For Whom The Bell Tolls

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The problem of the public’s perception of our current economic environment, lies in the fact that the underlying problems STILL EXIST… the vulnerability hasn’t been properly addressed.

The supply chain issues… the inflation and the response… why were these issues not anticipated? The pandemic raged for YEARS. Those problems were allowed to happen due to inaction. The suffering born of that inaction was cause by our Elected Officials, specifically the current Administration.

The polls show it… the American People want somebody else.
The American People don’t want Joe Biden.
The American People don’t want Donald Trump.
How do you combat that kind of thinking?

You engage. You call on everyone to jump into the mix and demand a worthy primary challenge. The BEST IDEAS always rise to the top.

But that’s NOT the strategy currently being embraced.

Donald Trump and the Republican Party have already said they don’t want a primary. Joe Biden has already said he doesn’t want a primary… and now? We’re going to have at least THREE Democrats on the ballot this fall and at least TWO Republicans.

In a country with only TWO major political parties, we’re going to have upwards of TEN CANDIDATES running for President…

Who’s fault is that?

Joe Biden had the chance to quell the unrest. He could have called for the fight, and demonstrated to his party that he was ready for re-election by knocking down every candidate BEFORE the general election.

Now, he’s split his own support. He’s spent all his political capital and has nothing to show for it. The VOTERS have carried all the weight, while he just signs the checks.

His ego and overconfidence has put our democratic process in jeopardy; and now, whomever wins in 2024 will do so with a MINORITY of support from the American People.

Joe Biden can win with less than 50% of the vote.
Donald Trump can win with less than 50% of the vote.
Robert Kennedy Jr. can win with less than 50% of the vote.
Cornell West can win with less than 50% of the vote.

Joe Biden has done more to advance the cause of Donald J. Trump than has Donald J. Trump. Joe Biden is Trump’s BIGGEST SUPPORTER right now… because Donald J. Trump doesn’t need to gain the support of the MAJORITY to win re-election.

All he has to do is hold on to his 46%.

Right now Donald Trump may be the single greatest threat to Our Constitution, but Joe Biden comes in a very close SECOND. I suppose… that’s just how the Electoral College works.

…

So, here we are… at the cusp… on the brink. He’s said so HIMSELF that he’s ready to terminate the Constitution. He’s ready to turn the DOJ into HIS servant… and what’s the message from our President?

**‘Look at everything I’ve done for you, you stupid bastards.’**

It’s all the VOTER’S FAULT… they just don’t understand. He’s already told us HIMSELF that he doesn’t want anything to change. Everything’s going exactly how he wants it… HIS party is in control and there’s NO COMPETITION to stop him.

The voters will ‘come home’ this fall… and why wouldn’t they? Judge him by the alternative, not the Almighty, right? Well, last I checked… The Almighty isn’t on the ballot this fall.

Arrogance, Ego, Apathy, and Inaction. The Four Horsemen of our Constitutional Apocalypse.

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But our future is not yet set in stone… we don’t need to go down this path yet again. We’ve already learned this lesson in 2016. FOUR YEARS of degradation to the structural norms of our institutions has shown us where the vulnerabilities lie… we all know what the problem IS.

And so do our enemies… the people who seek to tear it all down.

They’re working OVERTIME, trying to undo this Union. Joe Biden and the Democratic Party should be doing the SAME… yet they are not.

Never underestimate the Will of the American People.

Never underestimate the ability of the Democratic Party to snatch DEFEAT from the jaws of VICTORY.

…

I see a future, in which the American People decide who will be our President… not the DONORS.

I see a future, in which Elected Officials don’t need to cater to Dark Money interests; because they won’t need to FUNDRAISE in order to seek re-election.

I see a future in which every Citizen of this Land, in every State and in every city, decides who will be on the ballot each election.

Not just a MINORITY… but the MAJORITY.

Every Citizen. Every election.

More participation equals BETTER GOVERNANCE.

And that’s the problem… every candidate on the ballot this fall wants more of the same. There is no vision. There is no path toward a better future.

That needs to change.

-JC

A New Year

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We, The People, look down into the well. We STAND and cheer the battles being waged upon the Coliseum floor. The debt ceiling. The filibuster. The legislative VICTORIES and the congressional DEFEATS.

Though engaged in by representative gladiators, the ULTIMATE decision comes from on HIGH… from here, in the gallery.

We, The People, shall decide. Up or down. Left or right. YEA or NAY… the CHOICE is always ours.

You can call me crazy, but I still believe in our Rule of Law. Imperfect as it might be… Defective. Two-tiered. Flawed… it remains Rigid. Predictable. Consistent… and it can always be CHANGED. That part alone might be its ONE redeeming quality… the ability to learn from past mistakes.

