About Author: Bruce Berlin

Bruce Berlin is a retired, public sector ethics attorney. He is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution, and a practitioner of Buddhist meditation. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Autocrats vs. Democrats in the America’s Bowl

Posted on February 14, 2025 by Author: Bruce Berlin

Now that thePhiladelphiaEagles have defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in theSuper Bowl, the American people need to turn their full attention to the critical contest for the heart and soul of our country. At this point, the autocrats led by President Trump are beating the democrats for control of our nation by using executive orders and an ultrarich, reckless rookie, Elon Musk.

Tension is mounting as we get closer to an all-out constitutional crisis. Sometime fairly soon, Autocrats-in-Chief Trump and Musk are going to defy a court ruling in clear violation of the Constitution. Such a case will quickly land in the Supreme Court.

If the Court rules in favor of Trump, he will have the green light to be the full-blown fascist autocrat he’s longed to be. But, if the Court sides with the parties advocating for the rule of law, i.e., the Constitution, Trump may very well ignore the Court’s decision and continue his destruction of the federal government.

In fact, Trump and Musk have already been sidestepping the legal process in their firing of federal employees, including 17 inspectors general, a commissioner from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and anyone in the Justice Department who worked on the January 6^th case against Trump, among others.

The Democrats and the millions of Americans who believe in the form of government that has been the foundation of our country for 250 years are finally coming to grips with what’s at stake. We, the people, must defeat the autocrats and win back the hearts and minds of the American people. The big question is: What will it take to beat those who are on a fast track to fundamentally transform our country into an authoritarian state?

Time is running short. We must act with urgency. Trump’s radical moves to destroy our democracy must be thwarted soon before it’s too late.

Mounting a strong defense, the guardians of democracy have filed over 40 lawsuits that have temporarily paused many of the president’s initiatives that:

Revoke universal birthright citizenship,

Freeze trillions of federal funding, and

Strip away job protections from thousands of federal employees, and much more.

Pro-democracy forces are shining a light on Trump’s efforts that will endanger Americans’ lives by raising the costs of everyday goods and eliminating consumer protections against fraud, price gauging, financial predators, and scammers. Democrats need to focus their message on economic security and opportunity for working people and the middle class. They must make a strong contrast between their policy priorities and the Republicans’ main agenda of tax cuts for the wealthy and large corporations.

Still, only we, the people, can stop Trump from making America into an authoritarian state. A mass movement of Americans from across the political spectrum is building to thwart his attack on democracy.

On Presidents’ Day, Monday, February 17, a national “Stop the Coup” protest is happening in all 50 states.

(See https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/754402/)

On February 28^th, a national “24-hour Economic Blackout” will target major retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy. It is designed to demonstrate consumers’ impact and push for economic change. (See https://www.newsweek.com/nationwide-economic-blackout-planned-boycott-dei-changes-2029548; https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2025/02/12/national-no-spend-day-economic-blackout-amazon-walmart/78410711007/)

It will take all of us. Join the resistance. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

(Note: I will only be publishing my blog occasionally for the next several months so that I can complete my memoir, From Camden to Kathmandu.)

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is a former U.S. Institute of Peace Fellow and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He is also the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America. (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.). Contact him at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/.

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Will Trump’s Autocratic Challenge Prevail?

Posted on January 31, 2025 by Author: Bruce Berlin

Donald Trump has wasted no time in his effort to remake the federal government into his personal fiefdom. The mobster-in-chief pardoned 1500 fellow mobsters on his first day in office, sending a strong message to all Americans: If you fight for me, I’ll have your back.

Trump doesn’t care that a fair number of the insurrectionists committed violent crimes against the police. What matters to him is that they actively supported his attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election and retain the presidency.

Like practically all mobsters, Trump is a bully. If you don’t support him, if you are not personally loyal to him, you will pay dearly. He has put Republican senators on notice that they will be primaried by a MAGA loyalist if they don’t play ball with him. Consequently, only three GOP senators dared to defy him by voting against Pete Hegseth, his totally unqualified pick for Defense Secretary.

At the same time, Trump has let loose ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to hunt down and deport millions of undocumented immigrants. These are the people who clean our homes and hotel rooms, pick the fruits and vegetables we buy at the market, and perform other jobs that a great many Americans are loathe to do. Removing these people strengthens Trump’s bond with the growing white nationalist movement in our country.

As terrible as Trump’s mass deportation initiative is, I believe it’s a means to an even worse end. While he has gotten Americans focused on resisting this program, Trump is moving full speed ahead, building his autocratic power by dismantling the federal government.

The mobster-in-chief is eliminating anything and firing anybody that could get in his way. With the stroke of a pen, he abolished the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department and purged at least 17 independent Inspectors General. Several hundred other federal employees have also lost their jobs or been reassigned. And, he has offered incentives to any federal worker willing to resign by February 6^th.

