BLAST FROM THE PAST: KNOW YOUR OPPONENT, THEN MAKE A STAND. (UPDATED)

As Donald Trump continues an agenda of Persecution, many Americans are missing the True Dangers that will become a reality if he gets his way.

To Defeat this Assault on the CONSTITUTION, AND COMMON DECENCY, THE FOLLOWING MUST ACKNOWLEDGED AS TRUE:

1)  Donald Trump is a Symptom of the REAL PROBLEM, NOT THE CAUSE.

2)  Many of his Supporters consider "RIGHTS" TO BE GUARANTEES THAT PROTECT ONLY
THEM.

3)  Often, these same Supporters will claim that anything they do or say must be allowed by
Law, SO THEY CAN FULFILL A DIVINE MISSION THAT MUST TAKE PRECEDENCE
OVER EVERYTHING ELSE.

4)  "THE ENDS JUSTIFIES THE MEANS" is an essential part of the Fanaticism that grips many
Americans, when it comes to certain issues.

5)  THERE ARE THOSE WHO BELIEVE RELIGIOUS FAITH ALONE IS ENOUGH TO SET LEGAL GUIDELINES THAT MUST BE ACCEPTED WITHOUT QUESTION.

6)  CONTRARY TO WHAT THEY MAY SAY PUBLICLY, SOME AMERICANS WOULD
GLADLY LIVE IN A TOTALITARIAN STATE, AS LONG AS IT IS SET UP TO GIVE THEM
POWER AND PRIVILEGES OVER EVERYONE ELSE.

7)  TO MANY AMERICANS, SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES ARE NEGOTIABLE, AND CAN BE ACCEPTED OR REJECTED REGARDLESS OF THE POTENTIAL OUTCOMES.

8)  History, to some Americans, should BE REWRITTEN OR IGNORED, DEPENDING ON THE
POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE IMAGE IT CREATES.

9) PERHAPS THE MOST DANGEROUS OF ALL: THE IDEA THAT THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARE BEYOND

THE RULE OF LAW, AND WHOSE ACTIONS CANNOT BE QUESTIONED, OR PROSECUTED....

...WHICH LEADS  US TO THE FOLLOWING.

10) THE RULES OF LOGIC AND DEDUCTIVE/INDUCTIVE REASONING DO NOT CHANGE JUST

BECAUSE THE INDIVIDUAL HAS  MD, Phd, JD etc. after their name. ALONG THE SAME LINES,

THOSE WHO ARE REFERRED TO AS SCIENTISTS, PHILOSOPHERS, ENGINEERS, MINISTERS,
RESEARCHERS etc., ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM HAVING THEIR OPINIONS AND/OR JUDGEMENTS
TESTED AND DEBATED. NO ONE SHOULD BE GIVEN A FREE PASS AS "BEYOND ALL REPROACH."

THIS INCLUDES SOME JUDGES, WHO EXPECT THEIR "DECISIONS" TO BE ACCEPTED BECAUSE THE 

TERM "HONORABLE" IS ADDED TO THEIR RESUME. SORRY, BUT IRRATIONAL AND/OR INVALID
ARGUMENTS DO NOT BECOME "GREAT WISDOM" JUST BECAUSE YOU PUT ON A BLACK ROBE. 
WE WILL LOOK AT THIS PROBLEM IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

SO NOW WE KNOW: TRUMP CONTROLS JUDGES AT THE APPEALS COURT LEVEL. THIS COMPLEMENTS HIS CORRUPTION OF THE U.S. SUPREME COURT.

(article taken from reuters.)

SARAH N. LYNCH

Jun 24th 2020 10:24 AM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday directed a federal judge to drop a criminal case against President Donald Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn for lying to the FBI, handing a victory to the Justice Department and effectively ending the politically charged case.

In a split decision, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled in favor of Flynn and the Trump administration in preventing U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan from exercising his discretion on whether to grant the department's motion to clear Flynn, who twice pleaded guilty.

The ruling prevents Sullivan from hearing arguments at a July 16 hearing from retired judge John Gleeson, whom he appointed as a "friend of the court" to argue against dropping the case.

"In this case, the district court’s actions will result in specific harms to the exercise of the executive branch’s exclusive prosecutorial power," wrote Judge Neomi Rao, who was appointed by Trump.

"The contemplated proceedings would likely require the Executive to reveal the internal deliberative process behind its exercise of prosecutorial discretion," she added.

