Category Archives: democracy

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Time for a National Strike

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Tomorrow will be a critical day for the democracy movement in America. The No Kings 2.0 Rally is projected to be one of, if not, the largest protests in U.S. history. Over 2500 individual demonstrations against Trump’s authoritarian regime and in defense of our communities and our democracy will take place around the country. It could be a turning point in the battle to restore the people’s right to control their own government.

Clearly, however, massive protests alone will not be enough to topple Trump. Some direct action that seriously disrupts his move toward fascism is required.

Recently, I suggested that “a well-planned, targeted boycott” could be an effective step forward. (See https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/m y-blog/). While that still may be the case, I now believe that we do not have the time for such limited efforts to change the direction our country is headed. We need something much bigger and bolder.

It’s time to organize a national General Strike.

As Chris Armitage’s writes: A general strike represents the most powerful tool available to working people. When enough workers simultaneously refuse to work, the entire economic system stops. No amount of political lobbying, no single protest march, and no electoral strategy can match the immediate pressure created when labor withdrawal halts production and commerce. Strikes force those in power to negotiate because the alternative becomes economic collapse….The strike threatens the one thing that matters most to those at the top: their ability to extract profit from other people’s labor.[1]

The history of general strikes in Iceland, South Korea and elsewhere demonstrates that general strikes work when enough people (about 11 million in the U.S.) are informed and recruited to make such an action effective. For example, South Korea’s general strikes in 1996 and 1997 involved millions of workers and successfully beat back anti-labor legislation.[2]

Organizing a General Strike is a massive undertaking.

It requires getting people to commit and building a database large enough so that a Call to Strike becomes credible. Thousands of people must be willing to go into public spaces, start conversations, educate their neighbors, and build the lists that make a General Strike feasible.[3]

This is what we must do. At tomorrow’s rallies, we have the opportunity to spread the word and encourage millions of people to join in this effort. Urge them to go to http://www.generalstrikeus.com for more information and to sign up to participate in a General Strike to Defeat Fascism. Our freedom and right to self-govern are at stake.

Bruce Berlin, J.D

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), and his new memoir, From Camden to Kathmandu. He is the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, 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 can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

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

[1] https://medium.com/@carmitage/how-do-we-make-a-general-strike-happen-in-the-us-ae7474f8a312

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

The Struggle for the Soul of America: The Tide May Be Turning Toward Democracy as Trump’s Autocracy Flounders

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The winds of change are in the air and signs that the tide may be turning in favor of democracy are beginning to appear.

One such indicator is the retirement of some elder Democratic Congresspeople. Rep. Jerry Natler, a 78-year-old New York liberal, has been in Congress for more than 30 years since 1992. He believes it’s time for a younger generation to take the reins of power and that they may be better able to save the nation from Trump’s autocracy.[1] And he’s not alone.

As of September 2, 10 Congressional Democrats are not running for re-election next year. I’m sure more will follow them. Another one calling it quits is Rep. Jan Schakowsky, 81, of Illinois. She feels it’s time to pass the baton.[2]

Additionally, some young Democrats are challenging elder incumbents in next year’s primaries. Politico reports that they “are chafing at what they see as feeble leadership protecting the status quo in Washington…They’re channeling the burbling anger inside the Democratic Party base that’s not only furious at President Donald Trump, but also at the way congressional leaders have failed to mount a meaningful resistance.”[3]  A new wave of younger, more assertive Democrats is clearly emerging. Will it be big enough and strong enough to overcome Trump and his MAGA movement remains to be seen.

