Letters from an American
Heather Cox Richardson's narrated newsletter about the history behind today's politics.
Heather Cox Richardson's narrated newsletter about the history behind today's politics.Listen on
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Heather Cox Richardson
Those Republicans remaining silent so they can be re-elected is nothing short of cowardliness.
It's also a dereliction of duty, they take an oath of office to uphold the Constitution, not fealty to a President. They are supposed to prevent power from being unbalanced in the executive branch...& WE elect them.::ugh::
No, it is treason.
The Rosenbergs committed treason and were put to death, will we see that for these traitors?
No, about these idiots will be silence.
Perhaps re-election is a piece of it. They are likely gaining wealth by staying in office and remaining complicit. With announcements of private prisons, increased defense spending, & state voucher scams sprouting private schools, I’ll bet you that many or all of them are investing in these schemes. Follow the money.
These idiots in the White House leave me speechless. The idea of “men of wealth” making decisions like destroying social security is laughable if it wasn’t so serious. My husband and I paid into social security all our working careers; it’s MY MONEY. Now I’m ready to get it back. It’s not your money Mr. Trump, Elon and Vance. The idea I would live to see this country brought to it’s knees is horrible at best.
I agree- it is OUR money and we expect all of it for ourselves and other Americans needing it - social security, Medicare and Medicaid and more
Following the Smoot Hawley tariffs and the Great Depression Republicans paid a heavy price politically spending decades in the wilderness. President McKinley paid an even heavier one.
Are there lessons in this history for the current GOP?
do they read?
Trump definitely doesn’t read. He doesn’t even listen!
In the March 27 issue of the New York Review of Books, Neal Ascherson reviews "Hitler’s People: The Faces of the Third Reich" by Richard J. Evans.
This excerpt from Ascherson's review struck me as apropos to the current situation in the Executive Branch:
"The 'paladins,' the leading Nazis who formed Hitler’s 'court,' were variously explained away by their Allied conquerors. Churchill, invoking old American movies, called them 'gangsters.' The Allied Control Commission observed unhelpfully that 'so grotesque and preposterous are the principal characters in this galaxy of clowns and crooks' that it was impossible to see how anyone 'could have taken them for rulers.' The psychiatrists appointed to observe the Nuremberg defendants asserted that they were variously psychopathic: Rudolf Hess was 'a self-perpetuated hysteric'; Julius Streicher was 'paranoid'; [Robert]Ley had 'frontal lobe damage' and 'organic brain disease'; and so on . . . ."
Substitute the names of some from the current gang of "paladins" and you're likely to get a clearer picture of the makeup of the Trump "court."
**Calling all data miners** Please spread a plea far and wide to learn the 'ownership structure' of the Louisiana ICE detention facilities privately owned, for profit by the GEO Group, Inc. formerly 'Wackenhut Corrections.' I'm willing to bet donuts to dollars that former senator Jeffrey Beau're'gard Sessions is involved; perhaps more gop critters too !
I'm listening to Rachel Maddow's "Prequel" & it was not at all just Hitler's court, but very much in the U.S. as well, very scary psychopathy.
This sounds like a book we should all be studying! Thanks for the reference!
Yes, I agree. Evans is a well-respected historian, particularly of that period of history.
Ascherson's review certainly piqued my interest in it, so I intend to get to it when I can. The study not only of those in Hitler's circle, but also of those in lesser positions who participated in the functioning of the Third Reich, is interesting, and very topical I believe.
I encourage everyone to go to the Social Security Administration website and download and print both your Social Security Statement (earnings record) and your Benefit Verification Letter and put them in a safe place. I trust no one in Trump's administration run by con men, felons, fox "news" talking heads, car salesmen, and the guy with the worm in his brain.
An electronic or printed copy of your Social Security information will be entirely irrelevant. If it’s needed, it’s already too late. The data will have been adulterated to show whatever trump/musk want it to show. A single individual has absolutely no power to protect a government that’s being used as a weapon against us.
Musk wants the data. Trump wants the money in the Social Security trust funds. Once they’ve converted the COBOL database to whatever porous software structure musks kids have created, your money will already be gone.
You have no recourse. The legal system is entirely suborned. Roberts’ SCOTUS is completely partisan & corrupt.
It’s game over, people. We passed the tipping point a long time ago when FACTS were met with “Alternative Facts” that 77 million Americans liked better & bought in to.
The United States & everything she stood for (or pretended to stand for), is dead - with a bespoke golf club through her heart.
If you haven't accessed them, as I hadn't, you might need to get a security code by snail mail like I did. And, with USPS...don't put it off.