Judge Robert Wilkins, an Obama administration appointee, dissented.

Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, was one of several former Trump aides charged under former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation that detailed Moscow's interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Flynn twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his conversations with Russia's then-ambassador, Sergey Kislyak.

He switched lawyers to pursue a new scorched-earth tactic that accused the FBI of entrapping him, and asked the judge to dismiss the charge.

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION. Comment or chair at the 2021 Pacific Division meeting.

Dear DAVID, The APA Pacific Division invites those who are interested in commenting at or chairing a session at its 2021 annual meeting in Portland, OR, March 31–April 3. Signing up to chair or comment is a significant route onto the program, and we endeavor to find spots for those who wish to attend the meeting. Note: Currently, all three APA divisions are planning to hold in-person meetings in 2021. At the same time, we are also considering alternative formats, such as virtual meetings, as contingencies in the case that our usual meeting format becomes impossible. Though external forces like the ongoing pandemic affect and inform our plans, your participation is the most critical input for planning any meeting. If you are considering submitting a session request, we encourage you to do so. To sign up to chair or comment at the meeting, please complete this online form. You will be asked to supply your name, affiliation, email address, and areas of interest. If you’ve volunteered in the past, please be sure to select the “renewals” option. Submitting a paper is no obstacle to signing up to chair or comment: if your paper is accepted, you are released from any chairing or commenting obligations. Please note: Paper submissions will open on August 1 and close on September 2. Please note that all program participants, including presenters, chairs, and commentators, must register for the meeting. The program for the Pacific meeting will be finalized by October 14. If your offer to chair or comment has not been adopted by the program committee by that time, we thank you and hope that you will consider signing up again in future years. Sincerely, Becko Copenhaver APA Pacific Division Secretary-Treasurer

The American Philosophical Association University of Delaware 31 Amstel Avenue, Newark, DE 19716

AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION. APA announces new committee on disability.

Dear DAVID, At its May 2020 meeting, the APA board of officers approved a proposal by the Disability Task Force, chaired by Adam Cureton, to create a permanent committee on disability. The new APA Committee on the Status of Disabled People in the Profession will begin its work on July 1, 2020. The Disability Task Force was established in May 2018 in response to a growing recognition of the challenges faced by disabled people in philosophy, as well as recommendations by the 2014 APA Task Force on Inclusion and Diversity to investigate the need for a committee on disability and to improve accessibility of APA meetings, web pages, and other functions for disabled people. The proposal to establish this new committee was based in part on a survey the Disability Task Force administered to study the obstacles people with disabilities face in philosophy; that survey will also inform the new committee’s work. The primary role of the committee will be advocacy rather than scholarship: it will focus on making the profession of philosophy fully accessible to disabled people and those who care for them. The initial members of the committee are the following: Adam Cureton, chair, three-year term (2020–2023) Eva Feder Kittay, one-year term (2020–2021) Samantha Godwin, one-year term (2020–2021) Joe Stramondo, two-year term (2020–2022) Maeve O’Donovan, two-year term (2020–2022) Teresa Blankmeyer Burke, three-year term (2020–2023) Kevin Timpe, three-year term (2020–2023) President of the Society for Philosophy and Disability, ex officio The APA board of officers is grateful to the task force for its work, and to the inaugural members of this new committee for their willingness to serve the APA and the discipline of philosophy in this way. All the best, Amy Ferrer Executive Director

A FATHERS DAY TRIBUTE.

Search Results

Web results

FOR ALL THE GOOD FATHERS, EVERYWHERE. HAPPY FATHERS DAY.

▶ 2:17

Paul Williams performs the song "The One Who Loves Ya" in the classic television sitcom THE ODD COUPLE. (1974)

AUDIO/VIDEO POST. KNOW YOUR OPPONENT, THEN MAKE A STAND.

AUDIO/VIDEO POST. KNOW YOUR OPPONENT, THEN MAKE A STAND.

TRUMP CAMPAIGN STRATEGY: LIE, MISLEAD, AND MAKE EXCUSES FOR INCOMPETENCE.

TWITTER NEWS. US news ⋅ Yesterday Polls around Obama’s handling of H1N1 were positive, Washington Post reports Elements of President Trump’s blame for the H1N1 pandemic are either wrong or misleading, PolitiFact reported after T... Go to Moment

AUDIO POST WITH WRITTEN TRANSCRIPT: THE HATE CHRONICLES. THE KEYS TO UNDERSTANDING THE MINDSET, MOTIVATIONS, AND GOALS OF THE FAR RIGHT FANATIC. #1.

