Welcome to Yugoslavia. Flashbacks to the raid on Ilhan Omar's home

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It is still dark, not sure what time it is, and someone is knocking at the apartment door...and a chill and terror make you suddenly wide awake, heart pounding. It is the secret police again, hunting for a family member they believe to be a danger to their government and state. You go to the door; in a rush, the police push in and search every nook and cranny. After they leave, you shakily make a cup of coffee and try to calm yourself down. That was the life of my mother-in-law, Baba, as the Yugoslav Communists took control of their lives post-WWII. It was still a problem when two of my pre-teen children spent time with Baba, and once again, the banging in the night, as the secret police demanded ot know what foreigners were staying with her. Baba produced my two very frightened children, and they went away. I had flashbacks to what happened to Ilhan Omar, a congresswoman, when Trump's police minions, ICE knocked on the door to search for evidence to justify their suspicions that, sometime when she was 12, she lied to get her citizenship. No evidence yet, but surely they will find it. Why? Because she was deemed an enemy of Trump: black, Muslim, immigrant, woman, and an outspoken critic.....Welcome to Yugoslavia in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

The Hidden Agendas in the race for Colorado Attorney General

 There are e hidden agendas in the race for Colorado's Attorney General. Two powerful positions in Colorado government control how, where, and who gets to vote., Secretary of State and Attorney General. Both are on the ballot November 3; It is where the battle between "election deniers" such as the GOP candidate for Attorney General, Michael Allen, and Jena Griswold, the Democrat's candidate. It is where state control of elections plays out in n the attorney general's race. It is also about who will defend Colorado's "right to choose" if a foe of women's reproductive rights is in the AG's saddle. While these are lurking elephant-in-the-room issues now, they will be even hotter in the next two years leading up to the presidential campaigns.

Both of these agendas should also be viewed in context as a nationwide GOP strategy to support election deniers in key governmental positions and the always continuing drive to force all states to be anti-reproductive rights. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/06/us/politics/a-growing-number-of-election-deniers-hold-key-local-roles-in-midterms.html

On one side is Jena Griswold, who has effectively defended with guts and success on the national stage state-by-state control of elections as Secretary of State, Democrat, and on the other hand is Michael Allen, GOP El Paso DA, who embraces "election denier" policies such as "preferring in-person voting" over mail-in voting and the oppressive SAVE Act, among core positions. Also under attack by Allen's MAGA cohorts in the next four years will be the perennial issue of women's reproductive rights and Trump's attempt to meddle in the 2028 presidential elections with bully tactics, including ICE or military presence. The resistance against both attacks will be played out in the courts, and who is Attorney General is critical to the outcome.

Allen has successfully buried these major issues by claiming, without specific evidence or concrete examples, that he is a better administrator than Griswold. For claiming she is a poor administrator, dang, she certainly has been effective in holding off Trump's attacks on our elections. Allen experience he touts has been effective in supporting election denial and ballot issues banning abortion in the case of rape and incest, too. Griswold is a supporter of reproductive rights, while Allen has supported ballot initiatives banning abortion even in the case of rape and incest. Those are the elephants in the room that are the hidden agenda of his supporters.

There is a good reason why Allen and his supporters are trying to make some experience and administrative reasons to vote for him. He is out of step with both mail-in ballots and the issue of women's choice. 87% of Colorado voters are satisfied with the system and 65% are pro-choice per polls and evidence cited in a Google AI seaarch. Even the issue of "experience" is a campaign theme has its problems. https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2026/10/a-message-to-my-friends-who-have.html

https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2026/08/the-elephant-in-room-of-colorado.html

https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2026/10/a-message-to-my-friends-who-have.html

https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2026/10/michael-allen-gop-candidate-for.html

What about the amendments? Hidden agendas in many. Most of those ballot initiatives and  proposals are from groups outside of Colorado, and part of national agendas...such as tricking voters using mail-in to put their personal information on the outside mailing envelope. .Bye bye secret balloting.   The one human trafficking is particularly bad because it punishes some victims, and some are charging it is a secret way to keep women in southern states from seeking an abortion in Colorado...though that theory has not been tested yet.  It is not a referendum on human trafficking, and it will likely accomplish nothing since the penalties are hefty already.  Wonder where the GOP candidates for Congress and Senate are on releasing unredacted Epstein files?  For an excellent article on dark money and dark advocates on amendments, sorry for the paywall, but the Denver Post had an excellently researched analysis: 

https://www.denverpost.com/2026/10/21/amendment-84-dark-money-fundraising-governors-race/

