It was just 20 days ago—on March 24—that editor in chief of The Atlantic Jeffrey Goldberg reported that the most senior members of the Trump administration discussed a military strike on the Houthis in Yemen on an unsecure commercial messaging app and that they included him on the chat.
I live in Ireland. I cannot fathom why the world’s most powerful country invests all its power in one man. Where are the checks and balances? Churchill once said the democracy was the most inefficient form of government, but it was better than all the rest. Do not let him become anymore powerful.
Christopher …there are checks and balances that have mostly worked to this point…But the main problem is that he and Mysk and his special advisors are exercising power that they for not legally have. That this Regime can wreck such havoc domestically and internationally evading the limitations on their powers proves Churchill’s underlying point…there is no such thing as an infallible political governing structure when humans …especially power seek and narcissistic men …seek to rule the world.
Yesterday, I was talking to an antiques dealer that rents out "booths" to about 60 other vendors. She said sales are down 75% since the inauguration. And she mentioned that six other stores on her street are in peril of bankruptcy.
Under Biden around 22 million new business licenses were issued across the US and Trump is going to kill many of them.
Please buy local and try not to buy from Walmart, Amazon and the other major retail chains. 70% of the US economy is consumer goods. If you can do without something, then please do. We have started our garden and will supply the food bank with produce we can't use.
Having seen this chaos coming, I have curtailed a lot of my discretionary spending and have upped my savings. With the attacks on Social Security, the talk of cutting Medicare and Medicaid to give more tax breaks to the rich, and letting Musk have free reign to wreck havoc everywhere, saving what you can is the prudent course of action. I am sure that I am not the only one doing this. Of course my retreat from spending multiplied by everyone else taking the same course of action will impact the economy and people’s livelihoods. The fact that no one is able to hold these bandits accountable is beyond frustrating. We will be decades repairing the damage they are doing to our economy, and our standing in the worlds.
Yeah! I check my bank toward the close of biz on the 19th. So far the deposits have come in, but I don't expect that to last. We have retirement savings - well we had them a month ago. We have a big garden and our house is all paid off.
I spend no time concerning myself with social security payments. It’s a fools errand. The bigger issue with SS is Congress’ multi decade unwillingness to act to strengthen the system. The last overhaul was in 1986. Without action, we all get a haircut in a couple of years.
Carol, your last sentence is so true. Our neighbors were over last night and one of them noted that even if this nonsense ended today, it would take a very long time to repair. My final concern is the harm being done to the hope of reversing climate change.
Climate change is my greatest concern. The one thought that keeps me grinning is that China’s EVs will be the new Deux Chevaux for the French and will sell like hot cakes. Of course public transportation in Europe is generally more climate friendly than here.
Michele, there is no disputing the fact, Trump's regaining power, virtually complete with the Supreme Court, the House and the Senate doing his bidding, is a disaster on so many fronts. I have quit discussing these things with the "True Believers." Someone once used the term "unconsciously incompetent." They don't know what they don't know. It's a combination of extreme prejudice, on the one hand, and a whole lot of ignorance, on the other hand.
Years ago I read that Musk was flying into space on a regular basis in order to establish a place for a group of very wealthy people to be able to live when climate change had made this planet harder and harder to live in. Does anyone know if he was successful in doing that?
The "silver lining " in this cloud is that after the crash there will be lots of opportunities for those willing to do the hard work of rebuilding. Remember that the New Deal came out of the Depression and 1990's boom came after Reaganomics. All is not lost we just need to regroup, adjust and move on.
For a great many citizens, all WILL be lost when the crash hits. It will be up to us to help our neighbors weather this storm, a difficult endeavor due to the level of distrust the regime has taken pains to create within our communities.
We need to protect our right to free and fair elections like a mother bear to her cubs, or there will be no 'silver lining' or 'regrouping' in many generations to come, if at all.
The difference between then and now is that Fascists are now in positions of power. Their goal is rule by the oligarchs while impoverishing the rest of the nation. It's stupid, of course. Without hundreds of millions of people there wouldn't be any billionaires. Greed, pure and simple.
Patrick, I think a big difference between the Depression and now is that young people are very different today. They have grown up surrounded with electric devices making their lives easier. Some have experienced hardship and become self reliant, but many have not. Our parents childhoods were more challenging than ours, but some of us experienced a world without tv, only radio. Spending your day outside with the other kids. Reading books, writing cursive, math (without a calculator). A job when we were old enough. Self reliance and cooperation, and a work ethic, you worked. Many young adults enjoy an extended childhood today. What becomes of this generation, so indulged by their parents.
We are used to dealing with hardship. Who, indeed, will save us?
KSC and Carol S: you wreak, not wreck, havoc. To wreak havoc is to cause havoc; to wreck havoc, well, I don't know, maybe to destroy havoc and create order from it. A common mistake and a minor point, but words have meaning.
I’m doing the same Carol. I try to buy what I can from local businesses. I’m not spending on things I don’t need. My husband and I are both over 70 and count on SS and Medicare. Like most Americans we paid into both programs all our working lives. Our house is almost paid off, but without SS it will have to be sold. We are adding to our savings but it’s difficult. For example, I just received a letter from my Medicare supplement, it will be increased 30.00 per month as of June 1. I know we are not the only Americans feeling the results of his stupidity. I wonder if the people who voted for him are beginning to realize what happens when you vote for a crook, liar, and convicted felon.
As an American, my heart is broken. Although, we were far from perfect, at least we were trusted and respected by our allies. Currently, we are a joke.
It’s not that no one is ABLE to hold these bandits accountable. It’s that the MAGA Republicans in Congress REFUSE to hold these lawless criminals accountable by doing their job as outlined in the Constitution.
This is hitting everyone in business. And then it will hit everyone. Call your senator today. Get tariffs back under senate control. Senators are now working on this. Now is the time to call.
Senators are the problem. They are in his pocket, for reasons, I don't understand. We have always known who the President is. That is why 2/3 of the country didn't vote for him. (1/3 not voting at all.) It is congress who has the power to stop this right now, and they are not doing it. If this was a Democrat as President, with this Congress, you can bet this wouldn't be happening. The Republican Congress is complicit in the destruction of America.
I write and call my Senators from SC nearly every day. Lindsay Graham sends me the same form letter in reply. Tim Scott doesn't even bother to reply. trump has rendered them impotent.
I work for a small auction house. We have an auction coming up, and we’re quite concerned. As the assistant to a specialist, I’m especially worried. They can’t get rid of the specialist, but might decide she can function without me. And of course, not too far down the line, the company could fold. So, Bill, good luck to you, and to all of us who are in such tenuous positions. I feel your pain.
Bill, I am so sorry. Any situation that reduces art sales is deprivation. Like many who because of trickle down have fallen from the middle class, I feel this, but still belong to both symphony and art institute, which must be supported regardless.
Buying local is great advice. Shop for gifts at local crafter fairs and be impressed with how smart your neighbors are. There was an old saying that ended “do without.” Does anyone remember?
GJ. we are fortunate to be at a time in our life where we do not buy a lot of consumer goods. I do visit nurseries and with my garden helper have a large vegetable garden. We also buy books, but from Powell's, not Amazon. We try to buy locally and visit the Saturday Market and eat at locally owned restaurants except those who make their support of death star visible. This coming Saturday, April 19th, which also happens to be my birthday, we will donate to the local food bank as our part in opposing this regime.
That's wonderful. My parents were part of the greatest generation, they had a victory garden that encompassed 1/2 of a huge back yard. Looks like those times are coming back.
Too late for this advice. Yes try to buy local. Local is often Walmart (that imports). Local is the supermarket ( that imports), if you have one near. Local is the greenhouse (that imports); A lot of what we buy is not available locally and we have to go to online stores that cost shipping and wait times OR Amazon ( for anything you want or need and fast- face it! )Mom and Pop stores have declined been bought out by bigger chains. The bigger chains have economized and imploded. Local stores or chains ( food mostly and importers too) that remain are few and do not have everything.. but they survive.This is not what used to be. Your advice cannot be serious. Yes- do without.. grow your own food, eat what's in season locally. Don't drive.
I live in a rural community with two local (to ME) chains and a grocery store that sells many locally made products which tend to be organic and not full of the processed crap that Walmart grocery department sells. We buy our fish from a local fish monger who gets his fish from a New England distributor. Our lobster comes direct from the lobster man down the rode about 3 miles. I buy crab meat from a local picker.
I'm not sure why you assume we do without. We do grow our own produce and have an orchard which many people do not have the space for. I don't care if you support the oligarchs like the Waltons who are greedy trustifarians like Trump and Musk. I guess I do without like Warren Buffett does without. I don't live in a mansion or drive a Ferrari if that's your idea of not doing without.
Look at all of the major chains that have folded, like Sears, Montgomery Wards, Bed Bath & Beyond, K-Mart, just to name a few. They imploded due to bad management for the most part. Sam Walton's greatest gift to shopping was just in time inventory and distribution. When we used to shop at Walmart, they rarely were out of stock on an item. That wasn't an accident as you know.
As consumer sentiment declines, people will quit buying non-essential goods and we will go into a recession. In fact, we may already be in one hastened by the moron-in-chief's bizarre and quickly changing tariffs.
Maybe, we're just fortunate to have local choices for most of what we need and we don't need to support the oligarchs. But, I'm with Paul Krugman, Trump's tariffs are insane.
I don't assume anything. You are fortunate to be able to live as you do. Personally I try, have tried similarly most of my life and will not go on about that. But MOST people cannot and do not and are NOT ABLE.
Your righteousness BTW is really off putting. You don't realize how you depend on the global market.
I assume you sew your own clothes, making the material from the cotton you grow and use cotton thread, not polyester. You don't use plastic? Use only medicine/ health supplies that come from local sources? And so on.
People who have similar awareness, as I do, do what they can when they can depending on their circumstances, time in life (old young health), where they live.. etc.
Sir, respectfully, Future tense? consuming 'stuff' will take second place to surviving this administration and saving our Constitution and American Democracy..In the looming future tense it will be up to 'us'...
PS..We apt dwellers dont have gardens but we are surrounded by despair and desperation..so give, give any way you can and maybe a little more. xxR
I saw a video by Senator Whitehouse last night. He said that 7 Republican senators were behind a bill to get tariffs back under Congressional control. He said that 7 in public support means 7 more who will support when the bill comes up. Now is the time to act. Call your senators, no matter D or R. Let them know you are not asleep. Keep the heat on.
If you are depressed, call a calm person. If they don't answer, call another. Keep going until you get someone. Call a pastor - well, not a MAGA one, haha. My liberal friend who is a pastor says she got a call yesterday from someone who feels politically surrounded and alone. Call someone and then go outside. We need to take care of ourselves, and then we need to call our reps. Politicians love money, but they love votes too.
Ironically, Saturday, April 19 is also the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing by a home-grown terrorist in which almost 200 people were senselessly murdered because of the twisted ideology of a small group of fascist leaning individuals.
"All full-time employees in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vessel Sanitation Program were laid off this week, even as a cruise ship arrived in Miami with another norovirus outbreak among passengers and crew.
“In all three South Florida wastewater treatment facilities in which Verily monitors pathogens, we’ve seen persistently high levels of Norovirus GII since November/December 2024,” said Amy Lockwood, Verily’s Public Health Partnerships Lead. “While an uptick during this season is expected, the levels we are seeing are significantly higher than the same time period in 2024 and 2023.”
A CDC spokesperson told the South Florida Sun Sentinel, “Critical programs in the CDC will continue under Secretary Kennedy’s vision to streamline HHS to better serve Americans.”
JL, my wording was sloppy. I should have clarified that I think the checks and balances mostly worked up until 2019/20 and the challenge to that election. Now the scaffolding is teetering on collapse with Congress complicit and the federal bench politicized through the machinations of the Senate and Executive.
I see no sloppiness, and alas, we have already met the the ultimate checks and balancers they are us.
It's waaaay past time to put aside a lot of childish things, and take some adult responsibilities for the fate of our society, and it the individuals that comprise it. That what being responsible means; we are responsible for our discretionary impacts on others.
That's what the Constitution attempts to foundationally map out, as a societal master plan.
Yet, it is just a map (albeit a vitally important one); we are the ones who (for now) are taking the journey.
The Constitution does provide another "check": Impeachment, but this is a non-factor under the cowed and corrupted Republicans in the House and Senate.. BTW saying the "Congress" could be interpreted to include the Dems. While certainly weak and ineffective of late, including them in the term "Congress" is unfair and inaccurate.
For sure, but power of Congress as a safety valve has proved inadequate. I do not think that any president has been as decisively in need of impeachment and conviction, for the sake of the republic, than Donald Trump. It frankly seems a big security hole in the Constitution, with no easy fix that I know of. How do you, except by societal integrity, prevent one unscrupulous party from "owning" a controlling share of all three branches of government? That's our current problem.
I am seeing is a crisis of social values. There is no golden age American integrity, as our palette of civil virtues has always been a mixed one as that of any human society always is, but I do believe that within my lifetime the overall societal tolerance for outright, provable political lies and treachery has slipped considerably.
Joe McCarthy was was a vicious, dishonest creep, yet the wake of his damage pales against many modern and prominent "Republicans". Republicans were also ready to convict Nixon for lesser crimes, and the press seen as tireless investigators. Frogs may not not actually linger unperturbed in a slow boiling pot, but it seems as though people do. The America we sang about in school seems imperiled on the scaffold; unless enough of us, as a caring society, see our own and posterity's long term interests at stake.
I agree, MLMinET. As a non-deist, I know there's not a hell, but I often wish there were.
The only option left to me is the hope that Mitch McConnell's death is slow and painful, with perpetual incontinence and humiliation, and full cognition, so he suffers through every minute of his demise. It's not enough, but it's a start.
And furthermore, the president can do virtually anything he wants by declaring a national emergency. Congress *could* pass a joint resolution (simple majority) to terminate the Emergency, which would likely be vetoed by Trump, thus requiring a 2/3 majority of both the House and the Senate to override the veto. The republicans in congress are more afraid of making Trump mad and losing their jobs. And it’s difficult for the citizens to vote them out because the district maps have been manipulated (gerrymandered) to prevent the Democrats from gaining power.
Borrow an address in red states from friends or Zillow so you can email repubes. We are ALL affected by their actions and should be able to give them our opinion.
I agreed about Republicans in Congress being afraid of losing their jobs. However, Republicans in Congress are cowards and full of greed to stand up to Trump. Liz Cheney wasn't a coward. She sacrificed her seat to put her country first to defend Democracy. Once the middle class Republicans see their Healthcare benefits cut or being laid off from their jobs, then they will join the rest of us and head to the streets to protest against Trump abuse of power. I believe we will prevail in the midterm elections. The trend is growing day by day with people protesting. Just recently Bernie and AOC were here in LA Ca in a huge rallie. There were 36,000 people that showed up. The momentum is growing because the people and Union leaders are fed up. Bernie emphasized that it is the American people who have the power. Because there are more of us then the 1%. This is a government for the people by the people not for Trump and billionaires. If it means knocking on every single door to inform people then so be it.
Undoubtedly, congressional Republicans are worried about their political future if they don’t kow-tow to any and all Trump proposals, but what they’re more fearful of is their physical safety. This is where we are now as a country and it is horribly frightening and sad.
“there is no such thing as an infallible political governing structure when humans …especially power seek and narcissistic men …seek to rule the world.”
I beg to differ. Before Biden stepped down as the Democratic nominee, a reporter was being interviewed by a CNN host. First, she played a video of her asking him what he could say to American voters about what made him the best candidate, and he said wisdom. After playing the video, the reporter told the interviewer Biden refused to answer her question.
He did answer the question, and his answer was perfect. To be wise is to serve the common good at the expense of its parts. To be unwise is to serve a part at the expense of the common good. The infallible political governing structure is when enough people are sufficiently wise. In that structure, narcissistic men seeking to rule the world are put in their place, which is on a metaphorical stool facing the corner wearing a dunce cap.
He has Alzheimer's. None of these are his ideas. He can't even speak a complete, comprehensible sentence without a teleprompter. People talk to him and he nods. He doesn't remember things he's said and done. People put things in front of him and he signs them. My mother did the same things he's doing and hid her disease for years.
I agree that his mental state is an issue, but only because of support from enough people to get him and a Republican majority in the other two branches of government elected. My point is that would never have happen if enough people were sufficiently wise per my original post.
I agree that, as a society, we pay far too little attention to wisdom; starting with inadequate discussion of what wisdom actually is, and how it may differ from mere cleverness or conventional "education", not that the latter qualities are of no consequence for the former, but are not in themselves enough to cover it. My sense is that definitions of wisdom are apt to vary; from my perspective, wisdom involves a better than random sense of what is real, combined with a better than random sense of what is worthwhile. The first part is tricky enough, but with "worth" we rely upon human values, and to some degree that depends on the human who is valuing.
That said, evidence and logical thinking can help to organize and prioritize our sets of values. A deathbed reflection on what really matters can differ quite a bit from our priorities in a heat of passion. Also we can compare notes; I think that as a highly social species, we enrich our sense "what matters" by candidly sharing of views. "We hold there truths to be self evident..." That is not, in the end, a scientific truth, but a resonance in a common sense of shared humanity. Most of us would celebrate a person who saves a child from drowning, or a stranger who aids a man beaten by bandits. Most of us are repelled by the behavior of the Third Reich. Trickier is selecting from a tangled array of interactive dependencies, the wisest move to best "advance" them all; or at least identify a "good enough" move that, when seen in the context of the "whole", in retrospect, can honestly be judged to have been a "wise" choice.
Being human I think that Biden made some very wise moves, and others not so much; and he was obliged to act in uncommonly difficult circumstances. I think he was wiser than most.
What you are saying is the truth and nothing but the truth, aka “not the whole truth.” The missing “truth” is what happens when it’s okay for me to reflexively reject your definition of wisdom, and vice versa. Either Lincoln was correct in saying that right is might, and then we can craft a collective and widely shared definition of wisdom, or might is right, and being wise is acting in whatever way is convenient to the actor in the moment.
I don’t see any conflict between my definition (serve the common good at the expense of its parts) and yours (deciding what is real and worthwhile).
I don’t know your criticisms of Biden, but nobody’s perfect. Regardless, from where I sit, it seems to me that most of the criticism was from people complaining about him serving the common good at “my” expense.
Christopher, we're trying to deal with half of the country that has been brainwashed by one T.V. station- Fox News. It would take psychological deprogramming on a mass scale to get Fox viewers to see the truth about the Trump regime. Trump has a slew of personal and corporate bankruptcies and yet the Magats think he's a business genius. He led a massive insurrection at the Capitol in which hundreds of police were injured, all recorded on video, and yet his tribe insists it was just a few patriots who got a little excited and, anyway, Trump didn't have anything to do with it. Hopefully, they'll get a natural deprogramming when their wallets start getting thinner very soon.
Sir or madam...The current US administration does not believe in , the Rule of Law or the Supreme Court..This is being proven time and again day after day..There are no "check and balances"..Ask our Attorney General, Pam Bondi..ask the head of Homeland Security Kristi Noel. It is their way or the high way now..because their way is HIS way..Future tense? Get ready, it's going to be up to 'us'...xxR
Trump is a madman, surrounded by madmen and madwomen! I live in Germany and the US. Guess where I am mostly staying now.
Many of my friends in the US travel regularly to their home countries, even if they are naturalized US citizens. Many have green cards still because they would have to give up their home citizenship in order to take on the US. So, they don't. They live and work in the US, and contribute to the economy, but when they can, they go home to their countries to spend time with their families. All of them are assuming they are safe because they became US citizens. Their children are safe because they were born in the US. However, we don't know who will become the next enemy in a country where the president has a long list of grievances against people.
I recommend all foreign students transfer to other universities. It is not safe to stay in the US. You never know why the Trump administration will vilify you.
