The Struggle for the Soul of America: It’s Trump’s Way or the Highway

Posted on August 3, 2025 by Author: Bruce Berlin

On Friday, President Trump fired the Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Dr. Erika McEntarfer after accusing the economic researcher of manipulating the jobs data for political purposes.[1] But the real reason Trump fired the commissioner is the Bureau’s most recent, unexpectedly weak jobs report which made him look bad. According to the BLS, “U.S. employers added just 73,000 jobs last month and Labor Department revisions showed that hiring was much weaker than previously reported in May and June. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2%.”[2]

Rather than addressing the issue of a weakening economy, our wannabe-king president immediately fired the messenger. No doubt Trump will replace the truth-telling commissioner with someone who will do his bidding and produce a fake jobs report that will make him look good. Afterall, what’s more important: Taking steps to strengthen the economy or bolstering Trump’s ego?

This is just the latest in Trump’s efforts to change the facts to his liking. As former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich notes, Trump is “dismembering the Environmental Protection Agency, which has repeatedly shown that climate change isn’t a “hoax,” as Trump claims, but more like a national emergency.” In addition, Trump “is killing off the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, which are showing the sources of sickness and disease and how we can guard against them.” Reich concludes that Trump just “doesn’t want the public to know the truth. He is turning America into George Orwell’s dystopian 1984.”[3]

As distressing as all this is, our institutions that were designed to protect the country from executive overreach have not done much to obstruct Trump’s march toward dictatorship. The Republican led Congress is in lockstep with Trump’s fascist regime. The Democrats have voiced their dissent but have done little to actually resist his authoritarian efforts. (Yesterday, however, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer did show some backbone by refusing to go along with fast-tracking the confirmation of a bunch of Trump’s nominees without “the unfreezing of federal funds for an array of programs, including the National Institutes of Health and foreign aid.” Trump’s response to Schumer: “GO TO HELL!”[4]) At the same time, the federal courts have not been able or willing to effectively restrain Trump either.

That leaves we, the people, as the last resort to save our democracy. In that regard, a national grassroots organization has been leading the charge. In the last month, Indivisible has initiated the One Million Rising campaign (OMR), a national effort to train one million people in the strategic logic and practice of non-cooperation, as well as in the basics of community organizing and campaign design. These trainees will, hopefully, then outreach to their fellow Americans to create a huge, unstoppable force to block Trump and restore our democracy.

Through over 2,000 local chapters around the country, Indivisible has already enlisted hundreds of thousands of Americans in this effort. On August 13^th at 6 pm MDT, the OMR organizers will conduct a Zoom training in basic campaign design and local implementation, as well as plug people into the next national campaign work.

But this campaign will only succeed if millions and millions of Americans actively participate. It’s up to all of us to prevent our country from becoming a fascist state. We have no time to lose. Sign up now for the August 13^th training, by going to https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/803953/.

Together, we will stop Trump and rebuild our democracy.

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/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-bad-jobs-numbers-bls-fired_n_688d0a26e4b022644fdec852

[2] https://www.huffpost.com/entry/economy-jobs-report-trump-tariffs_n_688cb8ebe4b05680e80c3cd7

[3] https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/trump-attack-bls

[4] https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-tells-schumer-hell-amid-000135979.html

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Together We Can Make a Difference

Posted on May 16, 2025 by Author: Bruce Berlin

Everyone I’ve talked to about a national letter writing campaign urging Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski to form a bipartisan caucus to save our democracy has been enthusiastically supportive of the idea. Now, it’s up to all of us to make it a reality.

If we roll up our sleeves and get to work, I envision this bipartisan caucus in the Senate in the next couple of months, maybe even sooner. Our country is spinning out of control. We all know who’s responsible. And the way things are going, we’ve got no time to waste.

The latest Trump corrupt sleaze has him accepting a $400 million luxury Boing jet from Qatar to be used as Air Force One for as long as he’s president, which according to him, would then be turned over to his presidential library that he plans building after leaving office. In effect, Trump would then get to use it as his private jet.[1]

This is so despicable that even Senate Republicans are opposed to the “gift.” A strong Trump supporter, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said accepting the plane would pose “significant espionage and surveillance problems.”[2] He’s quite right. All indications strongly suggest Qatar has supported Hamas. The gift is an outright bribe to get Trump to treat Qatar as a friend despite its support of radical and Islamist groups.