How popular is mail-in voting in Colorado? 87% like the election system.https://copollinginstitute.org/release/87-of-colorado-voters-say-theyre-satisfied-with-states-election-system/

What percentage in Colorado support women's reproductive rights? Per Google AI"Public Support and Polling

• Majority Approval: Polling consistently shows that roughly 65% of Coloradans believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, a rate higher than the national average. [1]
• Ballot Measure Approval: Colorado Amendment 79, which solidified abortion access and protections in the state, passed with 62% of the vote. [1]

How tech oligarchs just domonstrated how they can be a danger to our democracy and national security:

 Tech oligarchs control communications and content of what goes on the internet. This past week, two strange happenings raised some red flags: One concerned Ukraine's defense and the other attacked No Kings Day organizers. Starlink, owned by Elon Musk, is what Ukraine uses to target and defend itself using missiles and drones because the satellite system can provide detailed geographic locations. Its use in defense against incoming attacks from Russia depends on this, and mysteriously it slowed down for some critical time, to permit Russian incoming to kill a lot of people and do some damage.  Saturday was NO Kings Day, and mysteriously the Instagram system used for Indivisible's communication with demonstrators crashed for four hours midday.  Instagram is part of Meta (formerly called Facebook) and is controlled and over 60% owned by tech oligarch Mark Zuckerberg.

Coincidentally, Donald Trump dropped any pretense of support for Ukraine this last week and is now in a full-throated alliance with Putin over Ukraine's survival. If the Trump cohorts fear anything, it is the size of the turnout of peaceful street protests against Trump's attempt to make himself a tyrant king and an autocrat. Never before have such slowdowns and targeted accounts and systems been attacked at a critical moment like that. That this is all a glitch or coincidence is a hard excuse of "oops" to swallow.  

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8wy9veedgygo   (Musk agrees he was helping Trump?,yes per the BBC)

)https://www.newsweek.com/no-kings-protest-mets-12584351

If the Dems get control of either House Nov. 3, this suspected attack on our national interests by Trump's oligarch tech allies needs to be at the top of the oversight agenda because it is both important to saving democracy and stopping Russia's aggression and destabilization of Europe.

https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2026/10/whose-side-is-trump-on-anyway-from.html

https://hai.stanford.edu/news/the-tech-coup-a-new-book-shows-how-the-unchecked-power-of-companies-is-destabilizing-governance

A message to my friends who have swallowed the "incompetence" argument against Griswold for AG

 For my friends who have swallowed the GOP case against Jena Griswold for AG:.Competence is not the issue here and the attack argument is bogus and cooked up. What is at issue is whether her GOP opponent MIchael Allen of Colorado Springs, will protect women's reproductive rights and Colorado's control over its elections in the face of Trump's attacks., He has a record that shows he will not. What's bogus and cooked up? That Griswold is not a criminal prosecutor is not a matter of competence to do the job of Attorney General because banging the table in a courtroom is not what AGs do. AGs set priorities of the office, and decide how and what Colorado's interests are protected and defended in court. However, the AG has a whole division of experienced courtroom litigators. The current Colorado AG has never appeared in court on original cases because of this, per a search of the issue. The bogus argument was tailor-made for the GOP candidate, a criminal prosecutor. (FYI, most AG's actions are in defense of administrative law and civil action, not criminal prosecution; for that, Allen will have a learning curve).

A vote for Allen is a vote for an AG who is on the record for opposing women's reproductive rights and voter control and access to voting. He "prefers" in-person voting instead of mail- in and supports Trump's suppressive voter ID laws. He has a record of fiercely anti-abortion rehetoric including being supportive of failed ballot initiatives that would have banned abortions even in the case of rape and incest. If Allen is so talented as an attorney, think what damage he could do to these issues.

For someone allegedly incompetent, she certainly has been effective.

Griswold as Secretary of State, has proved her competence to defend Colorado against Trump's attempt to take away our ability to control who, what, and how we conduct our elections. This includes removing Trump-loyal county clerks from election supervision who violated the rules on election ballot security and chain of custody in 2020, including Tina Peters. FYI: the actual criminal prosecution in her case was so effectively conducted by the AG's office that Donald Trump had to get involved, threatening to yank federal SNAP funds from Colorado if we did not let her go. Gov. Polis caved on that one.

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Felicia Muftic is a former election commissioner, Clerk and Recorder of Denver and the director of the District Attorney's office on consumer fraud, with concurrent civil and criminal powers with the

AG's office for the consumer protection laws. She has served on an AG advisory board on the UCCC. Un(iform Consumer Credit Code.)