Trump is avoiding the need for Congressional approval by using Executive Orders. Earlier this week, trillions in federal grant funds were frozen. The freeze caused such chaos and panic that Trump had to rescind it. At the same time, a federal judge also temporarily blocked the freeze, finding it violated Congress’s constitutional authority to appropriate funds. All D.E.I. (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs were eliminated as well.

Thankfully, the Democratic Party is finally waking up to the imminent danger Trump poses to our democracy. Its strong reaction to Trump’s power grab is the silver lining in all this. In an emergency meeting, House Democrats have called for “a legal fight, a legislative fight and a street fight” to combat Trump.

The president is playing to his white nationalist MAGA base. He doesn’t care that millions of people may lose their jobs and inflation will rise. With his radical reforms, the country could land in a rec ession, or worse. In fact, that may be what Trump actually intends.

As The Hartmann Report (Hartmannreport.com) explains, an economic crisis would help Trump consolidate power. Economic emergencies call out for a strong man government to quickly pull the nation back from the brink. Fearful of an economic collapse, the public is more accepting of authoritarian measures. During the Great Depression, Hitler employed them in Germany and FDR did in our country.

In addition, billionaires like Trump and his buddies make the most money when there’s a crash. During a downturn, the super-wealthy swoop in and buy at low valuations while everyone else is selling in fear of being wiped out. When the downturn is over, they reap the benefit as prices rise back up.

For the moment, Trump’s autocratic challenge has been checked. But he will not stop trying. The battle lines have been clearly drawn. The question is: Can the Democratic Party and the American people overcome Trump’s authoritarian challenge and save our democracy?

We are in for a monumental brawl. Join the struggle for the soul of America. Contact Indivisible (https://indivisible.org/), Common Cause (https://www.commoncause.org/), the ACLU (https://www.aclu.org/), your senators and representatives, and a host of other organizations working to protect our democracy (https://www.usgrassroots.org/50-pro-democracy-organizations).

(Note: I will only be publishing my blog occasionally for the next several months so that I will have more time to complete my memoir, From Camden to Kathmandu.)

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/.

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Where Do We Go From Here?

Posted on January 3, 2025 by Author: Bruce Berlin

As we begin 2025, many of us have not yet recovered from the devastating results of the November election, putting Trump and the Republicans in control of the federal government. We are sad, angry, and/or despondent. How could the American people choose a convicted felon, a man liable for sexual abuse, as their president?

We are up against a clever con artist and habitual liar who seeks autocratic power and constantly strives to better his own well-being over that of our country. While it may be hard for many of us to come to grips with this very troubling situation, we must be clear about where we are and accept that this is the hand we’ve been dealt. Only then can we determine the best way to proceed in the new year.

First, we need to regain a sense of personal safety and security. That involves establishing regular self-care endeavors like hiking and other exercise routines, connecting with family and friends, or some other activities we enjoy. We will have a difficult time aiding others or our country if we do not take positive actions that lift our spirits and provide a feeling that our lives are not in constant jeopardy.

Second, we must recognize that we are not alone. Millions of our fellow Americans feel despair, hopelessness and/or fear regarding what Trump and his MAGA friends intend to do. To help alleviate these feelings, I joined an affinity group. Essentially, it’s a fairly small number of people with a common interest or purpose who work together to help each other as well as others at-risk and related efforts. I suggest you join one, too. If you can’t find one, create one with your friends and colleagues. We need to stick together.

Third, we must understand that collective action counters the feelings of isolation and is generally more effective than acting alone. The more people get involved, the greater the impact. Together, we can make a difference.

Fourth, we must be in this for the long haul. Overcoming Trump and his billionaire buddies will not happen overnight. We must build a viable democracy movement and be prepared for an extended struggle against the forces of autocracy.

Fifth, we must develop a compelling vision of a revived American democracy that will rally the vast majority of our fellow citizens to come together and accomplish it. This vision would include good-paying jobs, quality healthcare/medicare for all, affordable housing, a sustainable environment, and immigration reform, and more.

Finally, we each have to decide. Are we going to sit by and allow this hostile takeover of our country to destroy our democracy? Or, are we going to stand up and fight for what we believe is right? Many of us have enough resources that we would not suffer much, at least for a while, under the Trump region. Others will feel a greater impact sooner. But, eventually, we will all feel the heavy burden of a right-wing autocracy.

Do we have the strength and courage to do what we know is the right course to take? I sure hope so.

(Note: I will only be publishing my blog occasionally for the next several months so that I will have more time to complete my memoir, From Camden to Kathmandu.)

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/.

The Struggle for the Soul of America: The Democrat’s Failure Enabled Autocrat Trump’s Win

Posted on November 17, 2024 by Author: Bruce Berlin

A variety of explanations have been provided for why Harris and the Dems lost the 2024 election. A few stand out.