Ignoring security issues, Trump questions how the United States can turn down a ‘free’ gift. He said, “Only a FOOL would not accept this gift on behalf of our Country.”[3] The fool that he is, doesn’t realize, or more likely just doesn’t care, that it’s going to cost American taxpayers millions and millions of dollars to tear the aircraft apart and rebuild it into a fully secure, presidential plane.

By the way, Trump’s accepting the plane without the consent of Congress also violates Article One, Section Nine of the Constitution.[4]

In response to Trump’s outrageous public corruption, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) forcefully opposed the deal: “Nothing says ‘America First’ like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar. It’s not just bribery, it’s premium foreign influence with extra legroom.”[5] Or, as others have called it, “pure grift.”

It’s the latest evidence of how Trump views his presidency: It’s all about him. The hell with the rest of us and the country. Isn’t it time we take back our country?

Sen. Murkowski is as disgusted as we are with Trump and his attempt to destroy our democracy. I believe that a bipartisan caucus may be our best shot at saving it. Better yet, it could be the opening to rebuilding our country into a true democracy where all American citizens have the right to vote and have their vote counted, everyone pays their fair share, and the rule of law applies to everyone, including the president.

So, I hope you all will join this campaign. If you don’t have them already, the links to my last blog with a model letter, and to the Senator’s website where you can send your letter, are below. Ask all your friends, family and colleagues to get on board as well. Together we can make a difference.

Here’s what to do:

Get an electronic copy of my blog which includes the letter to Sen. Murkowski at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog/.
Once you have the copy, go to https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/contact/email to email Sen. Murkowski the letter, or your own version of it urging her to form a bipartisan caucus to save our democracy.

It’s that easy.

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

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

[1] https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-qatar-air-force-one-2ef13d87b71185bde547abe6840b098c

[2] https://www.yahoo.com/news/trumps-critics-supporters-unite-against-223257726.html?fr=yhssrp_catchall

[3] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/14/trump-airplane-deals-boeing-qatar/83625621007/

[4] https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-1/

[5] https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/trump-qatar-jet-gift-air-force-one-ethics-controversy-13887697.html

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Hands Off!

Posted on March 30, 2025 by Author: Bruce Berlin

On Saturday, April 5, a Mass Mobilization all across the country promises to be the biggest protest in US history.[1] Over six hundred events are planned in the US and across the globe.[2] Already, demonstrations are being organized in nine towns in New Mexico, from Taos to Silver City and Santa Fe to Las Cruces. (Plus Albuquerque, Elephant Butte, Gallup, Portales, and Socorro)

In Santa Fe, the Mobilization will begin at noon at the State Capitol.

The demonstrations are the latest effort to stop the brazen billionaire power grab by Trump, Musk and their cronies.

Its message is clear and strong:

Get your Hands Off our government, our economy, and our basic rights: freedom of speech, due process, self-governance, and more.

D. Earl Stephens, retired managing editor of the military’s daily newspaper, Stars and Stripes, urged all Americans to join the resistance now before it’s too late:

“We are in deep, deep trouble, and now would be a wonderful, necessary time to step in front of your favorite mirror and honestly ask yourself what you are willing to do to fight for our country’s survival… the damage he [Trump] and his party are causing are already at catastrophic levels.
Our air, water, earned benefits, peace, public safety, civil rights, and human rights are all under immediate threat…”[3]

What are you willing to do? Will you help spread the word and urge your friends, family, colleagues, even strangers, to get involved and join the Mobilization on April 5? Put this notice on your Facebook page and send it to everyone you know.

Cut out the small handouts below and pass them out to people you meet on the street or in a store. Spread the word.