Michael Allen; candidate for Colorado Attorney General , is a wolf in sheeps clothing

 

The Denver Post endorsement of MichaelAllen over Jena Griswold for Attorney General totally ignored Allen's extreme pro life/anti abortion record and his "doubts" about mail-in ballots..a deceptive election denier more in step with the rest of the MAGA GOP. What about ICE's attempt to control how they operate in Colorado? Those are the critical issues, and Allen is no defender against any of those hot-button issues that the next AG will handle. At the top of the list is his record of supporting the most extreme measures against reproductive rights and "does not prefer mail-in ballots, " but in-person voting, for starters. He is a political wolf in sheep's clothing. Griswold has proved her ability, guts, and determination to protect Colorado on these ikey ssues. In this race, there are hidden agendas and diversionary bogus issues, and they need to be called out.

The AG rarely, if ever, appears in court as a prosecutor. In fact, the current AG has NEVER been in the courtroom on an original case per a search on AI.. There is a whole division of those courtroom litigators in the AG's staff. Still, the AG does set the tone, priorities, resources, and action on critical issues like abortion rights, ICE overreach, and federal interference in the conduct of our elections. The Denver Post relied on Michael Allen's expertise as a prosecuting attorney against crime, but that's an irrelevant asset. Much of what the AG' does is civil litigation and administrative law, all of which are more important to protecting consumers and affordability than the difficult-to-prosecute criminal law convictions required. That Michael Allen is a competent attorney means that he can also use those skills to stonewall issues such as protecting mail-in voting, against extreme voter ID requirements, and reproductive rights.

Allen may have a great track record fighting crime, but where is he on these other issues that matter? Will he go after businesses that cheat, collude to set prices, and deal with outrageous utility bill gouging? These are on Girswold's agenda, but not his. All that is important, but what about ICE overreach, or voter access, or reproductive rights?

The Post endorsed him for a less-than-relevant reason: competence as a crime fighter, and ignored these issues which concern most voters in a blue state, like Colorado, as if to divert your attention from what is most important: So who will also go to bat for reproductive rights? Who will truly fight against Trump and his federalizing of voter rolls and anti-mail-in ballots that 90% of Colorado voters use? It will not be Allen.

."Republican District Attorney Michael Allen has a record. He represents a threat to reproductive freedom that runs counter to our Colorado values. He supported the abortion ban on the ballot in 2020, Proposition 115. He has stated, 'I am unequivocally pro-life.' https://coloradotimesrecorder.com/2026/10/middleton-we-need-jena-griswold-as-attorney-general-to-protect-abortion-rights/82402/ 

Michael Allen,"Prefers" in-person voting instead of mail-in ballots in a September Facebook post. in 2024. Allen is in step with other election deniers. Do not expect him to go to bat for our rights to voter access or our mail-in ballot system. He also supports a burdensome voter ID law that will suppress the ability of those who do not have a passport or cannot prove their current name is the one on a certified birth certificate. Your driver's license is no proof of citizenship. That may come as a surprise for those who believe that is all you need to vote.

As Colorado’s Secretary of State, Jena Griswold refused to turn over Coloradans’ sensitive voter data to the federal government and has consistently stood up against Trump's attacks on elections.

In plain English :here is a connection with Trump's threats to vote integrity and kitchen table issues

 

Why does Trump seem not to care about either democracy or the anger many feel about his policies causing them economic pain? In plain English: here are connections between Trump's subversion of vote integrity and kitchen table issues. For many voters, political science terms like autocracy vs. democracy are a bit abstract and separate issues from the cost of gas, groceries, and health care. Here is the connection: Trump's lack of abiding by norms and laws protecting the will of the people expressed in the ballot box makes it possible for Trump to think he can ignore voters' anger over the cost of living.

1. Trump seems to think that he is so powerful and in control of all of the courts, law enforcement, and the military that he can control the outcome of the 2026 midterms, some fear, by seizing ballots and creating such chaos in the courts that he can overturn the results in key contests of the midterms. Therefore, he can ignore the anger of those who feel he betrayed them by failing to reduce the cost of living as he promised.

2. The other factor is that he is a lame duck. He also knows he will still be president for at least two more years regardless of the midterm results, so he can still wield his veto pen and keep accumulating wealth for himself and his family, and build monuments to himself. The vote of the people and Congress turning blue will not affect him, and he has two more years in office to pad his retirement funds or even hold on longer than the Constitution allows him.