If you haven't accessed them, as I hadn't, you might need to get a security code by snail mail like I did. And, with USPS...don't put it off.
what we need to understand is that narcissists don't have the neurobiology toward empathy, they just don't even see other people other than as something to exploit. cozying up to them does not work. only boundaries, push back and continuing to hold onto our own humanity is what will save us.
It all seems so bizarre that the so called stable genius is dreaming this strategy all by himself. Income taxes certainly even the load on managing the financial resources. It assumes everyone will pay their fair share — and we know how that is working out .
a big barrel of rotten fish. Pusillanimous supine repugs will do whatever their dear leader commands.
He is constructing concentration/immigration camps to the tune of $45 billion right before our eyes. And isn’t our military spending already bloated?
The last I knew, the military was our biggest expenditure & that was even before Felon47 turned on the world. Prison stock jumped right after the election & there's been things that seem to be in line with that, like making homelessness illegal.
He’s probably reserving space for any and all American critics and dissidents, which will all be called “leftist, socialist, communist and undesirables who illegally disparage the god-given golden age of Trump, and who as a result of any sign of disloyalty or treachery, shall be consigned to the $45 Billion private prison system, which may be located on either private estates, and on federal military bases, for holding of suspected “liberals” until their investigations are completed (which could take hours, or days, or weeks, or months; or, years; or, decades, if you should somehow manage to live that long). Of course, the charges against you would be “secret”, however you already have been judged by the Zuckerberg & Bannon on the content of your social media and “likes” ( see Cambridge Analytica). So why is Bannon pretending to be outside the Trump Disfigurement Syndrome? (Where ultra-right wingnuts twist themselves into human Twister pretzels to rationalize every new distraction that is the only thing he does beside lording it over everyone on tv or playing golf with murderous dictators. What’s not to like?
The term "decimation of government services" is appropriate to describe this administration (or regime). Trump has lied about his true intentions from the beginning but with one bad idea after the other, it is still shocking to see this in the United States. This regime will not last but the question is what will come in its wake.
**Calling all data miners** Please spread a plea far and wide to learn the 'ownership structure' of the Louisiana ICE detention facilities privately owned, for profit by the GEO Group, Inc. formerly 'Wackenhut Corrections.' I'm willing to bet donuts to dollars that former senator Jeffrey Beau're'gard Sessions is involved; perhaps more gop critters too !
it says I am a free subscriber but I have paid a year long subscription. I so appreciate all you are doing to keep informing us in a broader context and with careful attention to the truth and with references. SUCH a gift into the world. I hope you are able to pace yourself, too..
Trump apparently doesn’t care about the inhumanity of Traffis on People or even worse createing Camps for those he and his imagration Team dem unworthy to live amoung us 🥲
So, currently Trump and his MAGA Republican Legislators want both: Tariffs and Income Taxes! Of course, the next step is to eliminate Income Taxes. Back to the Future: sounds like a Movie I heard about a few years ago.
I’ve known he and his “men” have meant the new “Golden Age” as the Gilded Age. Most of our wealth in the hands of a few men. It will absolutely devastate our country and all non-white people living in it.
Private “Detention Facilities” are just new private prisons for the wealthy to take more of our tax dollars. Pathetic! And a Trillion dollars for a Defense Department that hasn’t passed an audit for over a decade is just costly corruption waiting to happen! I can’t believe it! So embarrassing!
Republicans staying silent is the direct result of them cutting their own throats. It's difficult to speak at all while one's mouth is full of bullshit and you are bleeding out.
**Calling all data miners** Please spread a plea far and wide to learn the 'ownership structure' of the Louisiana ICE detention facilities privately owned, for profit by the GEO Group, Inc. formerly 'Wackenhut Corrections.' I'm willing to bet donuts to dollars that former senator Jeffrey Beau're'gard Sessions is involved; perhaps more gop critters too !
ETTD
Everything Trump Touches Dies
Trump is doing for the United States what he did for Atlantic City. He managed to bankrupt a casino of all things!
It's beyond belief...my beautiful USA is being destroyed by its own ELECTED leaders!! The "grands" are asking so many questions I can't answer...Is there NO ONE who can get rid of our toxic DJT and his staff??
😑♾️🌍😑✊ WOW, you are the best. End of story.
I personally didn't hear this information any where else.
Even hearing some of it elsewhere, I don't think anyone else brings it together, with what is most important, like the Professor!
Is it the odor of fresh blood I smell in the air?
Better get used to it, I'm thinking it will become much worse in the very near future.
People, my countrymen, pissed off, poorer by the day and becoming more desperate by the hour.
I'm just saying, you know, it is what it is. The word disaster comes to mind. let me now who exactly elected this idiot?