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://handsoff2025.com/about [2] https://seattlemedium.com/global-protests-april-5-trump-musk/[3] https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/03/14/time-to-take-a-stand-in-the-streets-the-trump-regime-must-go/

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Time to Reach Out to All Decent Americans

Posted on March 6, 2025 by Author: Bruce Berlin

Actor Robert Di Nero has known former fellow New Yorker Donald Trump for many years. In the fall of 2023, when Trump was preparing to run for president for the third time, Di Nero said that Trump was not a bad man. Rather, he called the twice impeached, convicted felon an “evil man” who has no moral code.[1]

Di Nero warned Americans that our democracy “won’t overcome evil if we are divided.” He proposed a prudent plan to defeat Trump and restore our nation’s democratic traditions. Here’s what he urged all Americans who oppose the current occupant of the White House to do:

We have to reach out to the half of our country who have ignored the hazards of Trump and, for whatever reason, support(ed) elevating him back into the White House. They’re not stupid, and we must not condemn them for making a stupid choice. Our future doesn’t just depend on us. It depends on them.

Let’s reach out to Trump’s followers with respect. Let’s not talk about “democracy.” “Democracy” may be our holy grail, but to others, it is just a word, a concept, and in their embrace of Trump, they’ve already turned their backs on it. Let’s talk about right and wrong. Let’s talk about humanity. Let’s talk about kindness. Security for our world. Safety for our families. Decency. Let’s welcome them back. We won’t get them all, but we can get enough to end the nightmare of Trump,…[2]

Di Nero was advising us to find common ground with our fellow Americans who may have voted for Trump and may not believe in democracy anymore. But who doesn’t believe in right and wrong or kindness or decency? Who could be against security and safety for their families?

By aligning our country with Russia’s brutal dictator, Vladimir Putin, Trump has made our country weaker and less safe.

By firing thousands of federal employees, Trump has made many American families and local economies less secure.

By working to tear down the firewall that separates the Justice Department’s law enforcement from presidential influence, Trump is corrupting the government and promoting unlawful, self-serving policies.

Most Americans – Republicans, Democrats, and Independents – want a government that’s fair and just. We must reach out to them and ask them to join us in rebuilding a safe and decent America. We need to come together to save our country from a corrupt president who only wants what’s good for himself and his billionaire friends.

We deserve a government that serves all the people, not just the very wealthy. It’s up to each of us to do whatever we can to stop Trump and make certain “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”[3]

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://newrepublic.com/post/176175/robert-de-niro-trump-isnt-just-bad-guy-hes-evil

[2] Ibid.

[3] https://www.owleyes.org/text/gettysburg-address/read/text-of-lincolns-speech

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

[11] https://www.npr.org/2024/10/04/nx-s1-5140179/kamala-harris-arab-americans-michigan

[12] https://www.commondreams.org/news/uncommitted-harris-lebanon

[13] https://www.npr.org/2024/03/04/1234822836/kamala-harris-benny-gantz-gaza-cease-fire-israel-hamas

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Will Biden Run for Re-election?

Posted on November 14, 2023 by Author: Bruce Berlin

While last Tuesday’s elections proved positive for Democrats, they did not demonstrate that President Biden’s chances of winning re-election were on the rise. In fact, a recent New York Times/Siena College poll had Biden losing to Donald Trump in five of the six top battleground states.[1]

According to the poll, Biden’s support among core constituencies has dropped considerably. In particular, non-white voters and those under 30 have lost faith in the President. On the key issues of the economy, foreign policy, and immigration, battleground states’ voters trusted Trump over Biden.[2]

Though the poll gave Trump a four-point advantage over Biden, when asked if they favored another unnamed Democratic candidate, voters gave that generic candidate an eight-point lead, 48 percent to 40 percent over Trump.[3]

As a result, some national figures are beginning to raise the possibility of having another prominent Democrat on top of the ticket next year. David Alexrod, Obama’s chief political strategist, noted Biden has to decide “whether it’s in HIS best interest or the country’s” for him to run for re-election.[4] Citing Biden’s age (He is about to turn 81.), Washington Post columnist David Ignatius recently wrote that Biden should not run.[5]

Additionally, MSNBC pundit and former Congressman Joe Scarborough noted that every Democrat he has spoken to privately believes President Biden is “too old” to run for reelection next year.[6] This past weekend the President gave further reason for these concerns at a Veterans Day service. Biden stumbled during the service and appeared to get lost while laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.[7]