For instance, the Dems lost because they failed to listen to and address the concerns of the working class.[1] And, the powerful right-wing media “fed their audiences a diet of slanted and distorted information that made it possible for Trump to win.”[2] And, Harris failed to distance herself from Biden’s foreign policy, especially regarding his unconditional support of Israel in its brutal annihilation of the people of Gaza.[3] These and other factors all played a part in Trump’s win over Harris.

Still, Professor Peter Bloom sees a more basic issue that for decades has prevented the Democrats from realizing their professed goal of a society of true equality, justice, and sustainability. He argues that the Democrats mistakenly put all their ‘eggs’ in one basket: electoral politics. Bloom calls this the “Goldilocks complex,” which “manifests in the perpetual search for the perfect capitalist politician who can somehow thread the needle between radical change and mainstream acceptability…The fundamental flaw in this approach is the misguided belief that true systemic change can come through electoral politics alone, particularly within a party fundamentally wedded to capitalist interests.”[4]

Bloom believes, “This myopic focus prevents the development of alternative structures and intersectional movements necessary for genuine socialist change…Real progress demands building grassroots organizations, reinvigorating labor movements, creating mutual aid networks, and fostering broad coalitions that address the interconnected nature of various forms of oppression.”[5]

In Bloom’s view, the principal culprit in the Democrats’ futile efforts is capitalism itself. The Party’s failure to address its structural limitations keeps it “beholden to corporate interests and wedded to capitalist ideology.” Bloom concludes that as long as the Democrats continue to work “within a system designed to prioritize profit and maintain existing power structures,” they will not achieve true economic and social justice. We all “must recognize that the solutions to our most pressing problems lie outside the confines of capitalist politics.”[6]

Perhaps Trump’s victory will finally force the Democrats to take Bloom’s advice and move beyond capitalist politics. For years, Sen. Bernie Sanders has urged the Party to adopt Democratic Socialism. He rightly maintains that “the issue of unfettered capitalism is not just an academic debate, poverty, economic distress and despair are life-threatening issues for millions of working people in the country.”[7] Restrained by capitalist politics, the Democrats have not effectively addressed these issues and met the needs of the working class.

Sanders explains, “The challenge we confront today as a nation and as a world is, in many ways, not different from the one we faced a little less than a century ago…Then, as now, deeply-rooted and seemingly intractable economic and social disparities led to the rise of right-wing nationalist forces all over the world.” It is unclear whether the Democrats truly understand this.

The question before the Democrats and all Americans is: Will we meet the challenge of Trump’s authoritarianism and the right-wing Republican Party by going beyond capitalist politics before it’s too late and American democracy dies?

(Note: I will only be publishing my blog occasionally for the next several months so that I will have more time to complete my memoir, From Camden to Kathmandu.)

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/.

[1] https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/why-democrats-lose-to-republicans

[2] https://newrepublic.com/post/188197/trump-media-information-landscape-fox

[3] https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/biden-s-middle-east-failure;

[4] https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/progressives-democratic-party

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] https://www.vox.com/2019/6/12/18663217/bernie-sanders-democratic-socialism-speech-transcript

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Biden, Harris and the Dems Blew It

Posted on November 8, 2024 by Author: Bruce Berlin

Trump was the worst candidate the Republicans could have run, and Harris still couldn’t win. He had so much baggage, yet the Dems couldn’t beat him. Why?

Let’s start at the beginning. In 2020, candidate Joe Biden declared he would be a bridge to a new generation of leadership. The expectation was that once Biden dethroned Trump, he would not run for a second term, especially since he would be 82 by the time that term began.[1] By 2023, approximately three-quarters of the country, including a decided majority of his fellow Democrats, thought Biden was too old to serve another term as president. The American people wanted him to step aside at the end of his first term.[2]

Last January, when the 2024 presidential primaries began, Biden’s approval rating stood at 38%, while 47% of Americans disapproved of his job performance.[3] Yet, most of his party supported him, and no prominent Democrat challenged him in the Democratic primaries. By April of this year, more than 60% of Americans disapproved of Biden’s performance, while only 35% approved.[4] Still, his party stood by him.

It was not until late June after Biden’s disastrous performance during his first debate with Trump that Democrats began to seriously question whether the president should run for a second term.[5] Nevertheless, despite his age and a horrible debate, Biden insisted that he would stay in the race and defeat Trump in November.[6] Finally, almost a month later, the president reluctantly withdrew from the race at his party’s urging and immediately endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris.[7]

With less than four months till the election and Biden’s endorsement of Harris, the Democratic Party had little choice but to nominate his VP for president at its August convention.[8] Consequently, millions of Democratic voters had no say in who would be their candidate for president. Biden’s inability to put the best interests of the country above his own ambition until the very last moment put Harris and the Democrats in an untenable position.

