How is Christmas celebrated in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ?

 

 This is normally one of the most joyous times of the year for the Palestinian community, regardless of faith. For the second year in a row, Christmas in Palestine will be spent in mourning. This is because of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and escalating violence in the West Bank, churches in Bethlehem—the birthplace of Jesus Christ—has canceled Christmas celebrations.

The Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac will be leading a sermon from his Church in Bethlehem, Palestine.

 

"If you are not appalled by what is happening in Gaza, if you are not shaken to your core, there is something wrong with your humanity. And if we as Christians are not outraged by the genocide, by the weaponization of the Bible to justify it."⁠ ⁠ 

This Friday, 20 December at 10am ET and 5pm in Jerusalem, the Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac @munther.isaac will deliver a sermon live from Bethlehem: "Christ is Still in the Rubble: A Liturgy of Sumud."⁠ ⁠ 

Red Letter Christians is joining forces with @globalimmerse @christatthecheckpoint @churchesformep @elcasumud and Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in solidarity to simulcast a live worship gathering at Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem where we'll be calling for an end to occupation of Gaza, an end to this genocide, and calling out the church on its silence. ⁠ ⁠ 

Join us live on the Red Letter Christians Facebook page and register at the link in our bio.

This next clip is film maker, Rolla Selbak. She is a Sundance alumna, and a writer/director of film and TV, with TV projects most recently in development at 20th Century Fox and Sony. She imprints her fresh point of view as a Palestinian American, having moved to the U.S after the first Gulf War, and often focuses on socially topical issues that unite audiences. 

 

Christ is still in the rubble!

I wish that I didn't need to post this stuff, but once again the Christians in the Middle East are being abandoned by those who claim to share their faith in the west. The following post is from the Red Letter Christians.

 This Advent, while global Christians prepare to commemorate the arrival of the Prince of Peace, our Palestinian kin in Gaza suffer unthinkable violence – again. Their cries for deliverance, echoing those of two millennia ago, seem to be falling unheard in the United States for the second year in a row.

To see their pain and hear their cries, US Christians must move beyond information to transformation…from webinar to worship.

On 20 December 2024, a number of organizations – Christ at the Checkpoint, Christmas Lutheran Church, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), Global Immersion, Red Letter Christians, Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center, Samud Initiative of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) – are joining forces in solidarity to simulcast a live worship gathering guided by Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac and the team at Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem.

Last year, Rev. Dr. Muther Isaac's "Christ in the Rubble Sermon" became phenomenon in Christian communities and the world thanks to the service’s prophetic message calling for justice in Palestine.

This year, Christ is Still in the Rubble, and Rev. Dr. Isaac will again deliver an Advent message to the world – live from Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem.

Join us via livestream at 10 AM ET / 5 PM Jerusalem on Friday, 20 December 2024 to hear his words. The worship service will be in Arabic with English captions and Rev. Dr. Isaac’s sermon will be delivered in English.

Registration is encouraged: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfgyrcylg4_NGF4luRVzt53mkSyBhfQnMb6HY-w20U_aBO5ng/viewform

Join us live on Red Letter Christian's Facebook page to watch the livestream.

Sign up for the Red Letter Christians Advent Devotional:
https://redletterchristians.org/advent-2024/

Got him!

 OK, while I believe that a lot of things in the United States need reform, healthcare in particular, using violence is totally counterproductive. I wonder how Jill Stein and the Greens would have fared in the last election if this clown had used his talents toward her campaign instead of a senseless act of violence.

He was caught. Not as quickly as I had thought he would be. He was also caught because of technology: CCTV in this case. The "surveillance state" isn't just big brother. It's also the mom and pop shops and homeowners.

He was a 21st century Leopold and Loeb. Smart kid who thought he could commit a crime. Unlike Leopold and Loeb who tried to commit the perfect crime, this guy was a total bozo. He was way too obvious and didn't cover his tracks.

And there was the "ghost gun". For all the experts guessing what type of gun it was: it appears to have been a 3D printed ghost gun. He wasn't a pro--the gun was a POS. I personally wouldn't use a gun I made from scratch. And I definitely wouldn't mess with one printed in plastic (polymer). I know what it takes to handmake a firearm and 3D printing is not it.

No sympathy from me for his killing someone.

I would have been more sympathetic if he had told his story as a reason for voting Green. Or to get the debate onto healthcare reform instead of which candidate is worse.

Constructively channel your hate for the Healthcare industry.

  I kept talking about voting for Jill Stein and third parties in the last election. There's a reason for that: LIke Bernie Sanders, Jill Stein had medicare for all as part of her platform. Sure fake progressives whose names aren't worth mentioning talk about it, but they don't do anything. 

But the duopoly is not home to progressives.

That should be obvious if you are actually paying attention. The media is also part of it since how often have you heard the term "medicare for all" used on it? There's a reason Bernie Sanders was popular when he went on that Fox Townhall.

I wonder what would have been the outcome had the clown who killed Brian Thompson put his energy into supporting the Green Party? Would we have the much needed break in the duopoly control of US politics? 

Don't wish the execs dead: wish for the end of the duopoly control of US politics. Having strong third parties is the only way issues will be addressed in a serious manner



Better yet, work for for the change.

Why facial recognition alone may not be able to identify health care CEO suspe...

OK, this goes on the possibility of the image not being in the database, which isn't that much of a stumbling block.

It ignores that DNA phenotyping. That'e the technology where they can create images of what a person could look like. Combine that with facial recognition. You get the picture.

But the real point is that generating an image isn't the sum total of the evidence. It only provides possible suspects. Or why you shouldn't worry about this technology: unless you are the criminal.

He wasn't a pro since he did it in public. There is a witness standing between the shooter and the victim. And definitely not if its true the gun was something used by veterinarians.

More CCTV, less crime.

Yes, this is a dig at John R. Lott because if one can show that a premise can be shot down if there may be other reasons for a trend. In this case, CCTV providing clues and evidence which lead to prosecution in crimes.

"Two hundred images, or more, have been gathered of the suspected gunman," CBS News law enforcement contributor and former NYPD Deputy Commissioner Rich Esposito told CBS News New York, "It's not easy to escape surveillance, especially in Midtown Manhattan where you have hotels, retail stores, lots of places with private cameras throughout the area."