Biden also has other serious baggage weighing on his re-election prospects. Chief among them is inflation. A late September ABC/Washington Post poll found that high food and energy prices are voters’ major issues with the Biden administration.[8]

Nevertheless, despite the disturbing polls and Biden’s losing key constituencies support, the Democratic establishment is sticking with Biden.[9] Former labor secretary in the Clinton administration Robert Reich believes that if Biden “simply continues to be the adult in the room — governing maturely and responsibly — more of the American public will eventually come around to him, including in the swing states.”[10]

Consequently, barring some disrupting event, e.g., the president’s health deteriorates significantly, it certainly looks like Biden will be the Democrats’ nominee for president in 2024. While many of us, myself included, would rather see a younger, more progressive Democrat leading the ticket, we all have to get behind Biden now. The stakes are too high not to.

The election is a year away. Biden still has time to turn the tide in his favor. A recent Politico column offered a number of ways he could do that. One that I found intriguing would be for him to “appoint a pair of high-level envoys,” Bill and Hillary Clinton, to oversee a new Mideast peace process. “Dispatching the Clintons would show Biden’s commitment to a resolution…”[11] In addition, I believe he needs to pressure the Israelis to wind down the war and institute a ceasefire as soon as possible as well as develop a viable framework for a just and lasting peace that all sides agree to. (See NYT columnist Tom Friedman’s view on this.[12]) This would shore up his standing with the American Muslim community and the political left sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.

Another valuable proposal is for Biden to present a broad team as the face of his campaign:

The governors, the senators, the cabinet secretaries and the infrastructure czar should be the faces of Biden’s campaign, along with the president and vice-president. The message: with Democrats remaining in power, it’s not just an 82-year-old at the helm but also this group — Team Normal when compared to Trump….[13]

Of course, youth, Blacks, and Hispanics need to be prominent members of Biden’s Team too. These core constituencies must be convinced that the administration is listening to them and addressing their concerns.

Finally, while there are other strategies the president could pursue, perhaps the most effective would be “to solidify and expand the anti-Trump coalition.”[14] Biden’s campaign needs to make crystal clear what a huge difference there would be between Trump’s return to the White House and a second Biden administration. The former leads to an authoritarian regime. The latter will help revitalize American democracy. Therefore, it’s critical that we all join the Biden team now.

Bruce Berlin

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/05/us/politics/biden-trump-2024-poll.html

[2] Ibid.

[3] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/11/06/an-ominous-poll-democrats-what-it-says-about-biden-alternative/

[4] https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/david-axelrod-questions-wisdom-president-biden-running-again/

[5] https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/09/12/biden-trump-election-step-aside/

[6] https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4202366-scarborough-says-democrats-privately-say-biden-too-old-to-run/

[7] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12737895/Biden-gaffe-veterans-day-service.html

[8] https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/09/abc-nbc-polls-show-the-economy-hurts-biden-more-than-age.html

[9] https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/28/politics/biden-reelection-worries-dean-phillips/index.html

[10] https://www.yahoo.com/news/ex-labor-secretary-predicts-exactly-101031826.html

[11] https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/11/13/biden-2024-reelection-challenges-strategy-00126776

[12] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/14/opinion/israel-war-biden.html

[13] https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/11/13/biden-2024-reelection-challenges-strategy-00126776

[14] https://www.yahoo.com/news/goldberg-bidens-bad-news-week-110454250.html

The Struggle for the Soul of America: The Downfall of Donald J. Trump

Posted on January 8, 2023 by Author: Bruce Berlin

As we begin 2023, the future holds many uncertainties for Donald J. Trump. While no one knows his fate for certain, here’s how I see what’s coming for the former president and America’s number one grifter.

Donald Trump will be indicted before this coming summer. In my view, Special Counsel Jack Smith was hired by Attorney General Merrick Garland to prosecute the case against Trump, not to close it. Garland believed that putting Smith, someone outside the Justice Department, in charge of the case would make the prosecution less political. Whether that turns out to be the case remains to be seen and, in fact, may be irrelevant at this point.