ICE is already grabbing and deporting foreign graduate students from one university that I know of. One had jaywalked, one had gotten a speeding ticket, and one had crossed from the Arizona border into California and was stopped because they had been carrying fruit. People are checked there to protect California's agriculture, but not in many other states, so that would be an innocent mistake by a foreigner.
Sara, same with the universities in my state. Seven in the university where my husband and many of our friends work just got notices to leave within 7 days.
If you can spread my article to the students that you know, it might help them to form a plan for continuing their studies.
Most of the state schools will survive and many private schools have huge endowments. But the endowments are invested in the S&P 500, and US Bonds.
Warren Buffett owns several Japanese brokerage houses and has issued billions of dollars in Japanese bonds. If no one is willing to buy bonds at lower rates, then the interest rates on the bonds will increase, which will cause an increase in the national debt.
But, have no fear. Trump's little Johnson to the rescue with the budget busting spending bill set to increase the debt by over $5 trillion, just to get a tax cut for the oligarchs.
Fortunately I had large shorts in the markets when they tanked last week. I should be so lucky every week. I’m not gloating because others lost. I do believe we are heading for massive losses in the stock market.
As a Warren Buffett disciple, BRKa and BRKb have done really well. Warren is sitting on so much cash and not only dollars. He is smart enough to move his cash around to the Yen, Euro, Pound, etc. And he loans money to others that are in trouble like Bank of America, the Williams Pipeline, etc.
Fidelity is moving clients from TBill backed money markets to lower yielding safer money markets.
The bond market is in trouble and the Republican spending bill is only going to make it worse.
Agreed. Have had to have regular financial discussions with my husband. How will we survive this? As Heather pointed out, the goods that the tariffs are targeting will mostly affect lower income households, but that would not be true of food. I mainly live in Germany and my grocery bills here are so much lower than in the US it is amazing. I do not know how anyone retired can afford to live in the US. Most countries have a lower cost of living.
The Bahamas and Guernsey are the only English speaking countries that are more expensive. Most of the English speaking countries are less expensive. If you are retired, that should be an incentive to at least check them out.
JD, I know of a lot of reasons why people cannot leave. I just hope that everyone who cannot is safe.
Obviously people who are not retired or students are going to have to consider jobs. I know a family where the dad is in the US with the children, and the mom is working abroad. He could not find an academic job abroad because he is older. He is sending the children to France next year to be with their mom. I don't know if he will go too. The children might be better off with one parent working and their family together, but each family has to figure this out. For families in academia I know it will be hard to both get jobs abroad. The US just has so many universities compared to other countries.
If you wanted help getting out, I would be willing to be a sounding board and help you look into options.
I will send your excellent article to my retired husband. He is still involved with his university. He and his colleagues are sickened by what is happening to their grad students. As you probably know, the professors care about their welfare. We've lived in Germany and Italy as part of his university research and found it was challenging and completely worth the effort, so if the students should leave for their own good, we support them.
Thank you Sara. It is sickening. I am getting bulletins on what is happening to immigrants, and am sickened by Kristi Noam of puppy murdering infamy getting a new Nazi reputation as she says that the people sent to El Salvadorian prison that Ruth Ben-Ghiat says is the worst in the world, should never get out in their lives. These are all young men. This view of people is Nazi, Nazi, Nazi.
They are sending people to ICE prisons in states where the judges are known to be anti-immigrant, and basically fascist.
In TN 9 have been identified. It’s not clear what, if anything, UT is doing. Our gov is such a sycophant he ensures the intro of legislation that puts tfg’s policies in place here. He’s also a rich guy, btw.
Of course, Trump has no idea that education is one of our leading exports, provided not only by universities and colleges, but also by private secondary schools.
Exactly. The Department of Education was the first chapter I read in Project 2025's document. Why, because I am a former teacher who has taught in an international school, in Chicago Public schools from wealthy to poor communities, and in an elite private school that was part of a University. I have studied education, multicultural and multilingual education and school psychology. So, it is my area of expertise. When I read that chapter, I saw an instant formula for turning the US into a third world country.
It has made me wonder why Russia is not defined as one. I mean it may be a model for Trump, but 1/3 of the people do not even have indoor plumbing. There are other disparities, which is the world Trump is bringing us back to. A large impoverished class doing whatever slave labor like work is available entitled to zero supports from the government with no rights. It is what I call the New Feudalism. That is what Putin and Trump embrace.
Destroying the education system from the bottom to the top, to please Christian Nationalists, who are into home schooling is stark, raving mad. Trump is a madman.
The discussion in P2025 is that they would take the funding from the Dept of Ed and give it directly to families. They calculate around $22,000 per pupil. While collectively that might pay for many teachers and school buildings, utilities, arts, music, aides. When you have a family like the Duggers, the poster child for Christian Nationalism with some of its sickening twistedness, even if all of the children are not officially in "school" at once, say just 15 at a time, that is then an income of $330,000 a year just from running your own home school. What about all of the inner city dwellers who cannot afford to home school? They will have less money for their schools.
So, once again, you have to be able to afford a home where you can actually school your children. In the meantime, services for children with learning and behavioral disabilities will disappear. The Special Education is supposed to go to the Dept. of Health and Human Services, which they then want to shut down and turn into the Dept. of Life. So, what special education will be is about women in the US breeding, at least White women.
Regular education will go under the Dept of Labor, so we are looking at basically educating people to be workers, not for the sake of education. I am not even going into the effects of getting rid of what is known is DEI educational initiatives and books. We do have some dystopian novels that attempt to look at this.
As for only funding higher education with private loans, leads to allowing Trump and his cronies to offering loans from around the world to make money off of the American students. Will we see an indentured servant like set up with these loans as people do not earn enough to pay them off? Also, will American degrees still be recognized around the world? Will the humanities be destroyed? What will happen to civic education. Who will be accepted to universities? It is all sick and crazy.
What can we do to stop it? I don't know. It will start with school districts and universities not bending the knee to Trump and his administration. Not sure if that is possible with him ignoring the courts, and them not really enforcing the constitution. I know that it has been recommended that people can form private cooperatives for education, but for special education training that is not so easy. Some of Christian Nationalists are home schooling and their children are spending much of the day doing labor around the house, which makes their father wealthy. I don't know how widespread this is, but it would certainly be worthwhile examining what is going on with home schooling. In many states parents are not required to file lesson plans, and where they must, there is little oversight that these are being followed.
So, I do not know how long education will be one of our leading exports. I did think it was irresponsible for American Universities to be asking students to come back to the country before Trump was inaugurated. I saw this as them looking at their bottom lines, not the students well being. They should have all been making arrangements for students to do their coursework from abroad, and encouraged them not to return until we know what is going on with visas. They would have saved a lot of students a lot of trauma. I wrote this in posts at the time. I could see where things were heading. I go by the rule that I read somewhere, men always tell you who they are, but some people don't want to listen. Trump is a madman, and people should prepare for this. Anyone vulnerable to being attacked should be thinking what their options are. I wrote this in November and the substance is still true.
A long time coming (40 years at least) and will be a long time to change if it is possible. We are the lobster in warming water. It’s about to get toasty
JD, I hope it does not get unbearable. On my mom's side of the family living in 2 fascist regimes in Germany, and my father's side living in slavery, I am have grown up with some of the details of each situation. It might make me more negative about where things will go than others who do not have these details in their minds. I just want people to be safe from the madman who is running the country.
My husband was so focused on all aspects of WW2. Mother’s brothers all served, one died, one tortured, and my father-in-law couldn’t abide a Japanese person all his life. The suffering was widespread and brutal. I watched much of the info re battles, etc. since my first cousin killed in 1943 at 18 years. Now seems that people don’t care or never knew. People will never be safe with a cult nut (or P2025) carefully planning chaos.
I scheduled to visit Italy next month. My thought is there will be Les Americans running around Europe. Good for me. Then again, as a critic in blog and song of this absolutely mad dog piece of manure, who knows if I will be placed on a list.
Bill, you should consider extending your visit for the next 2-4 years. However, Italy is run by Georgia Meloni, and according to fascism expert Ruth Ben-Ghiat, she is a fascista too. Still, Italian fascism under Meloni is still mostly in harmony with the EU, and they support Ukraine. A benchmark for how much influence Russia has. Right now there are around 800,000 US expats in Europe. In Italy there are between 15 and 16,000.
I recommend all vulnerable people consider where they might live other than the US while the madman is in charge, along with the madmen and madwoman on SCOTUS, and the madmen and madwomen in Congress.
Instead of seeing moving abroad temporarily or permanently as something scary, it is best to see it as an adventure. New things to discover as one is in retirement.
Linda, I have the highest respect for your values and writing. And splitting your life between countries makes sense for you, your family and your goals.
But with respect, encouraging people to leave the country is encouraging weakness in the face of the enemy.
My thoughts are to stay and fight. In my neck of the woods, 250 years ago a movement was launched that dumped a king. We need the same spirit now. My sign for next Sunday may say: "No King then, No King Now".
It is going to get worse and worse. People are already dying around the world and soon, they will be dying here as well - all due to the MAGA King. Americans will not stand for this. If consumer confidence has fallen by 11 percent in a matter of days and if the stock market continues its spiral erratic dive....watch the tide turn.
As they say: "Follow the Money". The path ahead is chaos. Businesses are confused about how to plan. Consumers are scared to spend. The "stats" about consumption are lagging indicators. How many people are having second thoughts now about that vacation or buying that house or switching jobs or even purchasing a new TV or piece of furniture. You can't stimulate 70% of the economy by terrifying people.
And then there are all the other ripples created by the Nut Case in Chief. The harvest season is just ahead. Will there be enough farm workers? Will they dare to show up? Many are already self deporting out of fear. I see escalating prices like never before. I see some shelves empty. We will hear the fury of pissed off average Americans.
But the big news will be the disintegration of the president's mind - on display every day - confusing the public, confusing businesses large and small. I wouldn't be surprised that as the nation collapses financially that the oligarchs pulling the strings may influence a 25th Amendment coup. Chaos is not the friend of the rich.
I could be wrong. It happens all the time. But regardless, I encourage sturdy resistance and being prepared to adjust and reinforce the democracy through public noise - whatever it takes.
Bill, I think it is important that both of our voices have space to speak. We are giving different sides of a coin, but each person has to make their own decision.
No one in hindsight, would have told Jews to stay in Nazi Germany. For some people the US is like Nazi Germany. That is why I am recommending that foreign students get out. I think other vulnerable groups might want to leave too, at least to consider it realistically. Then they are staying because they feel that they have a choice, not because they have to.
Those people need to figure out that there are options to leave. Being afraid to leave for the unknown is just like being afraid to stay for the unknown. Not one size fits all. On some level, the businesses that supported Trump need to recognize that they need to plan with people spending and people not spending.
Please understand that leaving is resistance too. And, I am getting "pushed out" as you would say, although I was gone before Trump took office, because I want something different for my life and it is not tied to a particular country, but for now where I am living is offering me that. What I want now is not what I used to want and I accept that.
My book club just finished reading the book Freedom's Dominion by Jefferson Cowie, which talks about the freedom of White men in the US to have dominion over others, without others having dominion even over themselves. That is one concept of freedom that I would say defines MAGA. Now we have just started reading On Freedom by Timothy Snyder. Different understandings of Freedom are in this book.
Here are some things that are said, "We enable freedom not by rejecting government, but by affirming freedom as a guide to good government."
He goes on to say that he book starts with freedom and ends with a conclusion about government. He says,
"How does Freedom figure int our lives? The connections between freedom as a principle and freedom as a practice are the five forms of freedom."
He goes on to tell us,
"The five forms are: sovereignty, or the learned capacity to make choices; unpredictability, the power to adapt physical regularities to to personal purposes; mobility, the capacity to move through space and time following values; factuality, the grip on the world that allows us to change it; and solidarity, the recognition that freedom is for everyone."
A different view of freedom which I am now exploring, and certainly is closer to what I believe freedom is than the concept that George Wallace embraced when he ran for president in 1968.
You and I are both supporting our fellow Americans in our own ways.
Yes. Well said. If I were a young person with an interest in a field of science, perhaps I would depart. One size doesn't fit all. But on the other hand, we need all the troops we can muster. Thanks for the thoughtful response.
Hi Bill - The harvest question, as well as the sowing and maintenance, is a big one. I spend time on the Eastern Shore (Delmarva Penninsula) which is home to a fair bit agriculture and poultry raising and processing. These needs have largely been met by both resident and itinerant Latino workers. I'll be interested to see what changes happen this year, including whether we see fewer boastful Trump flags flying.
Linda, I dare say most people can hardly afford to buy food or move across town, let alone move to another country.
Most people are either working 2 and 3 jobs to try to keep up financially and don't have time or the band width to figure out moving to another country.
Up and moving on a whim or a well thought out plan takes resources that I also venture to say most of us do not have.
Marj, I agree with you. Linda means very well and her offer of help to those who could leave is a kindness. For those able to do so, I hope they take her up. Maybe. We need to FIGHT HERE.
I have a cat with cancer. The vet told me that with treatment (a pill e/o week) she can have 3-4 more years. Maybe it if was only her, but moving with 4?
I'd have to sell my house and all my belongings. As I posted above, I knew a young couple (mid 20s) who moved to NZ. They literally sold every single item they owned and took only a suitcase of clothing. I am NOT KIDDING. I bet a lot of seniors here will identify with this: I am trying to purge items from my home of 40+ years already. This young couple had a small apartment, one old car, and a cat to sell/leave behind.
I even talked to my financial advisor about moving, perhaps a year ago. He explained they could not represent us if we were outside of the US. He went into explanations a bit beyond my comprehension, but I don't think he was just trying to hold onto our account. We've been with him about 25 years and his advice has been proven, time after time.
Finally, I'm pretty darn healthy for my age, just plagued with arthritis. However, modesty aside, I'm in better shape than easily 70-80% of people my age. I have friends who are cancer survivors (or fighting it now) who have several medical specialists they see regularly. I can't imagine coordinating a team of doctors overseas. I'm not saying it is impossible, but your "band width" term is spot on.
Marj, these are all big philosophical questions, and no one answer is right for two people. I daresay foreign students generally can afford to leave, which is why I advocate that they do. After all they got to the US. If the government kicks them out they will have to pay for a ticket elsewhere. It is less traumatic to plan for this leaving than to have it forced on yo. Also good to plan what to do afterwards.
People that cannot afford food are also probably not reading this publication. I am assuming that most that do can afford food, and perhaps a plane ticket to somewhere else, or gas to drive north or south until they reach a state or country where they want to be.
I am going to come back and sell my house and most of my belongings. I already did this once when I took a teaching job in another country. I sold almost everything. I did keep my cat with my mom. Now we are going to be selling most things, and giving them to friends and relatives. We are bringing some books, artwork and some collected rugs, some small items and papers. I live in a University community in the US with a lot of foreign students coming and going. Families are constantly selling all of their things to move. Renting a furnished place is not so hard to do. We are basically living here with a sofa, bed and a table and chairs. We have some personal items, and books that we do not have shelves for. We will eventually. I visit thrift stores regularly.
In every country that there are a number of Americans expats one can get so much advice and support about moving. So, while leaving is not be right for you, you might have friends who are more vulnerable, less safe. By virtue of having brown skin I am less safe in the US than people who do not have brown skin. My daughter is not safe in the US since she is of child bearing age.
Freedom is staying because it is a choice. I hope that people who want to leave can, and I would be happy to help them with that.
Yes, the regulations are straightforward. But the devil is in the details. Only some airlines allow pets in the cabin. If you are traveling alone, you are most likely limited to one pet in the cabin, maybe two shipped in the hold. Prices are around $150 per cat and more if there is a long layover. There are not that many options for direct flights. So, with all due respect, I submit that transporting 6 cats would cost quite a lot. And that doesn't take into consideration the logistics of this undertaking not to mention the very real stress to all of the animals involved! Personally, I would not subject a cat to the hold of a transatlantic flght. So you would be looking at needing a "crew" of people, all of whom would have to fly with the cats. I have only touched on some of the very real considerations.
The best answer to your question I know can be found in the writings of corruption researcher Sarah Kendzior. She’s got a new book out and her first two were best sellers. She’s on Substack and here is her website.
I called early on for the remaining good generals to suspend the constitution in order to save it and I was thoroughly castigated. I would have preferred this lesser of evils to what we have today. The US will not survive as a nation after 4 years of ongoing chaos. It really won’t.
Ok I’ll follow your faulty logic for a moment. Let’s see how we survive 4 years of last week. By 2028, this Trumpian economy will make the 1930s Dust Bowl Depression look like a cotton candy swirl. And you will be standing in line with your empty cup hoping against hope for a few morsels of rice.
Yeah, it's crazy how easily a nincompoop can become the most powerful person on the planet. And then, of course, wreak havoc. I take solace knowing that it was voters who gave him that power, and that when he's pissed enough of them off, it'll be voters who'll take it away again.
I keep saying .... think Edgar Bergen and Donold McCarthy. This nincompoop could not dream up this stuff. But he is stupid and corrupt enough to act it out. Since the inauguration have we heard ANYTHING from A.L.E.C. or the Heritage Foundation or The Federalist Society or Leonard Leo?
Read Dark Money by Jane Mayer; read Democracy in Chains which was written in 2016 and is still relevant! It is not what you see on the surface .... it is what is behind it!! Read the 2019 book by Alexander Hertel-Fernandez called State Capture which explains exactly how A.L.E.C works against us behind the scenes, very quietly but very effectively.
The goal is to eviscerate the government and PRIVATIZE EVERYTHING. They have wrecked communication in Social Security. A few days ago I saw something suggesting that it be moved to "X" !!!!! The first step to privatizing!!!!!!!!
I’ve read Dark Money and I always recommend it. Another great eye opener is Naomi Klein’s The Shock Doctrine. It’s where I learned the neoliberal agenda is to deregulate, privatize, and destroy the social safety net.
I am amazed too when others talk about voting like it is 'free and fair'. I also gasp when others talk about sticking it out for 4 years. What do they think will happen on year 5? Do they think someone will wave a magic wand and the country will magically revert to better times?
This. There’s no magic in the 4-year cycle, just a lot of history. It would be shocking if our “president” and his handlers haven’t already gamed out what needs to happen for him/them to stay ensconced. Pay attention around 4/20, when the report on the “feasibility” of declaring martial law is due.
"Yeah, it's crazy how easily a nincompoop can become the most powerful person on the planet. And then, of course, wreak havoc. I take solace knowing that it was voters who gave him that power..."
Not easily. It took decades for the plutocrats (movement conservatives) in bed with the populists (racist right wing religious extremists) to create the conditions (the politics of faith) and movement (astroturf TeaParty cum MAGA), corrupt the Supreme Court (Federalist Society / Charles Koch via Leonard Leo) and find an entirely ignorant and unscrupulous candidate (Trump) willing to repurpose a democratic republic (the USA) as a Christian Nationalist (ChristoFascist) state through Executive Orders (Federalist unitary executive / Heritage Project 2025.) Oh and every Hitler needs his Eichmanns (the entire Republican party.) It helped to have Putin operatives such as Jill Stein selling the Leftish on vote splitting / vote suppression purity tests, pipe dreams, and pied pipers (on voting as an individual exercise in personal expression). While the extremist Right rallied, united, and used voting as a shared exercise in taking power (appropriating the strategy of the Early Civil Rights Movement to overturn civil rights.) The extremist Right did not swallow the elephant whole - they ate it bite by bite before s*itting it out as a Trump presidency.
In a way, it took all the forces of late Capitalism and the entire history of Christian / White / Male grievance to create a Trump regime. Just as it took the history of the Roman Empire to create a Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus - Caligula.
