Stocks were up early today as traders put their hopes in Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s suggestion that the Trump administration was open to negotiations for lowering Trump’s proposed tariffs.
Legendary, all right. I wish I could live to see how history treats this man.
Heather, I don’t see how it’s humanly possible for anyone to do the research, verification, and writing necessary for producing your daily reports. Hard work is a gross understatement of what you do. Thank you so much!
Heather Cox Richardson (born October 8, 1962) is an American historian who works as a professor of history at Boston College, where she teaches courses on the American Civil War, the Reconstruction Era, the American West, and the Plains Indians. She previously taught history at MIT and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She received her AB, MA, and PhD from Harvard University.
Richardson has authored seven books on history and politics. In 2019, she started publishing Letters from an American, a nightly newsletter that chronicles current events in the larger context of American history. Richardson focuses on the health of American democracy. The newsletter accrued over one million subscribers, making her, as of December 2020, the most successful individual author of a paid publication on Substack.
Newsletter: Letters from an American (2019–present)
In September 2019, Richardson began writing a daily synopsis of political events associated with the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. Originally posting late every evening or in the early hours of the next day on her Facebook page, Richardson later moved to add a newsletter, entitled "Letters from an American."[5][6] The newsletter deals with contemporary events she explains and relates to historical developments, with a focus on the health of American democracy.[7]
As of December 2020, Richardson was "the most successful individual author of a paid publication on... Substack" and on track to bring in a million dollars of revenue a year.[8] The newsletter received a "Best of Boston" award for "2021 Best Pandemic Newsletter" from Boston magazine.[9] By January 2024, the newsletter had about 1.3 million people reading each newsletter.[5] The Nation described her journalistic voice as "sincere, humble, approachable, and jargon-free."[5]
In 2021, Richardson appeared on the Forbes 50 over 50 list[22] and received the Frances Perkins Center Intelligence and Courage Award.[33][34][35] In 2022, USA Today recognized her as one of the Women of the Year.[36][7] In 2023, The Guardian described her as the single most-important progressive pundit since Edward P. Morgan from the 1960s.[11] In 2024, the Authors Guild Foundation awarded her The Baldacci Award for Literary Activism for 2024.[37][38] In November 2024, Richardson was awarded the Kidger Award by the New England History Teachers Association at the NCSS Conference in Boston, Massachusetts.[citation needed]
A National Treasure -- and my very first read every day. How she does it day in and day out I will never know -- but I'm so glad she does. Thank you Heather!
Sometimes I feel the need to read nothing more after I read Dr. Richardson's letter. It's definitely my first go to. There are a lot of great ones out there but she's the best!
The Professor is a lifeline to reality in full historical context.
Everybody: "Industry leaders" have gathered today in South Carolina including George Pyne, CEO of Bruin Capital, Vlad Tenev, Robinhood's CEO, Marc Rowan, Apollo Management's CEO & ANTHONY BLANKEN ... presumably there for political realities nationally & internationally.
Quick Tour National: Wreck is yammering about "pharmaceuticals" so Drug Companies are off 🔻over 5% on market futures. All Treasuries are up this morning. I suppose that's a RUSH to perceived safety?
International: Per the Bank of England (BOE )major UK companies are selling assets but, not in a crazy manner. In short, Sellers are "repositioning" capital but, to what is not clear this morning.
Re "repositioning" - What MAGA seems to forget is that our "rule of law" is what makes us so attractive to international investors. Take away that, and a big chunk of capital leaves for a safer haven.
Thanks for the list. I do Bulwark, Meidas Touch, Bluesky. I like reading the continuing updates from my federal Senator (Chris Murphy). I have been listening to NPR. The best thing I have heard on there was an interview with some trump official. The guy kept obfuscating and not giving any answers. The interviewer said that he should come back when he had some answers. Priceless!
I definitely read Heather first and the rest when I have time. And sometimes I completely disregard the others - a sanity saving technique for those days when the news burden is just too much to bear.
I agree, she is the voice that America needs to hear at this historically chaotic time. She helps me sleep better, as well as face each day with a more positive outlook. Keep it coming Heather, we need you.
Harvey, she is my first read in the am unless she posts early and I see the letter before I go to bed. I also post it first thing to Facebook (yes, I know). I have learned so much from Heather and from many of the posters here.
My morning coffee and LFAA are the first things I take care of in the morning. When she breaks at night (PDT) I hold off until morning since I do need my sleep...
First read for me, for sure, for years. I miss her voice on weekends and her (way too infrequent) "I need a break" days (nearly always accompanied by one of Buddy's gorgeous photos).
Wikipedia is an unexpected egalitarian resource that I also never take for granted, chipping in a little money to support them periodically because it seems like a necessity now that it has reached a very useful maturity.
Wikipedia is always a great starting place, and where to touch bases for material you might miss. It is often a more compact collection of relevant material that can stand entirely on its own.
I have a bad habit of often trying to cover too much, or many minor points that can distract more than usefully adding much substance, so I end up just referring to their much better curated articles.
Ain’t it the truth. 👏TY Nancy…and Heather, still enjoyed these many years later because…truth matters.
Today’s “Letter..” still embodies America’s central issues -historically truths - woven, polished , compiled into easy reading for us …with her specialized finesse.
I know a desperate animal will chew off their leg to escape the trap laid for them, when.they’re. CAUGHT…
Well, the right leans lending credence to that …yeh,what IS your pain threshold? Who cry’s “Uncle” first? And that Uncle is UNCLE Sam , folks…because your “imagined fetishized world” 🗣️is faked! Your incessant money making scheme scammed yer own damn selves!
Even I grab for the rosary as I’m laughing -truth penned well IS funny -but no , I’m actually pissed at both ends of this spectacle …where either the thieves on the bottom steal to supply their drug habit or the thieves at the top rig it to supply (and demands) for their ridiculous bank rolls.
Yes , in-deeds done: unions down, taxes down, infrastructure crumbled, the unhealthiest society , and education failing us.
It’s us , the middled in between ..squeezed and protesting (thank you)🫶. It’s the Middle Class near hollowed out, and some of the most very selfish clawing last vestiges before they abandon [their] convenient KING CON Don.
A very large percentage of these ARE felons/have been jailed//were jailed/will turncoat and never see justice rendered. Some of them are already labeled war criminals…it’s not just here in America .
No, it’s just finally right here in River City …..now.
Who is it that said “We’ve all lost money”?
Money Money Money
Always their first concern…right?
Never the thousands upon millions who died either fighting for that ‘equality for all ‘ America proudly STOOD for ….or the selfish lack of it ..because because because…….
Larry, I may be confused ( doesn’t take much) or missed the point …the NANCY I answered and thanked was Nancy Branch ‘s statement ..”Heather is the gold” …just previous to my comment today . I frequently start my run on comments by something brilliant another commenter says…appreciating all the grammar police and deciphering some have to do to have any clue ‘what I really meant’ 😉
This is ,beside my gardens, the funnest thing I do all day -read Heather that is.
“Trump’s undermining of the global economy reflects forty years of Republican emphasis on the myth that a true American man is an individual who operates outside the community, needs nothing from the government, and asserts his will by dominating others.” —Heather Cox Richardson, renown American historian.
“Humans were egalitarian for thousands of generations (adults in hunter-gatherer bands behave as equals) before hierarchical societies began to appear.” —Christopher Boehm (1931-2021), renown American anthropologist.
“The leadership of the Republican Party behaves less like human beings and more like adult male chimpanzees engaged in a dominance display performance.” —James R. Carey, LFAA newsletter subscriber.
And we see that clearly in their nonsensical push to remove women from places of power (unless they are totally loyal to Trump).. see “mini me” Pete Hegseth now ending a separate fitness test for women in the military. If these “chimpanzees” think that one half of the population is going to stand for being pushed back into “traditional” female roles they are in for a rude awakening!
They are nothing more than a bunch of 'throw-backs'. Wishing they were Hop-alon Cassidy, Billy the Kid, the Lone Ranger. Their fragile male egos can't deal with strong women and are terrified of powerful men of color. One word for them - GROW-UP, OR MAN-UP.
Or GET OUT OF THE WAY ! We women have been bearing your children, working full time jobs, keeping the car running, etc etc for my whole 80 years AND LONG BEFORE !
So true. It was the women that kept the weapons coming and factories operating during the war. My grandmother was one of them. But let’s see the men work as hard without some woman to cook and clean for them after she comes home from her factory job. No, they come home, whine incessantly, sit in front of their favorite chair watching sports and drinking cheap beer while making crude locker room remarks about women.
Never going back on women's rights, civil rights and racial justice, or LGBTQ rights! Can't put those genies back in the white male superiority bottle - it's all fake anyway as we can see. Those white boys are losing the game...that's why they get violent and rant and rave on line...
And to watch all of the CEOs who supported him freaking out, begging every which way for him to stop his bull-in-the-china-shop behavior is stunning. Here's what I'm afraid of: trump finds himself trapped like a rat in the corner and like the guy who kills the woman who left him with the if-I-can't-have-you-no-one-will mentality pushes the nuclear button....
Sophia...who knows what he will do. He is at least partially a puppet although the puppeteers may find out that some of the strings are broken. Maybe they already have and now are starting to panic.
I listened to an NPR report on the group, can't remember their name, who go on about how we need more (and more) babies!!! Really we do!!! Or the human race will disappear!!! the fElon is one of them, no surprise. And of course they are all about women being barefoot, pregnant, in the kitchen.
The planet does not need more humans. We are the most destructive species. And white babies only, although all fetuses must be born, so then we can deny them nutrition among other things.
I hope you are right but being a cynic I remind myself many did not vote and a majority of white women voted for him. I have loyalty and empathy for every woman choosing her own path and so I remain frustrated.
Steve, I really think some of the not voting was voter suppression or buying the idea that individuals votes do not matter. If the majority of white women voted for death star, then it is about race for them. I have encountered a few on other threads. All most of them have is name calling and never addressing the real issues.
Michele, I wish your comment could be elevated. I believe that castigating people who didn't vote is, in part, a form of victim blaming.
There are many parts of the nation where Republicans have made voting difficult in a variety of ways, including but not limited to: shortening hours polling places are open, shortening or eliminating early voting periods, permanently closing polling places or moving them without notice.
If a voter is able to navigate all these suppression tactics, it is probable that their vote will be neutralized before they ever cast it because their district has been grotesquely gerrymandered.
All of this can be – and is – demoralizing to a voter who doesn't agree with the majority in control of their state.
Having stated that case, racists and misogynists do not get a pass.
You make a good point about voter surpression and there is a but. In the past elections we have experienced voters who waited in terrible heat for 8 hours to vote. Laws were passed where they could not be given water while in line - I get that and yet people voted. I understand that the average wait in line in suburban white communities was under 15 minutes. Tribal members sued to vote and won. So I get your point about surpression and your point carries over to the extreme gerrymandering happening such as in Texas - at the end of the day, a racist devise.
The calculus on not voting is this, at the end of the day, in a system of only two major parties and an electoral college system (crazy system), every vote matters. To not vote, or to vote third party in our system,most often means supporting the extremist. The idea that your vote does not matter was exposed when Ralph Nader ran, Gore ran, and Hillary ran. I think many did not vote or voted third party because of Gaza, forgetting that a third party vote or a non vote was frankly a vote for Trump who talked about using nukes on Palestinians, and for others not voting because the family budget was still in shreds, even as the nation recovered from the Covid recession better than any country on earth. Sometimes we have to weigh which platform causes less harm. Many chose to not think that way, and here we are. In the end analysis it is not an analysis of saying Trump did not have a majority because of the scores of millions who did not vote, but since the vote is our voice, he got the majority.
In mind mind when I read about MAGA wanting to go back to the golden age of mining… it brought to mind the pictures of the miners covered in coal dust, many who died of black lung disease and the pictures of the shacks they lived in. I wonder how many of those families want to go back to that life. Green energy has focused on West VA mining areas to bring new clean jobs. Perhaps it is time for MAGA to wake the freak up and realize there is NO GOING BACK to the “golden age” of robber barons and subservient women.
Right? Is J.D. Vance going to raise his kids to live the life he claims to have lived? Put them in factory jobs? I still believe his book is a lie. I also read an article about how his wife Usha claims she had a simple upbringing and before the campaign she wore dumpy clothes and still won’t color her grey-filled hair (she’s only 39). Who paid for her Yale education if her life was so basic and poor. Her mom is a provost at UCSD. It was just as whiny and victim claiming as the rest of the Republicans.
It is by design - if you portray yourself as being the common people, and therefore, struggle like the average citizen struggles, they will embrace you thus brushing away any residue of being the elite that you are and so many hate.
If you subscribe to The Contrarian, listen to Jen's interview/discussion with Jared Bernstein. His explanations regarding tariffs, the economy, etc. are succinct, reasoned and clarifying.
