"Election Interference?" Arguing with the Daily Signal

 RantWoman does not usually read The Daily Signal. She made an exception for this article:

https://www.dailysignal.com/2020/12/17/how-democrats-attempted-a-2016-electoral-college-coup/ 

This article came to RantWoman on X / Twitter with the hashtag #ElectionInterference . Oh, you mean like #TFG (the former guy) saying out loud on the campaign trail "Russia are you listening?"  RantWoman does not here want to rehash all the tangles of the 2016 election but probably some of the public is going to need refreshers.

For now RantWoman considers it important to engage about the article because "Oh the Democrats did it too" is certainly going to be bandied about the court of public opinion even if it like whatever got presented in 60+ cases #TFG lost in 2020 it will not hold up in court. 

With that in mind, aiming to energize and motivate but hopefully not to overwhelm, RantWoman comments:

1. BOTH parties should do a better job of picking candidates and responding to the public mood. Start with some real basics like "Is this candidate eligible for a security clearance?" "Does the candidate already have so much legal action related to their business that one wonders how they have any time for their job?" "Will the candidate release 10 years of tax returns?"

2. In early 2016 there were already LOUD #GOP voices expressing concern about the presumptive nominee. How come that concern went nowhere?
3. For the Dems' part, RantWoman barely wants to touch Hillary's failure to build on Obama momentum, failure to look credible to Bernie bros, and failure at ALL to campaign in some key swing states. Hillary's assumption that she was winning, blinded her to LOTS of realities that opened the door to #TFG. Also, RantWoman recommends staying on the offensive against disinformation wherever it comes from.

4. Voters cannot rely only on parties (or the courts either). Voters ourselves need to stay engaged from the outset, shaping policy statements and messaging, registering voters, getting out the vote, monitoring vote counts....

5. No one should run unopposed! Saying it again, NO ONE should run unopposed! Who is willing to toss their hat into an election ring?

6. How electors get apportioned should be decided by states not by parties. That should avoid basically disenfranchising all the losing candidate's voters and reduce the odds of an electoral college victory wildly out of line with the popular vote. RantWoman is well aware the racist history of the electoral college and of concern that the electoral college gives low population states influence on Presidential outcomes way out of proportion to their population. Part of why RantWoman would prefer to do away with winner take all but not do away with the electoral college is that it could become too easy to ignore states that have small populations but important roles in the national economy. There is already two much division between large population mostly coastal states and the red heartland. The way to fix this is for there to be more diverse candidates in the heartland and for the coasts to listen better to heartland issues.

7. RantWoman here notes that around the 2017 inauguration, there were MASSIVE overwhelmingly nonviolent protest marches, massive marches with negligible numbers of either arrests or serious injuries. The airport occupations when #POTUS45 imposed his Muslim ban were also overwhelmingly nonviolent. Overwhelmingly nonviolent protests are AWESOME. By the time people were out protesting, though, it was really too late. This time around, people need to engage early and stay engaged,especially since the putative front-runner in one party is already promising to violate his oath of office almost as soon as he is sworn in.
RantWoman's impression of the 2016 campaign to switch electors is that it started comparatively late in the election cycle, maybe even after the election. In 2020 on the other hand, #TFG was already aware that he was losing and by early summer had already begun all the plotting that led up to the #J6 single biggest one-day violent crime wave in the US since 9/11 Bluntly, he was not going to leave office no matter what.

8. Another current thread in the national conversation is how do the #BLM #BlackLivesMatter protests of 2020 compare to #J6. This issue has swum out of the muck of #TFG talking about his plans for any future administration and for using the military against protestors in ways he was not allowed to do in 2020. 

     These comments acknowledge points that people in Seattle and Portland suspected. Forces of reaction seem eager, as often happens, to exploit reaction to the most negative images of protests. RantWoman is also turning into Protest Curmudgeon about people making their points without creating a lot of negative imagery. 

9. More alarming in terms of veering toward authoritarianism is concern RantWoman read on X/ Twitter that holding up military promotions and confirmation of diplomats is intended explicitly to leave lots of positions for a second #OrangeGuy administration to fill with loyalists who will do his bidding.