At the same time, Trump’s inept handling of the economy offers evidence that his autocratic leanings are not good for the American people. The unemployment rate is the highest in almost four years and “millions of workers are unable to find full-time employment,” according to Alex Jacquez at the progressive advocacy organization Groundwork Collaborative. And Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) noted that Trump inherited a solid economy and “in just seven months, he’s managed to screw it up…Now, working families are getting squeezed from every direction: higher prices, Republicans’ Big Ugly Law ripping health care away from millions, and a job market that’s slowing down.”[4]

The conservative Wall Street Journal agreed.  It placed the blame for the slowdown on Trump and his unilateral tariff crusade, which is wrecking the very industries—like mining and manufacturing—that he campaigned on saving last year. Its editorial board wrote, “Repeat after us: Tariffs are taxes, and taxes hurt economic growth.”[5] And, according to a new NBC poll, more than 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of inflation.[6]

Moreover, Trump’s immigration policy is actually undermining his efforts to expand American manufacturing. Last week ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raided a new Hyundai plant in Georgia that will produce electric car batteries, and detained 475 workers, most of them South Korean nationals. In 2022, Georgia’s Republican governor called the plant “the largest economic development project in our state’s history.”[7] This unnecessary, Trump-generated disruption will be detrimental to both countries’ economies as well as to their overall relationship. It is but another example of why Trump’s authoritarianism is bad for America.

Meanwhile, the controversy over the Epstein files continues to embroil Trump. Though he insists it’s all a Democratic hoax, a massive poll conducted by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky) found that over 90% of respondents did not agree with Trump that the case was a hoax and called for the release of all the evidence that would likely incriminate many wealthy Trump supporters, if not the president himself.[8] Other Republicans, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga), are demanding the release of all the Epstein files. “We campaigned on transparency issues,” she argued. “All of a sudden, there’s this hard stance coming from the Republican leadership and many of the members and the administration, and I’m shocked by it…The truth needs to come out,” Greene concluded.[9]

There are other examples of Trump’s dictatorial efforts floundering, e.g. his regime’s vaccine and labor policies, which need to be addressed as well. But what is now becoming abundantly clear is the vulnerability of Trump’s fascist regime. What is not so clear is whether the majority of Americans who oppose it[10] will stand up to his autocracy and build a stronger democracy in our country.

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), and his new memoir, From Camden to Kathmandu. He is the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, 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 can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

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

[1] https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/democratic-rep-jerry-nadler-to-retire-from-congress/ar-AA1LFXEO?ocid=BingNewsSerp

[2] https://thedailybs.com/2025/05/05/longtime-dem-congresswoman-calls-it-quits-after-26-years/

[3] https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/09/democrats-age-primary-campaigns-032542

[4] https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-august-jobs-report

[5] https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/murdoch-paper-slams-trump-after-disastrous-jobs-report/ar-AA1M1oEH?ocid=BingNewsVerp

[6] https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/midterm-warning-signs-nbc-poll-140951595.html

[7] https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/08/trump-warns-foreign-companies-hyundai-immigration-raid-south-korea-00550030?utm_content=user/politico&utm_source=flipboard

[8] https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trumps-epstein-hoax-remark-firmly-rejected-in-republicans-online-poll/ar-AA1M0Yl0?ocid=BingNewsSerp

[9] https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/mtg-launches-fresh-assault-gop-171024200.html

[10] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-approval-rating-poll-august-vaccines-b2821821.html

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Wake Up, America!

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Donald Trump is quickly consolidating control over our country. By sending U.S. troops into our cities, working to restrict voting rights, appointing unqualified sycophants to fill critical federal positions, and demanding Republicans gerrymander Congressional districts, among other anti-American efforts, he is destroying our democracy and building an authoritarian regime.

While the hour is getting late, we still have the power to prevent Trump’s takeover. But that will only happen if the great majority of the American people Wake Up and Answer the Call to actively resist his march to autocracy.

Two upcoming events promise to be the biggest outpouring of opposition to date to Trump and his corrupt regime. On September 1, Labor Day, May Day Strong (https://maydaystrong.org/) is sponsoring the Workers Over Billionaires protest. Hundreds of organizations are partnering in this effort, including the AFL-CIO, Indivisible, the League of Conservation Voters, 350.org, the National Education Association, which is the largest labor union in the country, and the Action Center on Race and the Economy. Everyone is urged to participate in the Labor Day rally which will demand:

  • End billionaire influence over government.
  • Protect Medicaid, Social Security, and other worker programs.
  • Ensure fully funded schools, health care, and housing for all.
  • Stop attacks on immigrants, Black, Indigenous, trans people, and marginalized communities.
  • Prioritize investment in people over wars.