In late July, Kamala Harris became the Democrats’ presumptive nominee for president without winning any primaries due to the endorsement of one person, President Biden. Instead of distancing herself from a very unpopular president, Harris chose to stick by her man throughout her campaign for president. She couldn’t even bring herself to suggest modifying U.S. arms sales to Israel despite its utter destruction of Gaza and the annihilation of thousands of innocent Palestinian people with U.S. weapons.

In fact, during an interview on ABC’s “The View,” candidate Harris could not name one thing that she would change in the four years of the Biden-Harris Administration.[9] That left Americans believing voting for her would be four more years of the unpopular Biden policies, which contradicted her message that the Harris campaign represented true change. At the same time, she provided no real vision of a future America.[10]

In the minds of a great many Americans, the primary reasons for voting for Harris came down to her support for abortion rights and that she was not Trump. Sadly, that just wasn’t enough for the majority of American voters.

“Trump’s victory is a grim day for the United States and for democracies around the world. You have every right to be appalled, saddened, shocked, and frightened. Soon, however, you should dust yourself off, square your shoulders, and take a deep breath. Americans who care about democracy have work to do.” – Tom Nichols, The Atlantic

“To those feeling despair: I understand. But remember, every step toward progress in American history came after the darkness of defeat. Abolitionists, suffragettes, Dreamers, and marchers for civil rights and marriage equality all faced impossible odds, but they persisted. Now it is our turn to pull up our socks and get back in the fight.” – Sen. Elizabeth Warren

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/.

[1] https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2023/09/biden-reelection-transition-president/675395/

[2] https://www.coloradopolitics.com/news/pancreatic-biden-82-four-years-president-colorado/article_a133e0fa-63ba-11ee-b04b-735748c6968d.html

[3] https://redfieldandwiltonstrategies.com/joe-biden-administration-approval-ratings-and-hypothetical-voting-intention-19-january-2024/

[4] https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17IXmmK_CjrhhNnHZJQHhCqgXm8PpEiiv43RcrC4jZXY/edit?gid=1366600926#gid=1366600926

[5] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/biden-debate-performance-democrats-panic-rcna157279

[6] https://www.reuters.com/world/us/democrats-scramble-limit-damage-after-bidens-wobbly-debate-showing-against-trump-2024-06-28/

[7] https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6

[8] https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6

[9] https://www.cnn.com/politics/harris-2024-campaign-biden/index.html

[10] https://www.newsweek.com/what-was-kamala-harris-campaigns-biggest-mistake-strategists-verdicts-1981194

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Just a Few More Days

Posted on November 1, 2024 by Author: Bruce Berlin

Finally! Election Day is almost here. It’s been a long time coming.

Most of the people I’ve talked to recently are scared. They’re worried that the fascist Trump will win, our democracy will be destroyed, and the country will be overrun by a bunch of extreme white nationalists. While that’s a real possibility, agonizing over it won’t do any good. Worrying only causes pain and heartache.

Here’s a better idea: Visualize a Big Blue Wave on Election Day. Think about Harris and Walz in the White House implementing a New Way Forward for all Americans.[1] It will make you feel more positive about our country’s future. And it beats dreading about a second Trump term in the Oval Office by a long shot.

This is not a fantasy game. In truth, a Harris/Walz victory is much more likely than not. A new CNN poll finds Vice President Harris with a 6-point lead over former President Trump in Wisconsin and a 5-point lead in Michigan.[2] In Pennsylvania, they are virtually tied,[3] though a recent UMass poll has Harris up by one percentage point.[4]

Early voting in the Keystone state actually provides evidence of a larger Harris lead. Voters over 65 have cast nearly half of the early ballots there. Registered Democrats account for about 58 percent of votes from seniors compared to only 35 percent for Republicans. In the other Blue Wall states of Michigan and Wisconsin, early Democratic voters over the age of 65 are running 10 to 20 percent ahead of their Republican counterparts.[5]

Other indications of a Harris victory on Tuesday include the gender gap, the enthusiasm gap, and the Never Trump Republican movement. Across battleground states, women account for roughly 55 percent of the early vote, while men are around 45 percent.[6] Additionally, 77 percent of Democrats say they are more enthusiastic than usual about voting compared to 67 percent of Republicans.[7] And, the number of Republicans supporting Harris is growing as well.[8]

New polls out this morning reveal that Harris appears to have a very big lead over Trump among early voters. The vice president has an advantage of between 19 and 29 percentage points ahead of Trump, according to New York Times-Siena College, CNN, and ABC News-Ipsos polls.[9]

But there is still work to be done to ensure a Blue Wave victory. One of the easiest and most important ways you can help Harris and the Dems win is to make calls to swing state voters from the comfort of your own home. Here’s the link to get involved: https://events.democrats.org/event/725393/?ceid=19227312&emci=343d19aa-1c97-ef11-88ce-000d3a98fa6b&emdi=b4482536-8d97-ef11-88ce-000d3a98fa6b.

