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Lashing out at the BJP for its greed for power, BSP supremo Mayawati on Saturday said the recent developments in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat had put democracy at risk.

The political developments in Goa, Manipur, Bihar and now in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh are proof enough that the Modi government has put democracy at risk, she said in a statement here.

BJPs greed for power has turned into lust for power. The manner in which the official machinery and power is being misused is most condemnable, she said.

The BSP chief said the central government had misused its power in a very blatant manner in Gujarat, following which MLAs have been forced to leave their state and move to a safer place.

After forming its government in Goa and Manipur by crushing democracy, whatever is happening in Bihar, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh is an example of misuse of official machinery like ED, CBI, income tax etc against opposition leaders, she said.

All this is being done to divert attention from the wrong policies and works of the BJP government, she added.

The governments in Odisha and West Bengal are also facing official terror, she alleged. On the resignation by three MLCs, two from Samajwadi Party and one of BSP in Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati said rather than bowing before the BJP, they should have faced the challenge.

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BJP's 'greed for power' is putting democracy at risk, says Mayawati - The Hindu

By Jared Bernstein By Jared Bernstein July 28 at 10:44 AM

Jared Bernstein, a former chief economist to Vice President Biden, is a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and author of the new book 'The Reconnection Agenda: Reuniting Growth and Prosperity.'

Im at a conference (where I just moderated a session with the great economist Paul Krugman Ill post the podcast at some point), so I dont have time to write much on what happened last night in health care. But if I dont write something, Ill burst, so here are some quick reflections.

It aint over, but what a great win, thanks to numerous people and forces:

the three Republican senators who voted down the latest, and for now, probably last repeal effort;

Senate Democrats, who held fast against a terrible assault on both health-care policy and the political process (more on that point next);

the research and analysis community, with a loud shout-out to my colleagues at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities who quickly, deftly and with consistent accuracy, explained the human costs of the Republican plans for the record, to do what they did is much harder than it looks;

the progressive advocacy community, which came together and relentlessly pressed the issue;

the health insurance lobby (yep ), whose members clearly pointed out the extent to which the latest Republican plan would destabilize markets;

the doctors, via the American Medical Association, who were a consistent and authoritative voice against the damage the various GOP plans would do to people;

Im sure Im leaving out some important groups, people. Please add in comments.

Im a pretty hard-boiled old-timer whos seen more than his share of D.C. cray-cray, but the process by which Senate Republicans were trying to change the way we deal with 18 percent of our economy, and a part thats existentially important to people, was unlike anything ANYTHING Ive ever seen. At one point, they basically wrote a health-care overhaul bill over lunch.

So, yeah, its a great day, and for now, the system worked. But just barely by one vote. Its crucial not to lose sight of how unrepresentative the process has been, how a major party is working against the will of the majority, and how its doing so in a way that is utterly irrational, with no deliberation, no factual input (Quick, lets get this to the floor before the CBO can score it!), false claims (Obamacares imploding!) and no transparency.

Yes, most 10 year olds run their lemonade stands better than that, but the larger point is that this isnt democracy. Im breathing a lot easier for now, and just maybe this in tandem with what partisans from all sides agree is peak chaos at the White House is a sign of the fever breaking a bit. But weve a lot more work to do to get back to where we need to be.

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This moment in health care and democracy - Washington Post

If any head of state is facing a political choice between the noose and the firing squad, it is Nicolas Maduro, the brutal, bumbling president of Venezuela who has led his country down the path to chaos and misery. For him, the end is near.

Maduro was never more than a pale imitation of Hugo Chavez, the Marxist Svengali who ran the country until his death in 2013. Lacking the charisma and bravado of the former general, Maduro nonetheless tried to expand Chavezs loony vision of Bolivarian revolution, marked by nationalization of private companies, alliances with rogues like Iran and North Korea, and a steady theft of the individual rights of Venezuelans.

This weekend, Maduro will attempt his most audacious power grab: a nationwide election to form a so-called National Constituent Assembly, which Maduro has ensured will be comprised of supporters of his rotting regime. The assemblys chore: rewrite the constitution to give Maduro unlimited authority forever.