Here is how Trump has openly signaled how he will try to control the outcome of the midterms using the power he has:

Repeatedly alleging widespread, systematic fraud in U.S. elections to erode public confidence in electoral outcomes before votes are even cast. The big lie is still alive, and after 6 years of trying to find it, no evidence of this theory has emerged. Destroying public trust in elections is key to rationalizing his power grab that ignores election outcomes.
Pressuring local, state, and national election administrators to destabilize trust and subvert the administrative processes.. The greatest fear recenlty expressed is that he will use his paramilitary forces like ICE or the FBI to seize the actual ballots in key swing districts. He praises the icon of a criminally convicted Colorado county clerk, Tina Peters, for doing something similar as the ideal example of how an election administrator should behave. His message could not be clearer.
He frequently attacks mail-in ballots, drop boxes, and early voting systems to make it more difficult for voters to cast votes against him. He targets voters who use these systems he believes will oppose his loyal candidates. He advocates in-person voting, where his agents can intimidate targeted voters, and backs legislation with unattainable barriers to prove citizenship.
Questioning and challenging the constitutional and legal mechanisms of vote counting and resulting certification. The fear that Trump may try another January 6 is not fantasy. When it comes to actually seating the winners of the midterms to which he objects. Violence was tried then, and he has a history of advocating the use of violence, from shooting demonstrators who object to his tactics in the legs to pardoning convicted violent seditionists.

Like the SAVE ACT? Guess what: your driver's license is not prrof of citizenship needed to vote.

 Ignorance about the SAVE Act and which ID is required to prove citizenship persists. What I hear is," What's wrong. I get to show my driver's license for other services. Guess what: driver's licenses are NOT an acceptable ID per the SAVE ACT, which for many must be a surprise. Got a current passport? Got a state-certified copy of your birth certificate? Those count.to prove citizenship. Driver's licenses do not. If your name changed because of marriage, or other reasons, or you are too old or from a rural area to even have a birth certificate, or too poor to get a passport, you would be SOL if this SAVE Act became law..Those hurt the most by this SAVE act are married women who took their husband's name, the poor, and the rural elderly.. That fits the profile of many GOP voters. The SAVE ACT failed to pass in the Senate, though it passed in the House.

The attack by the GOP on voters' rights has other issues of import than the defeated SAVE Act, with its burdensome proof-of-citizenship requirements with which many in both parties could not comply.. The GOP candidate for Attorney General "Prefers" in-person voting, which means the end of mail-in ballots. The current secretary of state, Jena Griswold, is running for Colorado Attorney General as a Democrat.

This statement appeared on a Facebook site on October 7, attacking her opponent. Note that her GOP opponent prefers "in-person voting," which is a code for ending mail-in ballots that 90% of Colorado voters use to cast ballots, and his opponent also wants ID verification- a vague comment when his party came of with the now-defeated SAVE Act as part of that ending mail-in voting, requiring in-person voting at a polling place. This end of mail-in voting is a loser in Colorado,

"As Colorado’s Secretary of State, Jena Griswold refused to turn over Coloradans’ sensitive voter data to the federal government and has consistently stood up against Trump's attacks on elections. But where does Michael Allen stand? In 2024, he said, “I would prefer in-person voting that includes ID verification.” And he was silent as Trump tried to take federal control over mail ballots. "The end of mail-in voting is a loser in Colorado,

"As Colorado’s Secretary of State, Jena Griswold refused to turn over Coloradans’ sensitive voter data to the federal government and has consistently stood up against Trump's attacks on elections. But where does Michael Allen stand? In 2024, he said “I would prefer in-person voting that includes ID verification.” And he was silent as Trump tried to take federal control over mail ballots.  "I

From a prior post:

SAVE us from SAVE: The radical piece of legislation before the Senate would have at least three particularly obnoxious provisions designed to keep certain groups of people from voting, or would require extraordinary efforts and money to prove citizenship. Particularly harmed by the requirement to provide proof of citizenship would be married women, the poor, and seniors who do not have passports or cannot find or get certified copies of birth certificates, divorce, and name change papers so they match driver's licenses with a photo. ID.. It would expose personal data now held by separate states to partisan centralized federal officials, for suppression targeting methods and dirty tricks. The motivation for this piece of legislation is not to enhance vote integrity but to give the advantage to the GOP in the midterms. Trump has admitted that.

Their whole premise is built on a lie that illegals voted and caused Trump to lose in 2020, for which no evidence has ever been found.