It is a mistake for Progressives to think that those who make up the Most Conservative Elements of the "NEW REPUBLICAN PARTY" ARE ALL CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH. WHILE THEY MAY VOTE AS A BLOC,THE PRIMARY MOTIVATION DIFFERS FROM GROUP TO GROUP.

While They are usually Packaged Together, ULTRA CONSERVATIVE POLITICIANS HAVE REALIZED THAT FINDING THE ONE KEY ISSUE THAT DRIVES CERTAIN GROUPS OF VOTERS TO THE POLLS, OFTEN WILL TURN THEM INTO LOYAL ALLIES, who will support an agenda full of Issues They may care little about.

It could be GUN CONTROL, SAME- SEX MARRIAGE, GOVERNMENT SPENDING, SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE, IMMIGRATION LAWS, REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE etc. THE STRATEGY IS TO PUT FORTH AN UNCOMPROMISING, RIGID, AND VITRIOLIC POINT OF VIEW ON A PARTICULAR ISSUE, APPEALING TO THE BASER ELEMENTS OF HUMAN NATURE.

THE REASON: TO LEARN OF THE ONE ISSUE THAT EACH SECTION OF INDIVIDUAL VOTERS MOST IDENTIFIES WITH, AND MANIPULATE IT TO THEIR ADVANTAGE.

IT'S A TACTIC THAT REQUIRES NO INTELLECTUAL EFFORT ON THE PART OF THE LISTENER. THERE IS NO NEED TO UNDERSTAND, OR EVEN CARE ABOUT THE OPPOSITIONS POINT OF VIEW. IT PLAYS ON RAW EMOTION, WITHOUT THE NEED FOR CONTEMPLATION OR REFLECTION.

THE INDIVIDUAL IS ENCOURAGED NOT TO THINK ABOUT AN INTELLECTUAL JUSTIFICATION FOR THE OPINION THEY ARE SUPPORTING, BUT TO REACT TO THE WORDS OF THE AUTHOR AND\OR SPEAKER, AND ACCEPTING THE MESSAGE AS TRUE, AND WORTHY OF SUPPORT.  THIS, IN TURN, ENCOURAGES AGREEMENT WITH OTHER OPINIONS THAT ARE EXPRESSED THE SAME WAY.

CAN TRUMP SINK ANY LOWER? HE'S NOT EVEN A GOOD LIAR.

President Donald Trump claimed on Tuesday that his predecessor did not 
take action on reforming police in America — despite the fact that it was 
under Trump that several Obama-era reforms were scrapped.

"President Obama and Vice President Biden never even tried to fix this during their eight-year period. The reason they didn't try is they had no idea how 
to do it," Trump said in the White House Rose Garden, before signing
 an executive order that encourages police departments to adopt "high" standards, like banning choke holds unless the life of the officer is at risk and
 creating a database of excessive force complaints.

But Obama, the nation's first black president who confronted and addressed race and racism frequently, did take action to reform police and attempt to reduce bias in law enforcement. The Trump administration is well aware 
of that, too: It unraveled those changes.

"He said President Obama did nothing on police reform, but the fact is they made a lot of progress and President Trump rolled it back," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday.

In August 2017, Trump reversed an Obama policy that banned the military from selling surplus equipment to the police, a measure that had been put in place amid criticism over the armored vehicles, tear gas and assault rifles utilized
to control protests after the police killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown in 
Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014.

In addition, in September 2017, the Justice Department said it would stop the Obama-era practice of investigating police departments and issuing public reports about their failings. After Ferguson, for example, the Justice Department had investigated the Ferguson Police Department and found unconstitutional, unlawful, and racist behavior and policing within the department.

Those reports were used to demand change and strike "consent decrees,
" legal agreements between the local police and the Justice Department 
mandating reforms and enforceable by a court.

When he served as Trump's attorney general, Jeff Sessions made it clear 
early on that he opposed consent decrees like the one struck in Ferguson and 
he ordered a review of DOJ's more than a dozen consent decrees. Sessions 
said they "reduced morale" of police.

The then-attorney general spoke out against one being finalized in early 2017
 in Baltimore, saying he feared it would make the city less safe, and Session's Justice Department sought to delay it. (A federal judge declined to go along.) And in In 2018, Sessions gave a speech in Chicago calling a consent decree struck between Illinois' attorney general and Chicago Police Department a "colossal mistake," even though Obama's Justice Department had found widespread use of excessive force aimed at people of color.