The countrys growing and increasingly determined opposition has warned Maduro to cancel the vote, yet he appears determined to follow through on his plan. But heres the rub: if he carries out the vote, the opposition has promised to shut down the country with protests, which of late have become lethal events, further enraging the population. If he caves and cancels, he looks weak, which for desperate dictators can be fatal. Either way, Maduro loses.

Venezuela is the 21st centurys freshest example of the failure of socialist cant to fit into the real world. Invoking Bolivar, Fidel Castro, Marx and Lenin these days is like trying to get people to pay for dial-up internet service. Venezuelans know theyre being had, and theyve had enough.

Venezuela is the 21st centurys freshest example of the failure of socialist cant to fit into the real world. Invoking Bolivar, Fidel Castro, Marx and Lenin these days is like trying to get people to pay for dial-up internet service. Venezuelans know theyre being had, and theyve had enough.

FILE - In this June 24, 2017 file photo, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, left, talks to his Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez during Army Day celebrations at Fuerte Tiuna, in Caracas, Venezuela. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano,)

President Trump is doing his part to ruin Maduros weekend. The U.S. has imposed economic sanctions on a dozen Maduro supporters, freezing their assets in America and banning them from entering the country. More efforts could follow, including new cuts to the amount of oil the U.S. imports from crude-rich Venezuela.As a precaution, the State Department ordered relatives of U.S. diplomats in Caracas to leave the country.

Trump, who likes to talk tough, should be prepared to follow through on his threat to take further action against Maduro, who he called a bad leader who dreams of being a dictator.

Memo to White House: Maduro already is one. The question is how much longer hell last. For a once-proud country thats been turned into socialist cinders, the sooner Maduro goes, the better. Trump should do everything possible to make that happen.

Opposition lawmaker Franco Casella is attacked by masked men in a melee with supposed government supporters who tried to forced their way into the National Assembly at the end of a ceremony commemorating the country's Independence Day in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Venezuela is marking 206 years of their declaration of independence from Spain. (AP Photos/Fernando Llano)

John Moody is Executive Vice President, Executive Editor for Fox News. A former Rome bureau chief for Time magazine, he is the author of four books including "Pope John Paul II : Biography."

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Venezuela crisis: A starving country is fed up with Maduro and the miserable failure of socialism - Fox News

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, an avowed socialist with the charisma of a rudely awakened snapping turtle, almost wrested the 2016 Democrat presidential nomination from Hillary Clinton. Recent polls show him easily defeating both Clinton and President Donald Trump in head-to-head matchups, which helps explain why the 75-year old is reportedly considering another try in 2020.

Its long been a political axiom that Americans won't support socialist candidates on the national level and, aside from minor showings in 1920s and '30s presidential contests, socialism has been less than a fringe element. The term has historically been a pejorative, one that the left-leaning Clinton quickly distanced herself from early in the 2016 campaign by describing herself as a "progressive."

But the widespread support for Sanders suggests a political sea change. In a 2015 Gallup poll, 47 percent of respondents expressed a willingness to vote for a socialist, while just 50 percent said they would not. Another poll later that year showed that Democrats favored socialism over capitalism by a 12-point margin.

So what's going on?

American socialists like to trace their roots back to the Founders, noting that the Constitution provided for some free or very low-cost services to the masses. They note that Article 1 provides for a postal service, postal roads, and an army and navy, all to be paid for by taxation. A socialist friend of mine argues that insurance is already socialist because it is so heavily regulated, and so we should just relax and adopt Medicaid for all. But they conflate the social compact, where some liberty is conceded in return for order, with socialism, the Marxist notion of government ownership of the means of production and the redistribution of wealth through predatory taxation or outright confiscation. Public libraries do not a socialist society make.

The U.S. has proven to have the harshest climate for the growth of socialism among the western democracies. Political socialism has always been a thinly-rooted invasive philosophy in America, rarely surviving the first generations of European immigrants.

But the Democrat Party's rock stars remain Sanders and another extreme leftist, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), considered a front runner for the 2020 Democrat presidential nomination.

Ironically, their appeal is rooted in the same anger that propelled Trump into the Oval Office. It is populism, not true socialism, which makes them attractive to so many. Stagnant wages, the decline of the middle class, the skyrocketing wealth of the 1 percent, the excesses of Wall Street, and the staggering cost of health care fuel the faux-socialist renaissance.