Another excuse Trump likes to make for his loss in 2020 was that there was extensive fraud in mail-in ballots. Therefore, his answer: only ballots received by election day should be counted... cutting out most active military votes or leaving them subject to the whims of the postal delivery service. (A lower court also scotched that postal service role this week)Some states would have to change their already existing rules and laws to conform. In fact, a study taken exposes Trump's claim as BS, and I cannot find any evidence to the contrary. (The SCOTUS 6/29 decision left the status quo in place)

More on the SAVE attack on voters' ability to vote:

1) It would keep married women from voting if their ID does not match their birth certificate names or even passport names. (Estimated 50 percent of voters do not have passports). What does your driver's license have as your photo ID name? Divorce papers would also have to be produced, or legal documentation of name changes would have to be provided.

2) All of your personal information, driver's licenses, Social Security numbers, and personal data held by State officials would have to be handed over to the Department of Homeland Security as they search first for registered illegals, turn out ICE to "protect" their own voting interests at polling places,, and God knows what else it could be used for if say a dictator who may not be one you supports takes over now or in the future.

3) This federalization enables big brother government to manipulate elections to suit the outcome they want by giving them the tools to identify targeting groups or kinds of legal voters that may not support them by voting roll purges and other strategies. The beauty of the current state control of such information is that 50 states can control their data instead of one federal government, in the hands of a party or single strong leader, being able to affect the outcome and votes in elections.

.The premise used to rationalize this legislation is stopping illegals from voting, a line MAGA has swallowed whole without any thought or care about evidence. For over 6 years, proof of the"steal" of the 2020 vote has been investigated, rejected by courts and hearings, and never proved. It is still just a theory to excuse a loss or a suspicion. Never mind, keeping certain voters from voting is a political strategy that MAGA embraces because they see a political advantage for them in the midterms. Heads up MAGA. You may not always be in control of the Oval Office, Congress, or the judiciary. What happens if the shoe is on the other foot, and the people you consider to be political enemies are now in power?

Whose side is Trump on anyway? Worldwide or at home: it is not pro democracy

 While the Trump regime dismantles cybersecurity agencies responsible for protecting the US from foreign intervention in our elections,  it is busy supporting anti-democratic movements and pro-Russian cohorts abroad. From Germany to Bosnia lately, Trump and his close supporters get credit for wins by anti-democratic forces.  The success of the AfD political party winning an election in a German state, Saxony, shook many with the fear that a neo-Nazi-tinged party like AfD (described as a far right party) signaled a resurgence of fascism in Germany. Who did the AfD thank for their win? Elon Musk..  Money in politics in Europe is carefully regulated, and there is no evidence Musk contributed that, but what he did was offer verbal political and moral support, for which the AfD gave thanks.  

Trump continues to play footsie with Putin:   

In a country I follow closely, Bosnia, a pro-Russia party won in the Serbian ethnic-friendly semi-autonomous Republika Srpska, and gave credit for their win to Trump. and Putin. Trump sent his advisors to help this Putin ally win. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/06/us/politics/trump-advisers-republika-srpska.html

Update: 10/10/2026 Not only did Trump send his advisors to aid a Putin ally in Srpska Republika, but he allegedly made a deal with Putin to import diesel from Russia, and blew up the sanctions against Russia in doing. Ukraine responded by blowing up the terminal that would export diesel to the US, pr google AI this am: Ukrainian long-range drones struck and set ablaze the Yug Rusi oil-loading terminal at the Novoshakhtinsk Oil Refinery in Russia's Rostov region.  Trump now tries to blame Zelenskyy for the high diesel prices and says "Ukraine needs a new president". He is nuts. The US needs a new president. Ukraine knows who the enemy is . Trump does not. Iran’s closest ally is Putin. Iran supplied Russia with the drone technology they are using to kill Ukraine’s civilians. Tump is out of control and a danger to his own war on Iran he started that, which caused the diesel price spike in the first place

.Key Details

• Timing: The overnight drone attack occurred on October 9–10, 2026.

• Context: The strike happened just hours after US President Donald Trump announced a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin allowing Russia to supply over 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to the US

What the heck is going on here?  The view by a centrist publication, Der Spiegel in Germany, of the US was not only expressing fear of fascism (currently a similarly approved term as the far-right) rising again there, but  it has a brutal view that it has already risen in the US.. From their recent English-language Substack: ""Compared to the situation in the United States, the far right has not made significant inroads in Germany. .... In the US, by contrast, Trump holds the most powerful office in the world – for a second time. He is surrounded by a nationalist circle of advisers, backed by majorities in both chambers of Congress, supported by paramilitary police units, and secure in the knowledge that three of the nine justices on the Supreme Court were chosen by him." 