10. It's not like the US is shy about interfering in other countries' elections! RantWoman has a separate rant brewing about this point and the #OrangeGuy defending himself from conspiracy charges in Washington DC. Stay tuned.

The Ukraine war on two fronts

As much #Russia #Ukraine video etc watching as RantWoman is going to try tonight.

Farid Zakaria reports case iin rules-based order for international commission and using seized Russian assets to aid Ukraine reconstruction. 

Times Radio: John Herbst rumors of pressure for cease fire

for an added dimension, tonight's Kyiv worship brought a plea to hold in the Light a conscientious objector now being tried for refusing to kill.

Never too many tote bags!!!!

 Ooh, Ooh, Ooh. A very cool present arrived as RantWoman was in the middle of a tech support conversation about the raggedy edges of the internet.

FCNL swag RantWoman wasn't expecting.
Happy 80th anniversary FCNL

RantWoman is car-free by necessity. It does not hurt that riding transit reduces traffic congestion, makes cities more livable, and helps cut #GHG emissions, oh and builds community on wheels.

In any case, RantWoman can never have too many tote bags!

PS. It's #GivingTuesday. Never mind about match for other things. People who feel like giving to FCNL and don't  itemize can give straight to FCNL lobbying efforts.

RantWoman definitely means to do this, as soon as she can figure out how to make the donor portal stop arguing with her about her billing address.

FCNL approves new statement on reproductive healthcare

FCNL Revised policy on Reproductive Healthcare

Readers who just want to see the final text of the revised policy feel free to skip the rest of this.

 RantWoman should let the policy stand on its own, but RantWoman wants to offer particular appreciation for LOTS of points:

--Having easy online access to the final version of the document very shortly after the final wording was approved

--The last round of seasoning, one of those Quaker moments where it seems like something is almost done and suddenly like the loops of a labyrinth, there are two not exactly contradictory but powerful objections to wording. RantWoman lives on West Coast time even when Zooming for events on the East Coast soRantWoman just had to let wordsmiths wordsmith and leave the final decision to an Early Morning Meeting for business.

--The very well-led and carefully tended work of the FCNL policy committee between last year's annual meeting and the 2023 Annual meeting.

Maybe that is all RantWoman needs to say about this exact topic.

CHELYABINSK "Tractor Factory ON FIRE. Vlog 534: War in Ukraine

RantWoman does not watch Anna from Ukraine as often as other channels, but this video nails a whole bunch of issues. As Anna says, Chelyabinsk is a LONG way from Ukraine. 

No, RantWoman is NOT sorry the chelyabinsk "tractor factory" is on fire. 

In fact, RantWoman files this with other stories found on X / Twitter about the "Ukrainian Ministry of Accidental Russian Fires as events that have occurred. Whether the events get chalked up to Ukrainian resistance, Russian sympathizers, or average Russian inattention to safety issues, there is a considerable trail of such events occurring at various categories of locations such as defense plants.

RantWoman meant to collect a bunch of contradictory opinions about who is coming out worse, Russia or Ukraine, who is or is not just growing tired...

There is plenty of material to collect but not tonight.

Time Radio: Mark Galeotti says Putin las lost ability ...about security issues

Fertility! And Better than space lasers?

RantWoman presents Russian State TV commentator Margarita Simonyan and her, um, unusual ideas about what will solve Russia's demographic crisis:

Note. Video is in Russian. English translation on the screen is not screen reader accessible. RantWoman has neither validated the automated transcript nor tried to see what happens if the transcript lines are run the Russian transcript through Google translate. Enough of the preposterousness comes through to allow RantWoman to comment, after the video.

Well, yeah, MAYBE when pigs fly and hell freezes. Russia could also get crazy: stop making elites want to fly abroad to avoid military duty, stop feeding more ordinary people to the Ukraine war meat grinder, Russia would not have to rely on magical thinking about Russia somehow being in a position to seduce most people from the US into moving there.