Facial recognition software is pretty sophisticated, which this AI loathing Luddite will concede. So far, the best way to avoid being picked up by facial recognition is to avoid cameras. But that task may soon become near impossible.According to Cynthia Rudin, Gilbert, Louis, and Edward Lehrman Distinguished Professor of Computer Science; Departments of Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Statistical Science, Mathematics, and Biostatistics & Bioinformatics; Duke University:

I think you could not realistically change your face to fool state-of-the-art facial recognition. I think during the pandemic they changed the systems to rely heavily on the shape of people’s eyes, because so many people were wearing masks over their noses and mouths. I don’t honestly know how people could realistically change the shape of their eyes to fool these systems. If you wore sunglasses and then did something to your face (maybe wear a mask or crazy dramatic makeup) then it would be harder to detect your face, but that’s cheating on the question—that’s not changing your face, that’s just hiding it!

But let’s say you did something dramatic to change your face—something really, really dramatic—so that a face recognition system wouldn’t recognize you. Perhaps it would be some kind of plastic surgery. Well, then what? As soon as your face ends up on the internet with your name (think of a friend tagging you on social media or you giving a lecture that appears online), then all the facial recognition systems that look for people on the internet will be able to identify you anyway.

And now your face won’t match your driver’s license or passport, so traveling will be really difficult for you. So, honestly, why bother? In any case, I’m glad you asked this question, because it shows how futile it is to avoid other people capturing our biometrics. Asking our governments to create laws to protect us is much easier than changing our faces dramatically all the time.

So, while Brian Thompson's killer thinks he may have been clever wearing something covering his face, he left his eyes uncovered. Toss in there are now a couple of pictures of his whole face showing. LE has a pretty good idea of his movements.

My point is that LE can use surveillance technology to track criminals' movement. Get pictures of the criminal's movements. Toss in DNA for good measure and it gets harder and harder to commit the "perfect crime".

Guns are superfluous.

See:
https://gizmodo.com/how-much-do-i-need-to-change-my-face-to-avoid-facial-recognition-2000533755

Brian Thompson's killer will be caught.

I'm not a cop, but I've spent a lot of time working with them. Toss in that I have been involved with foresnsic technology for forty years.

First off, there is the video surveillance which is pretty common. My house cameras are registered with the police and have been used to provide evidence in a few crimes. Not all CCTV is run by big brother. Get used to it if you go into public places, you are being watched. 

And you have no right to privacy in a public area.

As for the people who get upset about facial recognition being used to solve crimes: would they rather a rapist or murderer was running around on the streets? It's like the people who ignorantly screamed "defund the police".

No, you don't want them defunded. You want them well funded and properly trained so that they do not immediately go into violent actions. You want them trained to deescalate the situation. You wan them trained so they can effectively enforce the law and keep the peace.

But the bottom line here is that police are a necessity in a civilised society: whether you like it or not. And the legal system is the place for redress. So, you hope that the justice system is transparent and accountable.

But, back to forensics.

Leopold and Loeb thought they were smarter than everyone else and decided to commit the perfect murder. They spent seven months planning everything, from the method of abduction to the disposal of the body. Unfortunately, they missed a few details. The victim, Bobby Franks, was someone they knew: a neighbour and a distant cousin of Loeb. 

Police found a pair of eyeglasses near Franks' body. Although the prescription and the frame were common, they were fitted with an unusual hinge, which was only purchased by three customers in Chicago, one of whom was Leopold. Leopold tried to say he may have lost them earlier.

The point? Criminals are arrogant and dumber than they think they are. Leopold and Loeb appeared to be whiz kids, but they were too clever for themselves. They thought they could outwit the police, but even the plods were able to break their alibis.

Brian Thompson's killer believed he could use a mask to hide his face. But he let it down later on, which was caught on camera. Toss in the amount of CCTV coverage in a city is more than just the authorities. There are non-governmental cameras which are the militia of the law enforcement community: called in to serve when needed.

But DNA will seal the case. I participate in a few medical research programs where my DNA has been collected and sequenced. One of which is Harvard's Personal Genome Project (PGP). They told me I needed to remove as much personal information as possible. This is because someone can actually create images of a person from their DNA! https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/how-researchers-are-using-dna-to-create-images-of-people-s-faces-1.4118378

In 2018, investigators in Washington State unveiled an image of a suspect created from DNA in the 30-year-old murder case of young Victoria-area couple Tanya Van Cuylenborg, 18, and Jay Cook, 20.

The police used technology called snapshot DNA phenotyping that can determine a person's eye, skin and hair color, facial features and ancestry to create mugshots of what the suspect may have looked like at 25, 45 and 65 years old.

The profile did not account for weight, facial hair or other features like scars.

As someone who has been involved in the criminal justice systems of various countries: people put a lot of trust in DNA evidence. Far more than a lost pair of glasses. And the killer is supposed to have left a significant amount of DNA traces in the food and drink containers (saliva). Add that to the image created from that DNA being matched to the photos available of him. 

He will be found and prosecuted thanks to technology.

I doubt that there will be any movement on gun control: especially since "New York has strict gun laws". Those laws can be circumvented by going to a state with lax gun laws.

Brian Thompson's killer should have placed his efforts on working for the Green Party or someone like Bernie Sanders who proposes medicare for all instead of assassinating Brian Thompson. That would have been much more productive than the killer's prison sentence will be.

The bottom line is that this was a senseless act of violence which far outweighs any of the more meaningful message that the US healthcare industry needs reform. And that reform will not come with the current political situation.

See also:https://www.discovermagazine.com/technology/just-based-on-dna-scientists-can-construct-an-image-of-your-face

Happy Saint Barbara''s day (On St.Nicholas's day--No Zwarte Piets)

The Feast Day of Saint Barbara is celebrated on December 4. Saint Barbara is a Christian saint and martyr, She originated from the region of Baalbeck in modern-day Lebanon.

About St. Barbara, It was believed that God sprouted up wheat fields to cover the tracks of St Barbara as she fled persecution. And for Palestinians, she’s extra special because her grave is believed to be in the village of Aboud just outside Ramallah where a procession celebrates her in the coming weeks. 

