lobbying. Propaganda suggests a cover up or a deletion of information leading to a particular idea or choice which would not be likely if all the information were available. It suggests something is left unsaid. An important pivotal something that should lead the listener in the opposite direction. The best at being worst in this regard is Tucker Carlson, Kellyanne Conway, Rudy, Steve Bannon, the Freedom Caucus.. you know that team. Team Fascist.

Propaganda is what Russia does. How it is delivered in the US is offered now as “both sides”. It is not, it is propaganda modified. It obscures the truth and offers a different truth in its stead. Remember alternate facts? We are there not again, but still. Some propaganda is too ham fisted to go over well with US listeners. Some may be too weak. The Goldilocks of propaganda is being sought. Goldilocks is always seeking what's “just right”. She will avoid being eaten by the bears, get a good nights sleep, eat her fill, and leave without even a “thank you here’s my credit card for the charges”.

Most recently, (gifted article attached) is the Nova Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine has been reported in a sorry spectrum of wondering who did what to whom. In an effort to clear misunderstanding of what happened and also tips to those that report on the event, Timothy Snyder a leading voice in Ukrainian history and what is taking place today in the Russian attack on Ukraine has the following to say.

Please look at the entire essay on Substack by Prof. Snyder here. It is illuminating as are his lectures on Ukraine, available through Yale YouTube. Links here. He’s very generous with his volumes of knowledge. I encourage subscription to his Substack.

The worst for Trump was and likely is, that the November 2020 election was extremely fair. It showed no stress of being bungled, taken or stolen by anyone. Our elections have proven in court test after court test in Georgia, Arizona to be all accurate. No errors or blips worthy of a percentage of merit that would change an outcome. None. Too bad Donnie. Looks like Fani Willis has good shot at proving her allegations that you tried to lie your way into the presidency. Trying to subvert the peoples will for yours. Nah uh. She, and we are not amused.

Chris Christie is not amused also. Announcing his run for pres. is official. He made good on his offer to lampoon the great orange beast, sending barbs directly to Jarred and Ivanka who scored billions while Former inhabited the White House. This should be good.

Pence broke out of the gate in a walk. Few attended the launch of the Pence for No.1 where he clearly broke from his own administration by breaking from the big lie. Color me impressed with courage that has been in waiting since January 6, 2021. Doens’t get much weirder but here we are.

There seems to be daylight breaking, between the candidates with DeSantis’s continuing dissent to cruelty. In another stunt of sending people with unsettled immigration status from Florida to California. Gov. Newsom has some thoughts.

Thanks for being here. Things are heating up for our democracy. I love the company. Subscribe for free.