Not bad at all. But add 1960s consumer advocate in need of relevancy in 2000 to deprive an environmental president President Albert Gore of 90,000 Floridian votes. Jill stein equals one drop of my pee compared to Ralph Nader considering W. Bush as the linchpin to Supreme Court nominations solidifying the court and endless war adventures in the spirit of his daddy.
Yep. That Bush v Gore election still rankles….only if….Gore is still trying to fight the good fight…I’ll abstain from commenting on Nader. That 2000 threesome fiasco almost seems quaint in light of the devolving standards and ploys that allowed 45 and 47 to reach the White House. But I can’t spend energy trying to picture 2000 onwards absent the Supers decision apropos the hanging chads.
Which is why "Ranked Choice Voting" should have been the law of the land forever. Go ahead, make yourself heard about Green issues or any other subject important to you. But with RCV, a vote is not wasted.
Maine installed RCV after a spoiler wrecked the governor's race and put into office a mini Hitler - twice!
There should be a Netflix series about someone like Gore winning. Or Hillary. Or Kamala...
It took the tariff saga to take attention off the Signal scandal, I can't imagine what the next irrational act trump has to perform to take the tariff debacle off the public mind.
This unrelenting attack on our government and democracy is happening so fast, and it seems like from every possible angle. It's hard to remember where the last shot came from, much less prepare for where the next might come from or assess where all the shooters are.
This fascist GOP is doing all it can to unleash chaos and use it to help in their race to destroy our government and end our democracy.
They want to complete the takeover before the general public wakes up to what they have lost and that the fascist GOP has ruined our standing as a nation in the world economy.
It is a matter of time until the public comes to its senses, and we all demand we take control and insist the executive branch resign and vacate the premises. What will it take to get the public to pay attention?
One man, Rupert Murdoch, was recruited by Saint Ronnie to destroy democrats. I have watched it for half of my long life. I understand how a media focused on ignorant entertainment, while propaganda roils, can cause national amnesia as well as division, hatred and greed. We have been flim flamed, deliberately and carefully planned by evil playing the long game. The world’s most powerful country is a joke but one with a flame thrower in the hands of a carnival barker. Look at the freak show that I have put together, and be very afraid.
Now is the time to act. Call your reps. I called my senator, Tillis, on Friday and got a person for the first time. I gave my talk about the tariffs. He read a statement that Tillis is leading the effort by senators to get tariffs back under Congressional control. This is major. I am sure that business is shouting at Congress behind closed doors. Senators like money but they also like votes. Call your Senators today.
Christopher, by voting for him, a good portion of the American people let him become immensely powerful. An act of collective suicide. Hope it's not too late to save the rest to start rebuilding at one point
I’m afraid the only way out now is an almost total collapse of the financial markets. We must burn out in order to rebuild. But the damage will be immense.
The truth is, even with trump winning the election, it is the responsibility of the Congress to control their power and the tool they have to wield their power is the power of the purse.
With the inaction of the right-wing Congresspeople, they are voting in support of everything the trump organization er administration is doing.
This is driven by the whole right-wing not just the radical right.
In the US, checks and balances have been replaced by cheques and bank balances. Trump is supported by the richest man in the world. $90m was recently spent on an election for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The legislative branch of government has been hobbled by gerrymandering and blatant intimidation. To top it off, six conservative justices on the Supreme Court have ensured that there will no serious judicial threat to Trump's arbitrary rule with an astonishing ruling that he is virtually immune from criminal prosecution while in office. Their 230-year-old Constitution now has about as much relevance to the democratic crisis in the US as the Magna Carta has to the government of the UK.
Our Congress should be providing a check on this, but the Republicans have majority inthe House and Senate. Sadly, that gives them power to squelch efforts at checking Trump.
Dems are finally obstructing more, as they should have from the start.
But we have let Trump put his flunkies in charge of our enforcement agencies, and they are refusing to hold him accountable for his lawlessness. So We the People are organizing and protesting and pushing to oust the lawless officials. I'm afraid it's going to take a while.
Many Americans absolutely hate what Trump has said and done from the moment he started campaigning to become president . He’s a disgrace. Our political system needs some major reforms in campaign finance and our news media, I think, needs to ramp up on reporting and speculating on myriad possibilities of future events less.
I voted for Kamala Harris! I was at the Colorado State Capital on April 5th, for a Hands Off rally. My friend and I were among 8,000 who there on a day that was 35 degrees and damp. One report I read said, there were 14,000 rally sites that included all 50 states. The weather in most of the country was cold that day.
It isn't that we aren't angry and protesting in big and small ways. It is the money and misinformation that is pouring into the pockets of our elected officials from the morbidly rich, Musk, Putin, Theil and others. Our Constitution was designed by men who didn't want to be ruled by a king again or taxed by a country on the other side of an ocean. Unfortunately, our Constitution hasn't been updated enough to protect us from malicious oligarchs.
My advice to Ireland and the rest of the of the democratic nations of the world, protect yourselves NOW from the oligarchs. If they succeed in the USA, nowhere in the world is safe!
Why? Ignorance. Stupidity. White Christian Nationalism. Racism. Xenophobia. Homophobia. Misogyny. Hate, unbridled. Because of this, it is not certain that we will have meaningful elections in 2028. At the Believers' Conference in late July, 2024, Trump told the group that if he won it could be the last election.
You're right about this, Christopher Eccles. I can't think of any mature political structure in which this on-going Trump-style revolution has been possible before a coup d'état...Napoléon?... Napoléon III? The constitutional frame of the US presidency seems to be some forefather or another's romantic idea of Roman "dictatorship" - too many after-the-fact remedies in a creaky seat-of the pants administrative structure! Musk's DOGE fire-'em-let-god-sort-it-out tactics, for instance, is part of the most well-worn hostile take-over strategy in US business- Musk did it just a bit ago to Twitter for Chrissakes! It's just hard to believe that the US federal government can fall victim to it! But it can because its constitution is a patchwork of norms rather than laws or rules; it is creaky and old-fashioned even in those norms and generally inadequate to the needs of a powerful democratic state.
Only non-US people seem to be talking about the need for serious constitutional reform at the moment; Frankfurter Allgemeine did an article on it - Opposition ohne Führer, by Christoph Möllers, 10/4. Maybe the NY Times should pick that up.
Anyway, if you're suggesting US people need to get started NOW on this so they have something to go with once they beat Trump's attempted mid-term elections coup and win the civil war... you're a true friend of the people!
We don’t have a government. We have a terrorist organization masquerading as a government. If only the Democrats acted as if they understood this truth.
The problem facing the Democratic Party is that we no longer have a democracy, and therefore all the usual solutions, procedures, and what have you are null and void (or soon will be decreed so).
The path to restore democracy, an improbable one I grant you, is the short, sharp shock of administrative decapitation: in other words, removing Trump AND Vance from office and installing a caretaker administration which can begin the hard, tedious and rather self-contradictory work of restoring order and ensuring no coups can occur in future.
R. There are 100,000 elections in the US in 2025. Thousands have already occurred. Many of these are for city council or selectmen or mayor or school boards, etc.
For at least 25 years, the Republicans have entrenched themselves in local politics winning most of these local races. Democrats and Independents are striking back at least in our county. Trump and the Republicans can foul up the Federal elections next year, but they can't mess up ALL of the local elections.
I talked yesterday to a friend from Louisianna. Her governor is MAGA, but recently they had a vote on some amendments he wanted to the state constitution. One amendment was pages long. Who comes out to vote for an amendment? But voter turnout was very big, and all 4 amendments were voted down. She said that is the beginning of the end of the governor getting everything he wanted.
We still haqve the mechanisms of democracy----If there is enough agreement ---by Citizens-, say 80 to 90% of several respected polls-- to cause a dramatic impeachment in the House, say 3/5th's present ??!--- Then 70+ for conviction ! Enough to get Johnson to step aside and allow the 3 previous living Presidents to step up to lead an interim , bipartisan government for 3 t5o 6 months during which Citizen's and politicians debate , with goals and rules established by the 3 former Presidents and Vice Presidents, via social networks, extensive polling , conluding with a series of national televised DEBATES, followed by national votes to select candidates to lead a consensus executive branch, followed by the regularly scheduled 2026 election for the legislature.
yes , improbable---- BUT--- we are currently highly vulnerable to some kind, maybe many kinds, of attacks . If we are in CRISIS--- economic, or physical, or moral ?--- Then a pre-emptive action similar to this discussion, will be PROVEN WISE.
Good question. Here's one for you in return: If I/we had an action plan, would I really be posting about it on Substack comments' sections instead of organizing a counter-coup?
Everyone is welcome to post their suggestions for how to bring about regime change. The problem is who will step forward and offer to 'bell the cat'?
Calling [US] Government "Terrorist organization" seems harsh, but as mentioned before, trump and his henchmen are the real domestic terrorists. How could 70+ million people don't see that coming!?
As HCR reported after the election-- 18% of Trump voters admitted they don't follow politics. Kamala and Walz lost by 1.5% nationally and by less than that in some of the swing states.
And many people ONLY watch Fox News which, for a Fox employee, is the shortest and easiest path to a job in the WH-- even for Secretary of Defense.
That's what I'm still asking myself. I still can't understand how the non-MAGA Trump voters thought the imposition of more tariffs would bring prices down or how a hateful, vengeful, multiple times bankrupt, struggling to string two sentences together would be capable of delivering sound economic policy. And to think that if the 30 percent of eligible voters who didn't vote had made their way to their polling booths, Trump would have still won beggars belief. Worse still, over 40 percent of voters are satisfied with the job he's doing.
It has to do with their “information” sources. They are fed a steady diet of lies, dis/misinformation, and hated of others that they consume uncritically and take as the gospel truth.
Ally, yesterday I was talking with a friend who hates Trump as much as many of us do. She was telling me about a mutual acquaintance that gets 100% of his "news" from Fox News.
She brought up Signalgate and he had no idea what she was talking about.
Fox News viewers are only exposed to negative stories about Biden and the Democrats, fluff pieces about nothing and praise for Trump and Republicans.
Millions of people protested all over the country on April 5th. Fox barely mentioned it. Fox is the voice box of oligarchy.
It will be interesting to see how the lawsuit surrounding the Murdoch will is resolved. If the challenge is denied, when Rupert pops off, the whole game could change. "Lochy" could lose control. I can dream, can't I?
A shining light for me is a couple of YouTube content creators who are in our tribe, and yet, have PLENTY of MAGA who watch them, as they will talk about it on their clips.
My favorite is "Belle of the Ranch". Her clips, 3x day, are under 4 minutes and very fact based. She has 3 other longer format ones "The Roads with Belle" and "Research Road" and "Interstate News" The last two are people on her team. Those are from 7-15 minutes. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND ALL OF THEM. ("Belle" will sometimes read critical emails she gets and explain why the criticism is unfounded.)
Next, on the Meidas Network (which has surpassed Joe Rogan now in viewership!) is a contributor "Tennessee Brando". His clips are about 7-15 minutes long and are reactions to news stories. He was born and raised poor in MAGA country, and he lives in "the buckle of the red belt" as he calls it. His thoughts and feelings are SPOT ON.
I know there are some here who have their own Substacks and channels and perhaps they can take the time to explain the following, as I am unsure where I heard this and if it is true: I was told that by SUBSCRIBING (which is free) HITTING THE "LIKE" BUTTON, and LEAVING A COMMENT will promote these channels within the computer algorithm and they will get more coverage.
I have made it a habit that when I click on those channels, as well as clicking on the Letter, I automatically hit that heart or thumbs up.
There are other substacks and channels that I appreciate, many that I've found by recommendations here.
I have a suggestion for future rallies, for those here who have the ability: how about putting together a small list of Substacks and YouTube channels that report the news that the right wing and traditional ignore? Print them up on small cards and hand them out?
I like that suggestion Miselle (about the Substacks and YouTube channels.) A while ago I saw a news story from the "Daily Beast" where, at Elon's urging "Doge goons Physically Drag Social Security Worker from Desk" after he refused to agree to update the databases by marking immigrants that are currently paying into the system as dead.
It seems to be that this is assault and the Doge Boys involved in the incident should be arrested. Why wasn't this reported in the MSM?
Amen. Inflation and propaganda are the reasons Trump won. Yesterday I saw an old sign left up after November's election. It said, "Save the economy. Vote Republican" I wanted to add my own sign next to it, "Hahahaha!"
Trump did not win by much. The tide is turning. Everyone has been affected by the tariffs or will soon be. Senators, including 7 Republicans, are working on a bill to take tariff control back from the presidency. Call your senators today and insist that they do something. Remember that we got the WH to keep the call staff at SS. This is much so much bigger. The Republicans know this. They know their money.
Sarah Longwell's focus groups have Biden to Trump voters who disliked Trump intensely because of things like his hate, vengeance and lunacy, but still they pegged him as the better bet.
So true J L. For four years, the mantra from the right was, Biden is too old, the Biden administration is a mess. And that Trump will lower grocery prices on day 1 and end the Ukraine war on Day 1.
FOUR YEARS of lies told to people with underwhelming IQs.
I see indications that Trump sways a greater portion of less educated individuals, but also know of many examples of "well educated" in certificate terms, who are seemingly quite intelligent people who are orthodox, chapter and verse talking point repeating MAGAs. They seem to be captured by a cult dynamic that is not so much incapable of critical thinking so much as adverse to it, at least with respect to their group identity; which is what, I think, makes it a cult. The members of the Heaven's Gate cult that committed mass suicide in order to join a preposterous hidden spaceship, were at least well educated in technical terms, and I have contact with many others.
Cult identity is an enormous security hole in human rationality and empathy. Maybe there are elements of this are present in us all; by which I mean the urge to defend empirically unsound beliefs that we nevertheless hold dear. It seems to me that it is a sign of emotional maturity to be brutally honest with oneself, and courageously honest with other; and I know that personally, I am just not fully there. Nevertheless, we discipline ourselves to cross-examine some of our own reflexive and/or overly self-serving and vested beliefs. Some are less inclined to do so, and some (such as Trump) are conscienceless sociopaths who cynically manipulate human vulnerabilities. Followers may be some flavor of fanatic. Leaders to may be fanatical, but are more likely (like Trump) to primarily be extreme opportunists. Everything Trump says and does it to benefit him.
I'm a regular listener to Sarah Longwell's Focus podcast and people not taken in by the Big Lie were taken in this time. I have heard someone (can't remember who) say that celebrity has a particular power in contemporary US culture and that plays to Trump's advantage, particularly as he is an expert marketer. I don't know if that could be true. Its very depressing if it is.
Trump has surely a crass commercial promoter, AND our society has excessively embraced commercial promotion, a commonly (at least to some degree) dishonest commercial promotion, as a way of life. I am all for free enterprise conducted within the bounds of promoting the general store, but we are allowing commercial interests (in some cases literally) write our law and define features of our culture. That is not democracy or "liberty and justice for all".
Yes. It will be interesting to see how the 43 percent (?) still approving of Trump's performance moves over the next little while. Will that give a reliable indication of the proportion of the population now rusted on MAGA? Assuming the movement continues downward, of course.
I think a lot of farmers, veterans and small business owners are regretting their vote. But has that showed up in any polls yet? And how do Democrats use this to fight back?
I still stand by that they won't really change their mind until it is more painful than it is now.
Even a lot of them are saying that they regret their vote but they still couldn't vote for Kamala or a Dem, so it's like a half hearted apology. Give it another 6 months when people stop stop getting raises, capital investment slows, unemployment benefits run out, costs continue to rise, hiring and new home building slows, while interest rates don't really go down even if the Fed lowers rates.
People who voted for Trump 3x are not persuadable imo, the younger people, older people who depend on benefits, low info voters and people who switched their votes are who we have to target.
Farmers knew who Trump was after his first trade war and needed subsidies to survive which basically balanced out the last trade war. They come off entitled and just thought they'd get more easy government money while cutting everything for the rest of us. Small business owners thought they'd just get tax breaks, and vets liked the macho image and hated DEI. Maybe if they get shipped to Greenland or Trump cuts more VA benefits they'll learn.
The Dems won't be able to stop the next budget bill and I firmly believe Americans will need to touch the stove to learn. I'm hoping we can impeach Trump next year, but I'm not getting my hopes up yet. Republicans always fall in line for Trump. Seeing it now, he promised no cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and yet they are looking to cut these programs next month and you hear crickets from them about it. They simply are hypocrites.
They saw it coming and were lying to the rest of us. A significant portion of the MAGA movement are religious evangelicals and accelerationists who want to see things burn and be destroyed. They wanted Trump to behave this way, then there are those who wanted tax cuts and less regulations no matter the cost, and finally the Republicans who genuinely never believe Trump is going to do what he says he is going to do. These people claimed to be voting for Trump for economic reasons, even though everyone including Trump told them ahead of time how his plans would be terrible. But they'd cut their nose to spite their face in order to own the libs. The culture was and is more important to them than anything else.
Another big problem is the corporate media sane-washing everything that Trump does. The DJI drops 3900 points in two day and Fox News barely reports it. And then two days later, when Trump manipulates the market and it goes up by 2900 points they brag about it being the largest increase in years.
Every time I watch a liberal or Democrat pundit laugh and joke as they address what Trump and his nitwit enablers are doing to our democracy, I get enraged and want to vomit.
Do you think Democrats have a majority in both the House and Senate? Are you at all familiar with how the federal government functions? There are three branches of government. The Republicans have seized control of the US Supreme Court. They own many of the judgeships throughout the country. The Republicans control the House and Senate and the American People elected Donald John Trump.
Are you proposing that the Democrats decide to overthrow the government? The democratically elected government? Are you insane or just an incompetent citizen?
What would you have then do? We are having our local leaders holding democracy town halls, the state is clearly stressed and distressed by the whole stupidity of Donny-Musky…and the feckless GOP fucks in Congress. They own this, they know it and will do everything to defend and deflect…Johnson knows he’s going to hell!
Christopher, the Congress is supposed to be a check, but many Republicans know that they are putting their careers (and maybe the safety of their families) in danger if they perform their constitutional duty of checking the president. In the Supreme Court, three of the nine justices were appointed by President Trump after Senator Mitch McConnell refused to allow a vote on Merrick Garland.
TRUE Sabine, Mitch has a lot to answer for but, no answers. HCR properly cited the U.S. Custom's & Border Protection for the list of some of the middle class products imported from China that are now exempt.
Here is a more complete list of the "Tech Bro's Carve Out" products in alphabetical order per U.S. C&BP's announcement:
Flash drives
Flat screen TVs
Memory cards
Semiconductors
Smartphones
Solar cells
SSD storage drives
Apparently, dumb phones will still be be imported by Mitch in Kentucky & subject to China's Tariff
Quite telling is that the American soybean farmers, in their majority it seems Trump supporters, are being left out in the cold, and we here in Aus are blessed with a substantial increase in beef sales to China.
I wonder how long it will take his supporters to realise, that they are the ones footing the bill for their hero's fancy "economics". But they don't seem to have so far, so it could still take them quite a while.
I am not seeing beef prices come down in the US as promised by Trump and I know fish prices aren't coming down.
Most of the lobsters caught (trapped) in Maine are processed in Canada and subject to the 10% tariff. However, my fish monger mentioned the other day that there is a new processor in Stonington that is only processing the lobsters brought into Stonington. Of course, market price varies, but he said initially it would be $8/lb.
It will probably take a while for any price fluctuations to come through, but if the large international export contracts fall through because of the prices, I'm sure they will hit. Which may be a good thing for the domestic buyer, however, I doubt you can cover all goods produced for export in the domestic market.