Anther panel arguing about how to raise the birth rate in Russia

For another weird example of Russian propaganda voices, Olga Skabeeva and evgeny Popov

Meanwhile on this side of the pond recently elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson wants childbearing and particularly forced pregnancy in lieu of comprehensive health care options to solve fiscal problems with Social Security and Medicare, problems that are EASILY fixable with only modest increases in Social Security and Medicare taxes. And supporting existing families, whatever they look like, through things like restoring the #Pandemic era #ChildTaxCredit  would never hurt either.

RantWoman is going to leave things at that, for one thing because she has far too rich a tree of other possible rants and this is enough for one night.

How Russia treats those lost or injured and their families. Sinking of the Rostov on the Don submarine. and broader questions, with introductory rant

Full disclosure: RantWoman missed sessions at FCNL's recent annual meeting about the war in Ukraine. RantWoman means to see what is possible to review but in the meantime, RantWoman HAS OPINIONS and questions. RantWoman finds it hard to speak to some points one might reasonably be expected to lobby about. 

Some points RantWoman considers:

--There IS opposition to the war in Russia: journalists, military and political figures, and the families of troops. Conditions for opposition voices are brutal, but the opposition persists. Sensible voices should be amplified; there is also A LOT of garbage propaganda and disinformation and countering that is absolutely necessary.

--Sanctions are having an impact on Russia.

--Various scenarios come up about collapse of Russia, Putin being deposed or replaced in an election. IT will be VITAL to have informed specialists in the picture to influence the international impact of these possibilities.

--RantWoman supports Ukraine's right to territorial integrity and political self-determination.

--This point includes cluster bombs. Cluster bombs are monstrous weapons. One source (Beau)noted that Ukraine already knows they are going to have to invest in lots of de-mining after they drive Russians out, so what are some more explosives to deal with. Another source (Jake Broe) pointed out that Ukraine is disassembling cluster bombs and using the bomblets inside to arm drones. Both points are icky. RantWoman considers it appropriate to concentrate on analyzing the gee-whiz aspects of drone warfare, what help might be needed after the war and how to pay for the war damages through seized assets.

--For better or worse, RantWoman considers it appropriate for Russia's neighbors to have a role in the conduct of the war and which weapons get used how.

--In many cases US and European weapons shipments to Ukraine are cleaning out old stocks which of course will then be used to justify building newer better ones. Watch that issue play out.

--The war is mostly going VERY badly for Russia and Putin is making the some of the same mistakes Stalin made in WWII. That is unfortunate and Russia should stop it. RantWoman saying that is not going to make it so.

--Historian Anne Applebaum writes of the sequence of Putin foreign policy where he thinks he is continuing to win, partly because Western powers have not stood up to his assaults on Georgia, Ukraine, Syria as firmly as they might have. Fear of acting though for conflicts between nuclear powers makes firm statecraft all the more important. Timeliness also matters: Russia would be much less dug in in the territories it seized in 2014 if there had been firmer international response. RantWoman has no opinion her about what might have been possible in alternate realities.

--The legacy of Ukraine and Belarus giving Russia back nuclear weapons deployed on their territory when the Soviet Union fell apart needs to figure in thinking about both nuclear weapons issues and the how to manage a nuclear power plant under occupation concerns.

--There is a whole de-carbonize the global economy angle that RantWoman is not going to try to comb through with respect to European dependence on oil and gas exports from Russia as well as how India, China and other oil-producing countries interact with the sanctions regime. 

Here, though, RantWoman is going to continue to post videos she finds informative in hopes that others can draw useful information from what RantWoman culls off YouTube.

RantWoman thinks this channel MAY be created by AI and then edited by a human, either that or read by really good text to speech. However, RantWoman has no reason to doubt the substance of this story.

DW: Families of Russian troops in Ukraine protest war

Silicon Bites: DRAMATIC increase in many violent crimes among people returning from the front but others being used for patriotic education

Also fear of "afghan Syndrome."

HORRIFIC realities of trying to provide support to veterans

Oh Gee, you mean this stuff happens in Russia as well as the US?

Times Radio: how Russians really feel about Putin's invasion of Ukraine

CNN: Ukrainian drone pilot and congressman

The Icarus Project: should the world take Belarus sudden interest in resolving the conflict seriously?