Christians in the levant often dress up in disguises, to commemorate Saint Barbara’s ability to escape persecution by disguising herself. They also sing songs dedicated to her, recounting her story and expressing devotion. Another cherished tradition is the passing of every house in the village, where people exchange greetings and blessings. During these visits, traditional sweets and food are shared among neighbors and loved ones. 

I need to give Mashjar Juthour credit for this next clip: especially since she has been another voice of Christians in this region.

From the land of Christianity, this Christmas, remember that Jesus’ entire life was committed to preaching against injustice.

Happy Saint Barbara’s Feast Day from the Christians of the Levant!

Atheer Yacoub on Sending Missionaries to the Middle East.

 Well, The one company called that picture of well known Yeshua (he's not Hispanic) the "Errol Flynn".

Yes, there are Christians in this part of the world. There used to be lots of them, but not since 1947.

Christ is STILL under the rubble in Gaza

An advent message from Reverend Munther Isaac who is a Palestinian Christian pastor and theologian. He preaches at the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem and the Lutheran Church in Beit Sahour. He is also the academic dean of Bethlehem Bible College, and is the director of the highly acclaimed and influential Christ at the Checkpoint conferences, which is also the name of his blog: https://christatthecheckpoint.bethbc.edu/munthers-blog/. Munther is passionate about issues related to the Palestinian theology.

Yes, there are Christians in the Middle East and the US's support for the state of Israel leads to their persecution. This is bizarre since the same people claim that Christians in the US are persecuted.

And just remember Christ was born in Bethlehem. There's a reason the names of these places sound so familiar, but they are being trashed by the Zionist state. With the help of Christians who support that institution.

I also hoped for change, but it is very slow in coming.

Like the Zionists who say "never again" while doing it again, the Christians who support this need to stop complaining about the persecution of Christians.

The Irony of the Holy Land and Christian Zionism.

 He raises some good points for all the prople who are willing to ignore Israel's crimes.

The people who don't know that Israel attacked the USS Liberty for no reason other than to drag the United States into a war in the Middle East. The combined Israeli air and sea attack killed 34 crew members (naval officers, seamen, two marines, and one civilian NSA employee), wounded 171 crew members, and severely damaged the ship. At the time, the ship was in international waters north of the Sinai Peninsula, about 25.5 nautical miles (47.2 km; 29.3 mi) northwest from the Egyptian city of Arish.

People who want to claim Israel is the US's "friend" are ignorant of how that friend has abused the United States.

Why you should consider third party voting

James Zogby points out that the "Democratic" party is barely left wing, it's run by the consultants.

I think Zogby is indeed being Charlie Brown, especially since nothing will change unless there is that alternative voice. And he admit that there is no alternative voice in the "Democratic" party. Instead, the duopoly controls the process.

The reality is that the duopoly makes money off of the fake elections.

A question for Christian Zionists

 I've been asking this for a while, as have Palestinian Christians.

You talk about a war on Christians, yet you support it in the Holy Land.

Think about this really hard: especially in light of my last post.

Zionism is anti-Christian

 Here's the man himself:

“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.

This is from Matthew 7:12. He also said something like "God blesses those who work for peace,for they will be called the children of God."

But back to the "do unto others as you would have them do unto you", which is found in other religions and is called "the rule of reciprocity".

So, the basic gist is that it has to apply to EVERYBODY if you are going to say "Never again".

You don't like it when it happens to you, don't do it to others.

Suffering a holocaust and then turning around to do it to another people is a violation of this principal. Likewise, contributing to the holocaust by failing to save lives because they would go somewhere other than Israel is wrong.

Do you want me to speak out if there is another holocaust? Or do you want me to remain silent as you are trying to do with the Palestinians?

I believe that the "new Israel/Jerusalem" is something which needs to be a divine creation. And it's a blasphemy if humans try to interfere in the process.

Remember that you are killing and harming Arabic Christians by supporting these wars.

And maybe you need to stop dovening and start effing thinking.

So, don't bitch about Muslims in your country: especially if you are supporting the wars that bring them to you.

Blacksplainin' Kamala's loss

 The Dems lost again and the blame game is starting, but are they asking the right questions?

More importantly, are the blaming the right people?

It's Guy Fawkes Day, Vote Like a Radical

 

Am I the only person out there that has noticed that this election is on Guy Fawkes Day?

Or is social media censoring that? What is the use of social media if people cannot share information?

Despite the connection of the gunpowder plot, Guy Fawkes has become a hero of anarchists and those who want to see social change (e.g., Anonymous uses the Guy Fawkes Mask).

James Sharpe, professor of history at the University of York, has described how Guy Fawkes came to be toasted as "the last man to enter Parliament with honest intentions". William Harrison Ainsworth's 1841 historical romance Guy Fawkes; or, The Gunpowder Treason portrays Fawkes in a generally sympathetic light and his novel transformed Fawkes in the public perception into an "acceptable fictional character". Fawkes subsequently appeared as "essentially an action hero" in children's books and penny dreadfuls such as The Boyhood Days of Guy Fawkes; or, The Conspirators of Old London, published around 1905. According to the historian Lewis Call, Fawkes is now "a major icon in modern political culture", whose face has become "a potentially powerful instrument for the articulation of postmodern anarchism" in the late 20th century. Fawkes is regarded by some as a martyr, political rebel or freedom-fighter, especially amongst a minority of Catholics in the United Kingdom.

I have made it clear that the US system of elections is in serious need of reform. 

And I am voting for Jill Stein in the hope that debate will finally come out in the open.

Why you should vote for Jill Stein (even if you disagree with her political views)

 Of course, you could be ecstatic that the us has a non-functional government, is wasting money, and generally there isn't any political debate worth calling a debate.

On the other hand, if you want to see a serious shake up of the system: Jill's your woman. Particularly where election reform is a matter. The Green Party is proposing changes to the electoral system which would lead to real voter choices.

There are changes in the US political system which are long overdue and they won't happen unless there is a seismic change in the political landscape.

USS Liberty Vet TELLS ALL: “It Was A Cover-Up From Day 1”

Israel is not the US's ally or friend. It is a threat. This is the most egregious of the examples of why I say that.