Just this past week, Smith hired two seasoned attorneys who “have prosecuted some of the most high-profile public corruption targets of both political parties in recent years.”[1] Those targets included former Virginia Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell, current New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez and former presidential candidate Democratic Sen. John Edwards.

If Smith thought that the DOJ didn’t have the evidence to indict Trump, he wouldn’t now be hiring prosecutors experienced in handling complex public corruption cases. As a former New Mexico Department of Education prosecuting attorney, I know that prosecutors do not bring charges unless they are convinced that they have the evidence needed to convict. That would be especially true in the case of a former president.

Last November two reports by veteran prosecutors and top legal experts analyzed two criminal investigations into Trump. One involved Trump’s solicitation to commit election fraud including a call to Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger asking him to “find” 11,780 votes. In total, that report finds at least 11 charges that could be filed against Trump resulting from his efforts in Georgia. The other report explored the mishandling of sensitive government documents at Mar-a-Lago. Both reports concluded that “there is enough evidence to bring charges against the former president.”[2]

As a result, I believe Trump will be tried and convicted by the end of this year. His trial cannot be allowed to cloud the 2024 presidential primary season.

It’s difficult to predict the sentence Trump will receive for his crimes. A friend of mine recently suggested Trump would be placed under house arrest but would not have to serve any jail time. That would be letting Trump off way too easy for attempting to overthrow our government. I don’t believe a federal judge would be so lenient for such appalling crimes, especially by a former president. At the least, Trump will receive a multi-year suspended sentence, which would put him on strict probation, though I feel he should spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Whatever the sentence, Trump is sure to appeal. Ultimately, his fate will lie in the hands of the Supreme Court, ironically including the three justices he appointed to the Court. I’m thinking that at least five justices will have the decency and integrity to uphold his conviction and sentence.

Finally, there’s Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. Assuming he is convicted, Trump’s sentence must include invoking the 14^th Amendment provision preventing any person from ever again holding public office who having previously “taken an oath…as an officer of the United States… to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”[3]

On the other hand, if Trump somehow avoids prosecution or is found not guilty, he still will not be elected president in 2024. The results of the 2020 and 2022 elections clearly demonstrated that Trump and his handpicked candidates are losers. The Republican Party hates losers. Trump’s base is shrinking[4] and will continue to do so as more and more evidence of his misdeeds are revealed to the public during his likely unprecedented nationally televised trial.

In any event, Trump’s days are numbered.

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

P.S. I want to take this opportunity to again thank my partner, Margaret Lubalin, for another year of suburb editing of my blog. She’s the best.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-01-06/special-counsel-jack-smith-hires-anti-corruption-prosecutors-in-trump-probe

[2] https://thehill.com/regulation/national-security/3742386-for-experts-the-evidence-in-two-probes-compels-charging-trump/

[3] https://www.businessinsider.com/how-the-14th-amendment-could-prevent-trump-from-office-2021-2

[4] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/12/13/trump-support-gop-2024-presidential-race-poll/10882346002/

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Time to Renew Our Resolve for a Better World in the New Year

Posted on December 23, 2022 by Author: Bruce Berlin

It’s the holiday season. Friends and families coming together to celebrate and enjoy each other’s company. A time of giving and wishing good will to all. A time to envision peace on Earth.

While we take as much of a break as we can from all the world’s troubles, it behooves us to remember the good fortune we do have. Be it our health, the connections with our loved ones, a warm home, or whatever.

Most of all, I deeply appreciate my community, a group of friends and family whom I can count on and who can count on me. With all the hardship and impediments we face in the world, where would any of us be without the support we receive from those close to us? For most of us, community is our salvation in good times and bad.

Though we do our best to be of good cheer, there are many dark undercurrents dampening the holiday spirit. From the war in Ukraine to the scourge of COVID. From the gun violence taking more of our children’s lives[1] to the increase in hate crimes against Blacks, Latinos, sexual minorities, and Jews.[2] And on and on.

At the same time, there are promising signs of better times to come in the new year. The just released final report of the January 6^th Committee provides a mountain of evidence that Trump and his co-conspirators will be held accountable for the insurrection against our government.[3] Gas prices are way down as inflation is falling.[4] And Congress has come to an agreement on a new budget preventing a potentially disastrous government shutdown.[5] Perhaps, we are turning a corner as the winter solstice ushers in more light into our world.