This is very likely because his boyhood in the Fred and Mary Anne Trump household was the equivalent of a dog being chained to a tree in the back yard.
To be good companions, dogs require obedience training and socialization activities. Without them, you get ... Donald Trump.
That’s what I’ve been saying for a long time! Trump reminds me of a chimpanzee, throwing his own waste around! I actually often think of that poor woman whose face was destroyed because her friend’s pet chimpanzee got spooked. Pundits have been talking about ‘oh, you’re surprised that the leopard ate your face?’ It’s the same!!
James, well, death star certainly is pounding his chest. Of course, always there are other chimps waiting to take down the alpha male. Also in chimp society females play a role in keeping the peace and the group together.
I learned what I know about chimp societies by reading Jane Goodall's book, and my knowledge is consistent with your comment. But to be more specific about Republican leadership and male chimp behavior, individuals are forever jockeying for position in a dominance hierarchy. It's important to note that male chimps are following their nature, and Republican leadership behavior conflicts with human nature. That's not an interpretation of the evidence. Instead, it's a description of the evidence. And it seems to me that understanding that makes it easier to understand the current political situation.
I read books by DeWaal and I am certain I have his name wrong, but he is a primatologist who wrote Mama's Last Hug. I would look up the name, but I am on a schedule this am.
Good point. The Cherokee and the Haudenasaunee were matrilinial for example and that resulted and a good system of checks and balances. I truly believe we lost much when all 3 Abrahamic faiths turned their backs on the Goddess creator spirit. The system of duality, male and female god/goddess , changes the equation in how we live and relate to one another.
There a few societies which are matriarchal which makes sense to me because we always know who mother is. Since most human societies are patriarchal, we see men trying to control women to make sure that the children they bear are his. I recently reread Genesis and it was all about seed and making sure a male's seed continued. Bonobos, another near relative of ours, are matrilineal.
Thank you for responding. I was thinking of the Cherokee and the Navajo when I wrote the above, but later, I checked and found a pretty extensive list.
Sweet thought. Might reintroduce the general population to the importance of schooling from earliest to eldest years .
The bombasts on T’s frontline staff are living examples of the very poor educational opportunities they have had…. Or are they all addict/alcoholics? Believing their own ‘stories’ ?
I imagine HCR needs a research assistant and assistance to help her. I would need that if I were producing what is basically a research paper of the quality she gives us almost every single day. At least a secretary or copy editor.
She works hard to bring us this extraordinary gift, a lifeboat of facts and perspective to carry us all in the midst of this tumultuous sea. I am grateful for her generosity every single day.
President Biden should of awarded Heather the medal of freedom for her outstanding work about writing about Democracy and how important it is. Heather is a great historian in writing about the history of our country.
Encouraging Stirrings: "Business interests hard hit by the proposed tariffs are less inclined to dismiss the men in the administration as madcap kids. They are certainly not letting Musk shift the blame for the economic crisis off Trump and onto Navarro. The right-wing New Civil Liberties Alliance, which is backed by billionaire Republican donor Charles Koch, has filed a lawsuit claiming that Trump’s tariffs against China are not permitted under the law.".... If they are Successful in Beating back the Tariffs, they could also start to form a Successful Majority to Impeach DJT.... Follow The 'Bond Market'... The 'Bond Market' is an Order-Of-Magnitude bigger than the Stock-Market....
DJT is indeed a 'MadMan' suffering from Senility... The Congressional, SCOTUS Republicans support DJT because they are terrified of DJT's MAGAs, and losing their positions... They have betrayed their Oaths to uphold the Constitution....
From the moment my husband and I read both “Wounded Knee” (2010) quickly read “The Greatest Nation on Earth “,we looked for and read every single word of Dr Richardson that we could find. Once Dr. Richardson began writing LFAA , I knew with great conviction, I had before me a profound source of truth. As dramatic as it sounds, today I believe, we read her letters as if our lives depends on it. But even as I write, I am relieved when Heather “rest “. History is a burden…now more than ever!
Hooray for Heather! I appreciate her steadfastness, honesty, determination to get this recorded and set it into context for all of us! A fine example of finding what you are good at, then doing it with gusto and corage!
Before getting out of bed in the morning, I read HCR. I cannot start my day without it! Thank you so much for keeping me (and all of us) informed and sane!
Thank you for the HRC bio. She is certainly a remarkable woman — one I have followed for several years. Her energy appears to be non stop. I hope she takes care of herself, especially during these challenging times.
She deserves all the accolades she receives, for using the depth and breathe of her knowledge to compiled a true narrative on what this country now faces. Thank you Professor H.C. Richardson!
You might consider subscribing to Marc Elias's "Democracy Docket". He & his team of legal eagles are the ones who won the over 50 cases that Trump's lackeys filed after he lost the 2020 election. And they continue to do the heavy lifting for all of us in saving democracy.
I don't doubt the accolades one bit, Linda. The amount that so many of us wish to read seems, for now at least, insurmountable. I'd love to read "Democracy Docket;" I simply can't find the time. HCR is the first Substack I go to; The Contrarian is the next with a smattering of Robert Reich to which I don't subscribe. The absolutely wonderful thing about many Substack articles is that one can read them for free. Even though some of us may have in house disagreements, I love reading commentaries, such as yours, and enjoy contributing some myself.
I listen to his discussions, too. I listen to as many podcasts and substacks that have been recommended by people on this thread that reveal the reality of this era and its travails.
I pay for two others that I learned about here, and so grateful for the recommendation to Robert Hubbell, Today's Edition Newsletter for a sober, fact based daily dose of of perspective with citations, actions, and even an astro photo to end each letter, reminding us the universe is vast and full of beauty:
I subscribe to Timothy Snyder too. I read others, most frequently Joyce White Vance. The other comments here are a good summary of the wonderful voices we have access to.
Paul Krugman is like Carville He hasn’t been right in 20 years. He actually predicted a recession in Trump’s first term when the market has never turned better with Houstan earnings for the middle class and lower class like never before stable pricing no inflation, low mortgage rates, low gas prices, and he predicted just the opposite so think twice about Krugman, or maybe more than twice. IMO
Karen, thank you very much for your input. I voice text everything and I believe in content over form. I’m not writing my college thesis here.
If you’d like to have a discussion about something important like world, peace, or climate change, feel free to chime in, but please when punctuation forces somebody to push the atomic bomb button I’ll be concerned about my punctuation until then let’s focus on the issues at hand shall we
Professor is a hero and leader of this historic crisis we are in. We are foot soldiers. This letter hits the true motiv of Trump besides destructing governement to release more money for the wealthy people. That is "For his part, Trump appears to be enjoying that he is now undoubtedly the center of attention." We need to wait another week or so, and let Repbulican senators take over.
My vision of the Republican President as negotiator goes something like this: Someone (person, corporation or country) comes to make deal for "the ranch". Trump advises them that he is a tough, the best, negotiator. The supplicant then tells Trump that he is an impossibly tough negotiator, undoubtedly the toughest in the world. Trump, flattered of course, immediately says, "You want the ranch? It's yours! What else can I give you?
It’ hard to remain hopefull but we must because there is something in us that refuses to die .It is not a refusal to recognise reality It is the recognition that in the world there is more than darkness
You already know how he’s gonna treat this man he’s gonna be on Mount Rushmore
And I’m gonna love to see how Heather approaches what happened today. Fully, she’ll approach it with glee and happiness for what it did for the American people today and all the investors that were screaming and yelling a few days ago. It’s nowhere near over but now that 90 countries are asking for a negotiation tends to be a positive sign
I wish I could see how history treats the Republicans in Congress that have given over their tariff-making power to a man who controls them through fear of losing their jobs and fear for the safety of their families, their children. And how history threats the law firms bending to Trump’s whim and will alike to atone for having clients that challenged Trump’s illegal orders. How history treats universities turning over their curriculum, their libraries, their academic honour to Trump. Maybe they won’t believe it’s as bad as it is because such behaviour is unthinkable. How could it be as bad as the people who lived through it back in 2025 claim? It simply couldn’t ha been the bad.
But it is that bad. But it can still be reclaimed.
I just watched Heather’s Political Chat on April 8. Together her insights have really given me clarity and some hope that ’we the people’ can overcome this nightmare of a Regime exercising illegitimate control. The infighting in the White House and open criticisms by the boot licking tech and bank accomplices certainly helps. But it seems essential that it is the citizens that need to control the narrative of what comes next so we don’t end up back where we started from, living docilely under terms set by the oligarchs and the Project 25 extremists.
Valerie-I just made my first conscious decision to avoid Amazon and turned to another company. My first choice is to buy local, but not always possible. It felt like I took the first step, anyway.
You can buy directly from the vendor. Do your search. If products come up on Amazon, go directly to that product’s site. Often they offer a nice discount and sometimes ship it free.
I’m working on it, too. I actually normally don’t buy much stuff, but this past year I bought several books related to this pivotal political wrinkle in time. I have several subscriptions now, too. Accumulating “stuff” has never interested me. I’m capable of creating my own stuff. I’m particularly interested in not buying stuff online. I like to go into stores. Will there still be stores?
Jan, a friend of mine always gifts books for birthdays. She finds a local (to her friends) bookstore and orders the book from the store local to the giftee. (gifted??)
I'm hopeful that there will be more stores. Buying online is so sterile. Society may see the ease of buying online as a convenience; however, the need for folks to intermingle is a powerful motivator. I cannot stand buying online; if I buy the wrong size, I find it more troublesome to return the stuff than going out to the brick-and-mortar store and returning it. We all need to get out more.
“(talking about when he tells his wife he’s going out to buy an envelope) Oh, she says well, you’re not a poor man. You know, why don’t you go online and buy a hundred envelopes and put them in the closet? And so I pretend not to hear her. And go out to get an envelope because I’m going to have a hell of a good time in the process of buying one envelope. I meet a lot of people. And, see some great looking babes. And a fire engine goes by. And I give them the thumbs up. And, and ask a woman what kind of dog that is. And, and I don’t know. The moral of the story is, is we’re here on Earth to fart around. And, of course, the computers will do us out of that. And, what the computer people don’t realize, or they don’t care, is we’re dancing animals.”
In the same spirit, I avoid self-checkout lanes. A self-checkout device eliminates employment for 3 people. Working a checkout lane may not be a great job, but it's a job. Also, I prefer interacting with a human being when I pay for my purchases, even if I sometimes have to distract them from texting on their phone.
I recommend the app, "Goods Unite Us." We think we're not buying, but we still are paying for insurance, mortgages, food/drugs, etc. It's good to see what corporations do with their $.
We made all our purchases before Trump took office with the exception of trading the Tesla in for the Mini Countryman the first week in February. Thank goodness we didn’t wait any longer or the trade-in value would have been miniscule.
Well, isn’t that what people like Bezos and Jamie Diamond are worried about….even without targeted boycotts American consumer buying power is going to plummet and credit card defaults are going to escalate. Zuck’s advertising proceeds will wither.
I understand that Trump tried to persuade Tim Cook to move Apple here. Not goin' happen. Cook replied that during the Christmas season he employs a number of Chinese farmers(!) who work to assemble the phones. Cook also replied, as we all know, that the iphone would cost over #3,000 if he brought back its plant here. Trump knows shit about economics....
Bruce (or anyone): I've not seen any reporting on the effect of the 'buy nothing but local' day that happened in late February. I've wondered, but haven't researched its effects. We've stopped buying from Amazon (except when it's the only option for something we need); Whole Foods, Target, haven't bought from Walmart in years, etc. etc. Our buying habits have become, in commenter Valerie's word, more 'mindful', checking ourselves against impulse purchases.
Edit: I did a quick Google search, and from what I see it had a "mild impact" of perhaps -4% aggregate. February '25 sales were down compared to '24 due to many possible factors: the boycotting, cold weather, shoppers pulling back, etc.
Doug, my research indicates that it is too early to show much in the way of tangible results. The “Buy Everything Local” movement, as part of the broader “economic blackout” on February 28, 2025, appears to have had mixed results in its early stages. The initiative, led by The People’s Union USA, aimed to demonstrate the economic power of consumers by encouraging them to avoid unnecessary purchases from major retailers for 24 hours and instead support local businesses if needed.
Key Observations:
1. Consumer Participation and Awareness:
• The event gained significant attention, with endorsements from celebrities and grassroots organizations. It was part of a growing trend of consumer resistance movements, such as “No Buy 2025,” which similarly encouraged reduced spending and greater mindfulness about consumption.
2. Impact on Retail Sales:
• While specific data on the February 28 blackout’s impact is not yet available, online retail sales have continued to grow overall, reaching record highs in early 2025. This suggests that while the movement may have raised awareness, it has not yet reversed broader consumer trends toward online shopping.