Terroir (not terror)

 Terroir is a French concept 

to describe the environmental factors that affect a crop's phenotype, including unique environment contexts, farming practices and a crop's specific growth habitat. Collectively, these contextual characteristics are said to have a character; terroir also refers to this character.

Terroir is the basis of the French wine appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) system identifies an agricultural product whose stages of production and processing are carried out in a defined geographical area – the terroir – and using recognized and traditional know-how. The specificity of an AOC product is determined by the combination of a physical and biological environment with established production techniques transmitted within a human community. Together, these give the product its distinctive qualities.

The defining technical and geographic factors are set forth in standards for each product, including wines, cheeses and meats. Other countries and the European Union have similar labeling systems. The European Union's protected designation of origin (PDO and PGI) system has harmonized the protection of all geographical indications and their registration. When labelling wine however, producers may still use recognized traditional terms like AOC, and are not required to display the PDO and PGI logos or terms, mostly for aesthetic purposes.

OK, long definition, but what it ultimately means is that there are certain foods that are specific to an area. It's tied into the concept of slow food, which promotes local foods and traditional gastronomy and food production. Conversely, this means an opposition to fast food and industrial food production. Something which is better for the environment, and definitely better than being vegan and having your quinoa flown in from South America.

Tim Martin, @legrandgaulois on instagram, made this clip in French about his project on terroir. Tim is really into local crafts and foods, but his material is in French.

But he's basically talking about how the term "terroir" can apply to other regions, which is the short form of what I said above.

Anyway, check out the slow food movement if you like your food by region and season.

Is flying or driving really that pleasurable?

A bit of Eurail promotion. Not that I really need it since I would rather sit and enjoy the countryside as I go from city centre to city centre without the hassles. 

I would rather see the money spent on rail travel than rebuilding a dying technology.

Parisian Suburbs

 One thing I don't like about the US is its reliance on cars and planes. Especially since the US was once a world leader in high speed rail technology. Sure, DC has a really good public transportation system, but its Disneyland compared to the rest of the US. I don't think there are metros (subways) that go to NYCs airports, but it does have a fairly extensive underground system.

Is Project 2025 the start of the US version of the English Civil War?

 Short form: the English Civil War was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Royalists and Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. To put it in US terms: those who wanted power in the Executive vs those who wanted a popular voice. It was even more radical in France, but the US is closer to England than the continent in its political nature.

According to this video, project 2025 seeks to make the executive branch the more powerful one.

 

 I go a lot further than this video in that I would like to see the executive branch be basically that: administration of the laws passed by the legislature with a very minimal voice in the legislation process.

That would make the president basically an official greeter.

Discard the duopoly!

I know that at least one of my other co-bloggers was buying into Russiagate, but it was the arrogance of trying to run Hilary Clinton in 2008 and 2016 followed by the "nomination" of Joe Biden and then Kamala Harris which was the ultimate sickener for me.

It was also an eye opener since duopoly politics diverts from real issues to "culture wars"/"hot button" issues, while the real problems get worse. It also neglects popular opinion, which in this case is asking the government to follow the laws on the books about genoicide and aid to nations which violate the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

This man explains another reason why Russiagate is BS:

Support for Israel violates §502B & §620I of the Foreign Assistance Act,  Under §4 of National Security Memorandum 18, the Conventional Arms Transfer Policy, 18 USC § 1091 and 18 U.S. Code § 2441 (Jen-o-Side), 1961 Foreign Aid Act which prohibits aid to nations which have nuclear weapons.

I hope that the perpetrators and enablers of genocide are convicted of their crimes.

The Rich Get Richer (a coming crash?)

 So, Warren Buffet is selling bank stocks for cash because of an impending crash in business real estate.

Maybe that's not the best way to summarise the situation, but it hits a bunch of fallacies.

First off, once someone gets into the millionaire class, they tend to make more money doing nothing than most people do by working. Especially if they are in the Warren Buffet league.

Next is the dislike of fiat currency for something commodity based, which is loaded with fallacies. First, commodites ARE volatile: just do a search on "economic crash commodities" for an eye opener. The Panics of 1869 and 1893 saw quite a bit of controversy around gold and gold reserves. Fiat currency is based upon the stability of the issuing body (usually national, but the European Central Bank issues the Euro, so multinational and definitely governmental). 

But the bottom line is that currency is basically a tool for commerce. The best example of this comes from Terry Nation's show Survivors from the 1970s, where a man has a suitcase he is very protective of. He dies during the night and we find out that its full of paper money, which is pretty much useless since most people have died from the plague. The world of Survivors is the libertarian's dream.

Seriously, while many people don't like central banks, they do a fairly good job of keeping the economy running along. Of course, any realistic discussion of avoiding crashes requires that we talk of things that the right likes to term "socialistic" because there is governmental intervention in the economy and people are supposed to play by the rules (e.g., competition laws).

Why do Christians support the persecution of other Christians?

 I am talking about the Christian Zionists who support Israel for whatever their misguided reasoning happens to be. This is despite the plethora of evidence that the Zionist state attacks Christians.

FYI, since people in the US happen to be ignorant as hell: The Levant is the cradle of Christianity. This is a definition of the Levant:

an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of West Asia and core territory of the political term Middle East. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is equivalent to Cyprus and a stretch of land bordering the Mediterranean Sea in western Asia: i.e. the historical region of Syria ("Greater Syria"), which includes present-day Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinian territories and most of Turkey southwest of the middle Euphrates. Its overwhelming characteristic is that it represents the land bridge between Africa and Eurasia. In its widest historical sense, the Levant included all of the Eastern Mediterranean with its islands; that is, it included all of the countries along the Eastern Mediterranean shores, extending from Greece in Southern Europe to Cyrenaica, Eastern Libya in Northern Africa.

 And the Levant has quite a few Christians within its territory. Although, recent history has seen them emmigrate. This is expecially true in Palestine. This video comes from the Rev. Munther Isaac:

He writes:

"An Israeli airstrike injured my sister, Fadwa, and my niece, Maria, as it targeted a house next to Saint Porphyrius church in Gaza, killing women and children from our Muslim neighbors.