So, as this very difficult year comes to an end, we need to not only give thanks for our blessings, but also renew our resolve to make our communities, our country, and this world a better place in the coming year. Many of us donate to various charities, volunteer at local food banks, work to revive our democracy or a multitude of other worthy causes. But is there more we can do? Of course.

We live in perilous times. it is naïve to think that the government, the church, the union or whoever will save us. Together, we can create a better country and world for all of us in the coming year. As the light begins to come back again, now is a good time for each of us to ask what more we can do to make it so.

Wishing everyone joyous holidays and all the best in the new year.

Bruce Berlin

P.S. I’m taking the next week off. See you in two weeks. Happy New Year!

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://www.kff.org/private-insurance/press-release/firearms-are-the-leading-cause-of-death-for-children-in-the-united-states-but-rank-no-higher-than-fifth-in-other-industrialized-nations/

[2] https://www.voanews.com/a/us-hate-crimes-rise-during-first-half-of-2022-/6713791.html

[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/22/us/politics/jan-6-committee-report.html?campaign_id=190&emc=edit_ufn_20221223&instance_id=80943&nl=from-the-times&regi_id=72679230&segment_id=120646&te=1&user_id=51750e72d4988f5b891f2289251150c2

[4] https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/12/07/inflation-is-falling-but-not-enough?utm_medium=cpc.adword.pd&utm_source=google&ppccampaignID=17210591673&ppcadID=&utm_campaign=a.22brand_pmax&utm_content=conversion.direct-response.anonymous&gclid=Cj0KCQiAwJWdBhCYARIsAJc4idCu03831lAmQ47YEA99ce_c63u_oLwLwpGfhyMDFdylwcL46ZzOCrAaAnoYEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

[5] https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2022/12/22/government-shutdown-appears-averted-as-senate-nears-a-deal-to-advance-17t-funding-bill/

The Struggle for the Soul of America: The Right to Vote a Critical 2024 Election Issue

Posted on December 19, 2022 by Author: Bruce Berlin

In my last blog, Where Do We Go from Here?,[1] I submitted that in order “to fix our democracy we must protect and expand the freedom to vote…” I suggested that would require at least these eight elements:

The right of all citizens to vote and have their votes counted,
Open primaries where everyone can vote regardless of party affiliation,
The elimination of gerrymandering,
The elimination of voter suppression efforts,
Ranked choice voting (For an explanation of this process, see https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10837.)
A Required minimum of 14 days of early voting all across the country,
Easy access to drop boxes for voting in all districts, and
Elimination of the Electoral College and the adoption of the national popular vote for president and vice president.

Since establishing all these reforms would take a great deal of time and resources, I asked my blog followers to prioritize the two or three they thought would be most likely to gain the greatest popular support and be achieved in the near term.

Though I did not receive enough responses to make any statistically relevant conclusions, the right of all citizens to vote and the elimination of voter suppression efforts were the two goals that people rated the highest. While the elimination of the Electoral College along with the institution of the national popular vote for president was also a priority, they are much more difficult to accomplish. Thus, less likely to be implemented any time soon.

Achieving the goals of establishing the right of all citizens to vote and eliminating voter suppression efforts would go a long way toward creating a level playing field in our elections. Making them top priorities in their 2024 platform would give Democratic candidates a clear advantage.

Ninety-five percent of both Democrats and Republicans believe “it is important that people who are legally qualified to vote are able to cast a ballot” according to a July 2021 Pew Research Center survey.[2]

At the same time, Democrats support making it easier for people to vote by a very wide margin over Republicans. Eighty-five percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say everything possible should be done to make voting easy. By contrast, just 28% of Republicans and Republican leaning independents say everything possible should be done to make voting easy.[3]

American democracy continues to be under attack by Trump and his followers. The future of our democracy will again be a critical issue in the 2024 election. Protecting the right to vote is central to its survival. The Democrats making the right to vote a top campaign issue will not only benefit their party, it could even determine whether our democracy survives.

