The Wednesday Read

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Welcome! Here are the topics for today’s column: 

  • Labor Day Picnic 2026
  • Union – YES! 
  • Condemn & Denounce Socialism Vote
  • Kharg Island
  • One More Thing

LABOR DAY PICNIC 2026:

The Central Montana Labor Council will be hosting its annual Labor Day picnic on Monday, September 7th, from noon until 3 PM at the Montana ExpoPark in Great Falls. (Source)

There will be free food, live music, yard games, and more. Join them as they celebrate the achievements of labor in America.

UNION – YES! 

Gallup Polling is reporting that nearly half of Americans (47%) want labor unions in the U.S. to have more influence than they do today, a record high in the past quarter century and roughly double the 23% who want unions to have less influence. Another 26% want unions’ influence to remain the same. 

That is good news!

Check out the full report from Gallup HERE. 

CONDEMN & DENOUNCE SOCIALISM VOTE:

Just imagine how productive the U.S. House of Representatives could be if they did not take time to debate and vote on silly resolutions like THIS ONE. 

The Hill is reporting that several Democratic lawmakers in the House of Representatives voted with Republicans to adopt a resolution that formally denounces socialism and the Democratic Socialists of America. The move reflects increasing pressure on Democrats to respond to the successes of DSA-backed candidates in primaries around the country as Republicans look to make anti-socialism a winning message.

The final tally was YEA: 220, NAY: 192, Present: 2, Not Voting: 18. (Source)

Montana’s two U.S. Representatives (Zinke & Downing) voted Yea. 

We should all feel just a little safer from socialism today with the Republicans protecting us. 

KHARG ISLAND:

In case you missed it, on Sunday, August 30, 2026, President Donald Trump published a message on Truth Social accompanied by a highly realistic video depicting massive explosions at an oil facility and a burning tanker. However, the U.S. Department of Defense and independent intelligence agencies quickly confirmed that the post was inaccurate.

The footage was fake: News outlets and intelligence researchers verified that the video Trump shared was completely AI-generated. While the U.S. military had just conducted airstrikes against Iran, the actual targets were rocket launchers located on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz—not the primary oil hub of Kharg Island. 

Meanwhile, the war with Iran is entering its seventh month. 

ONE MORE THING:

Today I’m choosing kindness, but we’ll see. It’s still early.

## THE END ##

4 thoughts on “The Wednesday Read”

  1. There’s only one reason socialist ideas or policies are starting to appeal to more Americans, and that is that the brand of robber baron capitalism “unleashed” by Donald Trump and the billionaire class oligarchs he empowers/represents is treating so many Americans badly. Same reaction as to the late 19th century robber barons and monopolists.

    I don’t think most Americans really embrace the socialist ideas of the Democratic Socialists, but do like the approach of the world’s social democracies or even the America of the late 20th century where governments of the people and by the people use some of that society’s resources to take care of the people, instead of leaving them begging on the streets like some Dickens novel.

  2. I remember protesting Conrad Burns and Charlton Heston when they were at the Russell Museum years ago. They were here promoting Right to Work. I recall you were with Burns at the time. I assumed you felt the same about unions as he did. Did your thinking change? Anyhow, I sure enjoy your columns.

    • You are correct. I was a campaign intern back when Heston came to Great Falls.
      Great guy.
      My dad was a union member (Operating Engineers in Missouri and Illinois), and I stood with my dad over the years on many picket lines.
      Burns knew my dad was a union member and I hope I helped him see unions in a positive light.
      My wife was a union member (Educator) and took a lot of shit for whom I worked for. I was actually a member of a union for about month (Grain Millers) when I worked for Carnation Company in Missouri.
      I have always had a positive feeling about Unions no matter who I worked for. Unions actually made our country great. -JmB

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