When Lukashenko talks Putin is moving his lips.

Watch the whole video

What are different theories of victory?

Infographics: What do Russian military think of the war in Ukraine

Will western delay prompt Ukraine to undertake more desperate actions.

Russia: commitment to long war. Different perceptions in different countires. Watch the whole video.

See other videos from this channel.

Snark from X / Twitter and click through to the Timothy Snyder item

If #Russia wants out of the the #UkraineWar stalemate they should leave. Stop feeding untrained poorly equipped bodies to the meat grinder. Respect #Ukraine territorial integrity. Also listen to many antiwar voices inside Russia. https://t.co/JzzRp83JXC

— Dorene Cornwell (@DoreneFC) November 24, 2023

The WAR in Russia and propaganda

Okay, RantWoman is just going to opine about citizens of Russia and The WAR in Ukraine. RantWoman's opinions continue to evolve and some here are probably controversial.

RantWoman does not have an opinion one way or another about why specific categories of Russians do or don't feel they themselves can speak out. RantWoman simply considers it the decent thing to do to pray for all affected by this war: 

--All the brown people from different parts of the Russian federation forced into the Russian military meat grinder with neither training nor anything approaching acceptable weaponry, 

--the families of the KIA some of whom will neither ever see their loved ones again nor necessarily know where they have fallen 

--Russian families torn apart by differences of opinion, 

--Russians who ARE able to speak out in ways ranging from holding blank pieces of paper like signs on the sidewalk to what RantWoman thinks MAY BE partisan antiwar sabotage in different parts of Russia. Translation: RantWoman is cautious about drawing inferences but does regularly look at a Twitter feed called the Ukrainian Ministry of Accidental Russian fires

--All the people struggling due to, sadly well deserved, Western sanctions

Admittedly, RantWoman lies about being able smoothly to pray for some categories of Russians:

--those with resources who send their draft age sons abroad to evade conscription

--all the Russian oligarchs, even the ones trying to counter Putin

--ditto for Russian nationalist war bloggers and propagandists.

And on a different note: Vlad Vexler on culture war and propaganda.

With that, today's vids, not all of which RantWoman has thoroughly digested:

John Sweeney: Putin has been getting away with murder for decades, enabled by...

Meditations near but tangential to the anniversary of the 2013 Maidan events in Ukraine, the ones where one time the sign language interpreter on Ukrainian state television just stopped interpreting and started signing about what BS viewers were being fed.

Ben Hodges on Times Radio about Ukraine ejecting Russia from Crimea

Times Radio on X, Russia and Biden meeting with Xi

The Telegraph: Zelensky fires top general, why does the EU keep buying Russian gas, and supply levels of some kinds of arms

Wives and mothers protesting despite police pressure

Kyiv Post interviews economist who formerly worked for Putin Putin has violated all agreements with Ukraine

various comments on US aid to Ukraine

Vlad Vexler tries prophylactic disinfectant against Margo Simonyan toxicity

Western democracies suffer different toxicity

Simonyan attacks very popular singer Alla Pugacheva, LGBT issues related to many in underwear in Odessa, 

Three pathologies

"Nobody is good as soon as they enter the public square"

"Lack of boundaries" (the bit about the washing machine)

"lack of alternative views, concepts of history"

Condemnation of Hamas violence and use of the term "genocide" and the Genocide convention but calls Israel's politics Barbarism, anti Putin dissidents 

sponsorship by Moscow mayor's office

Vlad says dispicable toxicity is really effective.

Vlad Vexler on new wave Russian trolls in his comments

Profound discomfort when phrase "Russian asset" is used vs eg Trump as domestic political phenomena.

But trolls are ....

Some fatigue among Pro-Ukraine internet voices

Israel Hamas Gaza crisis: avoid issue like wildfire OR only comment insofar as it relates to Russian Ukraine war.

Vlad Vexler opines about every video in his main YouTube feed. Assad in Syria, identity politics, time blindness and autism, Israel, Ukraine, "the West," Christopher Hitchens, not engaging in culture wars, atheism, Extinction Rebellion, plurality of activism, the sacredness of nature, why damaging paintings is counterproductive, 

Vlad Vexler from a couple weeks ago about Zaluzhny stalemate interview

Kremlin is not ready to do a peace about the part they have bitten off.