Bruce Berlin

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog/

[2] https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/07/22/wide-partisan-divide-on-whether-voting-is-a-fundamental-right-or-a-privilege-with-responsibilities/

[3] https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/04/01/share-of-republicans-saying-everything-possible-should-be-done-to-make-voting-easy-declines-sharply/

The Struggle for the Soul of America: The Myth of a United States

Posted on September 17, 2022 by Author: Bruce Berlin

From the founding of the United States till today, our country has portrayed itself as united. In the Declaration of Independence, our forefathers asserted that we are “one people.”[1]

The preamble to the Constitution begins: “We, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union…”[2] And, when we pledge allegiance to the flag, we say: “”I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”[3]

But, from the birth of our nation over 240 years ago until today, the truth is our country has rarely been united. From the very beginning, we had slave states and free states forbidding slavery. Back then as is still true now, we had the property-owning class, or capitalists, overseeing the working class.

After slavery was abolished during the Civil War, we still had the segregationist South, in conflict with the North, which generally favored integration. And, of course, we now have the blue states strongly disagreeing with the red states over abortion rights, immigration, voting rights and other major issues.

I believe World War II was the last time our country was truly united. What brought us together was a common enemy, the Axis powers (Germany, Italy and Japan), which threatened the freedom of all Americans. Yes, 9/11 brought us together as well, but it didn’t take long before we were once again at odds over the Iraq War.[4]

Since the Vietnam War in the 1960s, our nation has become more and more divided. Today we are almost as deeply split as we were during the Civil War. In fact, some are predicting that the United States is on the verge of a second Civil War.

What separates us now strikes at the very foundation of our nation. While many Americans are fighting to maintain the democratic principles upon which the country was established, others wish to turn the United States into an autocracy, ruled by Donald Trump and his white supremacist, MAGA followers.

And they appear to be willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. Be it storming the Capitol, suppressing the vote, rigging the elections, stacking the Supreme Court, or whatever else they can fabricate.

We are the only ones who stand in their way. It is up to all of us who still believe in democracy to make sure they fail. Despite what you may think of President Biden and the Democrats, they are our only hope of preserving some semblance of democracy in America.

In fact, in recent weeks the Democrats have demonstrated that they just might be up to this awesome responsibility. They passed the Inflation Reduction Act making the system somewhat fairer for we, the people, including lowering a number of prescription drug prices and imposing a 15 percent minimum tax on large corporations, while every Senate Republican opposed the bill.[5] In addition, they enacted the most notable gun safety legislation in decades[6] and a bill to assist ailing veterans.[7] And, in just the last few days, Biden stepped in to support rail workers and avert a strike that would have further increased inflation and devastated our economy.[8]

Despite right-wing opposition, the Democrats are employing the mechanisms of government to help Americans and move our country forward. With less than eight weeks left until the elections, we must do whatever we can to assure that the Democrats prevail in November.

We must go the extra mile, make many phone calls, write postcards (Go to https://www.turnoutpac.org/postcards/), knock on doors, send donations. The future of democracy depends on what we all do to get out the vote and make sure that our nation does not succumb to the election deniers and far right conspiracy extremists. If ever your country needed you to stand up and get involved, it is now!

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://www.ushistory.org/documents/declaration.htm

[2] https://billofrightsinstitute.org/primary-sources/constitution?gclid=Cj0KCQjwvZCZBhCiARIsAPXbajtkXDb1iDTs6XOZWdFvpQarisNuvZktlvFd9MJuAYVnXr5kc50qtlcaAvEoEALw_wcB

[3] https://www.ushistory.org/documents/pledge.htm

[4] https://www.brookings.edu/articles/rally-round-the-flag-opinion-in-the-united-states-before-and-after-the-iraq-war/

[5] https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/07/democrats-senate-reconciliation-votearama-00050222

[6] https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/23/politics/senate-bipartisan-gun-bill/index.html

[7] https://www.npr.org/2022/08/02/1115325176/pact-act-veterans-burn-pits-toxins-passes-senate

[8] https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/biden-announces-tentative-deal-avert-us-rail-strike-rcna47850