Make Billionaires Pay Blackout

It will take more than massive protests to take down Trump and his MAGA cohorts. Starting September 16, Black Out the System will launch a 5-day nationwide economic and labor blackout “shutting down the U.S. economy – strategically and peacefully – by removing our labor, our spending, our financial support, forcing the system to listen.” Groups in hundreds of cities are already working on this effort. See https://www.citizen.org/news/workers-over-billionaires-labor-day-events-climb-to-500-across-all-50-states/.  

The movement is being “launched to reclaim power, restore justice, and unite citizens across all races, cultures, and classes.” See https://blackoutthesystem.com/ to join in this momentous strike aimed at businesses and the billionaire class that support the Trump regime.

Then, on Saturday, September 20, the economic blackout will culminate in a Make Billionaires Pay march to the UN in New York where world leaders will be attending the UN General Assembly and Climate Week. Similar protests are being planned all over the country and around the globe. (See https://www.makebillionairespay.us/.)

Spread the word. We need everyone to participate. Together we can rid our country of this ugly fascist malignancy that is strangling our freedom and our rights. Together we will take back our country.

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin 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, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

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

The Struggle for the Soul of America: We Are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For

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American democracy is on life support. Trump, Musk and their Republican sycophants are doing everything they can to kill it and remake our country into an autocracy akin to Russia and Hungary. Trump is getting more cozy with Putin and now calls himself “the king.”[1]

In fact, there is newly revealed evidence that Trump has been a Russian asset since 1987. Reporter Craig Unger explains in his new book, American Kompromat, that Yuri Shvets, a former KGB spy confirmed on the record that Russian intelligence had been working Trump for decades. Shvets noted that Trump’s “most important characteristics (were) low intellect coupled with hyperinflated vanity.”[2]

While many Republicans will continue to stand by Trump, this latest revelation may be the tipping point for some GOP members of Congress, as well as many rank-and-file party supporters. They were already nervous about Trump’s siding with Putin over Ukraine’s President Zelensky. He has called Zelensky a dictator and accused him of starting the war with Russia, both of which are outright lies.[3]

Meanwhile, more and more Americans are finally realizing who Trump truly is and what he’s really about. The resistance to Trump’s unprecedented attack on our democracy is building. But it must grow into a massive democracy movement quickly before it’s too late. Nothing is more critical for thwarting Trump’s authoritarian coup than each of us getting involved in this movement now.

Last Monday on Presidents’ Day, an extensive national “Stop the Coup” rally brought a great number of Americans to each of the fifty state capitals to protest Trump’s efforts to wipe out our democracy.[4]

A series of boycotts are now being planned to demonstrate the power of the people and force large corporations and financial institutions to hopefully withdraw their support for Trump and his regime. (See https://www.yahoo.com/news/boycott-dates-upcoming-045900701.html?fr=yhssrp_catchall)

The first boycott, a national “24-hour Economic Blackout” on February 28th, calls for all Americans to buy nothing for 24 hours, except essentials from small, local merchants, if absolutely necessary.[5] This will hit corporations where it hurts the most – in their pocketbooks – and alert them to the power of the people. Longer boycotts of specific corporations will reinforce this message over the next few months.

As the resistance grows, so will the chances our nation’s democracy will prevail. Robert Reich, professor of Public Policy at UC Berkeley and former Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton, recently provided 10 reasons for modest hope for beating back Trump’s authoritarian takeover. Among them were such good news as “Musk’s popularity is plunging” and the “federal courts are hitting back.”(See https://robertreich.substack.com/p/ten-reasons-for-optimism?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=365422&post_id=157206451&utm_campaign=email-post title&isFreemail=true&r=2saap&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email)

We, the people have the power to stop Trump’s coup. But 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/.