Remember, taking action is the remedy to relieve your fears and anxiety about the election. Knowing you helped in such a critical endeavor will make a difference in both your feelings and the election returns.

May the Force be with us!

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

A retired public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is a former U.S. Institute of Peace Fellow and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He is also the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America. (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.). Contact him at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/.

[1] https://kamalaharris.com/a-new-way-forward/

[2] https://www.yahoo.com/news/harris-6-point-lead-wisconsin-173428443.html

[3] https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2024/10/30/pennsylvania-2024-trump-harris-polls-race-virtually-tied-in-4-new-surveys-of-vital-battleground-state/

[4] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/10/31/presidential-election-polls-pennsylvania-michigan-nc/75964694007/

[5] https://www.politico.com/news/2024/10/31/trump-lagging-early-votes-seniors-pennsylvania-00186612

[6] https://www.politico.com/news/2024/10/29/gender-gap-early-voting-00186155

[7] https://www.newsweek.com/democrat-voter-enthusiasm-republicans-double-digits-poll-1978203

[8] https://ncnewsline.com/2024/10/31/republicans-supporting-harris-say-whisper-caucus-could-swing-the-election/

[9] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/31/polls-show-harris-with-big-early-vote-lead-despite-gop-gains/

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Trump is a Grave Threat. Do Something!

Posted on October 24, 2024 by Author: Bruce Berlin

I am very sad. How is it possible that Donald Trump could be elected president of our country? How could 240+ years of American democracy be summarily rejected by the people of the United States in favor of an autocracy ruled by an incompetent, racist, narcissistic fascist?

I still don’t believe it will happen, though I do realize it’s quite possible. Practically all the generals and White House officials who worked with Trump during his first term have strongly stated he is “unfit to be in office”[1] and “a grave threat” to our democracy.[2] I pray that a majority of voters understand this.

Gen. John Kelly, Trump’s longest-serving White House chief of staff, recently said this about his former boss:

“Certainly the former president is in the far-right area, he’s certainly an authoritarian, admires people who are dictators — he has said that. So he certainly falls into the general definition of fascist, for sure.”[3]

Trump’s V.P. Mike Pence asserted this about the former president: “Anyone that puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president …”[4]

And, John Bolton, Trump’s former national security advisor, noted his “short attention span (except on matters of personal advantage) renders coherent foreign policy almost unattainable.”[5]

Our country is now bitterly divided and hate-filled. While Trump may not have initiated this ugly trend, he has clearly brought it to a boiling point.

Fortunately, it’s not too late to stop Trump and his MAGA cult. But we have no time to lose. With less than two weeks until the election, it’s up to all of us to get to work immediately.

If you know anyone who has not yet voted and is on the fence, talk to them. Make clear to them what’s at stake and that every vote counts.

But most Americans have made up their minds about this election. So, voter turnout is critical at this point. We need to get as many people inclined to support Harris and the Dems to the polls as possible. We cannot depend on anyone but ourselves to win this election.

Here’s what you can do:

Volunteer in Santa Fe at https://santafedemocrats.org/volunteer/
Volunteer with the NM Democratic Party at https://www.mobilize.us/nmdemocrats/
Volunteer for the Harris/Walz campaign at https://web.kamalaharris.com/forms/take-action-for-kamala-harris/
Volunteer in Gabe Vasquez’s campaign in NM’s Second Congressional District at https://www.mobilize.us/gabevasquezforcongress/. Gabe is in a tight race and you can help him in Albuquerque.
Connect with 15 voters who don’t always vote at https://www.mobilize.us/gabevasquezforcongress/event/710388/
Help in a battleground state at https://go.kamalaharris.com/resources/battlegroundstateshelp/
Call voters in Swing Districts to win back the House at https://swingleft.org/event/register/mobilize:732212?timeslots=mobilize:5066383&s=u

Even if you think Harris is the lesser of two evils, she is a thousand times better than Trump. Harris will preserve our less-than-perfect democracy and work to make it better. She will try to bring Americans back together.

Michelle Obama explained we cannot afford to sit on our hands at this point. She has implored us to “Do something.”[6] Now go do it!

Bruce Berlin

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/.

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/09/26/opinion/donald-trump-personality-history.html

[2] https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/26/politics/cassidy-hutchinson-jake-tapper-interview-trump-most-grave-threat-cnntv/index.html

[3] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/john-kelly-former-white-house-chief-staff-on-trump/

[4] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/09/26/opinion/donald-trump-personality-history.html

[5] Ibid.