ISSUES in the Red Sea and on the Finland / Russia border.

Between YouTube and that platform formerly known as Twitter, today RantWoman's media streams have two international incidents which both appear to have high potential for generating misinformation AND high need for thoughtful diplomacy to address concerns that might arise.

Apparent Houthi Seizure of MV Galaxy Leader

Video posted as data points. In particular:

--Change in tactics compared to some other comparable events

--Geography

--multiple entities in vessel ownership

--unclear what the cargo is

--vessel turning off transponder.

--enough red flags to want to be VERY sure where info streams about this come from.

Short Reuters clip about same Houthi Vessel Seizure

Another What is Going on with Shipping report

Emil Kastelhemi Twitter thread on Russia sending migrants to Finland

New term: hybrid warfare

Recent developments in Finland:

Over the past few days, Russia has sent an increasing number of migrants to Finland's borders. Finland has closed several border crossing points due to the authorities' threat assessment.

A video surfaced of the Russian operation. 1/ pic.twitter.com/Vb7c1iLLmD

— Emil Kastehelmi (@emilkastehelmi) November 19, 2023

Transgender Day of Remembrance

This post is what RantWoman can summon this year for Transgender Day of Remembering. Pieces of it may piss some readers off. RantWoman will try to warn people but considers it important to work on a number of threads.

Did RantWoman mention, she is bad at simplicity? For instance, when in spaces where pronouns are being shared, RantWoman has been known to say something like "pronouns are an essay question (more like several dissertations in linguistics, but who's counting?)"

This post is dedicated to:

--several transpeople RantWoman knows personally

--a young deaf transwoman whose family fled MT for the somewhat more welcoming environment of Seattle. This person spoke ambivalently of eating a lot of salad. RantWoman at the time did not think to tell here that plenty of women like hamburgers.

--J and M, two deaf-blind women RantWoman thinks she has written of before who for a long time came over to RantWoman's apartment to drink tea, finessed seating so everyone could live with the light conditions while J interpreted the conversation into close visual ASL for M who could speak just fine.

--Oops. Update. RantWoman forgot one, a 6'5" former construction worker who still has some mannerisms that some women probably still find triggering but is WAY more into pantyhose and heels than RantWoman ever thought of being.

--RantMOM because her Presbyterian church pastor, a lovely happily married cisgender straight woman, has invited the congregation to get acquainted with all kinds of "alphabet soup" realities. The one that most stuck out to RantMom: a choir RantWoman is not familiar with where it is notable that one member sings alto.

--RantWoman's favorite very Catholic transphobic newspaper columnist and denizen of Twitter / X. PLEASE do not argue with RantWoman about whether it is permissible to have a favorite... newspaper columnist. This person is someone of great faith; we do hear the voice of God very differently.

Blessings upon everyone mentioned above and all transgender people.

Some people might want to STOP READING HERE.

Homework and confessions left over from NPYM 2023 Annual Session

These comments are homework half done from last summer's NPYM annual session and training for worship group leaders offered by whatever the listeners' committee was called.

1. RantWoman THINKS she has gotten over her complex about use of "they" pronouns. Someone close in age to RantWoman said in a meeting awhile ago something like "I stopped worrying about it. I just call everyone younger than me 'they' " along of course with anyone else who asks. RantWoman is not sure that will do the trick for some of the many reasons she keeps saying "pronouns are an essay question," but she is called to leave the problem lie for now.

2. Speaking of transphobia.

Blast from the past: firestorm over a transphobic comment

Speaker 1 "I don't understand what's the big deal about pronoun. I don't want to hear it."

Speaker 2 "I hear a lack of clarity about transphobia."

Oh dear. As worship group leader, what ARE You to do? 

--Tell the story of one Friend who know the community is (comparatively) safe space because of pronouns on nametags?

--Mention the NPYM minute on welcoming people of all genders?

During introductions: let us finish introductions and come back to your concern. (Perhaps someone will offer something relevant in their own introduction.)