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I’m not quite sure what I should be doing in this moment… I’m fairly new in the world of politics. Three election cycles, a drop in the bucket for some. But these last three cycles?! I tell you what… it feels as if I’ve gained the amount of knowledge, one once would have acquired over the course of an entire DECADE.

The simple act of engagement. One can’t help but learn something new. Curse the phrase ‘May you live in interesting times.’

I don’t know what’s required of me… or what’s expected. With limited exposure, I’ve had limited data; which makes it harder to interpret the signals of others… but I have no problem sticking my FOOT in my mouth from time to time, in order to break the ICE.

That might be my ONE redeeming quality… sometimes I have no filter. I have no problem being blunt.

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I might not know what other people want, but I do know what I want. And I know, in order for that to come to pass… I must share it. I cannot do this alone.

Right now, I live in a world of illusion. I can see the precipice upon which we STAND, but I can also see the BRIDGE that will guide us safely to the other side. A bridge, that has yet to be built.

There is no need for such a bridge if there is no divide, if we can find safe passage without it… but right now, I don’t see another way around.

The damage has been done. LIVES have been lost.
If we do not act, the result will be the SAME… MORE LIVES will be lost.

Our INACTION will be seen by those who study our Nation’s history. Just as clearly as we can look BACK, and see where THEY failed to act.

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https://jackcharbonneau.com/2021/08/02/for-which-it-stands/

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The inflation. The scapegoating. The INACTION and the consequences… right there! For all to see.

**Now is the time of THEIR discontent.**

‘If ONLY we had known!’
‘If ONLY we had acted!’

What good is our Written History if we choose to ignore it?
What good comes from our SILENCE…

What would they say… if they were still here to be asked.

…

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t driven by a strong urge to win, so I won’t patronize you with that. But at this moment, I’m more driven by an urge to TRY. To be heard. To test the waters and see if this ship is actually sound… so sayeth some guy from the Great State of Kansas.

The one thing I fear in this moment is not being heard. I might fail. I might succeed. But that is for The People to decide… not for me. My job is to do all I can to spread the word.

The information firehose. The media. The Congress. The existential threat… at some point, either we choose to ignore it or we choose to believe it. Once you believe it… what comes next.

That’s where I’m at. Where do we go from HERE…
I am ready to walk down that path.

I believe in the idea so strongly that I’m ready NOW, to jump back into the ring once again. Headlong, just as I did in 2018. A vision and a goal… Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!

But my wife has already told me, going it alone is a non-starter.
This time… I feel I must agree.

…

At some point in July, 2019, when it became apparent that my Presidential Campaign wouldn’t be able to expand beyond a certain threshold, I was faced with a choice. Either give in or keep trying, even knowing I couldn’t succeed.

It’s like the idea of a pinhole camera. The LIGHT may be limited… but the image still shines quite succinctly.

I’ve spent my time in the hole, and I’ve used my time wisely. I’ve made my mistakes and I’ve made my miscalculations… all IN THE LIGHT, where everyone can see. Any mistakes I have made, I’ve done so in GOOD FAITH. Seeking answers. Knowing I alone could never solve all our problems. It goes to the heart of who I am and what I believe…

I’ll put my fate in the hands of the MAJORITY of this Nation. Every time.
Whenever they are fully informed.

…

Before the experiment, there was no PROOF. There was no DATA.
Cast aside your preconceptions in LIGHT of the data we have gained!
The experiment shows… the Will of the Majority is SOUND. It is JUST.

The Experiment was created for us… we ARE the experiment.
We are the BALANCE upon which the entire experiment is judged.

May the blessings of a NEW YEAR come to all of us,
And may God continue to bless the United States of America.

-JC

A Pyramid Scheme

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https://theintercept.com/2022/07/29/bank-of-america-worker-conditions-worse/

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How can this be seen as a viable path toward a stable economic future? Focusing on the financial stability of corporations and financial institutions ensures there will always be something out there for people to BUY… but it doesn’t ensure there will be someone out there able to BUY IT.

Our Government goes to great lengths to ensure financial support for producers and manufacturers, but it often overlooks or is indifferent to the financial needs of the American Working Class.

They’ll step in and take action when the price of GAS or OIL starts to skyrocket, whether they actually have an effect on prices or not; but when people start losing their JOBS due to a pandemic… they hesitate. They drag their feet.

They fail to anticipate or understand the knock-on effects of an event like that. The generational trauma that can result from a family losing it all.

Companies and corporations, they have insurance payouts and golden parachutes. When things go SOUTH, they file for bankruptcy and then try it all over again…

Man, wouldn’t that be nice.

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https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/08/07/us/climate-tax-deal-vote

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So, we’re COOL now… right?

See… they’ve been working for the American people all along.

‘Democrats get shit done! This is the People’s Agenda!‘

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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/climate/trump-paris-agreement-climate.html

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All of it is ‘transitory’… because through all of it, there is no consistency between Administrations. It’s all or nothing. Do or die. What’s done under the leadership of ONE party is immediately undone by the NEXT. And it’s all done in the name of POLITICS.