3. Inflation and Economic Indicators:
• The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for February 2025 showed a modest increase of 0.2%, with food prices remaining stable and energy costs declining slightly. These figures indicate that while inflationary pressures persist, they have eased compared to previous years. However, it is unclear whether the blackout had any direct influence on these trends.
4. Long-Term Goals:
• The February 28 event was described as a starting point for a larger campaign. Future actions include a week-long boycott of Amazon and other corporations in March, signaling that the movement is focused on sustained efforts rather than immediate results.
Conclusion:
While the “Buy Everything Local” movement has successfully drawn attention to issues like corporate greed and consumer empowerment, its measurable economic impact remains uncertain at this stage. Continued participation in planned boycotts and shifts in consumer behavior will be critical to determining its long-term effectiveness.
Thanks Bruce, for the info. I agree about raising consumer awareness, and the power of the pocketbook as regards to discretionary spending (as well as some indiscretionary.) I've maintained that this action must be repeated and extended, or it simply becomes a hazy blip on a balance sheet.
FYI - I read recently that Walmart is fighting back against tRump and his tariffs. Good News- Walmart has a very poor history of mistreating their employees but maybe they are changing with the times.
Thanks, Rachel -- it would take a major, major shift before we start buying at Walmart, but fortunately we live in an area of retail abundance, so Walmart isn't the only option, unlike parts of the country I've read about.
Rachel, the Walton family has many sins to atone for, but at least they are making the effort, compared to Jeff Bezos, who has a similar track record regarding mistreatment of employees, and is doing nothing.
Alice Walton founded Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, which has quickly become one of the premier museums in the U.S. boasting an impressive collection of works. Admission is free. https://crystalbridges.org
Meanwhile, Bozo seems more interested in buying bigger yachts and more mansions.
I will spend the rest of my life being against anything Musk touches. I hope he gets deported eventually. He's not stable enough to withstand much more of this hatred towards him. The public melt down he had playing a video game is a good sign.
Actually, Bruce, you’re a little bit less than half the market. Although your population is crumbling, despite you have a majority of people who side with the Democrats, except the Democrats are now left of Santa Claus, and have lost all sense of common sense
Be careful what you wish for. If Trump is gone, what then? Who then? Those who have promulgated their theory of the unitary executive have been using him, but are they dependent on him? He's perhaps the only one some of the MAGA cultists will follow, but once power is concentrated in one person, I'm guessing that those who have been behind the scenes will find another pliant and compliant individual to do their bidding, and maybe in a less fragmented and unpredictable way.
2. A few right wing Republicans are opposing him. Grassley has a bill that would remove his power to adjust tarriffs. A right-wing group with financial ties to Leonard Leo and the Koch network, the New Civil Liberties Alliance sued, claiming that Trump’s decision to invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act did not give him the power to “usurp” Congress’s right to control tariffs or “upset the Constitution’s separation of powers.” https://newrepublic.com/post/193612/donald-trump-lawsuit-tariffs-far-right-group
3. He now is at odds with Musk, who is recommending a tariff free zone, the US and EU.
For me, here is the point: we need to make a clean sweep of all of them. I know it's a tough road to hoe, and for that matter, it may not get done this way. What I'm hoping for are multiple impeachments: Trump, Vance, Kegsbreath, Bondi...the whole lot of them need to be gone in one swoop. If we get Trump and Vance at the same time, the writing may well be on the wall for others to go. Of course, we'll need to work on the House Speaker, Mike Johnson, should he climb to take the helm. That in a word, would be also disastrous.
If $Trump were to exit stage left, Vance would be awful. He is smarter and younger. And in theory, more dangerous. But he lacks that "Je ne sais quoi". Nobody can hypnotize like $Trump.
He would not have the gravitas, the persona, the power to "primary" and threaten other Republicans. His lies would be transparent. He would have a lot of vocal competition for influence. He would reign over a chaotic party of competing selfish interests.
The elders of the Republican Congress would see Vance for what he is. An opportunistic punk. The adults would want their money back.
that is our only hope, given the line of succession - after Vance, Johnson! after Johnson, Rubio. Fanatical clowns all the way down.But probably none of them capable of sustaining a mindless and vicious cult as Trump somehow manages to do.
There used to be a time when we understood novelists, memoirists, biographers, essayists, and historians to nurture narrative.
American schools junked all that when the billionaire classes demanded fealty instead to testing -- to their reductions of all life to numbers, otherwise fearing and being paranoid at "the complicated," "the personal," and everything that couldn't be reduced (passive voice here intended) to machine-gradable instruments for abstracting, categorizing, packaging, labeling.
Am I repeating myself here?
I think the world may be on a suicide trip.
Many nations, threatened by the fat, obese, orange madman could organize to help the U.S. get just three Republicans -- Nebraska's Don Bacon, New York's Mike Lawyer, and Pennsylvania's Brian Fitzpatrick -- to join with Dems to have Hakeem Jeffries Speaker of the House. (These Republican moderates in a new, bi-partisan House could have committee chairs of their choice.)
But the final result would be the House enforcing the Constitution's Article 14, Section Three -- removing the convicted criminal and insurrectionist from the White House. (I welcome those like Jon Rosen often here bragging of his law school experience, but steadfastly ignorant -- like Chuck Schumer -- of the actual language of Article 14, Section Three.)
There's a story, Kathy. It's called narrative. Where bastards other living dead have long promoted the death of schools to testing.
Yes, KSC: "it is the citizens that need to control the narrative of what comes next."
It's for this good logic you cite that the Constitution vested powers of the purse in the Congress. Its two houses fairly well let varieties of voices be heard in deciding these issues of public import -- vital to the U.S. and to many allies and other partners worldwide.
Indeed complicated, these alliances and partnerships. And the opposite of that? The fat orange felon. As Heather says near the end, "Trump appears to be enjoying that he is now undoubtedly the center of attention." See, KSC? He's no good at all at any complications. Just needs to be everyone's drama queen.
Worse, how the Republicans in Congress (though it may be changing) have been doing nothing but suck up this convicted criminal, Putin ally.
Why? Because American schools have stopped complicated. No one reads whole books anymore. Fewer and fewer write essays. Instead, the simplicities of testing rule: the categorical, the linear, the abstracted and the group-packaged.
We've got a major problem, KSC. Not just the obvious criminal deep in yet more recklessness and world stage narcissism. But schools that have so lost, abnegated the personal and the complicated.
"Our fascination here is “narrative,” writ large, or more simply put: story. Generally speaking, the stories we believe in—those to which we hold true—move our actions in the real world. And the stories at the heart of identity weave together to form the stories that define our social fabric and our shared reality."
As a public school teacher, I have to disagree that schools have abrogated their responsibility to teach complicated critical thinking. In my state of NC, Republican legislators have been making war on public education by forcing standardized testing on schools, underfunding the schools in defiance of the state constitution, and sending public taxpayer funds to private schools with a voucher system. This war has been going on for almost 50 years. The R’s damage the public schools, then tout “school choice” vouchers as a way to get a quality education. But that’s a lie. The vouchers mostly go to charter schools which don’t have to follow the rules governing public schools, can select their students, and don’t perform any better than public schools with regard to student outcomes. The R’s just want to get public money into private pockets any way that they can.
I have, however, never said "schools have abrogated their responsibility to teach complicated critical thinking." I've said, instead, that schools have been taken over by the corporate testing rapists.
Key difference, Jenn? The teachers. They've been with us, with the kids, with the families. But they've been taken over (yes, passive voice) by $$$.
It might be good to consider where we are now in the order of media communications. The printing press revolutionized the world then but times have changed. the Internet revolutionized our lives and now social media is revolutionizing our brains. The digital world has arrived. Teach our kids how to survive in the digital world, how to think critically about where and how they get their information, and humanities based virtues might reappear. THIS is the new content and process for education reform.
Hey Phil, it’s the Congress you so blessed that has caused us to be in $36 trillion worth of debt. I would like to see you write checks with no money in the bank. Please do me a favor take the word Russia out of your vocabulary. It makes you look silly and diminishes your credibility.
Only four times in recent history have Republicans had control of the three chambers. Hi Republic, so please tell me how Republicans in Congress have caused problems here. I believe the Republicans have had control six out of the last 15 or 21 Presidents one of the other I just can’t remember
I don’t know how she does it. She is on the road and speaking live on the road, doing the political chats and writing her Substack posts everyday. She is Super Woman incarnate.
They are available for replay very shortly after the live chat ends. You don't have to wait until the next day. On YouTube. They are also on Facebook but that's different can of worms. YouTube is a better access point. Subscribe to her YouTube feed and you will get notifications.
Just type in "Politics Chat" on a Tuesday and up it comes on YouTube. She starts in silence, just looking at the bottom of her screen where she can see who's logging in from where, and greets them joyfully.
OK: I'll play: pink-haired psychopathic, megalomaniac, narcissistic, demented old dotard. He arrived freshly-coiffed, to talk of the beauties of coal, before adorning a foolscap page with his two-inch high felt-tipped "signature".
Having lived in WV for a number of years, I know more than I'd like to about King Coal. There is, for example a mine in PA, where I now reside. It caught fire, like 200 years ago, and is still burning underground, causing the evacuation of the town nearby. Talk about a Trumpster Fire!
Yesterday Dr. Bandy X. Lee wrote in her posting: It is Happening Here…With a Flag, a Cross, and a Bible. Congress must save us from the current mental pathology in politics.
I think they have their own mental pathologies. In fact, I think the whole party does. We better make sure they know we know in next year’s midterms. Too often they get reelected.
Ruth, I also hope that Republicans will realize that Trump only does tariffs to achieve two goals: make CEO’s and foreign government leaders beg him to exempt them from the tariffs, and to partially pay for his tax cuts for the wealthy by taxing consumption (which hurts low/middle class consumers more than wealthy consumers). Wealthy taxpayers have also been given a green light to cheat on complicated tax returns since DOGE has fired the auditors and subject matter experts who have recovered up to six times more money than they cost.
Mary, yes, he enjoys the begging, but that's not what motivates him. What motivates him, always and forever, is money. It's classic organized crime stuff. He wants other government leaders to pledge vast sums of money to his bank accounts.
Note that he's already successfully extorted millions from U.S. billionaires and CEOs, including Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook, Zuckerberg, ABC and probably CBS.
I keep thinking he believes he is living in The Apprentice reality TV Show, not connecting the dots, not understanding this is real life with real consequences. This “new reality TV Show” is one no one wants to watch.
Well, today is not the end-all and be-all but I’d like you guys to swallow your words for a few seconds when I keep telling everybody here to be patient, and they wanna judge him on a daily basis, even though he’s only been an office some 70 days]
Based on the panic you guys were showing I’m sure you all sold everything in your 401(k)
I truly believe you are correct, except that he loves the consequences. He has the power to crater the world’s economy. Remember his comment following the deplorable Oval Office ambush of Velensky, “This is going to be great television.”
let’s see what happens if the big bill passes and no tax on Social Security fits your needs. Let me see what other bullshit you can come up with to hate him.
Hey Mary maybe you haven’t heard the news but there have been a plethora of billionaires complaining about what’s going on with Trump and if that’s the case, why would they be complaining? Hmmmmmm.
Stop being so gullible there are no tax breaks for the wealthy in any of his legislation. It’s all for the middle and lower class. In fact, it starts at the lower class and works up no tax on tips no tax on overtime no tax on Social Security. You tell me how that benefits the wealthy would you? Your comment would stump the pharaohs
We also need momentum to shift in the Senate this week to vote against the SAVE Act, which will cause many people (such as married women who changed their name) to lose the right to vote. Per activist extraordinaire Jessica Craven this evening, Jared Golden of Maine is planning to vote yes. What is the plan of your representative?
Mainers, as constituents, please call Rep. Golden to vote NO on the Save Act!
Yes. This. Extremely concerned it is not getting more attention. Obtained a certified copy of my birth certificate. Now working on getting my passport. Not an easy process.
I read last night that he has signed an executive order that gives him control of the FEC, basically enacting the SAVE act on his own. Please correct me if I am wrong. Someone is suing.
I certainly need a morale booster-shot right now. I happened upon this ninety year old poem by Langston Hughes that captures my depression right now. https://allpoetry.com/Let-America-Be-America-Again Eighty-seven years ago, Artie Shaw tuned into the mood in a similarly dark time. https://youtu.be/-vbghyhIZCk 😰
Alas, Mr Shaw, much like Dr Richardson cold also capture the possibility of America. https://youtu.be/5baD3h13QUc 🤞
We will prevail, with the help of Canada, the E.U., Great Britain, even China with healthy retaliation; hopefully, that will be the wake-up call need. ✌🏽
We are learning, the hard way, that we need our allies a lot more than they need us. 🤝
“Some Republicans daring to stand up” to Trump ? At his mammoth remarks at that Republican dinner - 2 whole hours ! - he was reveling in the fact that foreign leaders are begging him to revoke these odious tariffs. Only he was much more crude. He loves this chaos and has attracted those who despite their backgrounds have the same defiant streak. This is a very dangerous time and I hope more than just a handful of Republican Congressmen and Senators decide that they have given up too much of their Constitutional power.