During the flow of sharing, to the person who raised the concern:

--This is worship sharing. You have already spoken once. Let's finish hearing from others and come back to this topic. Again, see what emerges frrom others' voices.

When coming back to the topic, 

--Mention NPYM minute on welcoming people of all genders?

--Ask the person who raised the concern to elaborate?

--Ask others in the room to comment or share concerns?

--Talk to the two people involved after the session?

--Send people off to the listeners instead of trying to work out what has come to oneself?

--For a very "in the weeds" response, mention a famous comment by country singer Jason Aldeans wife.  RantWoman means to find the link. One time Mrs. Aldean commented after some kind of a makeup session, something about how much she liked girlie stuff and how glad she was that no one had forced her to hack off genitals. That idea of course is NOT a thing except in VERY rare cases where people born with characteristics of both genders and some kind of surgical intervention happens long before a child can decide on their own. 

Besides pointing out the "NOT A THING" point, RantWoman in such a conversation might say "well I am glad you enjoy all that girlie makeup stuff. You can have all of it anyone might try to subject RantWoman to too." RantWoman is not sure whether in the context of worship sharing, this kind of conceptual excursion would be helpful, BUT RantWoman might still be bold enough to try it.

Previously on this blog: interrupting

Wading into even rougher territory

Posting should not be interpreted as endorsement of these views, but to wade right into controversy:

"The #ProHuman answer to the question of gender is to accept people however they are. To not force people into an ever more expansive list of constricting labels... have compassion... accept the truth of science and biology... be our truest and unique selves."

- Zander Keig pic.twitter.com/wkKv9nruX5

— Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR) (@fairforall_org) July 28, 2022

Truth in advertising: Stephanie Winn interviews Zander Keig

Israel Palestine vids of the day

In pretty stark terms, let's talk PERCEPTION

And let's hear it for FED UP Congressional Staffers




and the house, a few days ago, never mind the budget but Preach it Jamie Raskin

Belated day of the dead.

RantWoman, you are following multiple news streams involving a LOT of death. Are you SURE that this is the best way to start?

There are SO MANY people in worse shape than this video...

Ah hell. Roll with it!

Belated Day of the Dead imagery

PS Happy posthumous birthday to A, RantDad's younger sister who decamped to possibly holier realms around Easter time the year after RantDad made his exit. RantWoman remembers Aunt A for a Jello marvel called Ribbon salad and for crocheting all manner of decorations, household items, afghans, as well as baby booties for the local crisis pregnancy center.

BLOWBACK, protests, Queen Rania of Jordan, other voices. Cease Fire Now

Hopefully by the time this posts, there will be released prisoners, hostages, Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and serious negotiations about WHAT NEXT.

In the meantime, snapshots from various perspectives

Washington DC erupts

Content warning: consequences of war crimes

TYT on Gaza Death toll

CNN Reporting on guided missile sub

When in doubt add a guided missile sub.

On the other hand. How the protests look

King 5 reporting on Cape Orlando protests at Port of tacoma

And two vids from, of all places, "What's happening in Shipping"

The Cape Orlando arrives at the Port of Tacoma

Repelling Boarders at the Port of Oakland.

The Intercept: Mehdi Hasan on Israel, Hamas, blowback

6+ minutes. Watch it yourselves.

Malcolm Nance on Roland Martin with panel

from a few days ago so not before Israel went into Gaza

RantWoman LOVES Roland Martin because he and his guests DO NOT pull punches.

RantWoman is a little more skeptical of Malcolm Nance partly BECAUSE he just keeps citing what has been done before when oh yeah that was objectionable too. Interesting that BY THE END he MAYBE gets around to something HAS TO BE different this time.

Agrees actually with Mehdi Hasan about Israel's role in creating Hamas.

Don't Panic Is a Trump Conviction the Key to Biden's 2024 Win? and Chewing up polls as disinformation.

One of RantWoman's sources of hope is videos specifically about how to use the levers of the US political system to stave off a second #TFG administration, especially for anyone who regrets not finding some stronger action that could have been taken to prevent the guy's first crack at the apple.

Here are two examples of resources RantWoman likes.