Saint Porphyrius church community is yet again in danger by the Israeli murderous military"

The Church of Saint Porphrius is the oldest active church in the city. Located in the Zaytun Quarter of the Old City of Gaza, it is named after the 5th-century bishop of Gaza, Saint Porphyrius, whose tomb is situated in the northeastern corner of the church. A church was built on the site as early as AD 425, but the construction of the current church was undertaken by the Crusaders in the 1150s or 1160s; they dedicated it to St Porphyrius.

The church was sheltering hundreds of people when an Israeli bomb severely damaged one of the four buildings in its compound on Thursday evening, causing its ceiling to collapse and leaving dozens trapped under slabs of concrete, according to witnesses in October of 2023.

This is one of many daily attacks on Christians by the zionist regime which some Christians ignorantly suppport.
 

These people who claim to be Christians need to pray and meditate on how THEY would feel if they were being subjected to this treatment, yet the world did nothing.

In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the Prophets--Matthew 7:12

Luke 6:31
Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Galatians 5:14
The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

James 2:8
If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well.

Luke 6:31
And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

Matthew 22:39,40
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself…

Leviticus 19:18
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

Isaiah 1:17,18
Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow…

 

Euro 1 to Euro 6 – Euro automobile emission standards explained

I don't really have a problem with driving in Paris since I usually take public transportation, but this popped up on my social media feed. It's your tough luck if you don't understand Italian.

I do drive, but it got me wondering what I would have to do should I decide to try driving in Paris again.

Which led me to learning that European Union regulations have been imposed on new cars, with the aim of improving air quality since 1992. This means that a car has to meet a certain Euro emissions standard depending upon when it is made. There are charts out there that explain which Euro rating your car is. Finding out whether your car is a Euro 6 diesel or a Euro 1 petrol, knowing your car's rating is more important than ever now, given the increasing number of levies and fines being introduced for older cars, especially diesels.

So, while people in the US are freaking out that there will be changes in automobile emissions standards with a push toward lowering them. That being tied to air quality.

The good thing is that older cars which are not as efficient will be eliminated.

But, yes, your cars in the future may not run on petroleum.

🚨BREAKING: HUGE problem for Dems!

I always thought she sounded stoned, but this is a real scary thought if this is true.

If there ever was a time for people to vote third party, it's now.

Unhappy with the presidential duopoly candidates? There are alternatives. Here's why you should vote third party.

Lesser evil voting hurts the voters. It also doesn't help our political discussion.

This is worth a listen if you don't like US politics and want change.

Kamala Harris Says She Was a Progressive Prosecutor...

There's a reason why she dropped out in 2020, yet the Democratic party is trying to ram her down our throats without her having to go through the primary process. She doesn't withstand scrutiny, yet she is getting a pass from the media.

Revealed: the hacking and disinformation team meddling in elections

OK, maybe you don't give an fcuk about Palestinians, but Israelis live high on the hog with universal health care, nice homes, education, and all sorts of other goodies paid for by the US tax payers.

You don't get the "socialism" and "welfare state", but you pay to support a nation that does not act in the US interest.

Remember the US Liberty.

Kamala Harris: "She's completely incompetent!"

I thought about posting Tulsi Gabbard ripping Kamala Harris on her record for those people who talk shit about 'Orrible 'Arris being "a real lefty". You can look those up since I disagree with Gabbard's direction these days. And there were questions about whether Tulsi was a lefty back in the day.

But as I like to say, most of "the Democrats are the party of the left" wouldn't spot a lefty if they walked up and smashed them over the head with a "smash the state" sign.

That said, Here is Norman Finkelstein who is a true lefty and the subject of "American Radical: the Trials of Norman Finkelstein"

Kamala Harris is in no way a lefty.

It's too bad the Green Party isn't allowed any publicity because we wouldn't hear nonsense about the Democrats being a "party of the left".

You know that Russian Interference?

Actually, it's more like they blame Russians for interference even though the 2016 election was thrown by the Electoral College, which comes from the US CONSTITUTION! It's called distraction.

 The Israel lobby actually does what the Russians have been alleged to do. 

And I don't care how pro-Israel you happen to be: that money would be much better spent here.

Democrats don't discriminate on race, religion, sexual whatever, disability, or just ability for that matter.

Former Labour Party leader, Neil Kinnock as Pinocchio with his wife, Glenys as Jiminy Cricket.

OK, I have a different attitude toward plagiarism than a lot of people. On the other hand, Biden chose to use material from Neil Kinnock. It wasn't that he was plagiarising as much as he was being totally insincere. Toss in he could have picked someone better to crib a speech from, as this image from the British satirical series Spitting Image points out.

But the democrats decided to run a three time loser who was beginning to show signs of dementia before the election even began. Then they decided to close ranks to prevent Sanders from getting the nomination.

And don't get me into John Fetterman, who should have withdrawn after his stroke, yet remains in office.

So much for the Dems being "wildly lefty" since what Sanders proposes is pretty much taken for granted outside the US. It's only in the US that people want to work themselves to death because they are heavily in debt. Go figure.

But I digress. 

Toss in that his running mate, Kamala Harris, pulled out of the running because she was a poor candidate. All the opposition has to do is to address her record and she's cooked.

But two really bad candidates managed to win an election based on "Trump bad".

I'm not so sure about Tim Walz, but I have the feeling that the Dems picked another "winning" line up.

Of course, I'm voting Green and hoping the system blows up.

ELECTION RIGGING: US HYPOCRISY IN ACTION.

 Yes, this is the long contemplated post about how hypocritical the US has been about pushing "free and fair elections on a secret ballot", which is a guaranteed right (e.g., The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) of 1948). Something that "western democracies" have been preaching to the rest of the world. While the rest of the world realises how rigged the system happens to be. I still want to find the quote from the African leader, probably Julius Nyerere, who said something along the lines of "We have a one party system. Does having two parties make you twice as democratic as we are? Three parties?"

I was just thinking about the people who like to believe their vote somehow counts in the corrupt US System.

So, let's start with the elephant in the room:

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE

I've mentioned this one ad nauseum, but the basic gist is that the popular vote is pretty much irrelevant in electing the president. Most people don't give a shit about this unless it's their candidate who got screwed over. So, I am hoping that Jill Stein can win the electoral vote since she's on enough states' ballots to pull it off. So, a third party upstart winning the Presidential election with around 24% of the vote in a handfull of states might shake things up.