Our Elected Officials play GAMES… while Americans DIE.

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https://www.npr.org/2022/08/02/1115325176/pact-act-veterans-burn-pits-toxins-passes-senate

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Of course they were gonna pass that BILL. C’mon, it’s just POLITICS! They’re not monsters… just Senators. But you see… the problem is though; this is just what we’re able to SEE. Just the TIP. What other practices do they engage in that We, The People, aren’t privileged enough to see?

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/08/07/insulin-cap-budget-congress/

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“Republicans left the portion that applies to Medicare patients untouched but stripped the insulin cap for other patients.”

The ⁦@CDCgov⁩ says 1.6 million Americans live with #T1D.

The @GOP must think those people don’t #VOTE.

FYI… we do.🇺🇸
https://t.co/cW5KzelqkM
— Jack Charbonneau (@MrJLCharbonneau) August 7, 2022

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**If you’re not a fan of the sausage being made, then maybe we should change the way they make the sausage.**

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Our Right to LIFE, LIBERTY, and the PURSUIT of HAPPINESS is not transitory. It’s not an entitlement or a government handout… it’s what makes this Nation GREAT.

It’s not the WARS we’ve won.
It’s not the GODS we worship.

It’s the UNALIENABLE RIGHTS that we’ve been given by Our Creator; enshrined in Our Constitution and protected by Our Bill of Rights.

These Rights are UNIVERSAL… regardless of the STATE in which you live.

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https://www.npr.org/sections/2022-live-primary-election-race-results/2022/08/02/1115317596/kansas-voters-abortion-legal-reject-constitutional-amendment

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Because it is SELF-EVIDENT.

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https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/05/mitch-mcconnell-acknowledges-a-national-abortion-ban-is-possible-if-roe-is-overturned

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The most PARTISAN among us should not be allowed to dictate to us which of our Basic Human Rights are acceptable… and which ones are not.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/kavanaugh-conundrum-trump-s-fbi-grandstanding-highlights-flaw-bureau-s-ncna911991

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https://www.snopes.com/news/2022/08/04/fbi-kavanaugh-wray-whitehouse/

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The laws are written to benefit those at the TOP, while the rest of us must work just to get by. There is no SAFETY NET for the majority of this Nation. If we FALL, we fall. We start back at ZERO and pray we will somehow work our way back UP… Golden Parachutes be damned.

The people at the TOP of the pyramid must remember… it’s a long way DOWN without the support of the people at the BASE.

-JC

The Will of the MAJORITY

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It’s nothing new. It’s just the same old cliches. It’s the microcosm vs. the macrocosm… as above so below… what’s good for the GOOSE is good for the GANDER.

When serving in an agency or organization that deals with matters of National Security, there’s a strict protocol employees must follow when serious problems arise internally. Dispute resolution, disciplinary actions, incompetence and dereliction, etc… all of them must be resolved in-house, in order to limit exposing classified intelligence.

Superior officers, supervisors, HR’s, IG’s… they can’t just call the local PD and risk exposing someone’s identity, or the details of an ongoing investigation. But conflicts MUST be resolved, because conflicts will arise whenever people, work in close proximity to other people… under extraordinary circumstances.

I think most Americans already understand that, even if they’ve never really given it much thought. Because basically, our government and all of its various entities and agencies are run like a SMALL BUSINESS. A heavily regulated, overly nitpicked, underappreciated small business.

So, that government-mandated, strict protocol… that Standard Operating Procedure… is like a LIFELINE for every employee of the United States Government. It’s the same for our Armed Forces as well.

It’s easy for us to be ignorant of that fact or to just take it for granted that such a system exists. Especially since we rarely hear anything about it.

Because IF there ever was a problem… naturally, someone would SPEAK OUT.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/07/29/jan6-texts-data-security/

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And their story keeps changing by the hour.

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https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/29/politics/secret-service-missing-texts-january-6-dhs-inspector-general/index.html

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There were even HINTS that something serious was going on, starting in the early days of the pandemic.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/07/politics/anthony-ornato-deputy-chief-of-staff-for-operations

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So… what’s the logical conclusion of that government-mandated, strict protocol?

The United States Congress.

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Hear ye! Hear ye!

Let us celebrate the news… PROGRESS in the United States Senate.

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Screenshots from MSNBCs ‘Prime’ (7/29/2022)

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Screenshot from MSNBCs ‘Morning Joe’ (7/28/2022)

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All of this could have been done ONE YEAR AGO.

This could have already been helping Americans RIGHT NOW, because they could have voted on it LAST SUMMER… and then moved on to more pressing things.

…

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We can clearly see it… there IS a problem.