[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Kwra-_8IfI

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Will Harris Ride a Blue Wave in November?

Posted on October 19, 2024 by Author: Bruce Berlin

According to a number of polls, Vice President Harris’s support has slipped. She now leads Trump by only one or two points.[1] Assuming the polls are accurate, which is not always the case, this race appears to be going down to the wire.

On the other hand, I believe a Blue Wave is still quite possible. Three voting blocs may very well create such a flood. First, massive support by women for Kamala will be a significant indicator of a Big Blue Wave. While Harris leads Trump by 14% with women, Trump has a 14% edge with men.[2] The important difference, however, will be in turnout. Women will come out in record numbers to vote for the first woman president. That Harris fully supports a woman’s right to choose, unlike her opponent, will further boost turnout for her.

The second element of the electorate that will help build a large margin of victory for Harris is traditional Republicans who refuse to support Trump. A recent NYT poll found nine percent of likely Republican voters plan to back the Democratic candidate in November, up from five percent in the last New York Times/Siena College poll just a month ago.[3] I suspect that number will be twelve to fifteen percent by election day.

The list of prominent Republicans supporting Harris keeps growing. On September 18^th, 111 former Republican officials and members of Congress endorsed Harris in a letter published in the New York Times. They wrote that “she possesses the essential qualities to serve as President and Donald Trump does not…” Moreover, they denounced Trump’s “unusual affinity for other authoritarian leaders, contempt for the norms of decent, ethical and lawful behavior, and chaotic national security decision-making.” The list includes a host of national security and foreign policy figures who served under the last four Republican presidents, including Trump.[4] Well known and respected, they are bound to get the attention of their fellow Republicans who are having difficulty backing Trump.

The third ingredient of the Harris victory pie will be the youth vote. A new poll by Harvard’s Institute of Politics shows that among 18-to-29-year-olds nationwide, Harris holds a 31-point lead over Trump among likely voters.[5]

Of course, other segments of the electorate strongly support Harris as well. Seventy-eight percent of Black voters[6] sides with her, and she has a 25-point lead over Trump with Hispanic voters.[7] But those constituencies make up the Democratic core and are already baked into the Harris election pie.

One final factor in this election that gives Harris a great advantage is Trump himself. Harris is right when she states the former president is “unstable and unhinged.” As the Washington Post observed, he plays “on hatred of immigrants and revenge fantasies.” He denigrates his political opponents as “the enemies from within … those people are more dangerous than Russia and China.” Harris “is running against the oldest man ever to be nominated by a major party for the presidency, someone who is keeping secretsabout his health and degenerating before our eyes.”[8]

In line with the likelihood of a Harris victory, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) indicates “a 72% probability that the Democratic candidate wins in November… Historically, when the Dow’s year-to-date gain by mid-October exceeds 10% — as it does this year with a 13.4% rise — the incumbent party wins 78% of the time.” Financial analyst Mark Hulbert stresses that “the Dow’s indication of who will win the presidency deserves to be taken seriously,” as the stock market has proven to be a reliable predictor in over 30 elections.[9]

And then there’s this recent sign favoring Harris. Undecided voters are notably breaking toward Harris, with 60% of those who decided in the last month now supporting her, compared to just 36% for Trump.[10]

While Harris’s candidacy does have serious drawbacks (e.g. her Middle East and energy policies), unlike Trump she stands for democracy and all the people. I wouldn’t be too surprised to see a Blue Wave washing up on the shores of America next month.

Bruce Berlin

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/.

[1] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/harris-trump-polls-tracker-election-campaign-latest-b2629835.html

[2] https://www.newsweek.com/kamala-harris-trump-lead-shrinks-new-poll-1971354

[3] https://www.newsweek.com/kamala-harris-support-among-republicans-almost-doubles-nyt-siena-poll-1965611

[4] https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/republicans-endorsing-kamala-harris-trump-1235096939/

[5] https://iop.harvard.edu/youth-poll/latest-poll

[6] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/oct/17/trump-harris-election-black-voters

[7] https://www.newsweek.com/kamala-harris-surging-back-key-voting-group-new-poll-shows-1970186

[8] https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/10/18/newsletter-harris-attack-trump-weakness/

[9] https://www.yahoo.com/news/wall-street-predicts-kamala-harris-191008486.html

[10] Ibid.

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Israel’s Choices: Endless Conflict or Real Peace

Posted on October 12, 2024 by Author: Bruce Berlin

On this Yom Kippur, Israel, the United States, Iran and much of the Arab world must repent and change course.