[1] https://people.com/donald-trump-calls-himself-king-as-white-house-shares-fake-time-cover-11683451

[2] https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/ex-kgb-agent-trump-russian-asset-mueller-putin-kompromat-unger-book.html

[3] https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5158569-trump-zelensky-putin-ukraine-russia/

[4] https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/us-trump-protests-1.7450890

[5] https://www.newsweek.com/nationwide-economic-blackout-planned-boycott-dei-changes-2029548; and https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2025/02/12/national-no-spend-day-economic-blackout-amazon-walmart/78410711007/)

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

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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 6th.

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.

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: The Democrat’s Failure Enabled Autocrat Trump’s Win

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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.

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://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: We are Living in One of the Most Critical Times in the History of Our Country

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The next four months will be the most critical time for our country since at least the Civil War, if not in the entire history of the republic.

What’s at stake is the survival of American democracy. If Donald Trump is elected president in November, he has assured us that the United States will become an authoritarian country under his control.[1] His MAGA base has taken over the Republic Party and he’s gotten most other members of the party from Mitch McConnell on down to fall in line behind him. This after those same leaders had strongly denounced him after the January 6th insurrection.[2]  And now he’s gotten the Supreme Court to back him up as well.

In Trump v. the United States, the Supreme Court sided with Trump over our country, ruling that a former president has absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions taken within his “conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority.” The Court also found that a president is entitled to presumptive immunity for all other official acts.[3] And so, Trump (and all presidents), is above the law. This decision further ensures that Trump would have the green light to become a dictator for all practical purposes if he wins the election. The American people cannot allow that to happen.

At the same time, President Biden’s re-election is even more in jeopardy now. While his recent debate performance was a disaster, his post-debate efforts to re-ignite his campaign have only raised more questions about his ability to win in November. And millions of voters are doubting his capacity to preside over the government for four more years. A CNN analysis concluded that Biden, the Democrats, and the entire country are in a growing political crisis.[4]

While Biden insists he’s in the race to stay, the pressure for him to withdraw is intensifying.[5] Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris is becoming the top choice to replace Biden in the race for the White House if Biden does drop out. Party insiders believe that she is better positioned to beat Trump than other possible Democratic nominees.[6] Still, others think an open convention is the way to go.[7]

Ironically, the Supreme Court immunity decision should help Biden or whomever the Democrats ultimately put at the top of their ticket. We already know that a second Trump presidency threatens our democracy. With the Court’s permissive ruling, it becomes an even more frightening danger and the most critical issue in this fateful election.

The question is: Which Democrat is the best messenger to effectively deliver that message to the American people and beat Trump in November? I and a great many other Americans who want to save and strengthen our democracy do not believe Biden is that person. We need a strong, clear voice from a new generation of leaders to call on all Americans to save our democracy from Trump’s authoritarian rule.

It may be Kamala Harris or one of several other prominent Americans, in or out of politics. But time is running out. The Democratic Party, including President Biden, has to come together very soon for the good of our nation. It’s the only party that can and wants to save our democracy. And we, the people, can’t just sit back and watch this movie play out. Call your Senators and Congressperson ASAP and tell them how you feel. Tell them it’s time for a new president from the next generation who will inspire the American people. A leader we can vote for with enthusiasm.

Bruce Berlin

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin 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, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

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

[1] https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2024/02/26/trumps-authoritarian-playbook-for-2025-and-what-it-means-for-democracy

[2] https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/mcconnell-says-jan-6-capitol-attack-was-provoked-by-trump-and-others-in-power#:~:text=6%20Capitol%20attack%20was%20’provoked’%20by%20Trump%20and%20others%20in%20power,-Politics%20Jan%2019&text=Senate%20Majority%20Leader%20Mitch%20McConnell,in%20the%20video%20player%20above.