The current court is the product of decades of planning by right-wing billionaires working with Republican elected officials. This is detailed in the October 2023 investigative work by ProPublica, "We Don't Talk About Leonard: The Man Behind the Right's Supreme Court's Supermajority": https://www.propublica.org/article/we-dont-talk-about-leonard-leo-supreme-court-supermajority
Another good source on this decades-long manipulation campaign in the context of Russian long game psyops & corrupt political influence is Greg Olear; substack & podcast name - Prevail. + David Cay Johnston & Wayne Barrett had been investigating & writing about 45/47 + R. Giuliani Italian & Russian mob links in NY since the early 1990s. + In July 2024 Pope Francis excommunicated the Vatican’s former ambassador to U.S. for schism. ( Vatican excommunicates former ambassador to the U.S., declaring him guilty of schism
Vatican excommunicates former ambassador to the U.S., declaring him guilty of schism
By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press
The Vatican on Friday excommunicated its former ambassador to Washington after finding him guilty of schism, an inevitable outcome for Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano. The conservative had became one of Pope Francis most ardent critics and a symbol of
) Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano is a member of the Vatican Prelature, Opus Dei, as are former AG, Bill Barr & 5/6 of “conservative” SCOTUS judges. (Amy C. Barrett. - People of Praise). Leonard Money Bags Leo is a Knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, another medieval church hegemonic philosophy based prelature. <> Like Putin’s use of association with politicized Russian Orthodox Church, L. Leo, et al use Opus Dei & The Catholic Information Center in DC and Opus Dei controlled St. Agnes parish in Midtown Manhattan to launder fascist mafia state operators money into mainstream media, think tanks. & lobbying firms. Techbros associated with Peter Thiel, including JD Vance are Opus Dei. Curtis Yarvin - Silicon Valley’s dark enlightenment philosopher, Putin, Russell Vought, & Leonard Leo, are all of the same network of fascist mafia state oligopolists & their mercenaries. This is all public info that’s tacitly suppressed by msm. But, the principal players & mercenaries are openly proud of their association and hard work to colonize and control humanity. (I know, so bizarre it seems unhinged but that is part of the essential component of manipulation & extortion; induce cognitive dissonance in the target.) Greg Olear’s book, Dirty Ruples details the Putin & 47 bromance.
The administration is already ignoring laws passed by Congress. Just as they are ignoring rulings by the judiciary.
Congress and the judiciary have no power to enforce laws or decisions in the face of a rogue executive. The executive branch enforces the law, and this executive branch has been completely corrupted.
The states are the only path forward for law enforcement. The states must step up, enforce the law and protect their citizens and residents.
This entire situation is a calculated attempt to distract, discourage, and destroy the very fabric of American democracy. The Trump regime's retribution tactics, masking as strongman authority, have nearly collapsed the global economy and are driving us toward a deep recession—possibly even a depression—unlike anything we have experienced before. The House passed a bill that slashes taxes for billionaires while decimating social security and healthcare programs for the poor, the disabled, the elderly, and children, all in the name of privatization. This cruelty extends further, with even the most fundamental rights, like a woman’s right to vote, under attack.
One of the most tragic and inhumane consequences of this administration's reckless actions is the destruction of access to blood thinners, medications like Heparin and Coumadin that are vital for the health of over 12 million people in hospitals every year. At a local pharmacy, I asked if they anticipated a Coumadin shortage due to the tariffs or supply chain disruptions. The response? Since Warfarin (Coumadin) is made in the U.S., they didn’t foresee any issues, according to the manufacturer, CARO.
Yet the broader picture of this regime's ineptitude cannot be ignored. The dismantling of national security infrastructure is putting our country at risk. Foreign adversaries are seizing the opportunity to exploit our vulnerabilities, with the Department of Homeland Security’s capacity already significantly reduced. The Trump administration is weakening our national defenses and making us more susceptible to attacks.
What’s even more troubling is the personal gain driving these policies. Trump's advisors and Congress members are using inside information to trade and profit illegally, all while pushing a dangerous agenda. Tariffs that are meant to hurt foreign nations have turned into a shakedown, extorting other countries and alienating our allies. In the process, the stability of the U.S. bond market has been jeopardized—an act that could destabilize the global financial system, possibly due to Trump's sociopathic disregard for the consequences.
The only action left is for all of us to protect ourselves and our country by standing up in protest. We must bring crowds to the streets that are twice the size of what we saw on April 5th. As Eric Holder warned, the time to act is now. It’s crucial that we unite to demand accountability, restore democracy, and protect our future.
It seems like above all Trump's lifelong raison d'etre, besides self-serving hedonism, is showing that he can break every rule and never be held accountable; and that's the antithesis of what democracy and rule of democratic laws, our nation's traditionally celebrated virtues, are about.
More like, "Who's not stopping him?" The answer is the very slim majority outrageously manipulated as in "legislative day that lasts the rest of the year," simple majority in the House and Senate (or individuals and groups that, despite a one vote majority to pass what they want, can stop what they don't want with an individual hold or requirement for 60% to override).
UPCOMING ACTION DAY APRIL 19th!!!! Here is an article about it (you can also search 50501 or Indivisible group postings for locations near you…or create one!):
I wouldn't be surprised if the protests double or triple in size Barbara. A few months down the road the crowds will be massive. That really scares this administration.
My estimate of four months to civil war is, unfortunately, looking more and more possible. End of May, weather will be better (unless we have an early hurricane season because global warming) and the economic collapse may well be nigh. Let's hope the rallies make a difference. A peaceful difference. No one is going to help us if they don't.
And now Trump is exempting individual industries from the tariffs. I assume—because he never does anything unless he can somehow benefit himself—that very large “campaign contributions” will somehow make their way into his crypto accounts. He can shake down industry after industry. It’s a grifter’s dream come true. Favoritism on tariffs has always been a problem, but at least Congress was involved in the decision-making and some of the wheeling and dealing was public. Now, one very unstable, callous, foolish, egomaniac with a persecution complex decides. This is what dictatorship looks like.
Many years ago I had to use Heparin (which I think is made in China) and could not use Coumadin because I had to use a blood thinner that was injectable. Things may have changed though and maybe Coumadin is now always a viable substitute?
The injectable is Lovenox / Enoxaparin sodium injection that many people take after surgery or to reset blood clotting issues. Self administered in the belly.
The 10 boxed single dose 150 mg /1 mL are shipped in from Singapore SANOFI company
If you need this in an emergency they may not be able to get them. Ask your doctor or Coumadin pharmacist in order to get an emergency back up RX if needed.
At this point I feel for those GOP who fear for their families but I do not hold that same sentiment for their fear of losing their job. However, cowering and not taking responsible actions you do not protect either your job or your family. I have great respect for Bernie and AOC out their speaking loudly and clearly against the actions of this administration. Take a lesson GOP
Exactly. Being visible and loud makes it harder (though certainly not impossible) for the thugs to act. In the meantime, anyone listening can see there is an opposition and have a hook on which to hang their hats.
Trump's pattern of lawlessness has established a role model for his cadre of billionaire donors who want more regardless of the cost, the GOP -a former political party transitioned as a criminal enterprise surrounding and protecting their leader, fringe extremists, hateful racists cheering the disappearing deportation of anyone with less than white skin, misogynists who joyfully chide "Your body our choice", and of course foreign adversaries like Putin because this lawless Trump regime is now inflicting attacks on the EU, Canada, and Mexico.
I suspect Kinzinger, Cheney, and a handful of other courageous members of the former GOP are not the only members with courage and a commitment to their oath to the U.S. Constitution and their "Pledge of Allegiance" to a concept of "...and justice for all". While they understand the political and electoral necessity of the "Trump base", more than several have to be deeply concerned about this regime's complete disregard for the rule of law. Furthermore, while some billionaires like the imbecile Musk, Adelson, and Thiel salivate over the likelihood of permanent tax cuts (built upon the dead bodies of impoverished families who no longer have access to Medicaid, or women who no longer have access to reproductive healthcare), some of the extremely wealthy must feel a growing unease about the stupidity and randomness of Trump -due to rapidly destabilizing global trade.
Nevertheless, as I wrote yesterday, it is clear to me that, although we were adequately warned about enemies foreign and domestic, our system of justice was never sufficiently insulated from concentrated wealth coupled with an authoritarian intent to subvert the system and effectively use it to destroy itself using a 900+ page plan developed by the Heritage Foundation.
While continuing protests are important, I fear the only non-violent recourse we may have is through a prolonged general strike until a new, temporary government is formed, the current regime is removed and a special investigator and court is established to investigate, indict, convict, imprison, and performs asset seizures of all who have participated in this sustained attack on United States, including those who conspired with this administration, interfered with and obstructed justice and investigations, those who have acted as accessories after the fact, and those who provided significant financial or in-kind support for this sustained attack.
Our current system is completely ineffective in holding power to account (by design). Half-measures (such as the impeachment of the criminal-elect, or the invocation of the 25th Amendment is insufficient as it will leave an entire array of criminal bad actors in place in the Executive Branch, the Supreme Court, Congress, and State/Local governments -and effectively continues the January 6, 2021 domestic attack on the United States.
That is undoubtedly a serious problem, but Americans can hardly complain that there's a dearth of accurate news reporting or serious commentary on what the Trump administration is doing. I barely find time during the day to read it all. There's not really much excuse for intellectual laziness. Trump in his first term urged his followers not to believe what they were seeing and reading and that's pretty much what has happened - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-44959340
That's why people talk about a 'post-truth world', a world of 'alternative facts' when they talk about Trump in office.
People in food deserts have little choice. People who are dependent on food banks have little choice. People who have never been taught fundamentals of cooking or nutrition have no tools to use.
Some people choose to eat junk food; there are some established links regarding consumptions of fats and sugars to tickling the endorphins in the brain to trick your body into feeling good when it processes the junk.
The fundamentals in my experience: Good knives and knife skills, Technique, and the application of heat and flavor. With knowledge of those things one can achieve quite a bit with little. And then there is ...... Bread.....
Indeed Phil -really crippled and/or decimated across an array of societal imperatives. Education, climate, USAID, justice, equality, public health, science and innovation, housing, agriculture, alliances, everything.
Canada here, watching carefully: it seems natural that when an individual, male or female, achieves a position of considerable importance that we attribute to them a level of intelligence beyond the norm. It just seems normal that we do so. They will take care of us, we think, because they now can.
So we have an individual in the presidency who I think will not look out for us, maybe he will, but only taking care of himself first.
I raise this because this individual will now negotiate tariffs on behalf of the USA with each individual country. All of them, one on one.
This is a process that is so ripe for corruption and achieving personal benefit for himself and personal friends that the boundaries either are limitless or non existence.
What an awesome display of power being demonstrated. You can now kiss democracy out the back door where the garbage is picked up
Another way for him to parade his unctuous girth and heavily-orange-made-up face -- as if all world leaders just crave being bit players in his fatuous farce.
Use this spreadsheet to call/email/write any of our representatives as often as possible. Not just your own state reps, reach out to those in other states. Be as loud as you can. Use your voice and make some “good trouble.”
Where Occam’s Razor would have us first consider the explanation with the fewest underlying assumptions, Trump’s Razor has us begin with the stupidest explanation.
Thank you Heather, for once again helping us to connect the myriads of dots being spewed at us by the current administration. It’s staggering how much criminal activity a small determined group of bad actors can accomplish in such a short period of time!!! Truly remarkable!!
It makes me wonder whether all this talk about Trump being a Russian asset may have some truth to it after all. I mean, how else are we to explain his obvious deference to anything Putin does and his willingness to overlook and ignore some 80 years of American history without even batting an eyelash.
Honestly, I really feel like I’m living in the Twilight Zone now. I’m expecting Rod Serling to show up any minute. 😂
'Kiss my ass' is, of course, the core of the whole thing. We have sitting in the White House a raging narcissist who is, despite having been born wealthy and privileged, filled with a sense of victimhood. He believes, for whatever reason, that the world has always been unfair to him and is always out to get him. That and his life-long goal of "Trump wins" are what drives most of what he does. I can only imagine the rage he feels toward China's Xi, who has so far refused to bow down and give that kiss. How dare Xi stand up to him! How dare he go toe-to-toe on tariffs or anything else! This ride is 4 years long, folks - unless he dies or becomes incapacitated. Then we get President Vance (yikes!). Buckle up!
Sunday morning tummy-ache with this news-dump. But the thing that worries me most is the attack on intelligence security- our intelligence has been and is being systematically compromised. As the CIA's Ratcliffe is in discussions with Russia intelligence, I fear that we are being sold to Russia, entering into an alliance, or a reversal of alliances. Fellow readers should fear this too. Let's hope patriots in the intelligence services and real allies are holding some sort of line!
And we aren’t even 3 months in to this administration. It’s a new scandal every week. That’s why thankful for Heather and Joyce Vance and her Democracy Index to keep me updated without going crazy.
One of the key bits of American humor is the Keystone Cops.
We have it again now, in the White House, its cabinet members, the Congress, unelected DOGE, and too much of "the highest court in the land" immunizing all the mayhem from the leader of it all -- or, from the orange felon and his co-fascist car-&-rocket guy.
36,000 turned out in L.A. today for the latest Bernie & A.O.C. rally. Americans like their entertainment, but I suspect good numbers of Americans know the Keystone Cops were a way 100 years ago to make fun of the rich, high society, and all the enablers of that privileged vacuity.
Heather keeps nabbing the real-world insanity which today's version of the Keystone Cops follows. I don't think many among L.A.'s 36,000, or many reading Heather appreciate the sheer vulgarity and mortal danger of what is definitely not entertaining.
Or cosplay Keystone firefighters running, every which way and dousing panicked citizens with fire hoses; while the city, bereft of their attention, burns to ashes.
June 14th has been celebrated as Flag Day for as long as I can remember. As a young Boy Scout in the 1950s, I marched in a parade with flags lining the streets.
This June 14th will be marked by a military parade starting at the Pentagon and winding 4 miles through northern Virginia and the District of Columbia to end at the White House. The President of the United States says the parade is to honor the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States Army. It also happens to be the Dear Leader's 79th birthday. I've heard no mention of it being designated as Flag Day.
I have two predictions: 1) there will an Executive Order signed to declare June 14th a National Holiday; 2) there is a 50/50 chance the United States will be living under the terms outlined in the Insurrection Act of 1807.
I live in Ireland. I cannot fathom why the world’s most powerful country invests all its power in one man. Where are the checks and balances? Churchill once said the democracy was the most inefficient form of government, but it was better than all the rest. Do not let him become anymore powerful.
Christopher …there are checks and balances that have mostly worked to this point…But the main problem is that he and Mysk and his special advisors are exercising power that they for not legally have. That this Regime can wreck such havoc domestically and internationally evading the limitations on their powers proves Churchill’s underlying point…there is no such thing as an infallible political governing structure when humans …especially power seek and narcissistic men …seek to rule the world.
And Congress and many aspects of the court system are winking at unconstitutional and illegal actions.
Yesterday, I was talking to an antiques dealer that rents out "booths" to about 60 other vendors. She said sales are down 75% since the inauguration. And she mentioned that six other stores on her street are in peril of bankruptcy.
Under Biden around 22 million new business licenses were issued across the US and Trump is going to kill many of them.
Please buy local and try not to buy from Walmart, Amazon and the other major retail chains. 70% of the US economy is consumer goods. If you can do without something, then please do. We have started our garden and will supply the food bank with produce we can't use.
Having seen this chaos coming, I have curtailed a lot of my discretionary spending and have upped my savings. With the attacks on Social Security, the talk of cutting Medicare and Medicaid to give more tax breaks to the rich, and letting Musk have free reign to wreck havoc everywhere, saving what you can is the prudent course of action. I am sure that I am not the only one doing this. Of course my retreat from spending multiplied by everyone else taking the same course of action will impact the economy and people’s livelihoods. The fact that no one is able to hold these bandits accountable is beyond frustrating. We will be decades repairing the damage they are doing to our economy, and our standing in the worlds.
I'm doing the same and holding my breath every third Wednesday of the month in hopes that my ss check is not pulled.
Me too. Husband’s check just arrived. All fingers and toes crossed that mine does, and those of all of you.
I am as well, Carolyn, and share the same issuance date.
Yeah! I check my bank toward the close of biz on the 19th. So far the deposits have come in, but I don't expect that to last. We have retirement savings - well we had them a month ago. We have a big garden and our house is all paid off.
I spend no time concerning myself with social security payments. It’s a fools errand. The bigger issue with SS is Congress’ multi decade unwillingness to act to strengthen the system. The last overhaul was in 1986. Without action, we all get a haircut in a couple of years.
Carol, your last sentence is so true. Our neighbors were over last night and one of them noted that even if this nonsense ended today, it would take a very long time to repair. My final concern is the harm being done to the hope of reversing climate change.
Climate change is my greatest concern. The one thought that keeps me grinning is that China’s EVs will be the new Deux Chevaux for the French and will sell like hot cakes. Of course public transportation in Europe is generally more climate friendly than here.
Michele, there is no disputing the fact, Trump's regaining power, virtually complete with the Supreme Court, the House and the Senate doing his bidding, is a disaster on so many fronts. I have quit discussing these things with the "True Believers." Someone once used the term "unconsciously incompetent." They don't know what they don't know. It's a combination of extreme prejudice, on the one hand, and a whole lot of ignorance, on the other hand.
Years ago I read that Musk was flying into space on a regular basis in order to establish a place for a group of very wealthy people to be able to live when climate change had made this planet harder and harder to live in. Does anyone know if he was successful in doing that?
The "silver lining " in this cloud is that after the crash there will be lots of opportunities for those willing to do the hard work of rebuilding. Remember that the New Deal came out of the Depression and 1990's boom came after Reaganomics. All is not lost we just need to regroup, adjust and move on.
For a great many citizens, all WILL be lost when the crash hits. It will be up to us to help our neighbors weather this storm, a difficult endeavor due to the level of distrust the regime has taken pains to create within our communities.
We need to protect our right to free and fair elections like a mother bear to her cubs, or there will be no 'silver lining' or 'regrouping' in many generations to come, if at all.
The difference between then and now is that Fascists are now in positions of power. Their goal is rule by the oligarchs while impoverishing the rest of the nation. It's stupid, of course. Without hundreds of millions of people there wouldn't be any billionaires. Greed, pure and simple.
Not sure we can all wait for this to happen.
Patrick, I think a big difference between the Depression and now is that young people are very different today. They have grown up surrounded with electric devices making their lives easier. Some have experienced hardship and become self reliant, but many have not. Our parents childhoods were more challenging than ours, but some of us experienced a world without tv, only radio. Spending your day outside with the other kids. Reading books, writing cursive, math (without a calculator). A job when we were old enough. Self reliance and cooperation, and a work ethic, you worked. Many young adults enjoy an extended childhood today. What becomes of this generation, so indulged by their parents.
We are used to dealing with hardship. Who, indeed, will save us?
Patrick, from your lips to God’s ear.
KSC and Carol S: you wreak, not wreck, havoc. To wreak havoc is to cause havoc; to wreck havoc, well, I don't know, maybe to destroy havoc and create order from it. A common mistake and a minor point, but words have meaning.
I’m doing the same Carol. I try to buy what I can from local businesses. I’m not spending on things I don’t need. My husband and I are both over 70 and count on SS and Medicare. Like most Americans we paid into both programs all our working lives. Our house is almost paid off, but without SS it will have to be sold. We are adding to our savings but it’s difficult. For example, I just received a letter from my Medicare supplement, it will be increased 30.00 per month as of June 1. I know we are not the only Americans feeling the results of his stupidity. I wonder if the people who voted for him are beginning to realize what happens when you vote for a crook, liar, and convicted felon.
As an American, my heart is broken. Although, we were far from perfect, at least we were trusted and respected by our allies. Currently, we are a joke.
Oh they’re able. They just won’t.
It’s not that no one is ABLE to hold these bandits accountable. It’s that the MAGA Republicans in Congress REFUSE to hold these lawless criminals accountable by doing their job as outlined in the Constitution.
As an art dealer, I cutting back on my shows this summer. It will be a waste of money.
This is hitting everyone in business. And then it will hit everyone. Call your senator today. Get tariffs back under senate control. Senators are now working on this. Now is the time to call.