Update from my FB post: 10/17/26 More on Trump’s alliance with Putin. He has gone rogue for sure in his support of an enemy of America’s national security. Sorry for the paywall, but the gist is to give Russia the ability to sell more gas to Europe and destroy the sanctions in place now. This would enable Russia, as part of a peace plan favoring Russia, to end the Ukraine war on their terms to get control of Ukraine and destabilize Europe.it is one more sign that Trump is now 100 percent in cahoots with Russia..Iran’s most powerful ally. The only power to stop this madness is the Senate.If your Senator is on the ballot, ask each on whose side they are on anyway? https://www.nytimes.com/.../poli.../russia-gas-trump.html...

Continuing with original post.

It is bad enough that Trump has spent the past two years subverting and purging the federal government, the "deep state" of capable civil servants and military, and replacing them only with those who pledge loyalty to him.   His foreign policy has clearly favored the bad actors of the world, the dictators, mostly communists or former communists, whom Trump so openly admires, making it clear he also supports anti-democratic forces elsewhere.  A red carpet for XI and his failure to give Ukraine help are glaring examples. At home,  he is threatening regularly to use the military or ICE to "police" voting in the midterms and to grab as much federal (Trump) control of who and how gets to vote..He has spent the past two years subverting our election system by supporting political gerrymandering and constantly attempting to wrest control of elections from the states he fears lean purple or blue.

Whose side is he on, anyway?  It certainly is not pro-democracy at home or abroad.

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https://www.ajc.org/news/what-is-germanys-afd-and-what-does-its-rise-mean-for-jews

per Google AI: The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is not officially classified as a neo-Nazi party, though German domestic intelligence and courts have formally categorized parts of it—and at times the party as a whole—as right-wing extremist or anti-constitutional. [1, 2, 3]https://www.google.com/search?q=recent+rise+of+neo+fascist+parties+in+europe&oq=recent+rise+of+neo+fascist+parties+in+europe&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigATIHCAUQIRigATIHCAYQIRifBdIBCjI0MzUwajBqMTWoAgiwAgHxBYt3eWoP5eg08QWLd3lqD-XoNA&sourceid=chrome&source=chrome.rb&ie=UTF-8

https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2026/09/once-us-was-model-to-world-of-how.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/us/politics/trump-election-security-cisa.html

https://thehill.com/policy/international/6074993-afd-wins-german-election-elon-musk/

From Google AI 

Milorad Dodik's pro-Russia Alliance of Independent Social Democrats claimed a decisive victory in Bosnia's October 4, 2026 local and entity elections, publicly crediting U.S. President Donald Trump's return to power and Russian President Vladimir Putin's support for the win. [1, 2]

Key Details of the Election and Speech

The Leader & Party: Bosnian Serb nationalist Milorad Dodik—who was previously banned from holding political office and was not on the ballot—led the victory celebration for his party, the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD). [1, 2]
The Trump and Putin Credit: In his victory speech in Banja Luka, Dodik stated that thanks to the "new environment" and U.S. leadership under Donald Trump alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, his political movement survived rather than becoming "political corpses".

VOTE NO ON COLORADO PROP 133 REGARDING HUMAN TRAFFICKING

 Vote no on 133. Those who have followed me over the years know that I have been an anti-human trafficking activist, beginning when I helped fund an NGO through a Rotary Grant for the prevention of that horrible practice in Bosnia, only to learn that much of the same was going on in the USA. The Epstein issue was very instructive, to say the least. It may surprise those in Colorado that I oppose Prop 133 on the ballot, which increases penalties for criminals convicted of trafficking. However, the sleeper deal-killer is that it puts an extra burden on the victims because this measure could catch survivors who were forced by their trafficker to recruit minors and trap them in life without parole. The vague "anything of monetary value" language also makes it difficult to prosecute some cases. This position was not without debate, and I am grateful to fellow activists for their research.

How No Kings, affordability anger, DSA's rise, ,AI- data centers flap, federalized elections,are all connected

 Watching the medterms shape up, I get the impression that Democrats are on two separate tracks, yet the two are joined at the hip.  One was the fear that Trump was destroying democracy to be replaced by something more akin to fascism, and the other was affordability and other related pocketbook issues. They are just separate sides of the same coin: Trump the authoritarian believes he can ignore the economic pain of the masses to stay in power because he is so powerful. Tyrants and dictators have always believed they can ignore the unrest of the masses they govern because they gain the power, not from the voters, but from control of the reins of force.  In mid-August in Michigan, rumbles of complaint about the cost of gas were met by Trump with "suck it up" .Trump has called "affordability" a "hoax", a "con job".  