The current war between Israel and Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran is just the latest chapter in a conflict that has been going on at least since Israel was established by United Nations Resolution 181 on November 29, 1947. Under that resolution, the British protectorate of Palestine was to be divided into two states, one Jewish and the other Arab. The Arab countries surrounding Israel opposed the resolution and went to war against Israel in 1948.[1]

Israel won that war which resulted in over 700,000 Arabs being forced from their homes in the new Jewish state.[2] It has won several other armed conflicts with their Arab neighbors since then. But the Six-Day War in June 1967 was a turning point. Israel captured the West Bank during that war, and it has been under Israeli military occupation as a national security measure to this day.[3]

While six Arab countries, beginning with Egypt in 1979, have made peace with Israel[4] and normalized relations, hostilities continue with a number of others led by Iran. Backed by a huge amount of U.S. funds and armaments, Israel has been able to deter Arab assaults over the years, with the exception of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.

Since then, Israel has gone on the offensive. Its goal now appears to be the complete elimination of all terrorists that threaten Israel. As a result, many thousands of innocent Arabs in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, a great many of them women and children, have been killed, plus thousands more maimed or starved to death, in Israel’s widespread attacks to wipe out its enemies.[5]

The only problem is Israel will never be able to do that militarily. Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari has even admitted as much when he said that Hamas cannot be made to “disappear.”[6] The bottom line is that as long as the Palestinian people are denied their own state as promised in the 1947 U.N. resolution, the fighting will continue.

Unfortunately, the current Israeli government has no intention of agreeing to a two-state solution. It would rather continue killing thousands of innocent Arabs, leave its hostages in the hands of Hamas, have its own people live in constant fear and danger, and be isolated from the rest of the world except for the U.S. Implausibly, the American government seems helpless to do anything to stop this madness despite the fact that it supplies Israel with the means to keep this cycle of death and destruction going.

Meanwhile, 99 American doctors, nurses and other medical personnel who have volunteered in Gaza since October 7, 2023, are urging President Biden and Vice President Harris to “end this madness now.” Estimating the Gaza death toll at over 118,000, they wrote, “Every day that we continue supplying weapons and munitions to Israel is another day that women are shredded by our bombs and children are murdered by our bullets.”[7]

Consequently, they are demanding of Biden and Harris: “A ceasefire must be imposed on the warring parties by withholding military support for Israel and supporting an international arms embargo on Israel and all Palestinian armed groups. We believe our government is obligated to do this, both under American law and International Humanitarian Law.”[8]

There’s practically no chance that the Biden administration would agree to this demand. It could, however, immediately halt shipments of all offensive weapons to Israel to pressure Jerusalem to agree to a ceasefire and begin negotiations for a real two-state, lasting peace. While that may not convince Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to change course, it may move the Israeli people to demand elections for a new government.

The Arab world recently made a strong offer that’s gotten little attention but could open the door to those negotiations. Two weeks ago, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi responded to Netanyahu’s claim that Israel is surrounded by those who want to destroy it. Safadi announced at the United Nations that 57 Arab and Muslim countries would unequivocally guarantee Israel’s security if Jerusalem ended the occupation and agreed to the establishment of a Palestinian state.[9] Of course, the U.S. would as well.

While getting there will be very difficult, Harris should now state that as president, she would strongly support and work to implement the Arab proposal while continuing to protect Israel. On the anniversary of the October 7^th massacre, Harris affirmed that “We must work to ensure nothing like the horrors of October 7 can ever happen again.”[10] Ending the occupation and establishing a Palestinian state is the only way to ensure that critical goal.

Bruce Berlin

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/.

[1] https://www.britannica.com/event/Arab-Israeli-wars

[2] https://mondediplo.com/1997/12/palestine

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_occupation_of_the_West_Bank#:~:text=The%20West%20Bank%2C%20including%20East,during%20the%20Six%2DDay%20War.

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab%E2%80%93Israeli_relations#:~:text=After%20several%20Arab%2DIsraeli%20wars,Morocco%20and%20Sudan)%20normalized%20relations.

[5] https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/more-women-and-children-killed-gaza-israeli-military-any-other-recent-conflict; https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/10/4/live-israeli-bombs-rain-down-on-lebanons-beirut-gaza-occupied-west-bank

[6] https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/20/middleeast/hagari-netanyahu-destroy-hamas-israel-intl/index.html

[7] https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/10/05/gqob-o05.html

[8] Ibid.

[9] https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2024-10-02/ty-article-opinion/.premium/jordans-foreign-minister-told-israelis-and-inconvenient-truth/00000192-4dc3-d2cc-a5d7-edff907e0000

[10] https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/10/07/remarks-by-vice-president-harris-marking-one-year-since-hamas-october-7th-terrorist-attacks/

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Will Harris Ride a Blue Wave to Victory or Watch It Crash on the Shores of the Middle East?