Senators are the problem. They are in his pocket, for reasons, I don't understand. We have always known who the President is. That is why 2/3 of the country didn't vote for him. (1/3 not voting at all.) It is congress who has the power to stop this right now, and they are not doing it. If this was a Democrat as President, with this Congress, you can bet this wouldn't be happening. The Republican Congress is complicit in the destruction of America.
I write and call my Senators from SC nearly every day. Lindsay Graham sends me the same form letter in reply. Tim Scott doesn't even bother to reply. trump has rendered them impotent.
Our CT senators don’t need a reminder but thanks for the advice.
I work for a small auction house. We have an auction coming up, and we’re quite concerned. As the assistant to a specialist, I’m especially worried. They can’t get rid of the specialist, but might decide she can function without me. And of course, not too far down the line, the company could fold. So, Bill, good luck to you, and to all of us who are in such tenuous positions. I feel your pain.
I’m fine. Im diversified.
Bill, I am so sorry. Any situation that reduces art sales is deprivation. Like many who because of trickle down have fallen from the middle class, I feel this, but still belong to both symphony and art institute, which must be supported regardless.
I am sorry to hear this.
Thank you but I’m alright with this. I save myself much energy and money. And I have other things going on. I do sense bad things to come.
Buying local is great advice. Shop for gifts at local crafter fairs and be impressed with how smart your neighbors are. There was an old saying that ended “do without.” Does anyone remember?
Use it up
Wear it out
Make it do
Or do without
I also like "Waste Not; Want Not"
Judy, I was raised on this, and have tried to practice it for more than 50 of my 67 + years.
TELL them you're buying from them to screw Trump supporters.
GJ. we are fortunate to be at a time in our life where we do not buy a lot of consumer goods. I do visit nurseries and with my garden helper have a large vegetable garden. We also buy books, but from Powell's, not Amazon. We try to buy locally and visit the Saturday Market and eat at locally owned restaurants except those who make their support of death star visible. This coming Saturday, April 19th, which also happens to be my birthday, we will donate to the local food bank as our part in opposing this regime.
That's wonderful. My parents were part of the greatest generation, they had a victory garden that encompassed 1/2 of a huge back yard. Looks like those times are coming back.
This from Joey Politano on BlueSky
Import Chinese Battery: 145% tariff
Import Chinese Battery inside Chinese laptop: 20% tariff
Import Chinese Battery inside Vietnamese laptop: 0% tariff
Fuckin brilliant. A+ work here team. I am so glad there are such smart people working on our trade policy.
Too late for this advice. Yes try to buy local. Local is often Walmart (that imports). Local is the supermarket ( that imports), if you have one near. Local is the greenhouse (that imports); A lot of what we buy is not available locally and we have to go to online stores that cost shipping and wait times OR Amazon ( for anything you want or need and fast- face it! )Mom and Pop stores have declined been bought out by bigger chains. The bigger chains have economized and imploded. Local stores or chains ( food mostly and importers too) that remain are few and do not have everything.. but they survive.This is not what used to be. Your advice cannot be serious. Yes- do without.. grow your own food, eat what's in season locally. Don't drive.
I live in a rural community with two local (to ME) chains and a grocery store that sells many locally made products which tend to be organic and not full of the processed crap that Walmart grocery department sells. We buy our fish from a local fish monger who gets his fish from a New England distributor. Our lobster comes direct from the lobster man down the rode about 3 miles. I buy crab meat from a local picker.
I'm not sure why you assume we do without. We do grow our own produce and have an orchard which many people do not have the space for. I don't care if you support the oligarchs like the Waltons who are greedy trustifarians like Trump and Musk. I guess I do without like Warren Buffett does without. I don't live in a mansion or drive a Ferrari if that's your idea of not doing without.
Look at all of the major chains that have folded, like Sears, Montgomery Wards, Bed Bath & Beyond, K-Mart, just to name a few. They imploded due to bad management for the most part. Sam Walton's greatest gift to shopping was just in time inventory and distribution. When we used to shop at Walmart, they rarely were out of stock on an item. That wasn't an accident as you know.
As consumer sentiment declines, people will quit buying non-essential goods and we will go into a recession. In fact, we may already be in one hastened by the moron-in-chief's bizarre and quickly changing tariffs.
Maybe, we're just fortunate to have local choices for most of what we need and we don't need to support the oligarchs. But, I'm with Paul Krugman, Trump's tariffs are insane.
I don't assume anything. You are fortunate to be able to live as you do. Personally I try, have tried similarly most of my life and will not go on about that. But MOST people cannot and do not and are NOT ABLE.
Your righteousness BTW is really off putting. You don't realize how you depend on the global market.
I assume you sew your own clothes, making the material from the cotton you grow and use cotton thread, not polyester. You don't use plastic? Use only medicine/ health supplies that come from local sources? And so on.
People who have similar awareness, as I do, do what they can when they can depending on their circumstances, time in life (old young health), where they live.. etc.
Sir, respectfully, Future tense? consuming 'stuff' will take second place to surviving this administration and saving our Constitution and American Democracy..In the looming future tense it will be up to 'us'...
PS..We apt dwellers dont have gardens but we are surrounded by despair and desperation..so give, give any way you can and maybe a little more. xxR
Krugman writes that Trump tariffs are for making his family and donars rich. Can America last till 2028?
I saw a video by Senator Whitehouse last night. He said that 7 Republican senators were behind a bill to get tariffs back under Congressional control. He said that 7 in public support means 7 more who will support when the bill comes up. Now is the time to act. Call your senators, no matter D or R. Let them know you are not asleep. Keep the heat on.
If you are depressed, call a calm person. If they don't answer, call another. Keep going until you get someone. Call a pastor - well, not a MAGA one, haha. My liberal friend who is a pastor says she got a call yesterday from someone who feels politically surrounded and alone. Call someone and then go outside. We need to take care of ourselves, and then we need to call our reps. Politicians love money, but they love votes too.
Go outside & protest while you're out there! "It does a body good." (Do you remember those words from a commercial promoting drinking milk?
Saturday, April 19th is the next Hands Off Rally. We had thousands show up in Madison. I'm hoping this trend continues.
Ironically, Saturday, April 19 is also the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing by a home-grown terrorist in which almost 200 people were senselessly murdered because of the twisted ideology of a small group of fascist leaning individuals.
Trying to find out where a rally will be 4/19 in South Seattle. I will check with the Hands off group.
Sadly, Trump will just veto anything that passes the Senate, unless they have enough for an override.
Your comment is a breath of Life to me. TKS
Congress is complicit.
Absolutely lauriemcf - I live in a red state where they spout trump like the Bible. It's sickening
It IS remarkable, he created a 15 million person cult, plus a majority in congress! All with one bs tv show?
And a lotta lies. 🤡🎃💩
People are gullible and that's being kind.
Make Americn sick again.
"All full-time employees in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vessel Sanitation Program were laid off this week, even as a cruise ship arrived in Miami with another norovirus outbreak among passengers and crew.
“In all three South Florida wastewater treatment facilities in which Verily monitors pathogens, we’ve seen persistently high levels of Norovirus GII since November/December 2024,” said Amy Lockwood, Verily’s Public Health Partnerships Lead. “While an uptick during this season is expected, the levels we are seeing are significantly higher than the same time period in 2024 and 2023.”
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/04/12/cdcs-cruise-inspectors-laid-off-as-ship-arrives-in-florida-with-a-norovirus-outbreak/?lctg=2491450084D14481B43C949A39&utm_email=2491450084D14481B43C949A39&active=yesD&utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=email&utm_term=https%3a%2f%2fwww.sun-sentinel.com%2f2025%2f04%2f12%2fcdcs-cruise-inspectors-laid-off-as-ship-arrives-in-florida-with-a-norovirus-outbreak%2f&utm_campaign=trib-sun_sentinel-breaking_news-nl&utm_content=alert
Very sad to get rid of our safety people. Another reason to NOT buy a place on a cruise.
THIS ^^^^
A CDC spokesperson told the South Florida Sun Sentinel, “Critical programs in the CDC will continue under Secretary Kennedy’s vision to streamline HHS to better serve Americans.”
... to predatory diseases.
JL, my wording was sloppy. I should have clarified that I think the checks and balances mostly worked up until 2019/20 and the challenge to that election. Now the scaffolding is teetering on collapse with Congress complicit and the federal bench politicized through the machinations of the Senate and Executive.
I see no sloppiness, and alas, we have already met the the ultimate checks and balancers they are us.
It's waaaay past time to put aside a lot of childish things, and take some adult responsibilities for the fate of our society, and it the individuals that comprise it. That what being responsible means; we are responsible for our discretionary impacts on others.
That's what the Constitution attempts to foundationally map out, as a societal master plan.
Yet, it is just a map (albeit a vitally important one); we are the ones who (for now) are taking the journey.
I call it : "An American Tragedy".One day Dr. HCR will write the book about it. I hope. Will any of us survive long enough to buy it?
The Constitution does provide another "check": Impeachment, but this is a non-factor under the cowed and corrupted Republicans in the House and Senate.. BTW saying the "Congress" could be interpreted to include the Dems. While certainly weak and ineffective of late, including them in the term "Congress" is unfair and inaccurate.
Note...REPUBLICANS in Congress and parts of the judicial system.
REPUBLICANS!
For sure, but power of Congress as a safety valve has proved inadequate. I do not think that any president has been as decisively in need of impeachment and conviction, for the sake of the republic, than Donald Trump. It frankly seems a big security hole in the Constitution, with no easy fix that I know of. How do you, except by societal integrity, prevent one unscrupulous party from "owning" a controlling share of all three branches of government? That's our current problem.
I am seeing is a crisis of social values. There is no golden age American integrity, as our palette of civil virtues has always been a mixed one as that of any human society always is, but I do believe that within my lifetime the overall societal tolerance for outright, provable political lies and treachery has slipped considerably.
Joe McCarthy was was a vicious, dishonest creep, yet the wake of his damage pales against many modern and prominent "Republicans". Republicans were also ready to convict Nixon for lesser crimes, and the press seen as tireless investigators. Frogs may not not actually linger unperturbed in a slow boiling pot, but it seems as though people do. The America we sang about in school seems imperiled on the scaffold; unless enough of us, as a caring society, see our own and posterity's long term interests at stake.
Mitch also was strongly behind Citizens United. Turtles don’t smile, but apparently they can smirk.
Yertles anyway.
I find that simply confounding. About time the people started winking at Congress. It wasn't Trump that put them in place.
As they did during the two impeachments in his first term.
Which is precisely why I blame Mitch McConnell for our predicament; he was the architect of impeachment failures and SCOTUS packing.
I agree, MLMinET. As a non-deist, I know there's not a hell, but I often wish there were.
The only option left to me is the hope that Mitch McConnell's death is slow and painful, with perpetual incontinence and humiliation, and full cognition, so he suffers through every minute of his demise. It's not enough, but it's a start.
Mitch for sure, but always follow the money. And the "Powell Memo".
Did they ever. Not even going through the motions of legitimacy. Divide and conquer.
Correction: REPUBLICANS. This is on them.
And furthermore, the president can do virtually anything he wants by declaring a national emergency. Congress *could* pass a joint resolution (simple majority) to terminate the Emergency, which would likely be vetoed by Trump, thus requiring a 2/3 majority of both the House and the Senate to override the veto. The republicans in congress are more afraid of making Trump mad and losing their jobs. And it’s difficult for the citizens to vote them out because the district maps have been manipulated (gerrymandered) to prevent the Democrats from gaining power.
Don’t forget the extreme court that gave him immunity.
criminals really...
Borrow an address in red states from friends or Zillow so you can email repubes. We are ALL affected by their actions and should be able to give them our opinion.
I agreed about Republicans in Congress being afraid of losing their jobs. However, Republicans in Congress are cowards and full of greed to stand up to Trump. Liz Cheney wasn't a coward. She sacrificed her seat to put her country first to defend Democracy. Once the middle class Republicans see their Healthcare benefits cut or being laid off from their jobs, then they will join the rest of us and head to the streets to protest against Trump abuse of power. I believe we will prevail in the midterm elections. The trend is growing day by day with people protesting. Just recently Bernie and AOC were here in LA Ca in a huge rallie. There were 36,000 people that showed up. The momentum is growing because the people and Union leaders are fed up. Bernie emphasized that it is the American people who have the power. Because there are more of us then the 1%. This is a government for the people by the people not for Trump and billionaires. If it means knocking on every single door to inform people then so be it.
Undoubtedly, congressional Republicans are worried about their political future if they don’t kow-tow to any and all Trump proposals, but what they’re more fearful of is their physical safety. This is where we are now as a country and it is horribly frightening and sad.
Watch this happen around the 2026 elections when the possibility of their suspension becomes more real every day in this regime.
The "I am your King" card. Biden got one too, but was too honorable to try to play it.
Just when we think the Quizling in Chief can't go any lower, he does something worse.
“there is no such thing as an infallible political governing structure when humans …especially power seek and narcissistic men …seek to rule the world.”
I beg to differ. Before Biden stepped down as the Democratic nominee, a reporter was being interviewed by a CNN host. First, she played a video of her asking him what he could say to American voters about what made him the best candidate, and he said wisdom. After playing the video, the reporter told the interviewer Biden refused to answer her question.
He did answer the question, and his answer was perfect. To be wise is to serve the common good at the expense of its parts. To be unwise is to serve a part at the expense of the common good. The infallible political governing structure is when enough people are sufficiently wise. In that structure, narcissistic men seeking to rule the world are put in their place, which is on a metaphorical stool facing the corner wearing a dunce cap.
He has Alzheimer's. None of these are his ideas. He can't even speak a complete, comprehensible sentence without a teleprompter. People talk to him and he nods. He doesn't remember things he's said and done. People put things in front of him and he signs them. My mother did the same things he's doing and hid her disease for years.
Thanks for your comment.
I agree that his mental state is an issue, but only because of support from enough people to get him and a Republican majority in the other two branches of government elected. My point is that would never have happen if enough people were sufficiently wise per my original post.
I agree that, as a society, we pay far too little attention to wisdom; starting with inadequate discussion of what wisdom actually is, and how it may differ from mere cleverness or conventional "education", not that the latter qualities are of no consequence for the former, but are not in themselves enough to cover it. My sense is that definitions of wisdom are apt to vary; from my perspective, wisdom involves a better than random sense of what is real, combined with a better than random sense of what is worthwhile. The first part is tricky enough, but with "worth" we rely upon human values, and to some degree that depends on the human who is valuing.
That said, evidence and logical thinking can help to organize and prioritize our sets of values. A deathbed reflection on what really matters can differ quite a bit from our priorities in a heat of passion. Also we can compare notes; I think that as a highly social species, we enrich our sense "what matters" by candidly sharing of views. "We hold there truths to be self evident..." That is not, in the end, a scientific truth, but a resonance in a common sense of shared humanity. Most of us would celebrate a person who saves a child from drowning, or a stranger who aids a man beaten by bandits. Most of us are repelled by the behavior of the Third Reich. Trickier is selecting from a tangled array of interactive dependencies, the wisest move to best "advance" them all; or at least identify a "good enough" move that, when seen in the context of the "whole", in retrospect, can honestly be judged to have been a "wise" choice.
Being human I think that Biden made some very wise moves, and others not so much; and he was obliged to act in uncommonly difficult circumstances. I think he was wiser than most.
Thanks for that thoughtful response.
What you are saying is the truth and nothing but the truth, aka “not the whole truth.” The missing “truth” is what happens when it’s okay for me to reflexively reject your definition of wisdom, and vice versa. Either Lincoln was correct in saying that right is might, and then we can craft a collective and widely shared definition of wisdom, or might is right, and being wise is acting in whatever way is convenient to the actor in the moment.
I don’t see any conflict between my definition (serve the common good at the expense of its parts) and yours (deciding what is real and worthwhile).
I don’t know your criticisms of Biden, but nobody’s perfect. Regardless, from where I sit, it seems to me that most of the criticism was from people complaining about him serving the common good at “my” expense.
Christopher, we're trying to deal with half of the country that has been brainwashed by one T.V. station- Fox News. It would take psychological deprogramming on a mass scale to get Fox viewers to see the truth about the Trump regime. Trump has a slew of personal and corporate bankruptcies and yet the Magats think he's a business genius. He led a massive insurrection at the Capitol in which hundreds of police were injured, all recorded on video, and yet his tribe insists it was just a few patriots who got a little excited and, anyway, Trump didn't have anything to do with it. Hopefully, they'll get a natural deprogramming when their wallets start getting thinner very soon.
Hmmm. I love my delusions, but I can't continue to afford them.
Trump is a natural predator, good at detecting and exploiting his victims' vulnerabilities.
Sir or madam...The current US administration does not believe in , the Rule of Law or the Supreme Court..This is being proven time and again day after day..There are no "check and balances"..Ask our Attorney General, Pam Bondi..ask the head of Homeland Security Kristi Noel. It is their way or the high way now..because their way is HIS way..Future tense? Get ready, it's going to be up to 'us'...xxR
Do you have a source for this Churchill quote or idea? Thanks
https://winstonchurchill.org/resources/quotes/the-worst-form-of-government/ …not the full text of his November 11, 1947 remarks but closest to hand🙃
Thank you! Very helpful!
Trump is a madman, surrounded by madmen and madwomen! I live in Germany and the US. Guess where I am mostly staying now.
Many of my friends in the US travel regularly to their home countries, even if they are naturalized US citizens. Many have green cards still because they would have to give up their home citizenship in order to take on the US. So, they don't. They live and work in the US, and contribute to the economy, but when they can, they go home to their countries to spend time with their families. All of them are assuming they are safe because they became US citizens. Their children are safe because they were born in the US. However, we don't know who will become the next enemy in a country where the president has a long list of grievances against people.
I recommend all foreign students transfer to other universities. It is not safe to stay in the US. You never know why the Trump administration will vilify you.
https://lindaweide.substack.com/p/foreign-students-at-a-us-university?r=f0qfn
ICE is already grabbing and deporting foreign graduate students from one university that I know of. One had jaywalked, one had gotten a speeding ticket, and one had crossed from the Arizona border into California and was stopped because they had been carrying fruit. People are checked there to protect California's agriculture, but not in many other states, so that would be an innocent mistake by a foreigner.
Sara, same with the universities in my state. Seven in the university where my husband and many of our friends work just got notices to leave within 7 days.
If you can spread my article to the students that you know, it might help them to form a plan for continuing their studies.
Most of the state schools will survive and many private schools have huge endowments. But the endowments are invested in the S&P 500, and US Bonds.
Warren Buffett owns several Japanese brokerage houses and has issued billions of dollars in Japanese bonds. If no one is willing to buy bonds at lower rates, then the interest rates on the bonds will increase, which will cause an increase in the national debt.
But, have no fear. Trump's little Johnson to the rescue with the budget busting spending bill set to increase the debt by over $5 trillion, just to get a tax cut for the oligarchs.
Fortunately I had large shorts in the markets when they tanked last week. I should be so lucky every week. I’m not gloating because others lost. I do believe we are heading for massive losses in the stock market.
As a Warren Buffett disciple, BRKa and BRKb have done really well. Warren is sitting on so much cash and not only dollars. He is smart enough to move his cash around to the Yen, Euro, Pound, etc. And he loans money to others that are in trouble like Bank of America, the Williams Pipeline, etc.
Fidelity is moving clients from TBill backed money markets to lower yielding safer money markets.
The bond market is in trouble and the Republican spending bill is only going to make it worse.
Agreed. Have had to have regular financial discussions with my husband. How will we survive this? As Heather pointed out, the goods that the tariffs are targeting will mostly affect lower income households, but that would not be true of food. I mainly live in Germany and my grocery bills here are so much lower than in the US it is amazing. I do not know how anyone retired can afford to live in the US. Most countries have a lower cost of living.
https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings_by_country.jsp
The Bahamas and Guernsey are the only English speaking countries that are more expensive. Most of the English speaking countries are less expensive. If you are retired, that should be an incentive to at least check them out.
