Nearing Summer.

 

The Biden and McCarthy debt ceiling deal is filled with compromise. Like I have mentioned earlier, it's a mixture of good and bad parts in it. There is no other way to explain the deal. Biden and McCarthy are unexpected allies in trying to get votes to pass the deal in the House and the Senate. This bipartisan deal embraces many conservative economic talking points. Missing from the deal is the fair taxation of the rich or even a Wall Street transaction tax that will get revenues that can handle the debt and deficit. Recently, the stock market has gains in the Dow, the Nasdaq, and the S&P 500. The deal has an increase in military spending and a cap on non-military discretionary spending. Billions of dollars in the deal will be gone from the unspent portion of COVID-19 relief funds. New work requirements are on SNAP programs that will harm many poor and unemployed human beings (even with certain exceptions). There are now cuts to Medicaid after the lifting of the national COVID emergency designation over the past few months. The deal rescinds billions of dollars to hir more IRS agents to rein in rampant tax evasions by some corporations and some of the rich. Still, the ultimate goal of many neoliberals and establishment leaders is to cut Medicare and Social Security (the deal doesn't do that, but editorials from The Washington Post desire to tackle Social Security and Medicare). Therefore, we have to see what these events evolve into.

Donald Trump and other far right extremists embracing the Shaman of the January 6th attack and other terrorists involved in the January 6th attack is anti-democratic. Many far-right GOP members are hypocritical in criticizing the debt deal, but they supported Trump's large tax cut that increased the U.S. deficit before. Chip Roy is so extreme in desiring even more massive cuts to social programs that his policies would trigger a world economic depression. Trump is also very extreme by desiring to ban the children of undocumented immigrants from having citizenship at birth. Birthright citizenship is legal and part of the 14th Amendment. That shows Trump's overt xenophobia. This xenophobia is promoted by agents all of the time. 

We live in unique economic times. Taking aim at corporate profits is necessary to control inflation not harming the economic futures of working people. MAGA Republicans have used manufactured crises to divert the public's attention from real issues. While the super wealthy gain more income, wealth, and power into small hands, you have extremists like DeSantis who admitted that his Presidential campaign is about ending woke politics from the national stage. Being woke just means that every human on this Earth is equal and are entitled to basic human rights without oppression. That is why compassion, peace, the rule of law, and democracy are legitimate ideals being superior to bigotry, hatred of people, and political divisiveness. DeSantis wants to destroy leftism being against the freedom of speech. His autocratic policies and his authoritarianism are clear to witness. We don't want anyone telling us what to believe or face consequences like DeSantis has promoted. The Governor of Florida wants every state in America to embrace his authoritarianism. The good news is that evil will lose in the end.

Scottie Pippen is typical with his hating of Michael Jordan. He or Pippen is right to expose Phil Jackson's racism which is further confirmed with his statements about sports and politics. Pippen is wrong to say that Michael Jordan was a horrible player and a horrible teammate. The truth is that before Pippen was in the NBA, Michael Jordan was the Rookie of the Year, won the Olympic Gold Medal beating international teams and even legendary NBA players in 1984, and he was a scoring leader in the NBA. He led his Chicago Bulls Team to the playoffs for the first time. Was Michael Jordan the perfect teammate? No. Did he make mistakes? Yes. Yet, Michael Jordan gave all of the praise to Scottie Pippen as a person who helped him and his team win 6 Championships. Michael Jordan always respected Scottie Pippen as a key element of the Chicago Bulls. After the Chicago Bulls won the 1997 Championship, Michael Jordan gave a press conference where he said that he respected Scottie Pippen's talent. It's ironic that while Jordan has shown respect to Pippen, Pippen has disrespected Jordan's legacy because of overt jealousy. Michael Jordan has been a bigger man by not responding to the disrespect from Pippen. 

Yesterday was the Birthday of Brother Ralph Carter, and he is 62 years old. He was born in New York City. He is famous for being an actor and a singer. he stared on Broadway in the musical That Me Body Knows when he was 9 years old. He was involved in various plays and had the breakout role as Travis Younger in Raisin. he won the 1973 Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Performer as well as the 1974 Theater World Award. Ralph Carter was nominated for the 1974 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. He played James in the show of Good Times. Young and In Love was his 1975 album. He performed the song When You're Young and in Love on Soul Train. He played in the Theater for the Classical Theater of Harlem Company too. Ralph Carter loves his five children. I wish Brother Ralph Carter more Blessings. 

By Timothy