[3] https://americancornerstone.org/an-overview-of-the-supreme-courts-presidential-immunity-decision/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-ai0BhDPARIsAB6hmP7r1PD-EmcHvvZzmUSGjkZ74AOoocsDLst5QZ-pRbDoR7jy73xbygsaAqENEALw_wcB

[4] https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/06/politics/biden-abc-interview-analysis/index.html

[5] https://www.axios.com/2024/07/03/house-democrats-biden-jeffries-withdraw

[6] https://www.newsweek.com/support-kamala-harris-grows-among-democrats-worried-about-biden-1921704

[7] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/02/james-carville-joe-biden-democrats

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Trump Found Guilty: Now What?

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Donald Trump is finally being held accountable. That is a good thing for democracy and the rule of law. Still, no one knows how Trump’s guilty verdict on all 34 felony counts will affect the November elections. Will it increase his support at the polls this fall? I seriously doubt it. If anything, the guilty finding will likely give a number of undecided voters a reason not to support him. How many go that route could be critical to the final outcome.

That does not mean, however, that those voters will support President Biden. They could stay home or vote for third-party candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. or someone else. Yet, anything that reduces Trump’s vote count should help Biden’s re-election bid.

Here are some other factors arising from the verdict that may significantly affect the election. First up is the sentencing of Trump on July 11. The harsher the sentence the more outraged Trump’s supporters will be. But I still don’t believe it will increase turnout for him in November. Rather, it will likely make the campaign uglier and turn voters off.

As important as Trump’s sentence is, presiding Judge Juan Merchan’s remarks at the sentencing hearing may be just as compelling. While a judge must remain impartial during the trial, he can be very revealing about his reasons for the sentence he is imposing. That is, Merchan can point to Trump’s outrageous behavior, his disrespect for the court and the jury, and his lack of remorse in explaining his decision for Trump’s sentence. The judge’s laying this all out in open court could sway some undecided voters not to support Trump.

Another interesting result of the verdict is how Trump’s team will handle the appeal. Until now, Trump’s strategy has been to delay all court proceedings for as long as possible, hopefully until after November. That would prevent any adverse decision from hurting his election prospects. But now that he has been found guilty, Trump may very well reverse strategies. That is, he might move for a quick appeal on the chance that an appeals court would reverse his guilty verdict before the election. While not likely, a desperate Trump might try to pull that off to improve his chances of being elected.

Then there’s the Republican National Convention beginning four days after Trump is sentenced. Given the strong support for Trump from most Republicans following the jury’s verdict, it appears that Trump will still be the Party’s nominee for president. I can’t believe the convention’s ignoring the verdict and going full tilt for a convicted felon will go over well with swing voters still trying to decide for whom to vote. By the same token, those undecided voters may not be able to stomach voting for other down-ballot Republicans who want a felon to be our next president. It’s hard to imagine how this goes well for Trump and his Republican Party.

Finally, there’s the overriding issue of the survival of American democracy. The Republicans are trying to convince the public that this whole affair is just about politics. As Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, put it: “The conviction of former President Trump on politically motivated charges is an outrage and disservice to the nation.”[1] Really?

Isn’t everything Trump does politically motivated to win the presidency, give him authoritarian power, and eliminate any opposition to his authority? Trump’s conspiring with Michael Cohen and others to conceal the fact that he had sex with a porn star while his wife was home caring for their newly born child was motivated by his desire to win the 2016 election. If moderate Republican women and others had known the truth before they voted, Hillary Clinton may very well have been our 45th president. Our world would be a lot different today under those circumstances. But conspiring to conceal facts that could change the outcome of a presidential election is just politics according to most Republicans. Why should the American people care?

Well, the DOJ during Trump’s administration cared enough to prosecute Michael Cohen for the same campaign finance violations. He was found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison.[2] Why shouldn’t the leader of the conspiracy be treated the same way? Biden and the Democrats need to make that perfectly clear to every voter before Trump steals another election.

Bruce Berlin

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin 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, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

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

[1] https://www.yahoo.com/news/disservice-nation-former-vp-pence-154731149.html

[2] https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/michael-cohen-sentenced-3-years-prison

The Struggle for the Soul of America: The Issues Likely to Decide the 2024 Elections

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There are so many diverse issues in this year’s elections that it’s hard to tell which ones may determine the outcome next November. Of course, the economy, including inflation, will play an important role in the election. It always does.