We shall see.
Get out while you can, some of us can’t
JD, I know of a lot of reasons why people cannot leave. I just hope that everyone who cannot is safe.
Obviously people who are not retired or students are going to have to consider jobs. I know a family where the dad is in the US with the children, and the mom is working abroad. He could not find an academic job abroad because he is older. He is sending the children to France next year to be with their mom. I don't know if he will go too. The children might be better off with one parent working and their family together, but each family has to figure this out. For families in academia I know it will be hard to both get jobs abroad. The US just has so many universities compared to other countries.
If you wanted help getting out, I would be willing to be a sounding board and help you look into options.
Thank you so much but I am too old to make a journey anywhere. Daughter and grandgirls are here and will not uproot. If only….
YEP.
I will send your excellent article to my retired husband. He is still involved with his university. He and his colleagues are sickened by what is happening to their grad students. As you probably know, the professors care about their welfare. We've lived in Germany and Italy as part of his university research and found it was challenging and completely worth the effort, so if the students should leave for their own good, we support them.
Thank you Sara. It is sickening. I am getting bulletins on what is happening to immigrants, and am sickened by Kristi Noam of puppy murdering infamy getting a new Nazi reputation as she says that the people sent to El Salvadorian prison that Ruth Ben-Ghiat says is the worst in the world, should never get out in their lives. These are all young men. This view of people is Nazi, Nazi, Nazi.
They are sending people to ICE prisons in states where the judges are known to be anti-immigrant, and basically fascist.
In Solidarity!! ✌🏽
In TN 9 have been identified. It’s not clear what, if anything, UT is doing. Our gov is such a sycophant he ensures the intro of legislation that puts tfg’s policies in place here. He’s also a rich guy, btw.
Of course, Trump has no idea that education is one of our leading exports, provided not only by universities and colleges, but also by private secondary schools.
Exactly. The Department of Education was the first chapter I read in Project 2025's document. Why, because I am a former teacher who has taught in an international school, in Chicago Public schools from wealthy to poor communities, and in an elite private school that was part of a University. I have studied education, multicultural and multilingual education and school psychology. So, it is my area of expertise. When I read that chapter, I saw an instant formula for turning the US into a third world country.
It has made me wonder why Russia is not defined as one. I mean it may be a model for Trump, but 1/3 of the people do not even have indoor plumbing. There are other disparities, which is the world Trump is bringing us back to. A large impoverished class doing whatever slave labor like work is available entitled to zero supports from the government with no rights. It is what I call the New Feudalism. That is what Putin and Trump embrace.
Destroying the education system from the bottom to the top, to please Christian Nationalists, who are into home schooling is stark, raving mad. Trump is a madman.
The discussion in P2025 is that they would take the funding from the Dept of Ed and give it directly to families. They calculate around $22,000 per pupil. While collectively that might pay for many teachers and school buildings, utilities, arts, music, aides. When you have a family like the Duggers, the poster child for Christian Nationalism with some of its sickening twistedness, even if all of the children are not officially in "school" at once, say just 15 at a time, that is then an income of $330,000 a year just from running your own home school. What about all of the inner city dwellers who cannot afford to home school? They will have less money for their schools.
So, once again, you have to be able to afford a home where you can actually school your children. In the meantime, services for children with learning and behavioral disabilities will disappear. The Special Education is supposed to go to the Dept. of Health and Human Services, which they then want to shut down and turn into the Dept. of Life. So, what special education will be is about women in the US breeding, at least White women.
Regular education will go under the Dept of Labor, so we are looking at basically educating people to be workers, not for the sake of education. I am not even going into the effects of getting rid of what is known is DEI educational initiatives and books. We do have some dystopian novels that attempt to look at this.
As for only funding higher education with private loans, leads to allowing Trump and his cronies to offering loans from around the world to make money off of the American students. Will we see an indentured servant like set up with these loans as people do not earn enough to pay them off? Also, will American degrees still be recognized around the world? Will the humanities be destroyed? What will happen to civic education. Who will be accepted to universities? It is all sick and crazy.
What can we do to stop it? I don't know. It will start with school districts and universities not bending the knee to Trump and his administration. Not sure if that is possible with him ignoring the courts, and them not really enforcing the constitution. I know that it has been recommended that people can form private cooperatives for education, but for special education training that is not so easy. Some of Christian Nationalists are home schooling and their children are spending much of the day doing labor around the house, which makes their father wealthy. I don't know how widespread this is, but it would certainly be worthwhile examining what is going on with home schooling. In many states parents are not required to file lesson plans, and where they must, there is little oversight that these are being followed.
So, I do not know how long education will be one of our leading exports. I did think it was irresponsible for American Universities to be asking students to come back to the country before Trump was inaugurated. I saw this as them looking at their bottom lines, not the students well being. They should have all been making arrangements for students to do their coursework from abroad, and encouraged them not to return until we know what is going on with visas. They would have saved a lot of students a lot of trauma. I wrote this in posts at the time. I could see where things were heading. I go by the rule that I read somewhere, men always tell you who they are, but some people don't want to listen. Trump is a madman, and people should prepare for this. Anyone vulnerable to being attacked should be thinking what their options are. I wrote this in November and the substance is still true.
https://lindaweide.substack.com/p/a-plan-b-for-catastrophe?r=f0qfn
A long time coming (40 years at least) and will be a long time to change if it is possible. We are the lobster in warming water. It’s about to get toasty
JD, I hope it does not get unbearable. On my mom's side of the family living in 2 fascist regimes in Germany, and my father's side living in slavery, I am have grown up with some of the details of each situation. It might make me more negative about where things will go than others who do not have these details in their minds. I just want people to be safe from the madman who is running the country.
But Dumpty isn't running the country. Steven Miller is running the country and all of his other maggots.
My husband was so focused on all aspects of WW2. Mother’s brothers all served, one died, one tortured, and my father-in-law couldn’t abide a Japanese person all his life. The suffering was widespread and brutal. I watched much of the info re battles, etc. since my first cousin killed in 1943 at 18 years. Now seems that people don’t care or never knew. People will never be safe with a cult nut (or P2025) carefully planning chaos.
I scheduled to visit Italy next month. My thought is there will be Les Americans running around Europe. Good for me. Then again, as a critic in blog and song of this absolutely mad dog piece of manure, who knows if I will be placed on a list.
Bill, you should consider extending your visit for the next 2-4 years. However, Italy is run by Georgia Meloni, and according to fascism expert Ruth Ben-Ghiat, she is a fascista too. Still, Italian fascism under Meloni is still mostly in harmony with the EU, and they support Ukraine. A benchmark for how much influence Russia has. Right now there are around 800,000 US expats in Europe. In Italy there are between 15 and 16,000.
https://www.globalcitizensolutions.com/americans-moving-to-italy/
I recommend all vulnerable people consider where they might live other than the US while the madman is in charge, along with the madmen and madwoman on SCOTUS, and the madmen and madwomen in Congress.
https://lindaweide.substack.com/p/a-plan-b-for-catastrophe?r=f0qfn
Instead of seeing moving abroad temporarily or permanently as something scary, it is best to see it as an adventure. New things to discover as one is in retirement.
Linda, I have the highest respect for your values and writing. And splitting your life between countries makes sense for you, your family and your goals.
But with respect, encouraging people to leave the country is encouraging weakness in the face of the enemy.
My thoughts are to stay and fight. In my neck of the woods, 250 years ago a movement was launched that dumped a king. We need the same spirit now. My sign for next Sunday may say: "No King then, No King Now".
It is going to get worse and worse. People are already dying around the world and soon, they will be dying here as well - all due to the MAGA King. Americans will not stand for this. If consumer confidence has fallen by 11 percent in a matter of days and if the stock market continues its spiral erratic dive....watch the tide turn.
As they say: "Follow the Money". The path ahead is chaos. Businesses are confused about how to plan. Consumers are scared to spend. The "stats" about consumption are lagging indicators. How many people are having second thoughts now about that vacation or buying that house or switching jobs or even purchasing a new TV or piece of furniture. You can't stimulate 70% of the economy by terrifying people.
And then there are all the other ripples created by the Nut Case in Chief. The harvest season is just ahead. Will there be enough farm workers? Will they dare to show up? Many are already self deporting out of fear. I see escalating prices like never before. I see some shelves empty. We will hear the fury of pissed off average Americans.
But the big news will be the disintegration of the president's mind - on display every day - confusing the public, confusing businesses large and small. I wouldn't be surprised that as the nation collapses financially that the oligarchs pulling the strings may influence a 25th Amendment coup. Chaos is not the friend of the rich.
I could be wrong. It happens all the time. But regardless, I encourage sturdy resistance and being prepared to adjust and reinforce the democracy through public noise - whatever it takes.
This is MY country. Not getting pushed out.
(But I still love you, Linda)
Bill, I think it is important that both of our voices have space to speak. We are giving different sides of a coin, but each person has to make their own decision.
No one in hindsight, would have told Jews to stay in Nazi Germany. For some people the US is like Nazi Germany. That is why I am recommending that foreign students get out. I think other vulnerable groups might want to leave too, at least to consider it realistically. Then they are staying because they feel that they have a choice, not because they have to.
Those people need to figure out that there are options to leave. Being afraid to leave for the unknown is just like being afraid to stay for the unknown. Not one size fits all. On some level, the businesses that supported Trump need to recognize that they need to plan with people spending and people not spending.
Please understand that leaving is resistance too. And, I am getting "pushed out" as you would say, although I was gone before Trump took office, because I want something different for my life and it is not tied to a particular country, but for now where I am living is offering me that. What I want now is not what I used to want and I accept that.
My book club just finished reading the book Freedom's Dominion by Jefferson Cowie, which talks about the freedom of White men in the US to have dominion over others, without others having dominion even over themselves. That is one concept of freedom that I would say defines MAGA. Now we have just started reading On Freedom by Timothy Snyder. Different understandings of Freedom are in this book.
Here are some things that are said, "We enable freedom not by rejecting government, but by affirming freedom as a guide to good government."
He goes on to say that he book starts with freedom and ends with a conclusion about government. He says,
"How does Freedom figure int our lives? The connections between freedom as a principle and freedom as a practice are the five forms of freedom."
He goes on to tell us,
"The five forms are: sovereignty, or the learned capacity to make choices; unpredictability, the power to adapt physical regularities to to personal purposes; mobility, the capacity to move through space and time following values; factuality, the grip on the world that allows us to change it; and solidarity, the recognition that freedom is for everyone."
A different view of freedom which I am now exploring, and certainly is closer to what I believe freedom is than the concept that George Wallace embraced when he ran for president in 1968.
You and I are both supporting our fellow Americans in our own ways.
Yes. Well said. If I were a young person with an interest in a field of science, perhaps I would depart. One size doesn't fit all. But on the other hand, we need all the troops we can muster. Thanks for the thoughtful response.
Hi Bill - The harvest question, as well as the sowing and maintenance, is a big one. I spend time on the Eastern Shore (Delmarva Penninsula) which is home to a fair bit agriculture and poultry raising and processing. These needs have largely been met by both resident and itinerant Latino workers. I'll be interested to see what changes happen this year, including whether we see fewer boastful Trump flags flying.
Nice dream
Linda, I dare say most people can hardly afford to buy food or move across town, let alone move to another country.
Most people are either working 2 and 3 jobs to try to keep up financially and don't have time or the band width to figure out moving to another country.
Up and moving on a whim or a well thought out plan takes resources that I also venture to say most of us do not have.
Marj, I agree with you. Linda means very well and her offer of help to those who could leave is a kindness. For those able to do so, I hope they take her up. Maybe. We need to FIGHT HERE.
I have a cat with cancer. The vet told me that with treatment (a pill e/o week) she can have 3-4 more years. Maybe it if was only her, but moving with 4?
I'd have to sell my house and all my belongings. As I posted above, I knew a young couple (mid 20s) who moved to NZ. They literally sold every single item they owned and took only a suitcase of clothing. I am NOT KIDDING. I bet a lot of seniors here will identify with this: I am trying to purge items from my home of 40+ years already. This young couple had a small apartment, one old car, and a cat to sell/leave behind.
I even talked to my financial advisor about moving, perhaps a year ago. He explained they could not represent us if we were outside of the US. He went into explanations a bit beyond my comprehension, but I don't think he was just trying to hold onto our account. We've been with him about 25 years and his advice has been proven, time after time.
Finally, I'm pretty darn healthy for my age, just plagued with arthritis. However, modesty aside, I'm in better shape than easily 70-80% of people my age. I have friends who are cancer survivors (or fighting it now) who have several medical specialists they see regularly. I can't imagine coordinating a team of doctors overseas. I'm not saying it is impossible, but your "band width" term is spot on.
Marj, these are all big philosophical questions, and no one answer is right for two people. I daresay foreign students generally can afford to leave, which is why I advocate that they do. After all they got to the US. If the government kicks them out they will have to pay for a ticket elsewhere. It is less traumatic to plan for this leaving than to have it forced on yo. Also good to plan what to do afterwards.
People that cannot afford food are also probably not reading this publication. I am assuming that most that do can afford food, and perhaps a plane ticket to somewhere else, or gas to drive north or south until they reach a state or country where they want to be.
I am going to come back and sell my house and most of my belongings. I already did this once when I took a teaching job in another country. I sold almost everything. I did keep my cat with my mom. Now we are going to be selling most things, and giving them to friends and relatives. We are bringing some books, artwork and some collected rugs, some small items and papers. I live in a University community in the US with a lot of foreign students coming and going. Families are constantly selling all of their things to move. Renting a furnished place is not so hard to do. We are basically living here with a sofa, bed and a table and chairs. We have some personal items, and books that we do not have shelves for. We will eventually. I visit thrift stores regularly.
In every country that there are a number of Americans expats one can get so much advice and support about moving. So, while leaving is not be right for you, you might have friends who are more vulnerable, less safe. By virtue of having brown skin I am less safe in the US than people who do not have brown skin. My daughter is not safe in the US since she is of child bearing age.
Freedom is staying because it is a choice. I hope that people who want to leave can, and I would be happy to help them with that.
I’m keeping options open. My 6 cats need to accompany me so I might need to hire an ocean going vessel to take me costing $100,000.
Kitty! Kitties!
Here are the rules. I think you can move them and it is not going to cost that much.
https://it.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/rome/sections-offices/foreign-agricultural-service/pet-travel-faqs-italy-u-s/
Yes, the regulations are straightforward. But the devil is in the details. Only some airlines allow pets in the cabin. If you are traveling alone, you are most likely limited to one pet in the cabin, maybe two shipped in the hold. Prices are around $150 per cat and more if there is a long layover. There are not that many options for direct flights. So, with all due respect, I submit that transporting 6 cats would cost quite a lot. And that doesn't take into consideration the logistics of this undertaking not to mention the very real stress to all of the animals involved! Personally, I would not subject a cat to the hold of a transatlantic flght. So you would be looking at needing a "crew" of people, all of whom would have to fly with the cats. I have only touched on some of the very real considerations.
I think your greatest concern will be getting back into the US.
The best answer to your question I know can be found in the writings of corruption researcher Sarah Kendzior. She’s got a new book out and her first two were best sellers. She’s on Substack and here is her website.
www.sarahkendzior.com
I called early on for the remaining good generals to suspend the constitution in order to save it and I was thoroughly castigated. I would have preferred this lesser of evils to what we have today. The US will not survive as a nation after 4 years of ongoing chaos. It really won’t.
A military coup by the 'remaining good generals' ?
As if.
As in General Milly for one.
You don't seem to understand that by definition the 'good generals' would not involve themselves in a military coup.
Not to fulfill your fantasy ... or Trump's wishes. As they proved.
Ok I’ll follow your faulty logic for a moment. Let’s see how we survive 4 years of last week. By 2028, this Trumpian economy will make the 1930s Dust Bowl Depression look like a cotton candy swirl. And you will be standing in line with your empty cup hoping against hope for a few morsels of rice.
Perfect, lin.
ME TOO!
I used to follow her on T, before I got banned..she knows stuff
Yeah, it's crazy how easily a nincompoop can become the most powerful person on the planet. And then, of course, wreak havoc. I take solace knowing that it was voters who gave him that power, and that when he's pissed enough of them off, it'll be voters who'll take it away again.
I keep saying .... think Edgar Bergen and Donold McCarthy. This nincompoop could not dream up this stuff. But he is stupid and corrupt enough to act it out. Since the inauguration have we heard ANYTHING from A.L.E.C. or the Heritage Foundation or The Federalist Society or Leonard Leo?
Read Dark Money by Jane Mayer; read Democracy in Chains which was written in 2016 and is still relevant! It is not what you see on the surface .... it is what is behind it!! Read the 2019 book by Alexander Hertel-Fernandez called State Capture which explains exactly how A.L.E.C works against us behind the scenes, very quietly but very effectively.
The goal is to eviscerate the government and PRIVATIZE EVERYTHING. They have wrecked communication in Social Security. A few days ago I saw something suggesting that it be moved to "X" !!!!! The first step to privatizing!!!!!!!!
Please keep looking behind the curtain!
I’ve read Dark Money and I always recommend it. Another great eye opener is Naomi Klein’s The Shock Doctrine. It’s where I learned the neoliberal agenda is to deregulate, privatize, and destroy the social safety net.
You nailed it. That IS the goal. Perhaps my sign for next Sunday should read:
"Nationalize Starlink and SpaceX!"
"Keep Your Privates Off My Retirement!"
“The Social Security Administration Is Gutting Regional Staff and Shifting All Public Communications to X”
https://www.wired.com/story/social-security-administration-regional-office-elon-musk-x/
DOGE really means Drive Out Government Employees.
I wanted to research this as I couldn't believe it and tis true. WHat about those who are not on X?
Boy that was FAST!! I guess Musk won't have to worry about slowing sales of Tesla .... He'll make it up with fees from SSA.
Thanks for the link!
Dark Money opened my eyes. I will read State Capture. THX!
If they are allowed to vote...
I am amazed too when others talk about voting like it is 'free and fair'. I also gasp when others talk about sticking it out for 4 years. What do they think will happen on year 5? Do they think someone will wave a magic wand and the country will magically revert to better times?
This. There’s no magic in the 4-year cycle, just a lot of history. It would be shocking if our “president” and his handlers haven’t already gamed out what needs to happen for him/them to stay ensconced. Pay attention around 4/20, when the report on the “feasibility” of declaring martial law is due.
My fear. If Musk really did hack the election (I believe he did), I see no reason why he won't do it again.
"Yeah, it's crazy how easily a nincompoop can become the most powerful person on the planet. And then, of course, wreak havoc. I take solace knowing that it was voters who gave him that power..."
Not easily. It took decades for the plutocrats (movement conservatives) in bed with the populists (racist right wing religious extremists) to create the conditions (the politics of faith) and movement (astroturf TeaParty cum MAGA), corrupt the Supreme Court (Federalist Society / Charles Koch via Leonard Leo) and find an entirely ignorant and unscrupulous candidate (Trump) willing to repurpose a democratic republic (the USA) as a Christian Nationalist (ChristoFascist) state through Executive Orders (Federalist unitary executive / Heritage Project 2025.) Oh and every Hitler needs his Eichmanns (the entire Republican party.) It helped to have Putin operatives such as Jill Stein selling the Leftish on vote splitting / vote suppression purity tests, pipe dreams, and pied pipers (on voting as an individual exercise in personal expression). While the extremist Right rallied, united, and used voting as a shared exercise in taking power (appropriating the strategy of the Early Civil Rights Movement to overturn civil rights.) The extremist Right did not swallow the elephant whole - they ate it bite by bite before s*itting it out as a Trump presidency.