Shortly before the president fired him amid complaints over his handling of the Russia probe, Sessions issued a memo dramatically limiting the Department's practice of using consent decrees. The DOJ, he wrote, "should exercise special caution before entering into a consent decree," for fear of depriving states' of their rights and control over their budgets.

TWITTER NEWS: People are expressing their appreciation for former president Barack Obama

PHOTO- MRS LERNER. People are expressing their appreciation for former president Barack Obama People are sharing images, videos and quotes by Obama to express appreciation for his presidency. Go to Moment

AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION: Janet Levin to deliver the 2020 Pacific Division Dewey Lecture on June 25.

Dear DAVID, The American Philosophical Association is pleased to announce that Janet Levin (USC Dornsife) will present the 2020 Pacific Division Dewey Lecture next week via live stream, following an introduction by Robin Jeshion (USC Dornsife). Professor Levin’s lecture, “The Road Taken,” was originally scheduled for the Pacific Division meeting in April 2020, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Janet Levin received her BA from the University of Chicago (1972) and her PhD from MIT (1980). She is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California, and has done a lot of work defending physicalism in the philosophy of mind and the legitimacy of thought experiments in philosophical inquiry—and arguing that there need be no conflict between these views. She is also interested in what to say about norms of assertion in the age of Twitter. The live stream will take place on Thursday, June 25, at 11:00 a.m. Pacific time / 2:00 p.m. Eastern time. To participate, register on the APA website. Registration will be available until 7 a.m. Pacific time / 10 a.m. Eastern time on the day of the lecture, and access information will be provided to registrants at least one hour prior to the start of the webinar. Registration is limited to current APA members. Space is limited, so register now! If you’re unable to attend the live lecture, a recording will be made available to APA members afterward. All the best, Amy Ferrer Executive Director

NORTH AMERICAN KANT SOCIETY. JUNE, 2020 NEWSLETTER.

Dear David McDonald,

Please find the June NAKS newsletter attached. To access it, please click june 2020.pdf. If you have any problems opening the file, please go to the members-only section of our website.  You will find the current issue on the newsletters page.

While I am writing, I will also remind all members that the voting period on the amendments to the NAKS constitution ends on June 20. The proposals are marked in track changes here: Proposed Amendments to NAKS constitution June 2020.pdf. I thank all members who have already voted, and ask those who would still like to vote, to do so by writing "yes" to accept the amendments, and "no" to reject them, to r-zuckert@northwestern.edu by June 20.

Best wishes,

Rachel Zuckert

Contemporary studies in kantian philosophy 5 (2020): Table of contents

On behalf of The Contemporary Kantian Philosophy Project, I'm extremely pleased to announce the publication of Contemporary Studies in Kantian Philosophy 5 (2020).

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Micha Danziger, “Kantian Theoretical Hope,” 1-14.

2. Addison Ellis, “Self-Consciousness as Self-Limitation,” 15-36.

3. Daryl Hale, “Of Markets and Morals: The Fall of Adam, The Rise of Hayek, and The Return of An Immanuel to Save The Public Good,”

37-52.

4. Robert Hanna, “The Essential Non-Conceptuality of the Imagination,” 53-72.

5. Robert Hanna, “The Kant Wars and The Three Faces of Kant,” 73-94.

6. Otto Paans, “The Imaginative Spectrum: Kantian Imagination and Non-Conceptual/Conceptual Interactions,” 95-115.

7. Otto Paans, “Opening Up Towards the Non-Conceptual: From Kantian Judgment to Creative Oscillation,” 116-131.

8. Roberto Pereira, “Kantian Non-Conceptualism and Varieties of Skepticism,” 132-150.

9. Robert Hanna, Ciência e Natureza Humana: A Complete Portuguese Translation of Kant, Science, and Human Nature (Translators: Patrícia Kauark-Leite [Coordinator and Technical Reviewer], Adilson Luiz Quevedo, Francisco Grynberg Bignotto, and Maria Carolina Mendonça de Resende).  Forthcoming in July 2020.

Best wishes in troubled times,

Robert Hanna

Robert Hanna

Director, The Contemporary Kantian Philosophy Project: HERE

Editor, Contemporary Studies in Kantian Philosophy: HERE

Independent philosopher:

http://colorado.academia.edu/RobertHanna