JD Vance was reported to tell a Florida political candidate with affiliation with Democratic Socialism that she did not belong in America. Aside from his insult to the First Amendment, it was an obvious appeal to Cuban-Americans in that state, and reminded them that they fled to America because of socialism. I am no Democratic Socialist, and I object to replacing capitalism with that failed economic system. However, Socialism as practiced in Scandinavian countries is also firmly grounded in democracy. It works for them, and polls show them among the happiest in the world, and it works well for their traditions and sociology.  What is different about those from Cuba, Latin America,  and others that sparked the surge to the US in the past recent history is socialism and /or capitalism combined with dictatorship forms of government wth disdain for human rights, punishment of dissenters,  rule of a strong man instead of the rule of law, and control of courts and police powers. Leaders were stuffing their pockets, or so devoted to retaining power that they failed to deal with poverty. That created the exit from their country of those seeking "freedom", freedom from poverty and freedom from oppression of their human rights.  Desperate people with no hope for the future take desperate measures. 

When dictatorships are combined with the captains of private industry and the military elsewhere, we have called that fascism, but the instruments and methods of governing by a dictator are similar even if the ideology is communism or a form of socialism. Elections are for show; the strong hand of the leader dictates who, where ,and how the elections happen. When the agenda is set, and government chosen that is responsive to the people, directly or through their elected representatives, in free and fair elections,  we call that one a democracy.  

 https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/angie-nixon-jd-vance-ashley-moody-florida-senate-october-2026/

(My preferred economic system favors "capitalism with a social safety net, in case you wonder. No one goes bankrupt being sick or giving birth; everybody can have an education; no one is left on the streets. Basic human rights" as expressed so well in  a recent post I saw.)

Others abroad are watching us closely, and how they view us may come as a shock.  They are seeing how this midterm is unfolding and are disturbed. How some in the German press see it, MAGA is on the fascist track, offset or challenged by a revolt against Trump's economy that favors the rich at the expense of a struggling middle class. They see the connection between the two tracks, too.  

From my prior post: https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2026/09/once-us-was-model-to-world-of-how.html

Until recently, and since my junior year abroad in Berlin in the late 1950's, a unified Germany had sought to construct a liberal democracy using the US as a model (though the parliamentary system differs).  Der Spiegel's editorial expressed fear that the rest of Germany was just hand-wringing, with no idea what to do when the far-right political party, the AfD,  won a state election in Saxony.  Were the neo Nazis reviving? AfD has sometimes been accused of promoting fascist governance. (Der Spiegel is the German magazine version of Time or Newsweek, centrist)  The new model of how to stop this AfD march to more power was: brace yourself- the resistance to Trump in the USA, and in particular, the immediate reaction of his banning reporters from CNN, MSNBC, and Politico, followed by the boycott of other media in solidarity to even cover the White House.   (Update: the judge reviewing the suit filed against Trump by the banned networks temporarily restored their press passes.)

The  Der Spiegel opinion piece was a shocker to me, too, that  Trump was even viewed in the same category as the AfD, and that instead of the government of the US being the role model for how democracy should be run and act, it was the USA's local grassroots resistance movement to Trump and his policies that was now a model. If anyone understands "far right", or fascism, it is Germany.  There is a great fear among many there of its resurgence.

How does Der Spiegel see Trump and his regime in the US?  "Compared to the situation in the United States, the far right has not made significant inroads in Germany. .... In the US, by contrast, Trump holds the most powerful office in the world – for a second time. He is surrounded by a nationalist circle of advisers, backed by majorities in both chambers of Congress, supported by paramilitary police units, and secure in the knowledge that three of the nine justices on the Supreme Court were chosen by him."

The  Der Spiegel opinion piece was inspired by examples of US resistance, such as the immediate boycott by unbanned White House reporters also refusing to cover the White House media pool when Trump attempted to ban CNN, MSNow, and Politico, because he did not like how they reported his news.  Also cited as examples of resistance in the US were the local nature of the anti-AI data centers, the Minneapolis grassroots action against ICE, and more.  Der Spiegel urged those in Germany who feared the AfD to go and do likewise. 

I might add that NO Kings Day on Oct. 17 is an opportunity for those in Germany to see how peaceful resistance is done, and to add their moral support to the "resistance' in the US."