In a way, it took all the forces of late Capitalism and the entire history of Christian / White / Male grievance to create a Trump regime. Just as it took the history of the Roman Empire to create a Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus - Caligula.
.https://youtu.be/NJvVEt6F_Xw?si=wa90_4_2n9mA5vSB.
Not bad at all. But add 1960s consumer advocate in need of relevancy in 2000 to deprive an environmental president President Albert Gore of 90,000 Floridian votes. Jill stein equals one drop of my pee compared to Ralph Nader considering W. Bush as the linchpin to Supreme Court nominations solidifying the court and endless war adventures in the spirit of his daddy.
Yep. That Bush v Gore election still rankles….only if….Gore is still trying to fight the good fight…I’ll abstain from commenting on Nader. That 2000 threesome fiasco almost seems quaint in light of the devolving standards and ploys that allowed 45 and 47 to reach the White House. But I can’t spend energy trying to picture 2000 onwards absent the Supers decision apropos the hanging chads.
Which is why "Ranked Choice Voting" should have been the law of the land forever. Go ahead, make yourself heard about Green issues or any other subject important to you. But with RCV, a vote is not wasted.
Maine installed RCV after a spoiler wrecked the governor's race and put into office a mini Hitler - twice!
There should be a Netflix series about someone like Gore winning. Or Hillary. Or Kamala...
We almost got RCV in MA. Charlie Baker came in at the last hour and tanked it.
Nincompoop is much too good for him. It doesn't convey the depths of narcissism and corruption that Trump sinks to.
Evil to the bone
The bones themselves are evil. There is no redemption at all in this half human
minimind. Of course he'll try to fake it at some point, if he ever lives that long.
No redemption, no forgiveness, no mercy.
So I hope.
From your lips to God's ear. Is He even listening anymore?
He’s got His ear buds in
No more of the useless and stressful voting, just trust him, hahahahaha
It took the tariff saga to take attention off the Signal scandal, I can't imagine what the next irrational act trump has to perform to take the tariff debacle off the public mind.
This unrelenting attack on our government and democracy is happening so fast, and it seems like from every possible angle. It's hard to remember where the last shot came from, much less prepare for where the next might come from or assess where all the shooters are.
This fascist GOP is doing all it can to unleash chaos and use it to help in their race to destroy our government and end our democracy.
They want to complete the takeover before the general public wakes up to what they have lost and that the fascist GOP has ruined our standing as a nation in the world economy.
It is a matter of time until the public comes to its senses, and we all demand we take control and insist the executive branch resign and vacate the premises. What will it take to get the public to pay attention?
Unfortunately we don’t have the time for all that to play out.
Maybe. It may be too late for an election to make a difference.
One man, Rupert Murdoch, was recruited by Saint Ronnie to destroy democrats. I have watched it for half of my long life. I understand how a media focused on ignorant entertainment, while propaganda roils, can cause national amnesia as well as division, hatred and greed. We have been flim flamed, deliberately and carefully planned by evil playing the long game. The world’s most powerful country is a joke but one with a flame thrower in the hands of a carnival barker. Look at the freak show that I have put together, and be very afraid.
Agree.
I hope he turns out to be the sucker and loser, but a ways down the road
Now is the time to act. Call your reps. I called my senator, Tillis, on Friday and got a person for the first time. I gave my talk about the tariffs. He read a statement that Tillis is leading the effort by senators to get tariffs back under Congressional control. This is major. I am sure that business is shouting at Congress behind closed doors. Senators like money but they also like votes. Call your Senators today.
Christopher, by voting for him, a good portion of the American people let him become immensely powerful. An act of collective suicide. Hope it's not too late to save the rest to start rebuilding at one point
I’m afraid the only way out now is an almost total collapse of the financial markets. We must burn out in order to rebuild. But the damage will be immense.
Let's do more than wring our hands. Flood the zone, as Steve Bannon says. Call your senators today.
Those who did not vote or voted against Harris/Walz were very strategic in the seating this administration
The truth is, even with trump winning the election, it is the responsibility of the Congress to control their power and the tool they have to wield their power is the power of the purse.
With the inaction of the right-wing Congresspeople, they are voting in support of everything the trump organization er administration is doing.
This is driven by the whole right-wing not just the radical right.
In the US, checks and balances have been replaced by cheques and bank balances. Trump is supported by the richest man in the world. $90m was recently spent on an election for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The legislative branch of government has been hobbled by gerrymandering and blatant intimidation. To top it off, six conservative justices on the Supreme Court have ensured that there will no serious judicial threat to Trump's arbitrary rule with an astonishing ruling that he is virtually immune from criminal prosecution while in office. Their 230-year-old Constitution now has about as much relevance to the democratic crisis in the US as the Magna Carta has to the government of the UK.
Ireland is a shining light of the west
Our Congress should be providing a check on this, but the Republicans have majority inthe House and Senate. Sadly, that gives them power to squelch efforts at checking Trump.
Dems are finally obstructing more, as they should have from the start.
But we have let Trump put his flunkies in charge of our enforcement agencies, and they are refusing to hold him accountable for his lawlessness. So We the People are organizing and protesting and pushing to oust the lawless officials. I'm afraid it's going to take a while.
Many Americans absolutely hate what Trump has said and done from the moment he started campaigning to become president . He’s a disgrace. Our political system needs some major reforms in campaign finance and our news media, I think, needs to ramp up on reporting and speculating on myriad possibilities of future events less.
I voted for Kamala Harris! I was at the Colorado State Capital on April 5th, for a Hands Off rally. My friend and I were among 8,000 who there on a day that was 35 degrees and damp. One report I read said, there were 14,000 rally sites that included all 50 states. The weather in most of the country was cold that day.
It isn't that we aren't angry and protesting in big and small ways. It is the money and misinformation that is pouring into the pockets of our elected officials from the morbidly rich, Musk, Putin, Theil and others. Our Constitution was designed by men who didn't want to be ruled by a king again or taxed by a country on the other side of an ocean. Unfortunately, our Constitution hasn't been updated enough to protect us from malicious oligarchs.
My advice to Ireland and the rest of the of the democratic nations of the world, protect yourselves NOW from the oligarchs. If they succeed in the USA, nowhere in the world is safe!
Why? Ignorance. Stupidity. White Christian Nationalism. Racism. Xenophobia. Homophobia. Misogyny. Hate, unbridled. Because of this, it is not certain that we will have meaningful elections in 2028. At the Believers' Conference in late July, 2024, Trump told the group that if he won it could be the last election.
You're right about this, Christopher Eccles. I can't think of any mature political structure in which this on-going Trump-style revolution has been possible before a coup d'état...Napoléon?... Napoléon III? The constitutional frame of the US presidency seems to be some forefather or another's romantic idea of Roman "dictatorship" - too many after-the-fact remedies in a creaky seat-of the pants administrative structure! Musk's DOGE fire-'em-let-god-sort-it-out tactics, for instance, is part of the most well-worn hostile take-over strategy in US business- Musk did it just a bit ago to Twitter for Chrissakes! It's just hard to believe that the US federal government can fall victim to it! But it can because its constitution is a patchwork of norms rather than laws or rules; it is creaky and old-fashioned even in those norms and generally inadequate to the needs of a powerful democratic state.
Only non-US people seem to be talking about the need for serious constitutional reform at the moment; Frankfurter Allgemeine did an article on it - Opposition ohne Führer, by Christoph Möllers, 10/4. Maybe the NY Times should pick that up.
Anyway, if you're suggesting US people need to get started NOW on this so they have something to go with once they beat Trump's attempted mid-term elections coup and win the civil war... you're a true friend of the people!
The simple answer to your question is that it is a coup.
Ah ha… because we are the illegitimate bastard child of Merry Ole England. We would be better off had the British won.
We don’t have a government. We have a terrorist organization masquerading as a government. If only the Democrats acted as if they understood this truth.
The problem facing the Democratic Party is that we no longer have a democracy, and therefore all the usual solutions, procedures, and what have you are null and void (or soon will be decreed so).
The path to restore democracy, an improbable one I grant you, is the short, sharp shock of administrative decapitation: in other words, removing Trump AND Vance from office and installing a caretaker administration which can begin the hard, tedious and rather self-contradictory work of restoring order and ensuring no coups can occur in future.
R. There are 100,000 elections in the US in 2025. Thousands have already occurred. Many of these are for city council or selectmen or mayor or school boards, etc.
For at least 25 years, the Republicans have entrenched themselves in local politics winning most of these local races. Democrats and Independents are striking back at least in our county. Trump and the Republicans can foul up the Federal elections next year, but they can't mess up ALL of the local elections.
I talked yesterday to a friend from Louisianna. Her governor is MAGA, but recently they had a vote on some amendments he wanted to the state constitution. One amendment was pages long. Who comes out to vote for an amendment? But voter turnout was very big, and all 4 amendments were voted down. She said that is the beginning of the end of the governor getting everything he wanted.
We still haqve the mechanisms of democracy----If there is enough agreement ---by Citizens-, say 80 to 90% of several respected polls-- to cause a dramatic impeachment in the House, say 3/5th's present ??!--- Then 70+ for conviction ! Enough to get Johnson to step aside and allow the 3 previous living Presidents to step up to lead an interim , bipartisan government for 3 t5o 6 months during which Citizen's and politicians debate , with goals and rules established by the 3 former Presidents and Vice Presidents, via social networks, extensive polling , conluding with a series of national televised DEBATES, followed by national votes to select candidates to lead a consensus executive branch, followed by the regularly scheduled 2026 election for the legislature.
yes , improbable---- BUT--- we are currently highly vulnerable to some kind, maybe many kinds, of attacks . If we are in CRISIS--- economic, or physical, or moral ?--- Then a pre-emptive action similar to this discussion, will be PROVEN WISE.
I love your proposal. Send it to Bernie and AOC, with a cc to Schumer and Hakeem.
By whom…
Good question. Here's one for you in return: If I/we had an action plan, would I really be posting about it on Substack comments' sections instead of organizing a counter-coup?
Everyone is welcome to post their suggestions for how to bring about regime change. The problem is who will step forward and offer to 'bell the cat'?
This cat does not need belling, it needs TNR (for you noncat folks: Trap Neuter, Release)!
I trap, neuter and invite in
Wish I had an answer. Guess we will have to be the one times millions. Maybe a million mama march
Calling [US] Government "Terrorist organization" seems harsh, but as mentioned before, trump and his henchmen are the real domestic terrorists. How could 70+ million people don't see that coming!?
As HCR reported after the election-- 18% of Trump voters admitted they don't follow politics. Kamala and Walz lost by 1.5% nationally and by less than that in some of the swing states.
And many people ONLY watch Fox News which, for a Fox employee, is the shortest and easiest path to a job in the WH-- even for Secretary of Defense.
That's what I'm still asking myself. I still can't understand how the non-MAGA Trump voters thought the imposition of more tariffs would bring prices down or how a hateful, vengeful, multiple times bankrupt, struggling to string two sentences together would be capable of delivering sound economic policy. And to think that if the 30 percent of eligible voters who didn't vote had made their way to their polling booths, Trump would have still won beggars belief. Worse still, over 40 percent of voters are satisfied with the job he's doing.
It has to do with their “information” sources. They are fed a steady diet of lies, dis/misinformation, and hated of others that they consume uncritically and take as the gospel truth.
Ally, yesterday I was talking with a friend who hates Trump as much as many of us do. She was telling me about a mutual acquaintance that gets 100% of his "news" from Fox News.
She brought up Signalgate and he had no idea what she was talking about.
Fox News viewers are only exposed to negative stories about Biden and the Democrats, fluff pieces about nothing and praise for Trump and Republicans.
Lies by omission.
Millions of people protested all over the country on April 5th. Fox barely mentioned it. Fox is the voice box of oligarchy.
It will be interesting to see how the lawsuit surrounding the Murdoch will is resolved. If the challenge is denied, when Rupert pops off, the whole game could change. "Lochy" could lose control. I can dream, can't I?
GJ
A shining light for me is a couple of YouTube content creators who are in our tribe, and yet, have PLENTY of MAGA who watch them, as they will talk about it on their clips.
My favorite is "Belle of the Ranch". Her clips, 3x day, are under 4 minutes and very fact based. She has 3 other longer format ones "The Roads with Belle" and "Research Road" and "Interstate News" The last two are people on her team. Those are from 7-15 minutes. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND ALL OF THEM. ("Belle" will sometimes read critical emails she gets and explain why the criticism is unfounded.)
Next, on the Meidas Network (which has surpassed Joe Rogan now in viewership!) is a contributor "Tennessee Brando". His clips are about 7-15 minutes long and are reactions to news stories. He was born and raised poor in MAGA country, and he lives in "the buckle of the red belt" as he calls it. His thoughts and feelings are SPOT ON.
I know there are some here who have their own Substacks and channels and perhaps they can take the time to explain the following, as I am unsure where I heard this and if it is true: I was told that by SUBSCRIBING (which is free) HITTING THE "LIKE" BUTTON, and LEAVING A COMMENT will promote these channels within the computer algorithm and they will get more coverage.
I have made it a habit that when I click on those channels, as well as clicking on the Letter, I automatically hit that heart or thumbs up.
There are other substacks and channels that I appreciate, many that I've found by recommendations here.
I have a suggestion for future rallies, for those here who have the ability: how about putting together a small list of Substacks and YouTube channels that report the news that the right wing and traditional ignore? Print them up on small cards and hand them out?
I like that suggestion Miselle (about the Substacks and YouTube channels.) A while ago I saw a news story from the "Daily Beast" where, at Elon's urging "Doge goons Physically Drag Social Security Worker from Desk" after he refused to agree to update the databases by marking immigrants that are currently paying into the system as dead.
It seems to be that this is assault and the Doge Boys involved in the incident should be arrested. Why wasn't this reported in the MSM?
I’d like to add to your list the bulwark and parkrose permaculture on YouTube.
Amen. Inflation and propaganda are the reasons Trump won. Yesterday I saw an old sign left up after November's election. It said, "Save the economy. Vote Republican" I wanted to add my own sign next to it, "Hahahaha!"
Trump did not win by much. The tide is turning. Everyone has been affected by the tariffs or will soon be. Senators, including 7 Republicans, are working on a bill to take tariff control back from the presidency. Call your senators today and insist that they do something. Remember that we got the WH to keep the call staff at SS. This is much so much bigger. The Republicans know this. They know their money.
I would clarify Anne and say, misinformation and exaggeration about inflation since in 2024 inflation had dropped below 3%.
Keep in mind that every Republican President has led us into a recession including Reagan, the Bushes and Trump.
Often that source of "gospel truth" is from the pulpit.
Sarah Longwell's focus groups have Biden to Trump voters who disliked Trump intensely because of things like his hate, vengeance and lunacy, but still they pegged him as the better bet.
Interesting. Hard for me to see that.
They believed he was a "good businessman." He's not, as we know. He's a good con man.
I love Sara Longwell, and she has just reported that those same voters are starting to move because of the tariffs.
The ones captured by the Big Lies.
So true J L. For four years, the mantra from the right was, Biden is too old, the Biden administration is a mess. And that Trump will lower grocery prices on day 1 and end the Ukraine war on Day 1.
FOUR YEARS of lies told to people with underwhelming IQs.
I see indications that Trump sways a greater portion of less educated individuals, but also know of many examples of "well educated" in certificate terms, who are seemingly quite intelligent people who are orthodox, chapter and verse talking point repeating MAGAs. They seem to be captured by a cult dynamic that is not so much incapable of critical thinking so much as adverse to it, at least with respect to their group identity; which is what, I think, makes it a cult. The members of the Heaven's Gate cult that committed mass suicide in order to join a preposterous hidden spaceship, were at least well educated in technical terms, and I have contact with many others.
Cult identity is an enormous security hole in human rationality and empathy. Maybe there are elements of this are present in us all; by which I mean the urge to defend empirically unsound beliefs that we nevertheless hold dear. It seems to me that it is a sign of emotional maturity to be brutally honest with oneself, and courageously honest with other; and I know that personally, I am just not fully there. Nevertheless, we discipline ourselves to cross-examine some of our own reflexive and/or overly self-serving and vested beliefs. Some are less inclined to do so, and some (such as Trump) are conscienceless sociopaths who cynically manipulate human vulnerabilities. Followers may be some flavor of fanatic. Leaders to may be fanatical, but are more likely (like Trump) to primarily be extreme opportunists. Everything Trump says and does it to benefit him.
I'm a regular listener to Sarah Longwell's Focus podcast and people not taken in by the Big Lie were taken in this time. I have heard someone (can't remember who) say that celebrity has a particular power in contemporary US culture and that plays to Trump's advantage, particularly as he is an expert marketer. I don't know if that could be true. Its very depressing if it is.
A reflection of a failed education system and society
Trump has surely a crass commercial promoter, AND our society has excessively embraced commercial promotion, a commonly (at least to some degree) dishonest commercial promotion, as a way of life. I am all for free enterprise conducted within the bounds of promoting the general store, but we are allowing commercial interests (in some cases literally) write our law and define features of our culture. That is not democracy or "liberty and justice for all".
Sarah has reported recently that those in her focus groups are starting to move now, because of the economy. Good news.
Yes. It will be interesting to see how the 43 percent (?) still approving of Trump's performance moves over the next little while. Will that give a reliable indication of the proportion of the population now rusted on MAGA? Assuming the movement continues downward, of course.
There isn't a ton of data on no-party voters, but the few reports I've seen indicate the left/right breakdown is pretty close to 50/50.
Propaganda, lies, money and deception. What cults are all about…
Yes. And Trump did not win by much. This is an opportunity. Get tariffs back under control by Congress. Call your reps today.
The cowards won’t help us…. They support his lies and cheating. MSM has been silent and complicent
I think a lot of farmers, veterans and small business owners are regretting their vote. But has that showed up in any polls yet? And how do Democrats use this to fight back?
I still stand by that they won't really change their mind until it is more painful than it is now.
Even a lot of them are saying that they regret their vote but they still couldn't vote for Kamala or a Dem, so it's like a half hearted apology. Give it another 6 months when people stop stop getting raises, capital investment slows, unemployment benefits run out, costs continue to rise, hiring and new home building slows, while interest rates don't really go down even if the Fed lowers rates.
People who voted for Trump 3x are not persuadable imo, the younger people, older people who depend on benefits, low info voters and people who switched their votes are who we have to target.
Farmers knew who Trump was after his first trade war and needed subsidies to survive which basically balanced out the last trade war. They come off entitled and just thought they'd get more easy government money while cutting everything for the rest of us. Small business owners thought they'd just get tax breaks, and vets liked the macho image and hated DEI. Maybe if they get shipped to Greenland or Trump cuts more VA benefits they'll learn.
The Dems won't be able to stop the next budget bill and I firmly believe Americans will need to touch the stove to learn. I'm hoping we can impeach Trump next year, but I'm not getting my hopes up yet. Republicans always fall in line for Trump. Seeing it now, he promised no cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and yet they are looking to cut these programs next month and you hear crickets from them about it. They simply are hypocrites.
They saw it coming and were lying to the rest of us. A significant portion of the MAGA movement are religious evangelicals and accelerationists who want to see things burn and be destroyed. They wanted Trump to behave this way, then there are those who wanted tax cuts and less regulations no matter the cost, and finally the Republicans who genuinely never believe Trump is going to do what he says he is going to do. These people claimed to be voting for Trump for economic reasons, even though everyone including Trump told them ahead of time how his plans would be terrible. But they'd cut their nose to spite their face in order to own the libs. The culture was and is more important to them than anything else.
Another big problem is the corporate media sane-washing everything that Trump does. The DJI drops 3900 points in two day and Fox News barely reports it. And then two days later, when Trump manipulates the market and it goes up by 2900 points they brag about it being the largest increase in years.