Let me make this really clear see if any of you are adult enough to understand. I don’t care for what comes out of Trump’s mouth, but I love what comes out of Trump’s pen.
I really do think Americans need to touch the stove and we need to feel economic pain for at least 6 months to a year. Then, and only then will the MAGA brand be toxic enough for these people to stop supporting MAGA, the long-term pain isn't here yet.
As if relations weren't bad enough between the US and China, a few days ago the Taiwanese manufacturer TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) introduced the world’s most advanced microchip: the 2 nanometre (2nm) chip. Mass production is expected for the second half of the year. TSMC recently struck a US$100 billion deal to build five new US factories. However, they are understandably reluctant to say whether these new chips will be manufactured in the US because they fear that to do so would threaten the so-called 'silicon shield' (which they believe is the main reason why the US protects them from a Chinese invasion). The island depends on imported fossil fuel for around 90 percent of its energy and lives under the growing threat of blockade, quarantine, or invasion from China. In addition, for political reasons, the government has pledged to close its nuclear sector by 2025. Their energy system is fragile even though they supply 60% of the world's semiconductors and 90% of the more advanced ones. Trump's tariff war with China and this unique dilemma for Taiwan threatens to bring the issue of the island's autonomy to a head. Not a great time to have chosen an idiot as your president.
Definitely. And and maybe some of that 90% of the worlds most advanced semiconductors would be produced here but for Reaganomics and letting so much of our manufacturing base slip abroad because it suited billionaires. Some kind of "Chips" act might rebuild such business, but just charging tariffs? The ship already sailed. Even Reagan knew that tariffs had limited utility.
Unfortunately, dream on my friend. The only Machines that allow TSMC to produce n2 level Chips are designed and Assembled by ASML of the Netherlands, but only with support from the following companies and institutes. The USA currently hasn't a hope in Heck of matching that. A US company would have to buy ASML and all it's IP and that of other EU companies. No way are they going to deal with the USA after Trump for a long time.
ASML’s advanced N2 EUV chip manufacturing machines rely on a network of key suppliers and partners to produce and integrate their highly complex components. Below is a list of notable contributors:
ZEISS provides the high-precision optical systems that form the core of ASML’s High-NA EUV lithography machines. These systems are essential for achieving the extreme accuracy required in chip production.
2. TRUMPF Germany
TRUMPF supplies high-power lasers used to generate the EUV light by vaporizing tin droplets, a crucial step in the lithography process.
3. Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering (IOF) Germany
Fraunhofer contributes to the development of optical technologies, supporting the precision engineering required for EUV lithography.
4. Imec. Belgium
The Belgian research hub collaborates with ASML on semiconductor R&D, focusing on advanced nodes, silicon photonics, memory, and sustainable innovation. Imec also operates a pilot line for sub-2nm chip research using ASML’s full product portfolio.
5. Intel USA
Intel is a major customer and partner, securing ASML’s High-NA EUV machines for its chip manufacturing processes. Intel collaborates with ASML to optimize these systems for high-volume production.
TSMC works closely with ASML to deploy High-NA EUV machines for its cutting-edge 2nm technology, which entered production in 2025.
7. Samsung Electronics S. Korea
Samsung collaborates with ASML on next-generation lithography tools and is expected to integrate High-NA EUV machines into its production lines starting in 2025.
European Partner Network
ASML’s High-NA EUV development is supported by a strong European network of scientific and industrial partners, showcasing successful collaboration between science, industry, and politics over decades.
These partnerships highlight the collaborative effort required to advance semiconductor manufacturing technology to meet increasing demands for smaller, faster, and more efficient chips.
Note also that the first generation ASML UEV machine took 18years to calibrate.
And we have been proven to be an unreliable ally to all of these countries. Who would invest here when things can turn on a dime every 4 years. Businesses don’t like that. Even a capitalist should realize that.
Trump is too ignorant and invested in his “gut,” which has led him astray more often than not. He thought he knew everything and wasn’t willing to learn from his fellow students and professors at Wharton. One of them went on record calling Donald Trump the dumbest student he ever had.
Trump can turn policy on a dime in four hours or less. He's too mercurial. He thinks saying he can negotiate tariff deals makes him seem smart, but it actually undermines the goal of re-shoring manufacturing. Few business will gamble on investing in a multi year process of building manufacturing plants without a guarantee the US trade rules won't be rewritten on the whims of Trump.
Do you want the rest of an Americans and you hate Americans at the same time we can do anything might take time and there’s plenty of billionaires that can buy companies like that. In fact, one billionaire spent 40 billion on a company and offered 96 billion to buy AI you don’t think there’s people out there think again
Point taken and correct, Russell, but that was 1947, and Moore's law is driven by the rapid and wholesale re-configuration of "transistors" and their application to Silicon, so that the manufacturing technology today has little to do with US science any more, to my knowledge. You reference outstanding American science for sure, but also outdated. The NA UEV tech has had American input, but it is more an example of the need for broader, global specialized inventiveness, which because of Trump trampeling our global alliances may never happen again to America's benefit. Going IT alone as a cowboy does, doesn't make spaceships out of horses.
ASML’s Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology was developed over several decades through a collaborative effort involving ASML, its partners, and global research institutions. The foundational research into EUV began in the 1980s, with significant industrialization efforts starting in 1994. ASML played a central role, working with partners like Carl Zeiss SMT, Oxford Instruments, and others through initiatives like the European R&D consortium EUCLIDES (formed in 1998) and the American EUV LLC (joined in 1999) to advance the technology.
The first prototype EUV lithography system was delivered by ASML in 2006 to research facilities for testing. However, it took until 2010 for ASML to ship its first pre-production EUV system, the TWINSCAN NXE:3100, to a Samsung facility. This marked a critical milestone in the commercialization of the technology.
The full-scale market deployment of EUV systems began in 2017 after ASML had invested over €6 billion and more than two decades of R&D. This achievement was made possible by overcoming significant challenges in optics, light sources, and precision engineering, often described as pushing the limits of physics and engineering.
Bruce, I will happily defer to your superior knowledge of these things! My point was only that there was no intrinsic reason why the US should have fallen behind so badly. This administration, like previous Republican administrations, seems to have something against basic scientific research. It broke my heart to read that they were considering closing down the observatory on Mauna Loa that has recorded CO2 emissions since 1958 (and produced the Keeling Curve). They recently sacked a young lady at the USGS whose job it was to maintain reference samples of critical minerals - exactly the stuff so coveted by Donald Trump. They probably didn't even know the importance of the work she was doing. They also sacked the Atomic Spectroscopy Group at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology. They maintain and update the Atomic Spectra Database, a catalog of industry-leading spectroscopy information and measurements that plays a crucial role in fields like astronomy, astrophysics, and medicine. It's vandalism of the worst sort and it will be hugely to the detriment of the United States.
I agree completely with what you say. The destruction of our Scientific capabilities across the board is a travesty, and just another big part of the shit sandwich we are being served by Trump and his co-conspirators. The destruction of the US capabilities and culture.
of course you agree with him wholeheartedly otherwise you wouldn’t be welcome here LMAO. The gullible liberal lemming brigade all information. By side sides I don’t know what you’re worried about. AOC said we’ve only got four more years or so to live before the planet implodes on itself due to climate change.
Thank you for pointing this out. So many disastrous scenarios are looming on the horizon because of this idiot's incessant daily edicts, executive 'orders', nonsensical rantings and sadistic impulses. Idiot is actually too nice a word for the malevolent, sociopathic dotard Donold.
He is still telling people that due to his tariffs money is pouring in from those countries on whom the tariffs have been imposed. Ypu could tell him until you're blue in the face that it's American importers who are having to pay those tariffs and then pass at least some of the extra costs to American consumers, but it would make no difference. He doesn't how tariffs work; he doesn't understand why trade imbalances are not necessarily a bad thing; he thinks that his tariffs are generous, only half what others are charging the US, when in fact his stupid equation multiplies them fourfold. Furthermore, he's surrounded himself with sycophants and idiots like Navarro and Loomer have his ear. Even his principal donor, Elon Musk, has been sidelined.
Wired's latest bulletin that arrived in my inbox had an article entitled: 'Tariffs Will Make Electronics More Expensive. If You Need a New Gadget, ‘Buy It Now’ '. Right below it, another article - '111 Great Apple Deals on MacBooks, iPads, and AirPods'.
Many businesses were stocking up for Trump's tariff war. Apparently, imports doubled in January.
What a guy! No wonder so many people voted for him. As we've seen he's also conceived a global tariffs policy without even so much as thinking about it.
This guy managed the comms team for special forces communications. And other things. He does a good job of trying to hide how freaked he is. Yes, many permanent heel problems, as well as mental capacity issues. Narcissism is a terrible disease to manage.
Indeed. Elon Musk is arguing that without swingeing cuts to federal spending the country will go bankrupt. How do they get away with this sort of DoubleSpeak?
This may be one of those rare occasions when Donald is telling the truth. Possibly (likely), the money "pouring in" is going straight to his bank accounts. I think the word is "extortion."
The accumulation of all power, legislative executive, and judiciary in the same hands...may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.” – James Madison, Federalist 47
This is the basic premise of Project 2025 - a unitary executive taking control of the Federal Government. It seems I may have been wrong. I thought that Trump was doing everything for himself and the oligarchs. It's all just for himself.
Yes. I attended a meeting about Project 2025 in ME. There were about 100 attendees in a room built for 75. Most of the attendees were 65 and older. We were already aware of many of the horrible things in Project 2025 like electing a unitary executive. I was there to learn more. We all knew, including the moderator, that we were in a world of hurt if Trump was elected and here we are.
And now even the bros and the oligarchs regret supporting Trump.
The groups promoting this idea want to keep the public from understanding the concept of the unitary executive violates the constitutional separation of powers, and puts the president above the law when the founders were explicitly clear the president was subject to the law. The behavior of the majority of SCOTUS makes it clear what a crock “originalism” really is. Their pet theories are a way to ignore the Constitution and engage in decision making which ignores established precedent.
In the same way that Christians cherry-pick the Bible, originalists cherry-pick the Constitution. It's not a coincidence that there's a significant overlap in SCOTUS.
The bros are all in. Managing the "state" left to AI (with a skim for them off every transaction). AI figuring out that the best defense is a good offense, thus nuke alla the countries on its list. What's left of the world afterward will be free to build palaces upon the rubble for their extended families, tradwives and spawn.
Er, does he actuall have a 'self' or is he more like a well thumbed rolodex of his greatest hits of the 80's plus a copy of Mein Kampf and a shirtless pic of Vladimir Putin on horseback inside an100% honest to god gold Trump Inc. picture frame?
Other than the fact that they were elected by popular majority.
And the Republicans have only had control like this four times ever
and by the way, how do you figure that we have the judiciary when there’s been hundreds of lawsuits against them administration there have been four times as many injunctions on a national basis than ever happened with a Democrat, so do me a favor spirits all your one-sided story
The Democrats have done it at least twice as many times.
And I love when you guys bring up ancient history.
"Many billionaires want more influence and power and, therefore, more wealth. While some have the vision and courage to drive innovation and create societal value. They are the disruptors, the exception case. If wealth is a pie, they are expanding the pie, growing the economy, and the few I have known have my respect.
More common are millionaires or billionaires who amass vast wealth and yet, are unsatisfied. They want more and attempt to influence law and policy by making outsized “donations” or bribes, to create special rules for themselves. Think of the owner of a sports team who threatens to move the favorite local team elsewhere if the city refuses to fund (with taxpayer money) the new stadium (and then doubles ticket prices for the same people who effectively built the stadium).
They attack regulation and enforcement of important societal protections such as clean air and safe drinking water -because filtration and capture systems cost them money -while respiratory disease due to emissions costs them nothing (externalizing their costs to you and me).
They attack fair taxation because Fred Trump, Donald Trump, and others have demonstrated that taxes are not for the wealthy, taxes, like wars and serving your country are for losers.
They stop funding Social Security after they’ve taken their first $176,100 (the 2025 cap) in regular income -some high-earners stop paying in January -while everyone else is paying throughout the entire year.
They want to privatize prisons, police, fire, and other governmental services -so they can shift the objective from providing services to generating profit instead.
They especially want to privatize education so they can eliminate uncomfortable parts of an educational curriculum regarding civics, fair economics, climate protection, and parts of history that don’t cast a wealth concentrated few in a brilliant patriotic red, white, and blue light. They are not expanding the pie -they are doing all they can to use their extensive means to eat from your slice, my slice, and slices from our future.