The Founders believed Americans who owned property were better citizens, a goal partly accomplished through the free or low-cost distribution of western federal lands in the 1800s. The goal of that "socialism," however, was to make more capitalists. America needs a similar lever today.

--Martin Fey, a member of the Quiet Corner Tea Party Patriots, can be reached at uniboardcorp@msn.com.

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From the right: Socialist rise will benefit capitalists - Norwich Bulletin

I have been collecting teacups for some 40 years now, and I must have a few hundred of them. To me, it doesn't matter what kind of teacups you like or who the manufacturer is, just as long as you like it.

Here are some tips on teacups where to find them, what kinds are popular, and how to care for them.

When I do a workshop on teacups, the first question all want to know: Is it porcelain or china? In 1707, German manufacturers started using feldspar instead of glass in a process that continues today to make porcelain. Also in today's porcelain, silica is added to the raw ingredients. The raw materials are finely ground, cleaned, formed in a mold and then fired, then glazed and fired again, which gives it that refined look. The design is often very detailed.

You will find bone china is made similar to porcelain and, yes, you will find fine ground fragments of cow bone ash added to the clay. And yes, you can tell between bone china and fine china. Bone has a warm color, while fine china will be brighter and porcelain is much harder than either. More information: http://www.narumi.co.jp/en/tableware/how_bone_china_is_produced.html.

There are many types of teacups. The cups I tend to use for the traditional afternoon tea are the footed cup or the flat teacup. The footed cup usually has an indented saucer and can be used for coffee as well. Flat cups have a matching saucer, but are flat on the bottom instead of shaped. These can also be used for coffee.

What I really love and have quite a few of are the Demitasse cups and saucers that are traditionally used for espresso or Turkish coffee. But nobody says you can't use a coffee mug for tea, especially for breakfast tea. I even have for everyday use whimsical designs such as lady bugs and dots.

You know I always love colorful books, so check out my current resource: "Collectible Cups & Saucers: Identification & Values, Book 3," by Jim & Susan Harran, and "Teacup Collection: Paintings of Porcelatin Treasures," by Molly Hatch & Kathleen Morris.

Thrift shops are always first on my list, especially those operated by nonprofit charities such as Salvation Army or Goodwill. I also check out flea markets, garage and estate sales, online and country auctions as well as antique shops.

There are also websites that have new and used tea cups for sale that may be of interest to you. Decide before you get started collecting in a big way just how much money you want to spend. Sometimes it's just the thrill of the hunt to find a teacup for a small amount of money than it is to pay $50 for one teacup.

Deb Schreck, of Lakeside Antique, Lake City, said, "Tea cups are still selling. A cup and saucer set starts at $6 for the demitasse size and goes up to $15 for full-size English bone china sets. Some patterns by Parragon and Royal Albert run higher, and sets by Shelley can run as high as $50 each. No chintz right now. Our 'English Tea and Cakes' cookbook will help anyone who wants to host a tea party."

Joan Thilges, owner of the New Generations of Harmony Antique Mall, said, "I am no teacup expert so I asked our resident authority on teacup collecting, Betsy Hillesland-Busch. I would say that English teacups decorated with floral designs are far and away the most popular at New Generations of Harmony. There is still a large collector base for cups and saucers, as well as people who give them for gifts. Also collected are Depression glass cups and saucers, which can be difficult to find, depending on color and pattern. We do have a very nice array of them throughout our mall. Prices are $12 and up."

Never stack your cups, but if you need to, place a soft cloth between the cups.

China pieces should never be washed in the dishwasher, especially those vintage pieces. Newer pieces now are labeled if they are dishwasher safe, but I still don't do it. I handwash with a gentle dish soap and dry with a soft towel.

Be sure to keep your teacups out of direct sunlight when displaying and do try and hand-wash them twice a year if possible. It's fun to rotate them at the same time.

Never put teacups in the microwave, especially those with a metallic trim.

Sandy Erdman is a Winona freelance writer, dealer, speaker and workshop appraiser. If you have an antique shop, hobby collecting anything or restoring antiques or collectibles and want to share within this column, contact Sandy at life@postbulletin.com.

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Antiques & Collectibles: Have an old-fashioned tea party - Post-Bulletin