Earlyworm

In past election cycles, I've made an effort to recommend how to get the best bang for your buck in political donations.

If you're among the three people who followed those efforts, you may be wondering why I haven't done so this cycle. The answer is mostly laziness and life getting in the way.

But also! I recently discovered an organization who does a better job of helping you get bang for your buck than I ever could.  It's called Earlyworm, and I just donated the maximum amount to the various worthy organizations on it main page as my wife would allow.

I've also been doing a lot of letter writing for Vote Forward, as usual.

Trump Campaign Goes Full Fash

Although it's been said many times, many ways, the mask is truly off for the American GOP:

Police in Springfield, Ohio, said Monday they had received no credible reports of immigrants harming pets, contradicting a claim by Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance. 

The senator from Ohio, as well as other Republican lawmakers and several conservative commentators, have in recent days asserted without evidence that the arrival of thousands of immigrants from Haiti had created chaos in Springfield. 

In a post on X, Vance wrote Monday that “people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country.” 

The Springfield Police Division said in a statement that they were aware of the “rumors” and had no information to support them.

This is a tactic authoritarians --- yes, including the Nazis --- have used for years. Dehumanize the most vulnerable and give people reason to despise them. Then claim that only you can solve the problem --- by any means necessary.

If people believe your outlandish claims, they'll support anything you want to do, no matter how monstrous. After all, these immigrants are eating our pets --- and the opposition candidate won't even admit there's a problem!

These fascist lies come just two days after Trump himself made an ominous promise:

At his weekend rally in Wisconsin, Trump brought up his sadistic plan to deport millions of immigrants, and he spun a dizzyingly dishonest tale about immigrants: “In Colorado they’re so brazen they’re taking over sections of the state. And you know, getting them out will be a bloody story . . . ."

I am but a humble software developer. I don't know everything that needs to happen to defeat American fascism. But I know that it starts with everyone who still believes in American democracy, freedom of speech, and life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness needs to get to a polling station this November and vote for every candidate with a D next to their name.