So, if you don't like the system and the duopoly candidates, Jill Stein is your candidate. Her winning the election will stir things up more than Donald Trump beating Hilary Clinton in the electoral college.

Take the test here if you don't think the Electoral College is something that needs to go:

https://www.270towin.com/quiz/

If that doesn't get you to vote for Jill Stein, I don't know what will. After all, what would shake up the US Political landscape more than having a third party upstart win the election...

This isn't in any real order than what is coming to mind, so:

THE PRIMARY SYSTEM

Every wonder why this process drags on so long: especially with modern communications technology? That's because the system is rigged so that candidates that don't have a lot of funding can beat out other candidates. And even someone like Bernie Sanders can get shut out of the nomination because the Political Parties are not governmental institutions, but private entities who make their own rules.

That should be pretty obvious if you have been paying attention for the past 3 presidential elections.

Unless you really believe that Hilary Clinton, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris are the best candidates the US could come up with...

Which brings us to the other elephant in the room:

 BIG MONEY IN POLITICS

That kind of goes with the previous aspect to this, but it goes well beyond it as well. The two parties go for who the big donors want, not the people. The "Democratic" party is really obvious about this. The big donors pick and the party tries to whip up enthusiasm for Joe Biden or Kamala Harris. Any candidate who talks about the issues doesn't make it too far in the process. Even someone as tepid as Bernie Sanders, who had popular support, will be pushed out for someone the big donors don't find threatening.

As I like to point out, which you will learn if you take the 270towin quiz, Vermont is a historically red state. And Sanders (along with Leahy) have represented the state.

You get the point.

Sure ranked choice voting is one way to fight this, but I would vote Jill Stein and then write in my dogs if we had that option in this election.

Ok, I could go into way more detail, but I am very frustrated by people who think voting for the duopoly is going to change anything.

More 'Orrible 'Arris, and she's even more 'Orrible...

The scary thing is that I'm not sure what her position is on cannabis use. That's OK, I don't think she does either. For that matter, I think she's totally out of it.


We won't need ads telling people cannibis use is bad. We will just say--"look at our president..."

It's 'Orrible 'Arris

Every wonder why she is being pushed as the "democratic" nominee despite not having campaigned or won a vote?

Because she's 'Orribe 'Arris. She had such a poor showing in 2020 that she had to drop out early on.

And for those on the right who believe she is somehow a radical leftist.

Give me a break. You wouldn't know a radical leftist if they smacked you over the head with a smash the state sign.

There's no real difference between her and Trump.

Amazon REMOVES Books Critical Of Kamala Harris

No surprise here. Well, other than that her father is a true radical leftist. But Kamala is estranged from him and has been for a while. So much for Rita Panahi who is someone I think wouldn't know a real lefty if they smacked her on the head with a "smash the state" sign.

Don't try and raise our hopes with someone who is in no way progressive, Rita.

Rita should stick to Oz politics since she has no idea about US politics.

But that pretty much goes for most of the Sky News Oz crowd.

Alas, this is a clip of a much longer show, but Caleb Maupin is on a few others as well. Rita needs to swot up (do Aussies understand that term?) on US politics before she says ANYONE in the "Democratic" party is in anyway "lefty".  Start with Real News Network's piece on Undoing the New Deal: the 1944 Coup against Henry Wallace. Bernie Sanders wasn't the first "lefty" to be torpedoed by the duopoly establishment.

Next, Rita, look up "La France Insoumise", they do have translations of the material on the party. You will encounter something closer to the left that wants to nationalise industries and do things that real leftys like.

But steer clear of AI since it is horrible with languages if you need a translator. Mais je me porterais volontiers volontaire pour ce poste.

And while we're at it, this book has been censored by Amazon, which is a LOT OF POSTS relating to how they are something any freedom loving person should despise. Fortunately, you can buy the book at Lulu (https://www.lulu.com/shop/caleb-maupin/kamala-harris-the-future-of-america-an-essay-in-three-parts/paperback/product-zmkjegd.html?q=Caleb+Maupin&page=1&pageSize=4), buying from something other than the monopoly called Amazon is a strike for freedom.

Do your research, Libertarians, Amazon is everything you claim to despise. 

Actually, Lulu is having problems processing the orders for this book. 

‘Knows she can’t win’: Barack Obama withholds endorsement of Kamala Harris

The Dems haven't learned their lesson, but then again there are the people who will "vote blue no matter who" even if the candidate is terrible.

 

For me, Sanders 2016 run was a confirmation of how bad the process is. The duopoly is pretty bad with the Dems being open about how bad the electoral process is.

Not only will they push a candidate, they will push a candidate who hasn't gone through the process of campaigning for office. But that is because Kamala Harris is an awful candidate. I was surprised they picked her to be veep in 2020. Even more surprised when Biden-Harris won the election.

Anyway, Sky New Australia has a good piece on how bad she is and how she is dividing the party, but that began the moment Hilary Clinton ran for president in 2008. I have a long piece on why I don't like the Democrats. 

And the Republicans are pretty much the same thing. It takes culture war issues to give the appearance of a difference.

As I said, get ready for Trump II.

No, a vote for a third party is not a waste.

PBS has updated and is rereleasing this 1996 documentary about third parties and how they effect US politics. I strongly suggest watching it: especially if you want to see change.

Change does not come from the duopoly, change is forced on the duopoly from the outside.

From the transcript:

 When Americans demand a third choice, or even a fourth choice, it can change and renew the major parties, sometimes making winners into losers and vice versa.

More often than you might think, Americans have looked beyond the two major political parties and reached for a third choice. When they do, big things often happen in American politics and in American life.

Let's start at the beginning. First, why two parties? In fact, why parties at all?

In the beginning, the founders agreed they wanted no parties in their new country.

"There is nothing I dread so much as the division of the Republic into two great parties, each under its leader" - John Adams.

"Ignorance leads men into a party, and shame keeps them from getting out again" - Benjamin Franklin

"If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all" - Thomas Jefferson.

Vote for the duopoly candidates only if you are satisfied with the current situation.

 

Kamala Harris's Record Will HAUNT Her In November: Elizabeth Nolan Brown

All the people who are thankful that she is running are going to be in for a nasty surprise.