It transcends PARTY. It transcends POLITICS. It goes beyond the previous Administration… it goes to the HEART of our government.

It’s a problem that cannot be resolved by political appointees or investigative committees alone. It’s a problem that involves the process by which they are appointed to those positions in the first place. It’s a problem of such magnitude, it requires the attention of every American Citizen…

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That is, unless… THIS is the way we want our Government to continue to BE.

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https://www.stripes.com/veterans/2022-07-30/ted-cruz-fist-bump-upsets-backers-burn-pits-bill-veterans-sickened-6823469.html

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https://www.newsweek.com/gop-fistbump-pact-senate-military-ted-cruz-steve-daines-1729031

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As we gaze upon the Sands of TIME that lie before us, scattered in the aftermath of a fit of adolescent RAGE; what knowledge can we gain from the broken pieces… what lessons can our SHARED HISTORY provide?

What comes next when the lights are FLASHING RED.

What comes from signals missed and messages unsent.

What price do we PAY when we ignore the warning signs.

Who suffers the most when we give in to LIES.

…

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How many more cycles of BUST and BOOM are we willing to endure before we recognize… the problem lies WITHIN the system.

It’s not the Legislators that fail us…

It’s the LAWS that have allowed those legislators to SUCCEED.

Legislators legislate, based on MONEY and the pursuit thereof. To fund their re-election campaigns, to fund their political organizations, and to fund their political PARTIES.

Longevity doesn’t decide who will hold positions of leadership within the two parties. Seniority doesn’t decide who will hold a Committee Chairmanship… it’s money.

Whomever DONATES the most money to the National Party will be given that HONOR. That’s why they constantly FUNDRAISE instead of doing what’s necessary…

Doing what’s necessary might piss off their DONORS.

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Our legislative and moral agendas shouldn’t be decided based on MONEY… and neither should our Elected Officials.

-100% Taxpayer Funded Federal Elections

-ONE CITIZEN=ONE VOTE

Remove the corruption, restore HONOR in governance.

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Let us UNITE in Common Cause and secure our elections.

Let us ENSURE that the Will of The MAJORITY of this Blessed Land… always reigns Supreme.

-JC

The Promise of Renewal

What allows the opinion of the MINORITY to rule the day…
It’s nothing more than the appearance of DOUBT.

Another possibility. Alternative facts. That legal grey area… where in one instance, if one person shoots another in the middle of 5th Ave, that person goes to JAIL. But of course… there are some instances where that doesn’t happen.

Because the shooter has a BADGE and LEGAL AUTHORITY.
Those people… they get TIME OFF.

With pay.

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https://www.vox.com/2022/7/7/23197430/jayland-walker-police-shooting-akron-ohio-footage

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I’m not a Branding Expert. I’m not a Media Guru or a Messaging Consultant.
I’m not an expert, period. Always a student… never the teacher.

But THIS? This is a branding exercise… this is a message.
When you see this, you know what it’s about.

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https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/05/us/jayland-walker-handcuffed-autopsy-report/index.html

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That didn’t just happen. That wasn’t an accident. That wasn’t done out of fear for the safety of others. There was no judge. There was no jury.

There was no Enforcement of LAW… just an execution.
No one to hold accountable for their crime, and no one held to account.

Has anyone stopped and considered the consequences of our just carrying on like nothing ever happened? You know, back to business as usual. Nothing to see here! Just move along to the next shiny object…

Never mind that gaping WOUND we’re walking around with… the soft underbelly exposed for all to see.

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Why does our Democracy STILL STAND?

Because there was someone there, to PUSH BACK against the depravity. To uphold Righteous Values. Because evil prevails when men of HONOR stand silent… and this Nation is worthy, of every ounce of effort called for in this moment.

To be SILENT is to be COMPLICIT in Her demise.

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Every year we till the fields, in anticipation of the bounty we will receive. With patients and practice, our gifts continue to grow. Our work only rewarded once the harvest is done.

Every year we toil and every SPRING we start anew, but every year brings with it new challenges. In the blink of an eye, our hard work can be washed away or left to whither… all dependent upon the desires of the STORM.

But every year regardless of the outcome… if we CHOOSE to start anew… our fields must be cleared, the remains turned back into the soil. With hope that someday… maybe this year… our bounty and our harvest will only GROW.

I believe in the Promise of Renewal.
I believe in the Infinite Potential of what might BE.

I long for our FUTURE with the same nostalgic passions, that some people harbor for our PAST. Our Better Days may still be ahead of us, but I question embracing a strategy of inaction, as the means of making it come to be. Watching. As TIME passes… just hoping someday, those dreams might become reality.

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It’s one of the fundamental laws that govern our physical reality. The pendulum will swing TRUE… because it must. That energy doesn’t just go away. It remains. It must be released. Like a hammer striking chisel or a sledge raining down destructive blows… that choice is always OURS.