Honestly, for anyone looking for ways to invest resources, RantWoman posts from plenty of independent journalists glad to receive contributions through a number of different channels. RantWoman struggles to offer much herself but is more than happy to encourage others to donate.

Raw News and Politics Digests the NYT Sierra poll

Timing, demographics suggest TO RANTWOMAN polling as disinformation in connectiion with #TFG trial DISASTER in NYC

Adult Religious Education 11 5 about FCNL and the current Middle East situation.

 The information here is from Adult Religious Education November 5, 2023.

RantWoman's key takeaways:

Look for the peacemakers. There are peacemakers out there but they get marginalized.

Lift up marginalized voices

Public Pressure works.

(from RantWoman based on a Beau of The Fifth column about Change of Tone: diplomacy works, at least as far as helping send messages that many parties do not want things to escalate.)

Queries 

The US invests heavily in war.  What would it mean to fight for peace?

How can we be supportive of Palestine without being against Israel? Or vice versa?

How can we see the humanity in everyone when there are two sides?

And allies of each side and the long game in the middle East and beyond?

Organizations and information sources.

https://www.fcnl.org/updates/2023-11/calling-ceasefire-advocacy-toolkit

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-resolution/786

https://www.fcnl.org/updates/2023-11/new-war-authorization-could-devastate-progress-us-middle-east-policy

https://afsc.org/newsroom/quaker-organizations-call-ceasefire-and-humanitarian-protections-gaza

https://afsc.org/apartheid-free-communities

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jewsforrashida

https://www.cair.com/

https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/

 “NYT the Daily”

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/03/podcasts/the-daily/israel-palestine-1948.html

Rabbis for Human Rights

https://www.rhr.org.il/eng?lang=en

Multifaith solidarity statement from Seattle Area Faith Leaders

https://sites.google.com/view/solidarity-statement/

Beyond a Two State Solution by Jonathan Kuttab. Available on Nonviolence International website

https://www.nonviolenceinternational.net/beyond2states

YouTube channels RantWoman considers valuable for various reasons

https://www.youtube.com/@BeauoftheFifthColumn

Beau lives in FL. He clearly has some kind of military or national security background. He does videos in a variety of really fun T-shirts. He answers lots of questions very respectfully and responds in concise and centered ways to whatever the thread of the day is. Sometimes several videos per day.

https://www.youtube.com/@TheYoungTurks

Several different voices. Cenk Uygur (C is pronounced J in Turkish) and Ana Kasparian and others DO NOT mince words. Cenk follows news in the Middle East.

https://www.youtube.com/@thedavidpakmanshow

Fairly liberal Jewish voice. Has some, um, entertaining trolls.

Some Democracy Now segments

Ta-Nehisi Coates evokes MLK and speaks of segregationist apartheid regime

"book bans are signs of a weak and decaying order"

Craig Mokhiber formerly of the UN

International Humanitarian law

need new paradigm based on equality

open Israeli statements of genocidal intent

International processes are bad at holding human rights violators from the global north accountable and always in hurry regarding the global south.

"Israel is a state responsible for its own crimes."

"Where there is hope it is in civil society."

State department Official who resigned in protest

Note to self for next time: RantWoman likes to share recordings. Next time RantWoman will ask permission while recording is happening.

Life in the neighborhood. Russia. Belarus. Turkey chapter n+1

Reference to strong antiwar sentiment in Belarus 

also military callup, also Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus, a rRussian contract to build a nuclear power plant in Belarus not going well, possibly that Russia will again try to attack Ukraine from Belarus, and Polish concerns.

Continual struggle to hold the Kerch bridge, role of Turkey,

Joe Blogs More on the Ruble Collapse

interesting term "dead cat bounce."

Sanctions

Russian capital controls.

Foreign companies either leaving or getting nationalized.

God has a twisted sense of humor: guns and grandmas edition

 First a beloved Friend RantWoman refers to as Grandma FF sent RantWoman the following link via the Seattle Times:

3 things to do if you are in an active shooter situation

The biggest items that stuck with RantWoman relate to being around people who can't necessarily take steps to get away. RantWoman really, really, really would prefer never to need to think in further detail about this entire topic. RantWoman imagines she is supposed to thank the likes of the next grandma served up by the algorithms for her generous contributions to the need to do so.