Paul Krugman just posted this about the tariffs-
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/the-trump-tariffs-just-got-even-worse?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=277517&post_id=161220956&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=2bqjpz&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
White-washing ..... from pulpit to media, the South Rises once again
RINOs are radically sabotaging and destroying our long-standing republic.
They don’t care.
Every time I watch a liberal or Democrat pundit laugh and joke as they address what Trump and his nitwit enablers are doing to our democracy, I get enraged and want to vomit.
Or the Republicans!
Do you think Democrats have a majority in both the House and Senate? Are you at all familiar with how the federal government functions? There are three branches of government. The Republicans have seized control of the US Supreme Court. They own many of the judgeships throughout the country. The Republicans control the House and Senate and the American People elected Donald John Trump.
Are you proposing that the Democrats decide to overthrow the government? The democratically elected government? Are you insane or just an incompetent citizen?
I block people who post comments that insult my intelligence
So what was really happening beneath the cacophony of the tariff cover?
What would you have then do? We are having our local leaders holding democracy town halls, the state is clearly stressed and distressed by the whole stupidity of Donny-Musky…and the feckless GOP fucks in Congress. They own this, they know it and will do everything to defend and deflect…Johnson knows he’s going to hell!
Sold his literal soul for a few gold coins.
Power is the drug and they are addicted.
Christopher, the Congress is supposed to be a check, but many Republicans know that they are putting their careers (and maybe the safety of their families) in danger if they perform their constitutional duty of checking the president. In the Supreme Court, three of the nine justices were appointed by President Trump after Senator Mitch McConnell refused to allow a vote on Merrick Garland.
Senator Mitch McConnell surely has a lot to answer for.
TRUE Sabine, Mitch has a lot to answer for but, no answers. HCR properly cited the U.S. Custom's & Border Protection for the list of some of the middle class products imported from China that are now exempt.
Here is a more complete list of the "Tech Bro's Carve Out" products in alphabetical order per U.S. C&BP's announcement:
Flash drives
Flat screen TVs
Memory cards
Semiconductors
Smartphones
Solar cells
SSD storage drives
Apparently, dumb phones will still be be imported by Mitch in Kentucky & subject to China's Tariff
Quite telling is that the American soybean farmers, in their majority it seems Trump supporters, are being left out in the cold, and we here in Aus are blessed with a substantial increase in beef sales to China.
I wonder how long it will take his supporters to realise, that they are the ones footing the bill for their hero's fancy "economics". But they don't seem to have so far, so it could still take them quite a while.
They have been flim flamed, like so many others. Propaganda on steroids
And yet they still support him. Brains are a terrible thing to have washed!
Lots of washed or eaten brains. Or just plain evil run amok
I am not seeing beef prices come down in the US as promised by Trump and I know fish prices aren't coming down.
Most of the lobsters caught (trapped) in Maine are processed in Canada and subject to the 10% tariff. However, my fish monger mentioned the other day that there is a new processor in Stonington that is only processing the lobsters brought into Stonington. Of course, market price varies, but he said initially it would be $8/lb.
It will probably take a while for any price fluctuations to come through, but if the large international export contracts fall through because of the prices, I'm sure they will hit. Which may be a good thing for the domestic buyer, however, I doubt you can cover all goods produced for export in the domestic market.
The current court is the product of decades of planning by right-wing billionaires working with Republican elected officials. This is detailed in the October 2023 investigative work by ProPublica, "We Don't Talk About Leonard: The Man Behind the Right's Supreme Court's Supermajority": https://www.propublica.org/article/we-dont-talk-about-leonard-leo-supreme-court-supermajority
Another good source on this decades-long manipulation campaign in the context of Russian long game psyops & corrupt political influence is Greg Olear; substack & podcast name - Prevail. + David Cay Johnston & Wayne Barrett had been investigating & writing about 45/47 + R. Giuliani Italian & Russian mob links in NY since the early 1990s. + In July 2024 Pope Francis excommunicated the Vatican’s former ambassador to U.S. for schism. ( Vatican excommunicates former ambassador to the U.S., declaring him guilty of schism
Vatican excommunicates former ambassador to the U.S., declaring him guilty of schism
By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press
The Vatican on Friday excommunicated its former ambassador to Washington after finding him guilty of schism, an inevitable outcome for Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano. The conservative had became one of Pope Francis most ardent critics and a symbol of
) Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano is a member of the Vatican Prelature, Opus Dei, as are former AG, Bill Barr & 5/6 of “conservative” SCOTUS judges. (Amy C. Barrett. - People of Praise). Leonard Money Bags Leo is a Knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, another medieval church hegemonic philosophy based prelature. <> Like Putin’s use of association with politicized Russian Orthodox Church, L. Leo, et al use Opus Dei & The Catholic Information Center in DC and Opus Dei controlled St. Agnes parish in Midtown Manhattan to launder fascist mafia state operators money into mainstream media, think tanks. & lobbying firms. Techbros associated with Peter Thiel, including JD Vance are Opus Dei. Curtis Yarvin - Silicon Valley’s dark enlightenment philosopher, Putin, Russell Vought, & Leonard Leo, are all of the same network of fascist mafia state oligopolists & their mercenaries. This is all public info that’s tacitly suppressed by msm. But, the principal players & mercenaries are openly proud of their association and hard work to colonize and control humanity. (I know, so bizarre it seems unhinged but that is part of the essential component of manipulation & extortion; induce cognitive dissonance in the target.) Greg Olear’s book, Dirty Ruples details the Putin & 47 bromance.
Thank you for this John Rich.
The administration is already ignoring laws passed by Congress. Just as they are ignoring rulings by the judiciary.
Congress and the judiciary have no power to enforce laws or decisions in the face of a rogue executive. The executive branch enforces the law, and this executive branch has been completely corrupted.
The states are the only path forward for law enforcement. The states must step up, enforce the law and protect their citizens and residents.
Texas leads the way, hahaha
That's no excuse. That is part of the job they are elected to do.
Michaline, I was only commenting on a reason for their actions — I was not excusing their cowardice.
I sure as hell don’t. Any who do are complicit. And stupid.
Absolutely! "Can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen!"
This entire situation is a calculated attempt to distract, discourage, and destroy the very fabric of American democracy. The Trump regime's retribution tactics, masking as strongman authority, have nearly collapsed the global economy and are driving us toward a deep recession—possibly even a depression—unlike anything we have experienced before. The House passed a bill that slashes taxes for billionaires while decimating social security and healthcare programs for the poor, the disabled, the elderly, and children, all in the name of privatization. This cruelty extends further, with even the most fundamental rights, like a woman’s right to vote, under attack.
One of the most tragic and inhumane consequences of this administration's reckless actions is the destruction of access to blood thinners, medications like Heparin and Coumadin that are vital for the health of over 12 million people in hospitals every year. At a local pharmacy, I asked if they anticipated a Coumadin shortage due to the tariffs or supply chain disruptions. The response? Since Warfarin (Coumadin) is made in the U.S., they didn’t foresee any issues, according to the manufacturer, CARO.
Yet the broader picture of this regime's ineptitude cannot be ignored. The dismantling of national security infrastructure is putting our country at risk. Foreign adversaries are seizing the opportunity to exploit our vulnerabilities, with the Department of Homeland Security’s capacity already significantly reduced. The Trump administration is weakening our national defenses and making us more susceptible to attacks.
What’s even more troubling is the personal gain driving these policies. Trump's advisors and Congress members are using inside information to trade and profit illegally, all while pushing a dangerous agenda. Tariffs that are meant to hurt foreign nations have turned into a shakedown, extorting other countries and alienating our allies. In the process, the stability of the U.S. bond market has been jeopardized—an act that could destabilize the global financial system, possibly due to Trump's sociopathic disregard for the consequences.
The only action left is for all of us to protect ourselves and our country by standing up in protest. We must bring crowds to the streets that are twice the size of what we saw on April 5th. As Eric Holder warned, the time to act is now. It’s crucial that we unite to demand accountability, restore democracy, and protect our future.
It seems like above all Trump's lifelong raison d'etre, besides self-serving hedonism, is showing that he can break every rule and never be held accountable; and that's the antithesis of what democracy and rule of democratic laws, our nation's traditionally celebrated virtues, are about.
So who's permitting him?
More like, "Who's not stopping him?" The answer is the very slim majority outrageously manipulated as in "legislative day that lasts the rest of the year," simple majority in the House and Senate (or individuals and groups that, despite a one vote majority to pass what they want, can stop what they don't want with an individual hold or requirement for 60% to override).
Our fellow citizens. People that voted for Trump 3x and the representatives who care more about access to power than their oath to the Constitution.
UPCOMING ACTION DAY APRIL 19th!!!! Here is an article about it (you can also search 50501 or Indivisible group postings for locations near you…or create one!):
https://www.newsweek.com/nationwide-trump-protest-april19-50501-handsoff-2056119 In this article I saw the words “hostile gov’t takeover” which prompts me to link to this guy’s song of the same name: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9rgHC9P7FjI
I wouldn't be surprised if the protests double or triple in size Barbara. A few months down the road the crowds will be massive. That really scares this administration.
My estimate of four months to civil war is, unfortunately, looking more and more possible. End of May, weather will be better (unless we have an early hurricane season because global warming) and the economic collapse may well be nigh. Let's hope the rallies make a difference. A peaceful difference. No one is going to help us if they don't.
And now Trump is exempting individual industries from the tariffs. I assume—because he never does anything unless he can somehow benefit himself—that very large “campaign contributions” will somehow make their way into his crypto accounts. He can shake down industry after industry. It’s a grifter’s dream come true. Favoritism on tariffs has always been a problem, but at least Congress was involved in the decision-making and some of the wheeling and dealing was public. Now, one very unstable, callous, foolish, egomaniac with a persecution complex decides. This is what dictatorship looks like.
All they are stealing is going to bit coins that can’t be traced. And a percentage of that goes into DJT’s bitcoin acct.
Nothing to see here folks. Watch the bonfire over there!
Many years ago I had to use Heparin (which I think is made in China) and could not use Coumadin because I had to use a blood thinner that was injectable. Things may have changed though and maybe Coumadin is now always a viable substitute?
The injectable is Lovenox / Enoxaparin sodium injection that many people take after surgery or to reset blood clotting issues. Self administered in the belly.
The 10 boxed single dose 150 mg /1 mL are shipped in from Singapore SANOFI company
If you need this in an emergency they may not be able to get them. Ask your doctor or Coumadin pharmacist in order to get an emergency back up RX if needed.
At this point I feel for those GOP who fear for their families but I do not hold that same sentiment for their fear of losing their job. However, cowering and not taking responsible actions you do not protect either your job or your family. I have great respect for Bernie and AOC out their speaking loudly and clearly against the actions of this administration. Take a lesson GOP
Exactly. Being visible and loud makes it harder (though certainly not impossible) for the thugs to act. In the meantime, anyone listening can see there is an opposition and have a hook on which to hang their hats.
Thank you, Professor Richardson.
Trump's pattern of lawlessness has established a role model for his cadre of billionaire donors who want more regardless of the cost, the GOP -a former political party transitioned as a criminal enterprise surrounding and protecting their leader, fringe extremists, hateful racists cheering the disappearing deportation of anyone with less than white skin, misogynists who joyfully chide "Your body our choice", and of course foreign adversaries like Putin because this lawless Trump regime is now inflicting attacks on the EU, Canada, and Mexico.
I suspect Kinzinger, Cheney, and a handful of other courageous members of the former GOP are not the only members with courage and a commitment to their oath to the U.S. Constitution and their "Pledge of Allegiance" to a concept of "...and justice for all". While they understand the political and electoral necessity of the "Trump base", more than several have to be deeply concerned about this regime's complete disregard for the rule of law. Furthermore, while some billionaires like the imbecile Musk, Adelson, and Thiel salivate over the likelihood of permanent tax cuts (built upon the dead bodies of impoverished families who no longer have access to Medicaid, or women who no longer have access to reproductive healthcare), some of the extremely wealthy must feel a growing unease about the stupidity and randomness of Trump -due to rapidly destabilizing global trade.
Nevertheless, as I wrote yesterday, it is clear to me that, although we were adequately warned about enemies foreign and domestic, our system of justice was never sufficiently insulated from concentrated wealth coupled with an authoritarian intent to subvert the system and effectively use it to destroy itself using a 900+ page plan developed by the Heritage Foundation.
While continuing protests are important, I fear the only non-violent recourse we may have is through a prolonged general strike until a new, temporary government is formed, the current regime is removed and a special investigator and court is established to investigate, indict, convict, imprison, and performs asset seizures of all who have participated in this sustained attack on United States, including those who conspired with this administration, interfered with and obstructed justice and investigations, those who have acted as accessories after the fact, and those who provided significant financial or in-kind support for this sustained attack.
Our current system is completely ineffective in holding power to account (by design). Half-measures (such as the impeachment of the criminal-elect, or the invocation of the 25th Amendment is insufficient as it will leave an entire array of criminal bad actors in place in the Executive Branch, the Supreme Court, Congress, and State/Local governments -and effectively continues the January 6, 2021 domestic attack on the United States.
No mention of the wholly complicit network/cable news/entertainment complex, M. M. Polisner?
Surely the anesthetizing of the American mind by mindless advertising and insidious bread/circuses is a factor, no?
Absolutely Derek. An earlier article about the broken media pipeline: https://open.substack.com/pub/bomdia/p/the-media-pipeline
That is undoubtedly a serious problem, but Americans can hardly complain that there's a dearth of accurate news reporting or serious commentary on what the Trump administration is doing. I barely find time during the day to read it all. There's not really much excuse for intellectual laziness. Trump in his first term urged his followers not to believe what they were seeing and reading and that's pretty much what has happened - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-44959340
That's why people talk about a 'post-truth world', a world of 'alternative facts' when they talk about Trump in office.
It isn't that there's a "dearth" of news, it is that there is choice in what people consume for their news and information.
But it's not simply about choice when one's eyes are connected to one's brain.
We are fed junk food all day every day, causes breakdown of vital organs
But no one is force-feeding you!
People in food deserts have little choice. People who are dependent on food banks have little choice. People who have never been taught fundamentals of cooking or nutrition have no tools to use.
Some people choose to eat junk food; there are some established links regarding consumptions of fats and sugars to tickling the endorphins in the brain to trick your body into feeling good when it processes the junk.
Are we still talking metaphorically?
I wasn’t.
The fundamentals in my experience: Good knives and knife skills, Technique, and the application of heat and flavor. With knowledge of those things one can achieve quite a bit with little. And then there is ...... Bread.....
Exactly. And when you are unhoused, or without electricity or a kitchen..
Unfortunately this is a choice by many
Walk in the shoes of your brothers and sisters. And realize that the junk food applies to more than calories.
Er, no thanks.
Add in U.S. systems of education, all crippled, and we've got real trouble, yes, George?
Indeed Phil -really crippled and/or decimated across an array of societal imperatives. Education, climate, USAID, justice, equality, public health, science and innovation, housing, agriculture, alliances, everything.
Canada here, watching carefully: it seems natural that when an individual, male or female, achieves a position of considerable importance that we attribute to them a level of intelligence beyond the norm. It just seems normal that we do so. They will take care of us, we think, because they now can.
So we have an individual in the presidency who I think will not look out for us, maybe he will, but only taking care of himself first.
I raise this because this individual will now negotiate tariffs on behalf of the USA with each individual country. All of them, one on one.
This is a process that is so ripe for corruption and achieving personal benefit for himself and personal friends that the boundaries either are limitless or non existence.
What an awesome display of power being demonstrated. You can now kiss democracy out the back door where the garbage is picked up
It's just continual theater for him, Jim.
Another way for him to parade his unctuous girth and heavily-orange-made-up face -- as if all world leaders just crave being bit players in his fatuous farce.
Reality tv, for real this time
Keep being loud!
Use this spreadsheet to call/email/write any of our representatives as often as possible. Not just your own state reps, reach out to those in other states. Be as loud as you can. Use your voice and make some “good trouble.”
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13lYafj0P-6owAJcH-5_xcpcRvMUZI7rkBPW-Ma9e7hw/edit
Resistbot
Yes! I have that on my spreadsheet as a resource to use too
Reading this from our home in France and thinking, well, bon chance et joyeuses pâques.
bonne
Where Occam’s Razor would have us first consider the explanation with the fewest underlying assumptions, Trump’s Razor has us begin with the stupidest explanation.
Thank you Heather, for once again helping us to connect the myriads of dots being spewed at us by the current administration. It’s staggering how much criminal activity a small determined group of bad actors can accomplish in such a short period of time!!! Truly remarkable!!
It makes me wonder whether all this talk about Trump being a Russian asset may have some truth to it after all. I mean, how else are we to explain his obvious deference to anything Putin does and his willingness to overlook and ignore some 80 years of American history without even batting an eyelash.
Honestly, I really feel like I’m living in the Twilight Zone now. I’m expecting Rod Serling to show up any minute. 😂
They're not dots, Jonathan! Trump is the Jackson Pollock of insane policy-making.
Trumputin does as ordered.
'Kiss my ass' is, of course, the core of the whole thing. We have sitting in the White House a raging narcissist who is, despite having been born wealthy and privileged, filled with a sense of victimhood. He believes, for whatever reason, that the world has always been unfair to him and is always out to get him. That and his life-long goal of "Trump wins" are what drives most of what he does. I can only imagine the rage he feels toward China's Xi, who has so far refused to bow down and give that kiss. How dare Xi stand up to him! How dare he go toe-to-toe on tariffs or anything else! This ride is 4 years long, folks - unless he dies or becomes incapacitated. Then we get President Vance (yikes!). Buckle up!
Sunday morning tummy-ache with this news-dump. But the thing that worries me most is the attack on intelligence security- our intelligence has been and is being systematically compromised. As the CIA's Ratcliffe is in discussions with Russia intelligence, I fear that we are being sold to Russia, entering into an alliance, or a reversal of alliances. Fellow readers should fear this too. Let's hope patriots in the intelligence services and real allies are holding some sort of line!
And we aren’t even 3 months in to this administration. It’s a new scandal every week. That’s why thankful for Heather and Joyce Vance and her Democracy Index to keep me updated without going crazy.
One of the key bits of American humor is the Keystone Cops.
We have it again now, in the White House, its cabinet members, the Congress, unelected DOGE, and too much of "the highest court in the land" immunizing all the mayhem from the leader of it all -- or, from the orange felon and his co-fascist car-&-rocket guy.
36,000 turned out in L.A. today for the latest Bernie & A.O.C. rally. Americans like their entertainment, but I suspect good numbers of Americans know the Keystone Cops were a way 100 years ago to make fun of the rich, high society, and all the enablers of that privileged vacuity.
Heather keeps nabbing the real-world insanity which today's version of the Keystone Cops follows. I don't think many among L.A.'s 36,000, or many reading Heather appreciate the sheer vulgarity and mortal danger of what is definitely not entertaining.
Or cosplay Keystone firefighters running, every which way and dousing panicked citizens with fire hoses; while the city, bereft of their attention, burns to ashes.
June 14th has been celebrated as Flag Day for as long as I can remember. As a young Boy Scout in the 1950s, I marched in a parade with flags lining the streets.
This June 14th will be marked by a military parade starting at the Pentagon and winding 4 miles through northern Virginia and the District of Columbia to end at the White House. The President of the United States says the parade is to honor the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States Army. It also happens to be the Dear Leader's 79th birthday. I've heard no mention of it being designated as Flag Day.
I have two predictions: 1) there will an Executive Order signed to declare June 14th a National Holiday; 2) there is a 50/50 chance the United States will be living under the terms outlined in the Insurrection Act of 1807.
Wanna bet?
There is a way we can spoil the party. Let's make this June 14th another day of protest like April 5th was.
Nope
So what's the problem? Under Trump, the punishment for insurrection is a full pardon.