Be Smart. Stay Informed. Actively Dissent.

Thursday, July 6, 2017

Candidate Trump had a populist tone to every campaign rally banging the drum for jobs.  Although all candidates and politicians say the same empty statements, Trump's delivery worked.  The focus on jobs caused millions to vote for him thinking he was actually going to implement policies to help them.  They did not realize that he had no intent nor ability to do so.  They bought the lie and we all pay the price.

Just a handful of recent news on the topic:

The auto industry, the primary driver of the U.S. manufacturing industry, is shedding jobs:


Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Dictators stay in power by not allowing a vote for their position at all or staging an "election" that is controlled in a manner that pre-determines the results.  In the United States, something so brazen seems unimaginable.  In May 2017, an executive order was signed to create a commision on election integrity.


Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Scott Pruitt has called for the dissolution of much of the EPA's authority yet now runs the Environmental Protection Agency.  He is a seasoned legal opponent of the agency and is unfortunately an effective tool for Trump's efforts to dismantle regulations on climate change and clean water and "get rid" of the agency.  In general, Pruitt and the administration are waging a war against science, safety, and common sense in order to benefit their favored corporate interests.


Friday, June 30, 2017

In Smart Dissent's Budget Cuts Series, we are detailing many of the White House proposed budget cuts.  We seek to learn and share what's hidden beneath the surface.  Today's subject is housing aid, a program operated by HUD to protect the most vulnerable in our nation, which is set to be cut drastically under Trump's proposed budget causing devastation for millions.  But hidden beneath the surface is something not widely reported until last week.


Thursday, June 29, 2017

Conservatives and Trump were rejoicing on Monday, June 26, 2017 and claiming a victory on the U.S. Supreme Court's opinion issued that day.  The Supreme Court granted certiorari in cases appealed from the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and granted a stay of certain parts of the preliminary injunctions that stopped Trump's immigration ban from going into effect.  If you don't know exactly what the previous sentence means, you are not alone. Let's break down what the Supreme Court "opinion" means.


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