Since RantWoman was letting Mr. JAWS the screen reader wander over other links after the article, the miracles of modern algorithms pointed RantWoman to this fascinating item by an actual gun-toting grandma.

Article linked in the Seattle Times about Lauren Boebert's "forgiveness" tour

Blind readers: there is a lovely photo gallery with captioned photos including two photos that feature Rep. Boebert's now 6-month-old grandson. Based on RantWoman's bad eyes, GRandma Boebert does not appear to be packing heat. It MIGHT though still occur to RantWoman to wonder what CO child welfare considerations are about guns around babies.

RantWoman is just going to leave this here for now. There are many family soap operas to hold in the Light. RantWoman's first temptation is to be a judgmental bitch about toting a grandchild around as a prop. RantWoman also hopes that anyone with an unintended / unplanned pregnancy also is blessed with a doting grandma to help about childcare and support for AT LEAST getting a high school diploma. If RantWoman gets REALLY carried away, she indulges that lived experience will somehow translate into contributions in relevant policy areas. 

Silicon Bites and more: Pandora's box of violence ?

Today's #Ukraine #Russia vids wherein it is impossible to omit the Middle East and very necessary to listen carefully.

Calling out Russian lines such as "Ukraine cannot win."

Comments on the events at the airport in Makhachkala, Dagestan. Multiple conspiracy theories discussed and comments about many manifestations of anti-semitism.

Debunking Simon Shuter's Time hit piece about Zelensky. Ukraine is not Alone"
comments about US domestic issues

Why Putin's bleed Ukraine war of attrition waiting game could backfire

Adam Kinzinger flaks his book on Colbert and other Kinzinger

First Segment 

Kinzinger now regrets voting against impeachment the first time around. What changed his mind is important

Adam Kinzinger on House speakers

paraphrasing "Mike Johnson does not match either my understanding of Christianity or my understanding of the Constitution."

Donald Trump is a loser who needs to keep losing

paraphrasing slightly: 

Fine with trying to keep T off the ballot in court but really wants to see him trounced at the ballot box.

"No wonder Trump is still on top of the polling because most of the people running against him won't denounce him"

And a bonus Kinzinger on The Bulwark

analysis others have also offered about the demographics of #TFG appeal and weakness by Democrats.

And one thing leads to another and here RantWoman is reading Adam Kinzinger's substack

Adam Kinzinger Substack about the Democrats' Hamas problem

RantWoman appreciates Rep. Kinzinger's willingness to do soul searching.

And this article makes RantWoman's head explode.

Killing Innocent civilians is WRONG. It does not matter where it happens. IT does not matter who does it.

Kinzinger is all worried because young Democrats are overwhelmingly pro-Palestinian. Coincidentally, 50% of the population of Gaza is under 18 and some of them have been refugees for 4 generations. Could young Democrats' stance possibly have anything to do with demographics and true democracy.

PS funding genocide is fiscally irresponsible no matter where the money comes from. The #GOP should be laughed out of the room for even pretending that diverting funds from the IRS and directing them toward aid to Israel is anything but SILLY. Plus it's just welfare for defense contractors and we know welfare is...

TYT Staff have very strong opinions and warnings about the Middle east, plus other evidence of dissent.

Sorry, no reflections on Ukraine, Russia spheres of influence, vile propaganda and disinformation.

Instead, a different item from the global war buffet, THE MIDDLE EAST.

Marjorie Taylor Greene calls stuff like this an "insurrection." I bet the percapita body count was WAY lower than #J6, the single biggest one-day violent crime wave in the US since 9/11

Joy Reid: every pro palestinian protest is wrongly labelled Pro Hamas

RantWoman is not following FCNL work as closely as would be desirable but does feel called to opine:

The House GOP today is again simultaneously whining about deficit spending, refusing to talk about revenues, and now wanting to divert money previously allocated to the IRS to be used instead to help fund...brace for it...#Genocide in #Palestine.

Let that sink in.