For most of my life and all of my voting life, political choices were “the lesser of two evils”. The closest I’ve come to being able to vote for a candidate I actually supported was writing in third-party candidates who stood little chance of actually succeeding. Yesterday, at long last, a candidate that actually appears both human and competent emerged victorious.
Brandon Johnson, the union organizer and former Chicago teacher, was elected as Chicago’s next mayor yesterday in a victory for progressives and a major L for cops and cop sympathizers. America’s third-largest city narrowly avoided putting an incompetent republican masquerading as a democrat in office, as Johnson defeated Paul Vallas by a margin of 51% to 49%. The margin of victory was just a few thousand votes, proving once again that participating in state and city elections carries much more weight than overhyped presidential contests.
On the bright side, Johnson’s election means more emphasis on community-based social initiatives instead of more policing and incarceration. Johnson says the city should focus on mental health treatment, affordable housing for all and jobs for the youth instead of hiring more pigs to do nothing. On the other bright side, 800-1000 feral hogs are alleged to be released into the streets as hundreds of police officers claim to be abandoning their posts (this is doubtful, those idiots aren’t going anywhere, what other cushy job only requires a middle school education?)
Side Items
Israeli Attack on Worshippers: Apartheid Israeli police stormed into the historic Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City early this morning, firing stun grenades at worshippers and arresting hundreds of Palestinians praying during the Ramadan holiday season. Like clockwork, every Ramadan Israel sparks conflict and attacks Palestinians trying their best to enjoy the holy month. Keep your eyes open, this is what American tax dollars are spent on
Trump Sad & Angry: After spending a few hours in a Manhattan courthouse, Trumplestiltskins was back in Florida last night, complaining about how unfair the case against him is and how it’s all just politically motivated. To be fair, he’s not wrong; the charges against Trump are all counts of falsifying business records. Typically, these charges are misdemeanors in the state of New York. In this case prosecutors elevated them to felonies by claiming they were linked to violations of election and tax laws. Either way, the end result is the same: Trump got more attention for something we already knew, and his supporters grew even more ardent. The case is expected to last awhile, and the next in-person hearing is scheduled for Dec. 4. By then, the 2024 republican primary campaign will be in full swing, so who knows, maybe this trial will work against him (it won’t)
What’s Another $2.6B: The pentagon announced yesterday that the US will send Ukraine about $500 million in ammunition and equipment and spend more than $2 billion to buy a wide array of munitions, radar and new weapons to support Ukrainian war efforts in the coming months. This brings the total amount of US military assistance to Ukraine to more than $35.1 billion since Russia invaded in February 2022. Imagine what good could have been done here at home with $35 billion. American infrastructure is in shambles, schools are underfunded, and healthcare remains a boon, but thank god Ukraine has laser-guided rocket systems to defend itself