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2026/08/17/michigan-gas-prices/91335542007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z1150xxp001050l001050c001050e1150xxv002267d--55--b--55--&gca-ft=170&gca-ds=soph

ihttps://derspiegel.substack.com/

https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/alternative-germany-afd-party-what-you-need-know

(My preferred economic system favors "capitalism with a social safety net, in case you wonder. No one goes bankrupt being sick or giving birth; everybody can have an education; no one is left on the streets. Basic human rights" as expressed so well in  a recent post I saw.)

From Google AI for sources, search Trump and affordability

President Donald Trump dismissed the term "affordability" as a Democrat scam and a "con job", claiming that cost-of-living concerns are a fake narrative pushed by political opponents despite ongoing high prices for housing and groceries. [1, 2, 3]

Dismissal as a Hoax: Trump asserted that affordability is a political construct created by Democrats. [1, 2]

Hegseth remakes military in the image of himself

Yesterday at Quantico, Pete Hegseth touted his success in remaking the military into a mirror of himself, substituting muscle for brains. His remarks were full of fanatical views about culture and demanded that military chaplains conform to his brand of white Christian nationalism: https://www.npr.org/2026/09/x-s1-5986304/hegseth-troops-address

Whether Hegseth is a white nationalist is that those in upper levels of the Pentagon he has fired are mostly those of color and women. Speculation that he is a "white" Christian nationalist mostly stems from a tattoo on his chest often associated with white supremacist groups. He is particularly focused on animosity toward those of Muslim faith. His obsession with testosterone levels of troops could be fueled by his belief that women should be subservient to men, a core value of his religious sect.

I was not aware that the failure to have the military display high testosterone levels or low diversity membership were the reasons for the failure to guide Trump into the Iran blunder or that muscle was lacking. He has, since the beginning, claimed that anyone attempting not to commit war crimes was a traitor (he charged 6 in Congress for that). His policy clearly is for "his" military to ignore committing war crimes and increase aggressive behavior, and not worry about killing civilians.
" No fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals. Just warriors," Hegseth said on Wednesday. "The ideological clowns are out. The patriotic cowboys are in, with testosterone testing on top." Unity is in, he asserts. It's clear diversity is out, and unity is achieved by making all in the military look and act like him.
"Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition," the old song goes. OOPS, he forgot to order more... OOPS, do whatever his dear master orders and ignore strategic planning; no need to do that either. So fire the military with brains and experience and make sure the chaplain corps gets the message to preach his religious ideology.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/pete-hegseths-christian-rhetoric-reignites-scrutiny-after-the-u-s-goes-to-war-with-iran

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/10/what-to-know-about-hegseths-new-office-of-religious-affairs/

From Goodgle AI

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has targeted and fired top-ranking, high-profile uniformed leaders, service chiefs, and specialized officers whom he and the administration characterized as part of the "status quo" or insufficiently aligned with their warrior ethos and strategic priorities. [1, 2, 3]

Key Generals and Admirals Fired or Ousted

Joint Chiefs and Service Heads: Hegseth removed high-level leaders including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General C.Q. Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti, and Army Chief of Staff General Randy George. [1, 2]
Specialized and Command Officers: He dismissed leaders such as Army Chief of Chaplains Major General William Green Jr., Commander of Army Transformation and Training Command General David Hodne, and Defense Intelligence Agency head Air Force Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse. [1, 2]
Military Lawyers: Early in his tenure, he cleared out top uniformed lawyers, firing the Judge Advocate General (JAG) of the Army, Lieutenant General Joseph B. Berger III, and the JAG of the Air Force, Lieutenant General Charles Plummer. [1]

Characteristics and Reasons Cited

"Woke" and Diversity Focus: Hegseth frequently criticized senior leadership for being overly focused on diversity initiatives rather than frontline combat readiness. [1, 2]
Strategic Disagreements: Several oustings followed friction over military assessments, policy roadblocks, or stalled promotions (including blocking specific officer promotions). [1, 2]
Overhaul and Reduction: Hegseth announced broader workforce reductions aiming to cut 20% of the active-duty general and admiral positions across the armed forces, famously summarizing the leadership shift with the phrase "Clowns out, cowboys in". [1, 2]

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  BBC

  'Clowns out, cowboys in,' says Hegseth as a fifth of generals ...

  'Clowns out, cowboys in,' says Hegseth as a fifth of generals and admirals are fired 15 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on G...

  

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not replaced the entire military clergy, but he has restructured the Chaplain Corps, ousted top leadership, and launched a new Office of Religious Affairs that critics condemn as a Christian nationalist push. [1, 2]