MY FEVER DREAM: Speaking of committees, one should be formed to call trump out on his lies every day and broadcast them on a secret, secure network that could be hacked into the mainstream affiliates during prime and drive times. Verification would be the lies themselves as they would be told in his own recorded voice on radio and video on TV, even and especially on Fox News.
As we build our own Auschwitz’s we should have counselors in these facilities to help prevent suicide or to aid those who do not change their minds , make it as painless and private as possible.This is where we are. This is who we are. This is a bigger need than charging stations.
**Calling all data miners** Please spread a plea far and wide to learn the 'ownership structure' of the Louisiana ICE detention facilities privately owned, for profit by the GEO Group, Inc. formerly 'Wackenhut Corrections.' I'm willing to bet donuts to dollars that former senator Jeffrey Beau're'gard Sessions is involved; perhaps more gop critters too !
As always thank you. My mind made up that trump, because of his penchant to hurt people against him was to open fire on us marchers against trump and his policies. He is not well in his mind and still is the commander in chief
What he did to an American being deported to a prison is unbelievably scary.
Get them out I say!
The current president keeps referencing McKinley, does he not know who is Leon Czolgosz was?
Heather continues to say “the people give the government power and we can take it back.” A) no one voted to have the country’s reputation permanently destroyed for the lifetime of anyone who is now alive, B) current president will ignore any citizen claims of illegitimacy and invoke the insurrection act and declare martial law, and C) assume far worse than you can possibly imagine when a psychopaths narcissist suffering from dementia is leader of biggest economy in the world yet is a Russian agent.
The constitution has no basis anymore, as far as I can tell
Republs? Such c o w a r d s
Good break down between tariffs vs income tax.
CF47’s talk of making “America Great Again” was never referring to the average American. It was all about the oligarchs, and it will continue to be so unless congress steps up and does their job. But since Republicans Reps are sitting back and letting this all happen, they should all be fired and in jail. Only the American people can make that happen and we should. Sitting back saying nothing is complicit and should be treated as such.
I think we need to go viral with This is all #Bonkers! (all credit to HCR!)
When will the Democrats force a vote on the “Tariffs of King Donald”? What is holding them back? We know there are GOP members who come from purple districts who are shaking in their boots about these tariffs. Why aren’t we putting them “on the record” as FAILING TO FORCE THE VOTE on these tariffs? PUT THEM ON THE RECORD! What is holding the DEMS back?
F O R C E T H E V O T E !
If Trump vetoes, so what? We still have each GOP Congressperson ON THE RECORD. That’s the true gold here!
https://freedomwritersinc.substack.com/p/freedom-writers-462025?r=n3mpq
I hope this is ok. I apologize
https://publicintelligence.net/u-s-army-fm-3-19-15-civil-disturbance-operations/
This is great power that used by this administration could be devastating if it's depth is not known be The general public should be aware of.
Yes! It is treason too.
Ahhhh...Robber Barons. Thats the term I was searching for as a counter part to Piracy on the high seas.
When does a recession become a Depression?
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 and share this. Use your voice and make some “good trouble.”
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13lYafj0P-6owAJcH-5_xcpcRvMUZI7rkBPW-Ma9e7hw/edit
Add a comment to help keep this bumped so more people see it 🤞
The fifth reich (I like to call them) are Putinizing America. Decapitate all law enforcement officials in all agencies. Sell off the resources owned by the people (at least that’s the way it was here until recently) and transfer ownership of said resources to themselves, of course, with a well-defined mafia-style hierarchy. The recipients of kleptocracy become instant billionaires; however their access to their wealth is subject to their total acquiescence to the undisputed dominant leader. Go after all public institutions by starving them, firing all experts, sue them to death, or just snatch them off the street to disappear into prisons or rendition sites. Isn’t this just what happened in Syria over the last 50 years? And no, the Supreme Court conservatives are obviously so infatuated with their unitary executive theory that they are letting him tear new holes in the Constitution on a daily basis and doing little or nothing about it. I heard or read a journalist note that the Romans had a saying to the effect: it doesn’t matter if they hate us, as long as they fear us…. The problem being, what happens when they hate you, but no longer fear you? We can only hope that in this bad movie, Julius Caesar discovers a bit too late that he is not a divine being. Interesting side note: Rachel Madow reported that Kash Patel’s personal choice for deputy FBI director, Dan Bongino, will have a security detachment of up to 20 agents around him all the time! Has he been receiving death threats or something? Almost sound Gestapo-like, but definitely not an efficient use of resources!
**Calling all data miners** Please spread a plea far and wide to learn the 'ownership structure' of the Louisiana ICE detention facilities privately owned, for profit by the GEO Group, Inc. formerly 'Wackenhut Corrections.' I'm willing to bet donuts to dollars that former senator Jeffrey Beau're'gard Sessions is involved; perhaps more gop critters too !