For them, (and for Putin) the criminal-elect and his hillbilly represent a weak, intellectually-challenged Executive Branch that is easy to manipulate. It is a fragile marriage of convenience. As long as they “donate” to the criminal-elect and flatter him he will demand his criminal enterprise passes permanent tax cuts and other quid pro quo favors for the donor class."
When the criminal-elect's imbecilic proclamations become stubbornly entrenched, there will be increasing pressure to shift to their pretend hillbilly/Heritage mascot. In the meantime the damage to the United States and world is incalculable.
I am convinced the only method to drive lasting positive change in the United States is through a prolonged general strike until the Trump regime, his incompetent corrupt Cabinet, and all election deniers in government are removed.
Some excellent points here regarding how high-wealth individuals and companies, in "cooperation" with the various governments (city, state and federal), manage to use the public treasury for their own financial gain. This is a reason why there needs to be clear barricades put in place between government and private industry. No government should be legally able to offer financial incentives to private industry in order to relocate their business.
If the new location is beneficial enough for the private industry to want to move, I am all in favor of that, but to have one arm of government in one state offer what is essentially a bribe for a company to move or locate there which then causes substantial loss to another location is simply madness and makes no economic sense.
We see this in all kinds of industries. Sports businesses seem to be the tip of the iceberg, especially because large numbers of people ("fans") in one community lose big time while fans in another community "win", and there is no actual economic REAL gain that is achieved for anyone except the owners who get paid off by the new location which wants to lure the franchise to their town.
If franchises have a good economic reason to move, no problem. Move, but do NOT expect government to offer you incentives to do that. Theoretically if the economic reason for moving is sound, they will make more money by moving anyway. They don't need governmental payoffs. Such payoffs should be illegal across the country.
"Public-private partnerships" usually mean the public takes the risk/cost and the private reaps the benefit. That's true for everything from public university-funded research to roads and bridges.
Well, that’s how the Democrats have been running the government for almost 35 years. Or more. How the hell do you think we got to $37 trillion in deficit. How many times have you written the check when you know there’s no money in the bank? Obviously so you don’t need to answer that
There’s a bright red line (from my perspective) between wealth/value creation and wealth transfers. I’m all for incentives for innovation and the creation of societal value. Using wealth to accumulate more without the generation of societal value is usually about externalizing costs and diminishing the quality of life for many in order to enrich the few.
President Clinton decimated the middle class from the minute he invoked Nestor, and you all know it. We had a choice, pay Americans more money, and therefore more for a product that we buy or ship jobs overseas and take away the middle class. America chose the latter, and now it’s paying big-time
Jon, good comment and analysis. It brings to mind all the incentives Ohio gave Intel to encourage them to build their semiconductor manufacturing here. Intel is now offering delay after delay, pushing it back to 2031 now. Microsoft has canceled its expansion in that area too. We were told that offering these incentives would bring jobs. That seems very unsure now, and the state government is not even thinking about clawing back the incentives. Great.
Power historically and psychologically is shown to tend to corrupt, and money is very much a form of power. That has a lot to do with why, to secure commonly held rights, we institute governments with the consent of the governed. Money does not always corrupt, it is a bad mix for those with sociopathic predilections. And absolute power is the worst.
I frequently write about the Powell Memorandum -because it is a concise, important, and well-used GOP plan to organize wealth against the interests of society. Ironically it falls slightly short of establish a union -not of workers, however of those possessing extreme wealth.
The Powell memorandum is why we are in this mess. Democratic Party leadership does not understand what we are up against. We need a housecleaning and more effective leadership who can effectively communicate with the public. Right now, we have an ineffective opposition.
So very true Kathy -not only in messaging, however understanding the need to fund and build countervailing infrastructure. Sending $5 every ten minutes to the candidate du jour, while sadly necessary, is not going to drive the sweeping critical changes we must make if we are to have hope.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island has written about this. He has dubbed it 'The Scheme.' It is on his website and he has also written a book called "The Scheme."
This is a link to an article in The Guardian about it:
"They attack regulation and enforcement of important societal protections such as clean air and safe drinking water -because filtration and capture systems cost them money -while respiratory disease due to emissions costs them nothing (externalizing their costs to you and me)."
And many who make little enough to escape income tax pay FICA.
And there within lays the base of the whole problem. The rich could care less about the working people. Their wages, families, communities etc, the care naught.
The sad thing is that many of those same workers believed the ultra rich would help them, if only they could get into power... a scam replicated many times over. This is simply the latest iteration...
I call it the "profit loop" of making people sick so "industry" can cure them. What is the incentive to protect people from carcinogens and microplastics? And if there is enough lead and mercury in our water and food, the populace will have lost any ability to think critically - cognition collapse. We search for the "cures" when they are right in front of us. Parkinson's is everywhere but there are hot spots of it where Paraquat is used on crops - a pesticide BANNED in other countries. There is so much DUH and CRUELTY embedded in this American nightmare.
My pitch sounds like socialism and I think that is a GOOD thing when we discuss healthcare, education and our penal system. Time to nationalize - not privatize.
I live in a wealthy blue state that just saw two hospitals close because the owner ripped off the profits and bankrupted the place. People died for lack of equipment as he enjoyed his yacht. And now the towns those facilities served are healthcare deserts. People will die because the nearest hospital is now much farther away.
We need a whole lot of Corey Booker moments. And we need April 5th to be remembered as a tip of the iceberg beginning. Won't April 19th be the perfect symbolic day to continue the resistance?
Call me crazy, but countries like South Korea and Turkey are taking action and we who rebelled and created a nation from scratch 250 years ago are dozing. Maybe we just have to feel the pain of $20 eggs? Are we that inwardly focused? That self absorbed?
The organizers of the Hands Off protests did a great job of bringing like minded people to the streets. Many people want to take action, such as a general strike, but feel as one person it will not be effective. Hopefully an organization will rise to pull a general strike together. I believe it would be remarkably effective.
I do hope it could be coupled with strong opposition party support. It should be treated with the same level of urgency as the Wall Street bailout and the pandemic stimulus with the formalized retroactive support of a new government.
Better yet would be what I knew as the Opposition Coalition (or Caucus) as a result of the 1854 election, and seated as the the 34th Congress House majority in 1855.
"...Following the 1854 election, the Opposition Party actually was the largest party in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the resulting 34th United States Congress, the U.S. House's 234 Representatives were made up of 100 Oppositionists, 83 Democrats, and 51 Americans (Know Nothing).[5] That was a very dramatic shift from the makeup of the 33rd United States Congress (157 Democrats, 71 Whigs, 4 Free Soilers, 1 Independent, 1 Independent Democrat). As a provisional coalition more united by what it opposed and not yet fully having agreed on what it stood for, being the largest party did not lead to control of Congress. The new Speaker of the House, elected by plurality, was Nathaniel P. Banks of Massachusetts, a former Democrat who campaigned as a Know Nothing in 1854 and as a Republican in 1856..."
The important indication of the changes is a bit clearer comparing the Wikipedia articles for the 33rd and 34th Congresses where the 33rd had a 66.7% Democratic majority, and described the beginning of the next Congress as the "Opposition coalition" as having 154 of 233 seats (66.1% as I calculate it), a nearly perfect reversal of who had a 2/3rds majority.
George, you touch on something my wife and I were discussing last night. Why do these billionaires never feel like they have enough? Stop for a second and think about how much money “only”a billion dollars is. There is very little materially that you can't have with that. So what is it that drives them to want more and more? I think it's because all that money still doesn't make them revered. So they have to purchase influence by purchasing our government, and thereby commanding “respect.” It's a fool’s errand, but because of their wealth, they never have to give it up. So they continue to unlevel the playing field in their favor while they become more hated every day. The crazy thing is if they were more like a McKenzie Scott, a Mark Cuban, or a Bill Gates, they would secure the respect and legacy they so desperately crave. But their greed has blinded them.
Thank you Chris -and yes grateful for those who, through philanthropy, freely give back to society to improve the quality of life for many (although I still delineate between the wealth that's been amassed by earning it versus wealth transfers and externalities). Larry David has a hilarious "Curb Your Enthusiasm" episode in which a donor gives "anonymously", however makes certain everyone knows he was the donor for the very reverence you were discussing.
When I've spoken about outsized political "donations" I am often asked -why I hammer on Musk, Mellon, Adelson, and Seid (among others) but not Soros?
The difference being Musk, Mellon, and others donating to candidates like Trump, Reagan, and "Dubya" were working to purchase lower taxes, deregulation, and other favors to enrich themselves at the expense of everyone else.
George, I get it. You’re mad as hell. We’ve collectively created a huge deeply impactful mess that we get to own.
Getting dollar voting by outrage while possible and even if effective is using people as cannon balls unless the people themselves are acting at least in their own intelligent best interest. Reacting to fear by getting angry and then taking action out of anger never ends well. This is not news.
As soon as I see name-calling I know reactivity is speaking and the message is not what it seems.
Sure, George, we have a mess to clean, let’s generate a self-sustaining conversation that leaves people being leaders and not merely a blind angry mob-like group groping for objects to vent against.
Education as a leading out from is a lot more truly difficult work but the degree of satisfaction is worlds away from mere manic-like glee success in beating an opponent offers. A profound sense of goodness, truth, and beauty is always available. Acting out of anger will not get us there
Yes. A self-sustaining conversation. That is certain to address 45+ years of the erosion of democracy, justice, and equality. Sorry for the snark here. Am I angry? Yes I am. When the treasury is being raided, people are being imprisoned (or worse) without due process, we are supporting genocide and ethic cleansing, abandoning allies, starting profoundly stupid trade wars, embracing "big beautiful coal power plants", and addressing 250 years of systemic racism -by encouraging more, yes, I am angry.
Thank you George. Your expression and generosity is clear and very appreciated!
Staying with the topic of anger. I grew up with a very angry father. The beatings taught me the meaning of running for your life. The suffering I endured and in turn inflicted has demonstrated beyond any doubt that anger, however understandable or justified remains absolutely unworkable.
I’m recalling a time after I was married and with a couple of kids that my father came to visit. We were on the driveway and got into it. At one point he raised his fist in preparation to strike me as if I was still that child he had beaten up many times years before. I looked straight in his eyes and said in a clear voice that if he hit me I would take him off the planet. I’m quite sure I would have. He later thanked me for that moment saying that something in his world shifted right then.
Even just a very brief moment of speaking truthfully and even when what is said is surprising, can be astonishingly powerful.
So no George, I do not need to be angry at all to act. The full range of possible actions are available to me and I will do whatever is needed in the moment. I do not need a head of steam to get in action. Neither does anyone else. In fact, love or even ecstasy gets people moving surprising fast.
I wish I could give you the space I was given in which the world now occurs for me (and can for anyone) and from which a freedom to be and act is available, but each must make their own journey.
If courage or leadership were properties or characteristics located inside one’s self that one has and should feel confident about or lack and therefore needs to find outside of one's self and then somehow get inside so to have them, we would be in trouble as that reduces being to a kind of thingness that can be manipulated and dealt with like all the other things in the world. Being like a presence is not a thing at all. There isn't even a you in the moment of being in action. You only show up when you are no longer in action and then show-up like an observer giving an account of what happened.
This comment area isn't set up for this type of conversation so I won't go on and I hope this leaves you with something to inquire about.
Thank you again George for opening a crack of possibility.
Thank you for sharing Bern. I'm a taoist, however an admittedly over-caffeinated very bad example of one. I can be angry and still present an effective course of societal action. I embrace non-violence and that is precisely why I believe sustained societal-level economic actions are vital. To me they present the only realistic opportunity to avoid a violent response to what are clearly illegal and/or unconstitutional actions.
There is great conversation, discourse, and history available -always compelling for me. However, if uncoupled from action, we will always be talking about exploitation, abuse, and powerlessness.
If I left you with the impression of suggesting that what is wanted and needed is going to be handled by a few nice or even sterling conversations alone, then I apologize for failing to communicate. As I said, this is not a space suited for this type of conversation.
Obviously, like down there is the floor obvious, action must be taken. The circumstances need to be moved around.
What I am pointing to, hinting at, is that the actions need to flexible, effective, and sure rather than reactive, defensive, and mechanical. I’m going to leap over tall buildings which is always dangerous and suggest you put down the caffeine and whatever else you’re altering your experience with and get back to the practice of just being with whatever is there for you and stay with it until it become a raft that takes you to the far shore.
Doing that work by yourself is a road I haven’t traveled so can’t recommend or say is effective or not. Meditation and study seems a very long road to suggest during these urgent times.
There are short-form programs, I personally did the three-day Landmark Forum which is excellent and I doubt the only short-form course available.