No, I will not vote for a duopoly candidate--especially not this one.

She makes Hilary Clinton look consistent.

And Sky News Australia agree with real progressives!

Could Kamala Harris actually win in swing states?

Sort of a repeat of the previous post, but a bit more in depth.

What I find interesting sort of goes to my comment in the previous post about the Democratic Party being in no way lefty. They ran when Sanders was running: and he is nothing compared to the left once one leaves the the United States.

Yet, he frightens the Democrats and Fox News loves to say how "socialist" the opposition happens to be.

But don't mention medicare for all...

Get ready for more Donald Trump

Joe Biden was bad, Kamala Harris is worse. She will not appeal to much of anyone other than the same people who would have voted for Biden.

 

In the conceptual blog post on how US elections are rigged, the Democratic Party and it's joke primary elections is a prominent feature. The Democrats would rather lose with someone like Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, et al than  run someone like Bernie Sanders.

And while Sanders calls himself a "socialist", he's pretty centre on the political spectrum. After all, he does represent a historically red state (and I don't mean that in the way the rest of the world does, which is socialist, communist, and beyond--except for Anarchists, who are black). So, the despite the Fox News attempt to make "socialism" a "bad" word, most people like it.

At least in its more moderate incarnations. On the other hand, maybe people in the US are total idiots.

I mentioned La France Insoumise, the ultra left party, which "won" in the last elections. I have to wonder what people in the US would think about things like:

• reinforcing the 35-hour work-week and moving towards 32 hours (and people in Europe start work with three weeks PAID holiday/vacation); 
• and reducing the retirement age to 60
• The protection of common goods such as air, water, food, living, health, energy, or currency by preventing their commodification in order to preserve the general interest and by developing corresponding public services.
• The separation of investment and retail banks aimed at separating speculative activities from lend and deposit activities in order to protect the latter and the creation of a public banking center, which would finance small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and carry out credit policy on social and ecological criteria.
• Raising the minimum wage (called "SMIC") from 1,149 to 1,326 euros per month net for 35-hour weeks and raising civil servant salaries frozen since 2010.
• Withdrawal from free trade agreements such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
• The "democratic re-founding" of the European Union treaties including changes in monetary policy, common agricultural policy, and environmental policy. Failing this, the program envisages a "Plan B" of unilateral exit from European treaties, followed by proposing further cooperation between countries.
• The implementation of an energy transition plan towards a target of 100% renewable energy in 2050, following the studies of the Association négaWatt and the public and interdepartmental agency of the environment and the control of the energy (ADEME). This transition involves shutting down France's nuclear power plants, criticised by the movement for their dependence on uranium supply, their alleged lack of safety, their radioactive waste management and their financial cost.

Even if some of those ideas didn't gain too much traction, it would be fun to see them being debated in an intelligent and informed manner.

will.i.am - Mona Lisa Smile ft. Nicole Scherzinger (Official Music Video)

Something lite as a diversion from the insanity called current events. This is brilliant.

Owen Jones on why Joe Biden Is a terrible choice.

I don't totally agree with him, but he has quite a few good points.



The only real choice if you don't like the duopoly candidates is Jill Stein. She is on enough ballots to get the 270 votes needed to win the electoral college.

And stop blaming the Russians, unless the DNC is run by Russians.

Kamala Harris Ultimate Word Salad Compilation

I'm trying to find something that shows how poor a candidate Kamala Harris was in 2020. But the ultimate answer tends to be lost. Here's one:

The last time Kamala Harris ran a campaign for the presidency, she dropped out of the contest before a single vote was cast. 

After launching her bid in Oakland, California, in front of a crowd of 20,000 supporters in January 2019, she campaigned for 310 days before dropping out of the contest. At the time she left the race, she was polling at 4 percent or lower in polling aggregates — a complete flop. 

It was a stunning result: Harris had been seen as a rising star for most of her years campaigning for and legislating in the Senate, questioning Trump administration officials, and was viewed as the possible future of the Democratic Party as she prepared for a presidential bid. She didn’t get close to the nomination in 2020.

Another one gives three causes that stood out.

1. Harris and her team were uncertain over which ideological path to take, especially as the Democratic Party shifted hard to the political left.
2. Her campaign operation was chaotic and advisers were often divided, changing the campaign’s direction repeatedly.
3. The Democratic base wasn’t convinced by her arguments about electability — and she missed her moment once real-world factors like fundraising, media coverage, and polling caught up.

But the major reason is that she is a really BAD candidate. I heard she didn't even have enough votes to carry California, her home state.

OK, Here's Tulsi Gabbard shredding Harris on her record:

Multiparty democracy explained

I thought about using just the graph, but I know that would confuse Americans. Especially the crowd who thinks that the Democrats are somehow the party of the "left".

Are you in for a shock if you belong that that group.

Above the purple on the left end of this graph is PCF, which is Parti Communiste Français. LFI is La France Insoumise, which is an even further left-wing to far-left political party in France. It was launched in 2016 by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, then a Member of the European Parliament and former co-president of the Left Party. It aims to implement the eco-socialist and democratic socialist programme L'Avenir en commun. 

But, having something to the left of Communism should clue you in for this is a fun ride. You can learn more about them here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_France_Insoumise

And, yes, I do support multiparty democracy which has parties like this one and Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement national, which is what was once known as the National Front. And is pretty extreme right.

I mean, Europe did have fascism. Soooo. And I'm learning about something called Operation Gladio.

And there are 14 other parties in between!

I have to admit that true multiparty democracy is a lot confusing, even if you are a fan. So, I can't get too deep into this, but it was not a victory for the far left. It also wasn't a victory for the far right. This is because neither party had a majority. This means that there will either have to be a coalition, or a new election. The government will function, which is what an "executive" branch should do: make sure things tick along.

But, yes. I do support this even if there are extreme parties and run off elections, but at least there are parties which represent the people. There is also a need to work together for the common good.

Congressman Makes HUGE Admission About Bernie's 2020 Primaries

OK, we now have it out in the open what we guessed happened all along: Sanders was going to win the nomination. So, the Democrats circle their wagons and run two of the worst possible candidates. Of course, they "won" the nomination if you really want to believe that. But doesn't it stink that the DNC that year was VIRTUAL??? I mean an unpopular candidate somehow manages to beat a popular one.