But I believe four other issues will be critically important in this election. Specifically, abortion, the Israel-Hamas War, immigration, and democracy. Let’s them take one at a time.

Abortion. Like Biden, the great majority of Americans support a woman’s right to choose. That includes 43% of Republicans. About 1 in 8 voters (12%) now say that abortion is the most important issue for their vote in the 2024 elections.[1] While Trump recently declared that the abortion issue should be left up to the states, he takes pride in having appointed the three Supreme Court justices responsible for overturning Roe v. Wade.

Given the opportunity, the Republican Party will likely enact a national ban on abortion. Despite his latest statement, I doubt Trump would risk the fury of conservatives by vetoing an abortion ban bill. As president, he would undoubtedly sign a national ban. Abortion rights supporters know that voting for Biden is the only way to absolutely prevent that from happening. A strong turnout by them in critical swing states could very well be the decisive factor in the election. In fact, the Democrats could win both the House and the Senate as well with a compelling pro-choice campaign.

Israel-Hamas War. On the other hand, Biden’s handling of the war has cost him support among youth,[2] Arab-Americans, and others. Many Democrats, including Sens. Sanders and Kaine who come from different wings of the party, have criticized Biden’s failure to condition U.S. aid to Israel and to demand a ceasefire.[3] Recently, the president appears to finally be pressuring Israel, but it could be too little too late. He needs to stand up to Prime Minister Netanyahu and force Israel to end the war by cutting off unconditional aid.

Unfortunately, the end to the war is nowhere in sight. This could cost Biden the election. We need to lobby the Biden administration to take immediate steps to severely limit civilian casualties, demand a permanent ceasefire, and make further aid to Israel conditional.

Immigration. This issue offers Biden a significant challenge as well as a great opportunity. The Republicans blame Biden for the huge number of undocumented immigrants entering the U.S. from Mexico. Yet, it was Trump who pushed the Republicans to reject their own border security bill, which would have gone a long way toward solving the crisis at our southern border.[4]

The challenge for Biden is to reframe immigration as beneficial in the minds and hearts of Americans. We are a nation of immigrants who came to the United States seeking a better life. Immigrants make valuable contributions to our country in farming and numerous other endeavors. We need them to keep our economy strong. They want to be here and, on average, are more law-abiding than native-born Americans.[5]

If he reframes the issue, Biden has an opportunity to turn immigration into a winner for Democrats. While we must secure our borders and control the number of immigrants entering our country, immigrants are a valuable asset to America. Trump formulates immigration as a crime and security issue. Actually, it’s an economic and humanitarian matter. Biden needs to confront Trump head-on and set the record straight.

Democracy. If elected, Trump wants to be a dictator on day one of his presidency. He idolizes autocrats like Russia’s Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and envisions having the supreme power they have. Since the great majority of Republican officeholders support Trump and desire the same control over America that he does, they all need to be defeated. The Democrats need to make this clear to the voting public.

Whether American democracy survives could be the biggest issue in this year’s election. Biden and all Democrats running for office in November should make the survival of our democracy the central theme of their campaigns. Will we, the people continue to have a voice in determining abortion, immigration, and all other public policies? Or will the United States become an authoritarian regime led by Trump?

The path to victory for Biden and the Democrats is clear. Whether they have the vision and wisdom to take it is another question.

Bruce Berlin

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin 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, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

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

[1] https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/press-release/1-in-8-voters-say-abortion-is-most-important-to-their-vote-they-lean-democratic-support-biden-and-want-abortion-to-be-legal/

[2] https://www.vox.com/2024-elections/24125496/young-voters-trump-biden-polling

[3] https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/04/05/congress/bernies-advice-to-biden-on-israel-00150808

[4] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/republicans-kill-border-bill-sign-trumps-strength-mcconnells-waning-in-rcna137477

[5] https://siepr.stanford.edu/news/mythical-tie-between-immigration-and-crime