While nothing is ultimately required to access a deep sense or experience of self and I hate those who set themselves up as gatekeepers to self, it seems anecdotally that the experience is rare and only come upon randomly. There seems to be something in taking the risk over and again to trusting oneself and others that opens a space for possibility. Trust is not a trivial ask while exploitation, abuse, and powerlessness are the history cast before us.
Much milder in my case, but my father's threat to slap me when I was 18 was met with a similar response (I enlisted partially because of that but we came to much greater mutual respect afterwards).
I was lucky enough to gain enough self confidence from an incident on a tobacco farm (one town over from where Martin Luther King Jr., had worked on a similar farm). I was always the second smallest in my class during my early years in high school, but got in great physical shape though the summer when I turned 15. A group of three bullies, two mindless followers of the biggest and most threatening had come to work on the farm much later in the season and declared we should all go on strike. All the other workers sitting on the tail side of the 3 benches (arranged along the sides and middle), simply got off and went to work. I was the only one stuck behind the three and directly behind the biggest, as scared as I had ever been but so full of adrenaline that when I bolted past him, the leader grabbed my arm, which with all the adrenaline, backhanded him off the bench to land at the front, looking shocked (perhaps because he was trying to pull me back). I figured I couldn't outrun them so was prepared to be beaten so just looked at him and asked what he wanted as the other two looked back and forth waiting to see what their leader would do. When I took a step towards him, he cringed as if expecting me to hit him again, so I just shrugged and casually left to join the others.
Though I was smaller than most, and never considered starting a fight (except to punch a big guy chasing a young Vietnamese girl), I was never again afraid to fight or get between guys that wanted to fight. I think the self confidence has helped me stand the ground for me and others without having to fight, in fact opening up more opportunities to talk to so many others.
I consider it much more luck than anything else, having him trying to pull my arm back, which, with his weight shifted back pulled my arm back even faster so it seemed like his two friends like I hit him so much harder than I actually did.
The resignation to expecting a beating and not trying to out run them, made them hesitate and stepping back towards him since I was off balance, helped, too. Perhaps an earlier 7th grade incident had helped in prompting me to ask him what he wanted, with just enough delay before shrugging an walking away.
The earlier incident was when two friends and I were walking back from school and I was trying to encourage them to join me in throwing snowballs at the sides of box trucks as they came from the opposite direction. They were too scared of getting into trouble so I just threw two of them in my right hand to my left, without seeing the car approaching from behind us. What were the odds that both of them would go through the open passenger window and hit two of the four guys in black leather jacks and motorcycle boots? They all jumped out and ran at the three of us as I stood there with my eyes closed ready to accept the beating for what I was guilty of. I opened my eyes as they bumped me on both sides, me to find that they were chasing my two friends, whom they apparently thought had thrown them since they had new found incredible new speed they couldn't match to catch them. I quietly found a new way home, and found my friends had indeed gotten away, too.
You mean like George Soros, Hollywood, entertainers and producers and directors?
Maybe you mean like Michael Bloomberg, Orita, Hoffman, or Dustin Moskowitz?
Fred Eychaner, read Hoffman Garrett, Steven Mendell, Wayne, Jordan.
Happens on both sides of the aisle pal.
They wanna privatize education so that our children can get educated again. 1979. The US is ranked first in the world 2009 the US is ranked 18th today we are ranked 40th do you want to talk about education? Bring it
Do you ever ask yourself why there’s a limit on Social Security I don’t think I should be but you should understand why
You see how you frame things as well you’re you’re nothing but deceptive and deceitful. What he said about soldiers being suckers is that we sent 57,000 of them to their death for no reason at all. Wtfu
I agree with Trump. These tariffs are legendary. That is what is scaring anyone with any sanity left.
He doesn’t care about the Republican Party - only his own power. It is congressional Republicans who can stop this so-called emergency and make us normal again. There are cracks in their Trump loyal minds. Let”s hope the crack becomes enough to pass legislation that can”t be overridden.
Please pardon my ignorance here, but tariffs are not the only emergency at hand here. Also, if you please, what does " make us normal again" even mean?
Trump is claiming an "emergency" so he can impose tariffs. What is the emergency?
"Normal," in this case, means international trade without artificial barriers.
Placing a tariff on something like cinnamon, a product we can't grow in our country, is an exercise in stupidity. The same with coffee, tea, etc. Trump sees tariffs as replacing income taxes. However, unlike a progressive tax system, tariffs are regressive. Low income people are forced to pay the same price for a product with the added tax as the wealthy. The billionaires in his cabinet, in support of this regressive tax, won't resist based on self-interest. So much for lowering prices.
One problem with hoping republicans take back some control ( like their constitutional responsibilities). Some of them are as dumb as a rock or better put as dumb as a Trump. Not to mention being cowards. Thinking Jordan and Coach for starters. They would need to stroll down the yellow brick road, get a brain and some courage then use them.
"These industry leaders, the reporters write, did not expect Trump to place such high tariffs on so many products and are shocked to find themselves outside the corridors of power where the tariff decisions have been made."
Those who screw unto others will screw even unto you. The Billionaires were happy with Trump so long as it was only the proles getting bashed.
Trump and his billonaires are waging class war against all with less money. Trump is also an adjudicated rapist. Anyone who understands just what this flags psychologically and how impossible it is, under any capitalist’s system, to make charges of sexualised bullying stick, let alone be judicially fairly dealt with, tells you all you need to know about how this tyrannical US government cartel will continue to behave both to us and each other.
So what does any of Trump’s history have to do with today?
He is currently president of the United States and nothing is going to change that other than another gunshot by some left-wing loon.
He is doing what he campaigned on and he is succeeding
You wanna worry about a global class war and ignore history or change history have a good time. In the meantime why don’t you come up to the current time? Do you think Bill Clinton would’ve been elected based on his past? Do you think John Kennedy would be elected based on his past? How does any of that have to do with what comes out of his pen?
Thanks for the warning. I know he has never been successfully convicted of committing sexualised violence. That is why I specifically wrote ‘adjudicated rape’ , which is a different and in his case, legally accurate term. Like many other millions, I am a veteran pursuant of justice for survivors and so am very familiar with how perpetrators and their legal teams think and act regarding those they have consciously, casually and carelessly indulgently harmed. They do seem to get off on victmising the vulnerable unto destitution and death. So, thanks again for caring 🐈⬛
Do you know who the vulnerable are now? Democrats and they put themselves there. They have no leader they have no agenda. All they have is hate and violence oh, and the hate totally misguided.
Wow, I am in agreement with Elmo! Peter Navarro really is a "moron" and "dumber than a sack of bricks." 20+ years ago, when he was your standard-issue Acadamaniac at US-Irvine and trying desperately to become a Cheese Whizz in the SoCal Democratic Party, people didn't wait till he turned his back to laugh at him to his face. Like other talentless failures (think Dennis Quaid or that SNL comedian-who-wasn't funny, I can't remember talentless people that long) he ended up in Talentless Loserville, aka the American Right, where the morons thought he must be smart since he went to Harvard, and we can see the results of his talentless BS in both Maladministration I and II. He's the only "economist" who could put the wrong figures in that formula (as the guy who invented it demonstrated tonight on CNN) and get the idiot numbers that "the most persistent ignoramus I ever knew" in the words of John Kelly would use in his Moron Tariffs.
I would not have understood that reference before yesterday. For those who still don't, "Ron Varo" is a fictitious person who is quoted in several of the books that Peter Navarro supposedly wrote. Of course, the name is simply a rearrangement of Navarro's name and is a totally non-existent person. Was it just me who missed that?
Just heard about it couple of days ago, but I thought I was late in hearing the insanity of that anagram. Love the Latin retort. So much of this Schitt show is like the freak shows of yesteryear. Chump love to entertain. But it’s revenge humor. Entertaining to no one else.
I'm a medieval historian, Bruce. I deal with Latin every day of my life . . . And I appreciate when people make jokes with it, preferably not the ones we did as children, such as "semper ubi, sub ubi." 🤪
Thank you! That was better than my search for the Latin translation!
As an aside, I grew up living next door to the HS Latin teacher in the Medford school system. I don't know if she was widowed or divorced (her daughters babysat me when I was 4-7 years old) but her nickname was "The Dragon Lady". She had retired, and Latin was no longer offered by the time I attended high school. I always wanted to have taken Latin...
Like saboteur RFK Jr. who seemed to think that having famous kin meant he was owed celebrity as well, by any means possible. If you can lick the enemy, join 'em. It doesn't take rocket science to hit stuff with a sledge hammer.
Republicans grumble. But they cannot grow a spine without being perceived as unfaithful to the Führer. How can they incrementally scale back the tariffs to assure their personal wealth without revealing the whole gaslighting shenanigans of gop-trickle-down-economic-duplicity? “No man wants to live under a king?” News flash: neither do women, or other “unworthy-of-humanity- groups-targeted-by-the-gop-vilification-machine”. Yet only NOW when it hits their
$$$ millions does the insanity and chaos suddenly appear bat-shit-crazy-bonkers. DUH! Y’all should have listened to Democrats. This guy coulda/woulda/shoulda been history already.
A small part of me was glad to know Koch was feeling some regret and pain about the ripple effects of all his choices, i.e. backing T, M and Project 2025.
The plan has always been to destroy our democracy and move into an autocracy. The tech billionaires have a world vision where they are controlling everything and we are the fallout for that. When crony capitalism overrode our Constitution it laid the groundwork for this lunacy. Decimate free and independent media, co-opt the judiciary and lie to the uninformed repeatedly, and then you have divided all of us. Distract, deny and conquer. With a spineless and willing Congress hoping they can hang on to their power . Then as Vance said in 2021( driven by Peter Thiel) then we can step in and make it what we want. Vance is part of a hedge fund group poised to gobble up the farm land across the country as farmers are bankrupted. Not even avoiding an appearance of conflict of interest. So base and truly evil.
At this point, any power in Congress is illusory. They don't want to hang on to power, they just want to use their positions to escape being in the mud with the rest of us.
Tenant farmers and a serf economy would be fantastic for the overlords, and is their goal. Industry (manufacturing) moved to places where their workforce makes a dollar an hour. Anyone want to move that manufacturing back here and work for even minimum wage? I would make a terrible serf.
That’s what’s problem with you ignoramus is there are 1 millions of people that would take a job for 15 or $20 an hour instead of working at McDonald’s but you don’t get out enough. That’s your problem you’re locked up in your cave of self banishment
As a sort of rejoinder to John Adams' statement that "facts are stubborn things," is probably the truth that ignorance and stupidity tend to settle to the bottom. So long as we live in a Newtonian, physical world, the bill for such things will always come due, sooner or later.
The especially painful part is, these lessons are SO clearly recorded, annotated, taught, commented on and known in our current age, that it makes their obvious repetition all the more without excuse. We gave great thought, after World War II, to ensuring such a thing couldn't happen again. And 80 years isn't a failure. But, clearly, we're gonna need to go even deeper and be even BETTER this time around. If we survive it.
Hey Robert, tell me what has honestly changed in your life on a daily basis. Here let me help you if you didn’t watch TV and you weren’t here. Nothing would’ve changed in your life not a damn thing. The sky is falling. The sky is falling. The Russians are coming. The Russians are coming. Yikes
Well, I haven't lived in the states for 9 years. I can tell you that both of my brothers' lives have changed considerably in the last few years, at least. And no, "the Russians are coming" won't change your life. Until they do. Collapses of all types nearly always work that way.
Asked about the public fight between two of Trump’s advisors—two of the most powerful men in the world—White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters: “Boys will be boys.”
OK, but some times you just really need an adult in the room.
IT would appear there are no adults anywhere in this administration at all. I'm amazed at myself that I'm cheering for the Koch/Leo suit that is really based on a verifiable legal statute. But will those adults care enough about the rest of us? Start the campaign to replace those with no spine in the House. NOW
Actually Trump is the only adult in the room having the guts to do what should’ve been done the last 35 years so we’d still have a middle class I wouldn’t have sent 90,000 factories and put 6 million people of the middle and lower class out of work. You people are so bad it’s been said that if Trump cured cancer, you’d still have an issue, you’d find something wrong. For 10 years musk was your idol and he built something that helped you save your climate change hoax and now you’re burning cars and you’re proud of it. ?
They have the only adult in the room. God forbid people aren’t like you no matter what people say above you and below you oh yes, I agree. Oh my God you’re so correct.
I hope to God you’re never on a jury or you’re never convicted of a crime and have a jury of people like you that only hear one side of the story
Wow and here we have the gullible liberal lemmings all in a row commiserating with each other because there’s no counter point. You only hear from one year and you only see one eye change the freaking channel and view some reality would you please
Embarrassing, America’s shame. The world’s problem. All for the pleasure of the carnival barker’s ego. He still has enough time left to bow to Vlad, give home grown evil the government, and reward the oligarch’s for their treachery. And he will. The bull in the china shop is well on the way to total destruction. Is there an Ike in the house…
Note another of Trump's (now predictable) Hitler re-dos: the German aristocracy who financed the Original Nazis' destruction of the Weimar Republic assumed they could make Hitler their puppet, much as Emperor Elon and his gaggle of gazillionaires appeared to be doing. But just as Hitler did, this vorm too has turned -- my abuse of the old Germanic term for predatory dragon deliberate -- and as the new Führer, Trump is (again) mimicking his one true messiah, running amok, sneeringly imposing a cataclysm of Absolute Ruin, ever-more-obviously dancing toward an unspeakable embrace of Absolute Evil.