Posted on October 5, 2024 by Author: Bruce Berlin

While most of the media is reporting that this year’s election will be very close, some experts see it differently. Northwestern University data scientist Thomas Miller has crafted a model for forecasting the 2024 presidential election that, he believes, is far more reliable than the polling that’s constantly cited in the media as the best guide to the outcome on Nov. 5. Miller’s model is based on 60 years of presidential election history.[1]

In 2020, Miller called the presidential race within 12 electoral votes, and correctly posited that the Democrats would sweep both Georgia Senate seats when the polls showed the Republicans significantly ahead. Miller’s data shows the Harris-Walz ticket far in the lead and the wide Democrat advantage settling into a remarkably stable pattern. He sees the Harris-Walz team winning by 66 electoral votes over the Trump-Vance ticket.[2]

Allan Lichtman, the American University political historian renowned for accurately predicting 9 out of the 10 most recent presidential elections, also predicts Harris will win this year’s White House race.[3]

The fact that a great many prominent Republicans have endorsed Harris provides further evidence that the Democratic ticket will prevail.[4] Former conservative Congresswoman Liz Cheney is even campaigning with Harris in the swing state of Wisconsin this week.[5] As Gov. Walz said at the recent Vice-Presidential debate, “Support of democracy matters…I’m as surprised as anybody of this coalition that Kamala Harris has built, from Bernie Sanders to Dick Cheney to Taylor Swift and a whole bunch of folks in between…”[6]

But all of Harris’s promising electoral prospects could quickly be swept away by the rising threat of an expanding war in the Middle East. Israel is now exploring how to retaliate against Iran for its recent missile attack on the Jewish state, which Israel acknowledges did minimal damage.[7] While President Biden is trying to temper Prime Minister Netanyahu’s response, he has yet to take any strong steps to stop the escalation of the conflict. And Harris appears to be going along with Biden’s timid approach.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump has said he would make a deal with Iran to avoid a full-blown war if he were elected.[8] Ironically, Trump killed an important nuclear deal with Iran when he was president.[9] But if Harris doesn’t break with Biden and put out her own plan for averting such a war, Trump could become the “peace candidate” and seriously damage Harris’s ability to beat him in November.

To win the presidency Harris cannot allow this to happen. She must provide a clear vision for not only preventing a larger Middle East war but also for creating real peace in the region that both Iran and Israel could accept. Harris must also recognize that the U.S. has to be firm with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. She cannot permit his efforts to escalate the conflict for political purposes deter her from taking a bold stance to achieve peace through diplomacy.[10]

First, Harris must listen to the concerns of Americans, especially in the critical battleground state of Michigan, who have family members living under U.S.-backed Israeli assaults in Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories. After repeated requests, she finally did meet with them on Friday, October 4^th. [11] But for someone who says she wants to represent all the people, why did it take her that long?[12] Hopefully, their talk helped meet the Arab-Americans’ needs and encouraged them to support Harris.

At the same time, Harris needs to call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire throughout the Middle East, not just in Gaza as she did last March.[13] Simultaneously, she must provide conditions and incentives that would induce both sides to de-escalate the conflict and move toward a Middle East peace.

Incentives for the Israelis could include:

Iran acknowledging Israel’s right to exist.
Iran agreeing to cease all support for terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah.
Iran agreeing not to engage in, encourage or support any hostilities toward Israel.
Iran agreeing to influence Hamas to release the Israeli hostages.
U.S. agreeing to supply Israel with the means to defend itself.

Incentives for Iran could include:

U.S. and Israel agreeing not to attack Iran, including its oil fields and nuclear facilities.
U.S. agreeing to help Iran build a peace economy.
U.S. agreeing to help rebuild Gaza.
Israel withdrawing completely from Gaza and agreeing to the right of Palestinians to have their own state.
U.S. halting all shipments of offensive weapons to Israel.

The ball is in Harris’s court. She must demonstrate real leadership now to convince American voters that she’s the right person to lead our country in these critical times.

Bruce Berlin

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/.

[1] https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/harris-holds-66-electoral-vote-113900118.html

[2] Ibid.

[3] https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2024/09/29/allan-lichtman-election-prediction-system-explained/75352476007/

[4] https://www.newsweek.com/full-list-republicans-endorsing-kamala-harris-trump-1960937; https://www.newsweek.com/kamala-harris-endorsement-letter-republicans-1956304

[5] https://www.politico.com/news/2024/10/03/liz-cheney-harris-wisconsin-00182306

[6] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tim-walz-2024-vp-debate-closing-statement/

[7] https://www.euronews.com/2024/10/03/israel-says-damage-from-iranian-missile-attack-minimal-thanks-to-high-quality-defence

[8] https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/trump-suggests-he-would-make-a-deal-with-iran-if-elected-we-have-to/

[9] https://responsiblestatecraft.org/iran-nuclear-deal/

[10] https://www.yahoo.com/news/democrats-suspect-netanyahu-attempting-tilt-100000970.html