REALLY?

No, vote blue no matter who and get someone who belongs in a memory care unit, not the white house. It's time to look to another party that really represents the people.

As I said, I Demexited in 2016 because the Democrats became too obvious that they don't want to represent me.

And, elections are rigged in the US. The primaries being a really glarring example of it. The US needs to stop funding private elections with public money.

Let me repeat, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS NOT A PARTY OF THE LEFT!!!!!!

How Do You Do, Fellow Progressives?

That should be obvious by now, but they prefer to run candidates of questionable ability: even if that means losing to Trump.

It's been nearly two weeks and Dementia Joe is still the Democratic candidate for president: despite it being REALLY obvious that he isn't fit for the job.

He wasn't in 2020. In fact, both Biden and Harris were weak candidates who somehow managed to defeat a popular candidate from the "left".

Bernie Sanders.

The thing is that Bernie Sanders represents a solidly Red state, with the possible exception of Burlington. In fact, a Sanders candidacy would have shaken the US political landscape quite drastically. But he was suppressed for good reason if you want to keep the joke that is the US political system.

And despite what Fox News and their ilk will tell you, the Democrats are not a party of the left. Otherwise, they would have run Sanders. But the Democrats have a long history of making sure candidates like Sanders don't win (look up Henry Wallace).

There's a reason that "Hot button" issues are the ones being discussed rather than the real issues facing the United States country. This means that pretty much anyone who sides with the Democratic party doesn't have a lot of support from me.

And they are not what I consider to be true progressives.

Because voting "blue no matter who" is what led to this mess.

George Monbiot EXPOSES Keir Starmer’s Hollow Victory

OK, this is concerns British politics, but it relates to the rise of the "right". Especially since he talks about "Killer Clowns", which is embodied in the United States by someone like Donald Trump (ici par Marine LePen).

The problem was that the Dems could have run Bernie Sanders who is lefty, yet represents a solidly red state, who would have brought a kind of left wing politics. But Bernie is hardly left outside of the United States.


The real takeaway is that the same lesson can be learned in the United States.

And some Jonathan Pie, who I pretty much forgot about post-Brexit.

How U.S. News Media Manufactured ‘Antisemitism on Campuses’

It never fails to amaze me how this ignores anti-Zionist Jews.

And the fact that the bulk of zionists are Christian Zionists who only support Israel so that it will create a massive war to bring about the Second Coming. That really needs to be mentioned when someone spouts this non-sense.

No Scandal for Joe Biden???

As someone who has been asking about Hunter's laptop for some time, I know that Joe is as slimey, if not more so than Trump (disclaimer: my cousin uses the same computer repair company for his business).

Trust me, we would have two candidates with felony charges if Biden didn't have dementia. That makes any comment about Trumps being a "man of his convictions" seem ridiculous.

"Trump is a convicted felon..."
"Yeah, well, Biden probably would be as well if he didn't have dementia..."

Jaysus, and you wonder why I am voting for the only third party candidate who stands a chance of winning?

How the media turned on Biden

Actually, it was obvious in 2020. I want to write about how rigged US politics happens to be, but Biden "beating" Sanders in the 2020 Democratic primary was a case in point. The "Hidin' Biden" thing came from the liberal media because Biden wasn't doing interviews with even friendly pundits.

Sorry, right wing media, but the Democrats are in no way a party of the "left". They went with Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020. They would rather lose with candidates like these than run someone like Bernie Sanders.

And Sanders is pretty moderate if one leaves the US.

The exact moment Biden lost the debate | About That

From the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Just remember, if you want a real opposing opinion, you need to leave the United States.

And I suggest you vote Green if you don't like Trump.

Kings and Queens

I was thinking that the current national anthem of Great Britain, and a few other places, is no longer "God Save the Queen" since the Queen died. It is now "God Save the King". But that thought has me thinking in truly republican terms: since the only real difference between a republic and democracy is that the republic doesn't have nobility.

That means a democratic monarchy can have a hereditary head of state who can be totally out of it, which in the case of Britain was King George III. Republics can have out of touch heads of state as well. Case in point: the United States for most of this century.

The truth of the matter is that the US Constitution was a waste of time and paper since the reality is that it is meaningless. Most people have no idea what it means. Toss in that there are dangerous sections which have been misinterpreted to the detriment of public safety. Yet, the Judges did not say this was a case of desuetude, but reinterpreted the constitution.

The reality is that there will not be a bloody civil war between parliamentarians and those who wish to keep the old system in the US as happened in the Commonwealth period under Cromwell. It may be more of a Glorious Revolution where the people make the changes from the bottom up.

Having idiots and  lunatics as leaders has shown that the executive is pretty much a ceremonial post, the way having a King, Queen, Duke, Duchess, or other ceremonial leader is in a monarchy. The real power is in the legislature. And, as Tip O'Neill said, "all politics is local".

The way to really get change is to elect local legislators who are committed to change.

And the documentation will follow.

The only way to break the duopoly is to vote for a viable third party

No, the "democratic" party is in no way a party of the left. It is no different than the republican party in not serving the voters. They don't want competition from anyone who might break their lock on the political establishment.

But remember the Republicans were once a third party. Third parties can bring the government back to the people.

.  

Why you should vote for Jill Stein even if you don't agree with her politics.

It's not about the politics--it's about the system. Unless you like that your choice is between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

There needs to be a radical change in the US election process which is run by the duopoly parties. And it will not come from the duopoly. They are doing everything in their power to suppress alternative parties from raising the amount of signatures needed on petitions to get on the ballot to straight off making it hard to run. The duopoly doesn't need to jump through the hoops to get on the ballot.

Change does.

The only way to shake up US politics is for a non-duopoly party to hit them where it counts--in the results. Getting just 5% of the vote will assure that the Greens are on the ballot nationwide.

And the electoral college can screw up the popular vote, but the duopoly doesn't care as long as it runs the show. On the other hand, six states can rack up enough electoral college votes to throw a spanner in the system since it takes 270 electoral votes to win. I've written more than enough on how the Electoral college is bad, but no one is listening.

A Jill Stein win will be shouting in their ears. But we don't need a win--we just need to show that the system is broken.