Since we're already re-learning the White Rose Society's lesson that internal resistance to such a tyrant is futile, that our liberation -- if it comes at all -- must necessarily come from without, the only remaining question is how far Trump intends to go. Because I (involuntarily) spent most of the first quarter of my life in the South -- a born New Yorker, I am now 85 years old, exiled from the City by gentrification, thus to live the remainder of my life in the Pacific Northwest -- I know the Neoconfederate hatred not only of the federal government but the entire (anti-fascist) modern world is literally bottomless; I also know the Christonazis with whom the Neoconfederates are united in Trumpite triumph are fanatically committed to bringing on what in my youth they glorified as "the end of the Satanic world" -- the hateful reduction of our Mother Earth back to Precambrian lifelessness -- this time permanently.
MAGA is thus actually MAHA -- Maximizing America's Hatefulness Again. Jim Crow on (global) steroids.
Thus too, Trump -- like Hitler -- intends to either conquer the world or destroy it. We survived World War II because Hitler never acquired the destructive capability he so desperately sought. But thanks in large measure to its anti-Soviet partnership with Original Nazi war criminals, the U.S. has global-surveillance-enforced thermonuclear omnipotence, which means Trump has everything he needs to not only kill the planet, but to eternally reverse the drive toward consciousness that our species' existence proves was implicit in every earthly atom. Now he is proving to the world he is indeed moral imbecile enough to push the proverbial button, and sadist enough to welcome doomsday with a grin. As I said above, Absolute Evil.
Wow, you read my mind. Almost as old and a product of the South as well. His admiration for and lean towards Nazis have been evident for years. Got banned by T and FB five years ago for saying so. Internal resistance will be useless by July. Maybe is now. You nailed it. unspeakable embrace of absolute evil.
And for many of you who think you’re historians the minute, you mention Hitler, your credibility goes below. The zero credibility line into the negative territory.
As I mentioned to many of you, why not just meet me in Auschwitz let’s lie down in the ovens there let’s look at the video footage of Eisenhower walking through the carcasses and dead bodies in the ovens and the millions of pairs of glasses and boots you people make me sick stop using Hitler use something realistic would you please
Hey Lauren, here’s your problem. There were 77 million collaborators and now there’s probably 100 million collaborators and where your favorability rating was 36% when this started it’s now down to 20 so keep doing what you’re doing. All 77 million of them revealed themselves. On the other hand 75 million or so in 90 days made a decision that Kamala was the woman of the world. She was the leader of the free world. ? And she raised $2 billion in 90 days. Democracy is what happened on November 5 try to put that in your head, even though you hate to hear it.
Now let me see if I can say it to you in English. It has nothing to do with Elon Musk nothing. By the way, he could be doing this from South Africa and it wouldn’t change a thing that’s today’s computer world. But Donald Trump could’ve picked any number of people to do what those is doing and have Elon working behind the scenes to get it done if necessary not that it would be Ted Cruz or Lindsey Graham or Matt Gates or Cash Patel could’ve done the same thing then what would you say because it’s not about the person it’s about the task at hand
You guys are out of your element you guys are over your head
I could post four or five of these links, including one from Chuck Schumer, who said exactly the same thing about tariffs And about reducing the size of government
I’ll send you over one or two, but you are lost absolutely lost talking about musk who gives a shit. Oooooops
Rand Paul gave the most "suck up" explanation of why he's opposed to the tariff's yesterday. He grovels with the best of the Republican sycophants.
And now him and the entire state of Kentucky will suffer the wrath of Trump.
I live in ME and he continues to withhold funding allocated for whatever he feels like withholding. School lunches for kids are one of his current targets.
Hail to Governor Mills for standing up to the cruel and mean spirited asshole Trump.
Me too, and Muskrat. For once, Paul and Musk said something sensible about how damaging the tariffs will be. Tesla cars, just like any other car in this country, are made with both domestic and foreign parts, and there are no domestic manufacturers for some of these parts.
Legendary, all right. I wish I could live to see how history treats this man.
Heather, I don’t see how it’s humanly possible for anyone to do the research, verification, and writing necessary for producing your daily reports. Hard work is a gross understatement of what you do. Thank you so much!
DR. Richardson's bio:
Heather Cox Richardson (born October 8, 1962) is an American historian who works as a professor of history at Boston College, where she teaches courses on the American Civil War, the Reconstruction Era, the American West, and the Plains Indians. She previously taught history at MIT and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She received her AB, MA, and PhD from Harvard University.
Richardson has authored seven books on history and politics. In 2019, she started publishing Letters from an American, a nightly newsletter that chronicles current events in the larger context of American history. Richardson focuses on the health of American democracy. The newsletter accrued over one million subscribers, making her, as of December 2020, the most successful individual author of a paid publication on Substack.
Newsletter: Letters from an American (2019–present)
In September 2019, Richardson began writing a daily synopsis of political events associated with the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. Originally posting late every evening or in the early hours of the next day on her Facebook page, Richardson later moved to add a newsletter, entitled "Letters from an American."[5][6] The newsletter deals with contemporary events she explains and relates to historical developments, with a focus on the health of American democracy.[7]
As of December 2020, Richardson was "the most successful individual author of a paid publication on... Substack" and on track to bring in a million dollars of revenue a year.[8] The newsletter received a "Best of Boston" award for "2021 Best Pandemic Newsletter" from Boston magazine.[9] By January 2024, the newsletter had about 1.3 million people reading each newsletter.[5] The Nation described her journalistic voice as "sincere, humble, approachable, and jargon-free."[5]
In 2021, Richardson appeared on the Forbes 50 over 50 list[22] and received the Frances Perkins Center Intelligence and Courage Award.[33][34][35] In 2022, USA Today recognized her as one of the Women of the Year.[36][7] In 2023, The Guardian described her as the single most-important progressive pundit since Edward P. Morgan from the 1960s.[11] In 2024, the Authors Guild Foundation awarded her The Baldacci Award for Literary Activism for 2024.[37][38] In November 2024, Richardson was awarded the Kidger Award by the New England History Teachers Association at the NCSS Conference in Boston, Massachusetts.[citation needed]
A National Treasure -- and my very first read every day. How she does it day in and day out I will never know -- but I'm so glad she does. Thank you Heather!
Ditto - and I bet she is the first read of most of her followers.
Sometimes I feel the need to read nothing more after I read Dr. Richardson's letter. It's definitely my first go to. There are a lot of great ones out there but she's the best!
The Professor is a lifeline to reality in full historical context.
Everybody: "Industry leaders" have gathered today in South Carolina including George Pyne, CEO of Bruin Capital, Vlad Tenev, Robinhood's CEO, Marc Rowan, Apollo Management's CEO & ANTHONY BLANKEN ... presumably there for political realities nationally & internationally.
Quick Tour National: Wreck is yammering about "pharmaceuticals" so Drug Companies are off 🔻over 5% on market futures. All Treasuries are up this morning. I suppose that's a RUSH to perceived safety?
International: Per the Bank of England (BOE )major UK companies are selling assets but, not in a crazy manner. In short, Sellers are "repositioning" capital but, to what is not clear this morning.
Be Safe All
Re "repositioning" - What MAGA seems to forget is that our "rule of law" is what makes us so attractive to international investors. Take away that, and a big chunk of capital leaves for a safer haven.
"The Professor is a lifeline to reality in full historical context." Sums it all up. Thank you and TVM to her.
Like "Professor" name.
If I remember correctly didn't Wall Street come out against him in this election? I am hoping Congress and Wall Street finds a way to rein this in.
Not to mention the price of gold, which has been around $3K/ounce for a few weeks. Crazy!
Civil Discourse-Joyce White Vance
Tristan Snell
Timothy Snyder
The Contrarian
Jim Acosta
Meidas Touch
Brian Tyler Cohen
The Guardian
BBC USA
Bluesky
Lovethe Bulwork as well; all former Rs who have always been never Trumpers
Adding to your great list of truth-tellers:
Thom Hartmann
Dan Rather - Steady
Thanks for the list. I do Bulwark, Meidas Touch, Bluesky. I like reading the continuing updates from my federal Senator (Chris Murphy). I have been listening to NPR. The best thing I have heard on there was an interview with some trump official. The guy kept obfuscating and not giving any answers. The interviewer said that he should come back when he had some answers. Priceless!
I definitely read Heather first and the rest when I have time. And sometimes I completely disregard the others - a sanity saving technique for those days when the news burden is just too much to bear.
I agree, she is the voice that America needs to hear at this historically chaotic time. She helps me sleep better, as well as face each day with a more positive outlook. Keep it coming Heather, we need you.
Definitely a life line for factual content. That, with the comedians for humor (I think) I'm maintaining my sanity.
Harvey, she is my first read in the am unless she posts early and I see the letter before I go to bed. I also post it first thing to Facebook (yes, I know). I have learned so much from Heather and from many of the posters here.
My morning coffee and LFAA are the first things I take care of in the morning. When she breaks at night (PDT) I hold off until morning since I do need my sleep...
The break at night is rare, but I have stayed up a little later, telling myself I shouldn't.
Yes, she is.
First read for me, for sure, for years. I miss her voice on weekends and her (way too infrequent) "I need a break" days (nearly always accompanied by one of Buddy's gorgeous photos).
She is mine!
She surely is mine
yup!
yes!
I read the Mutts comic strip first. Then I read Heather's newsletter.
This information is from wikipedia.
Wikipedia is an unexpected egalitarian resource that I also never take for granted, chipping in a little money to support them periodically because it seems like a necessity now that it has reached a very useful maturity.
Wikipedia is always a great starting place, and where to touch bases for material you might miss. It is often a more compact collection of relevant material that can stand entirely on its own.
I have a bad habit of often trying to cover too much, or many minor points that can distract more than usefully adding much substance, so I end up just referring to their much better curated articles.
I start my day with Heather, every day. And if for some reason I can't, I feel extremely cranky.
AMEN🫶
HCR is the gold
standard.
Ain’t it the truth. 👏TY Nancy…and Heather, still enjoyed these many years later because…truth matters.
Today’s “Letter..” still embodies America’s central issues -historically truths - woven, polished , compiled into easy reading for us …with her specialized finesse.
I know a desperate animal will chew off their leg to escape the trap laid for them, when.they’re. CAUGHT…
Well, the right leans lending credence to that …yeh,what IS your pain threshold? Who cry’s “Uncle” first? And that Uncle is UNCLE Sam , folks…because your “imagined fetishized world” 🗣️is faked! Your incessant money making scheme scammed yer own damn selves!
Even I grab for the rosary as I’m laughing -truth penned well IS funny -but no , I’m actually pissed at both ends of this spectacle …where either the thieves on the bottom steal to supply their drug habit or the thieves at the top rig it to supply (and demands) for their ridiculous bank rolls.
Yes , in-deeds done: unions down, taxes down, infrastructure crumbled, the unhealthiest society , and education failing us.
It’s us , the middled in between ..squeezed and protesting (thank you)🫶. It’s the Middle Class near hollowed out, and some of the most very selfish clawing last vestiges before they abandon [their] convenient KING CON Don.
A very large percentage of these ARE felons/have been jailed//were jailed/will turncoat and never see justice rendered. Some of them are already labeled war criminals…it’s not just here in America .
No, it’s just finally right here in River City …..now.
Who is it that said “We’ve all lost money”?
Money Money Money
Always their first concern…right?
Never the thousands upon millions who died either fighting for that ‘equality for all ‘ America proudly STOOD for ….or the selfish lack of it ..because because because…….
WHEN. IS. ENOUGH?
Re "TY Nancy": Who? And where can I access? Thanks.
Larry, I may be confused ( doesn’t take much) or missed the point …the NANCY I answered and thanked was Nancy Branch ‘s statement ..”Heather is the gold” …just previous to my comment today . I frequently start my run on comments by something brilliant another commenter says…appreciating all the grammar police and deciphering some have to do to have any clue ‘what I really meant’ 😉
This is ,beside my gardens, the funnest thing I do all day -read Heather that is.
Y’all have a good day !
Ha, no I was the confused. Thanks for clarifying . . . and thanks for HCR for being there to comment upon.
Heather is such a remarquable woman that wannabe King Trump has never dared attack her.Thank you for your bravery . May your exemple be followed
Heather
“Trump’s undermining of the global economy reflects forty years of Republican emphasis on the myth that a true American man is an individual who operates outside the community, needs nothing from the government, and asserts his will by dominating others.” —Heather Cox Richardson, renown American historian.
“Humans were egalitarian for thousands of generations (adults in hunter-gatherer bands behave as equals) before hierarchical societies began to appear.” —Christopher Boehm (1931-2021), renown American anthropologist.
“The leadership of the Republican Party behaves less like human beings and more like adult male chimpanzees engaged in a dominance display performance.” —James R. Carey, LFAA newsletter subscriber.
And we see that clearly in their nonsensical push to remove women from places of power (unless they are totally loyal to Trump).. see “mini me” Pete Hegseth now ending a separate fitness test for women in the military. If these “chimpanzees” think that one half of the population is going to stand for being pushed back into “traditional” female roles they are in for a rude awakening!
They are nothing more than a bunch of 'throw-backs'. Wishing they were Hop-alon Cassidy, Billy the Kid, the Lone Ranger. Their fragile male egos can't deal with strong women and are terrified of powerful men of color. One word for them - GROW-UP, OR MAN-UP.
Or GET OUT OF THE WAY ! We women have been bearing your children, working full time jobs, keeping the car running, etc etc for my whole 80 years AND LONG BEFORE !
So true. It was the women that kept the weapons coming and factories operating during the war. My grandmother was one of them. But let’s see the men work as hard without some woman to cook and clean for them after she comes home from her factory job. No, they come home, whine incessantly, sit in front of their favorite chair watching sports and drinking cheap beer while making crude locker room remarks about women.
And as a male who values your well-made point, I will have no problem supporting the "one half of the population" to whom you refer.
Never going back on women's rights, civil rights and racial justice, or LGBTQ rights! Can't put those genies back in the white male superiority bottle - it's all fake anyway as we can see. Those white boys are losing the game...that's why they get violent and rant and rave on line...
It's like he's holding a gun to the earth's head, and saying if you don't cooperate, I'll pull the trigger!!
And to watch all of the CEOs who supported him freaking out, begging every which way for him to stop his bull-in-the-china-shop behavior is stunning. Here's what I'm afraid of: trump finds himself trapped like a rat in the corner and like the guy who kills the woman who left him with the if-I-can't-have-you-no-one-will mentality pushes the nuclear button....
Not inconceivable - he's totally unpredictable. A feral manchild.
Sophia...who knows what he will do. He is at least partially a puppet although the puppeteers may find out that some of the strings are broken. Maybe they already have and now are starting to panic.
I listened to an NPR report on the group, can't remember their name, who go on about how we need more (and more) babies!!! Really we do!!! Or the human race will disappear!!! the fElon is one of them, no surprise. And of course they are all about women being barefoot, pregnant, in the kitchen.
The planet does not need more humans. We are the most destructive species. And white babies only, although all fetuses must be born, so then we can deny them nutrition among other things.
I hope you understood that what I posted was written with extreme sarcasm.
I hope you are right but being a cynic I remind myself many did not vote and a majority of white women voted for him. I have loyalty and empathy for every woman choosing her own path and so I remain frustrated.
Steve, I really think some of the not voting was voter suppression or buying the idea that individuals votes do not matter. If the majority of white women voted for death star, then it is about race for them. I have encountered a few on other threads. All most of them have is name calling and never addressing the real issues.
Michele, I wish your comment could be elevated. I believe that castigating people who didn't vote is, in part, a form of victim blaming.
There are many parts of the nation where Republicans have made voting difficult in a variety of ways, including but not limited to: shortening hours polling places are open, shortening or eliminating early voting periods, permanently closing polling places or moving them without notice.
If a voter is able to navigate all these suppression tactics, it is probable that their vote will be neutralized before they ever cast it because their district has been grotesquely gerrymandered.
All of this can be – and is – demoralizing to a voter who doesn't agree with the majority in control of their state.
Having stated that case, racists and misogynists do not get a pass.
You make a good point about voter surpression and there is a but. In the past elections we have experienced voters who waited in terrible heat for 8 hours to vote. Laws were passed where they could not be given water while in line - I get that and yet people voted. I understand that the average wait in line in suburban white communities was under 15 minutes. Tribal members sued to vote and won. So I get your point about surpression and your point carries over to the extreme gerrymandering happening such as in Texas - at the end of the day, a racist devise.
The calculus on not voting is this, at the end of the day, in a system of only two major parties and an electoral college system (crazy system), every vote matters. To not vote, or to vote third party in our system,most often means supporting the extremist. The idea that your vote does not matter was exposed when Ralph Nader ran, Gore ran, and Hillary ran. I think many did not vote or voted third party because of Gaza, forgetting that a third party vote or a non vote was frankly a vote for Trump who talked about using nukes on Palestinians, and for others not voting because the family budget was still in shreds, even as the nation recovered from the Covid recession better than any country on earth. Sometimes we have to weigh which platform causes less harm. Many chose to not think that way, and here we are. In the end analysis it is not an analysis of saying Trump did not have a majority because of the scores of millions who did not vote, but since the vote is our voice, he got the majority.
In mind mind when I read about MAGA wanting to go back to the golden age of mining… it brought to mind the pictures of the miners covered in coal dust, many who died of black lung disease and the pictures of the shacks they lived in. I wonder how many of those families want to go back to that life. Green energy has focused on West VA mining areas to bring new clean jobs. Perhaps it is time for MAGA to wake the freak up and realize there is NO GOING BACK to the “golden age” of robber barons and subservient women.
Right? Is J.D. Vance going to raise his kids to live the life he claims to have lived? Put them in factory jobs? I still believe his book is a lie. I also read an article about how his wife Usha claims she had a simple upbringing and before the campaign she wore dumpy clothes and still won’t color her grey-filled hair (she’s only 39). Who paid for her Yale education if her life was so basic and poor. Her mom is a provost at UCSD. It was just as whiny and victim claiming as the rest of the Republicans.
It is by design - if you portray yourself as being the common people, and therefore, struggle like the average citizen struggles, they will embrace you thus brushing away any residue of being the elite that you are and so many hate.
If you subscribe to The Contrarian, listen to Jen's interview/discussion with Jared Bernstein. His explanations regarding tariffs, the economy, etc. are succinct, reasoned and clarifying.
James R Carey, your last paragraph made me laugh out loud, at 7 a.m. no less!
Trump has the personality of an insecure dog
This is very likely because his boyhood in the Fred and Mary Anne Trump household was the equivalent of a dog being chained to a tree in the back yard.
To be good companions, dogs require obedience training and socialization activities. Without them, you get ... Donald Trump.
I wouldn't insult an insecure dog by comparing him or her to Trump!
Brava!
That’s what I’ve been saying for a long time! Trump reminds me of a chimpanzee, throwing his own waste around! I actually often think of that poor woman whose face was destroyed because her friend’s pet chimpanzee got spooked. Pundits have been talking about ‘oh, you’re surprised that the leopard ate your face?’ It’s the same!!
James, well, death star certainly is pounding his chest. Of course, always there are other chimps waiting to take down the alpha male. Also in chimp society females play a role in keeping the peace and the group together.
I learned what I know about chimp societies by reading Jane Goodall's book, and my knowledge is consistent with your comment. But to be more specific about Republican leadership and male chimp behavior, individuals are forever jockeying for position in a dominance hierarchy. It's important to note that male chimps are following their nature, and Republican leadership behavior conflicts with human nature. That's not an interpretation of the evidence. Instead, it's a description of the evidence. And it seems to me that understanding that makes it easier to understand the current political situation.
I read books by DeWaal and I am certain I have his name wrong, but he is a primatologist who wrote Mama's Last Hug. I would look up the name, but I am on a schedule this am.
You seem to be giving short shrift to human matriarchies.
Good point. The Cherokee and the Haudenasaunee were matrilinial for example and that resulted and a good system of checks and balances. I truly believe we lost much when all 3 Abrahamic faiths turned their backs on the Goddess creator spirit. The system of duality, male and female god/goddess , changes the equation in how we live and relate to one another.
There a few societies which are matriarchal which makes sense to me because we always know who mother is. Since most human societies are patriarchal, we see men trying to control women to make sure that the children they bear are his. I recently reread Genesis and it was all about seed and making sure a male's seed continued. Bonobos, another near relative of ours, are matrilineal.
Thank you for responding. I was thinking of the Cherokee and the Navajo when I wrote the above, but later, I checked and found a pretty extensive list.
Any two younger ones… but they don’t.
At least male chimpanzees beating their chests have a purpose. I would characterize our so-called leader as a bull in a china shop....
Everyone that I have turned on to her has thanked me. Her following is more than well-deserved, reinforced by all the accolades.
I might guess that our paid subscriptions in a way are the thank you she deserves. How many historians are millionaires?
Sweet thought. Might reintroduce the general population to the importance of schooling from earliest to eldest years .
The bombasts on T’s frontline staff are living examples of the very poor educational opportunities they have had…. Or are they all addict/alcoholics? Believing their own ‘stories’ ?
I imagine HCR needs a research assistant and assistance to help her. I would need that if I were producing what is basically a research paper of the quality she gives us almost every single day. At least a secretary or copy editor.
She works hard to bring us this extraordinary gift, a lifeboat of facts and perspective to carry us all in the midst of this tumultuous sea. I am grateful for her generosity every single day.
She is a historian. A long time ago she stated her intent was to record history and also weave past history into the present.
And she does a tremendous job of it!
Wow! Thank you for this in depth bio on my most favorite of all time writer/teacher/woman in the know !
President Biden should of awarded Heather the medal of freedom for her outstanding work about writing about Democracy and how important it is. Heather is a great historian in writing about the history of our country.
Encouraging Stirrings: "Business interests hard hit by the proposed tariffs are less inclined to dismiss the men in the administration as madcap kids. They are certainly not letting Musk shift the blame for the economic crisis off Trump and onto Navarro. The right-wing New Civil Liberties Alliance, which is backed by billionaire Republican donor Charles Koch, has filed a lawsuit claiming that Trump’s tariffs against China are not permitted under the law.".... If they are Successful in Beating back the Tariffs, they could also start to form a Successful Majority to Impeach DJT.... Follow The 'Bond Market'... The 'Bond Market' is an Order-Of-Magnitude bigger than the Stock-Market....
Thank you for the information. The elephant in the room is that he is a madman and no one wants to be the first to say the "emperor has no clothes."
DJT is indeed a 'MadMan' suffering from Senility... The Congressional, SCOTUS Republicans support DJT because they are terrified of DJT's MAGAs, and losing their positions... They have betrayed their Oaths to uphold the Constitution....
From the moment my husband and I read both “Wounded Knee” (2010) quickly read “The Greatest Nation on Earth “,we looked for and read every single word of Dr Richardson that we could find. Once Dr. Richardson began writing LFAA , I knew with great conviction, I had before me a profound source of truth. As dramatic as it sounds, today I believe, we read her letters as if our lives depends on it. But even as I write, I am relieved when Heather “rest “. History is a burden…now more than ever!
Hooray for Heather! I appreciate her steadfastness, honesty, determination to get this recorded and set it into context for all of us! A fine example of finding what you are good at, then doing it with gusto and corage!
Given her background I view her as a dedicated scholar. I recommend her podcasts.
Before getting out of bed in the morning, I read HCR. I cannot start my day without it! Thank you so much for keeping me (and all of us) informed and sane!
Thank you for the HRC bio. She is certainly a remarkable woman — one I have followed for several years. Her energy appears to be non stop. I hope she takes care of herself, especially during these challenging times.
Thank you for this bio of Dr. Heather Cox Richardson, Historian and writer extraordinaire!
Brava, Dr Richardson! ❤️
She deserves all the accolades she receives, for using the depth and breathe of her knowledge to compiled a true narrative on what this country now faces. Thank you Professor H.C. Richardson!
....And a patriotic saint Barb !
Yes. We really appreciate her. Heather's is the first Substack that I subscribed to.
Me, too!
Me too! Incredibly educational and clearly written!
Me three!
And still the best!
HCR is the only Substack I pay for. So far.
You might consider subscribing to Marc Elias's "Democracy Docket". He & his team of legal eagles are the ones who won the over 50 cases that Trump's lackeys filed after he lost the 2020 election. And they continue to do the heavy lifting for all of us in saving democracy.
Yes. He is great!
I don't doubt the accolades one bit, Linda. The amount that so many of us wish to read seems, for now at least, insurmountable. I'd love to read "Democracy Docket;" I simply can't find the time. HCR is the first Substack I go to; The Contrarian is the next with a smattering of Robert Reich to which I don't subscribe. The absolutely wonderful thing about many Substack articles is that one can read them for free. Even though some of us may have in house disagreements, I love reading commentaries, such as yours, and enjoy contributing some myself.
Riyadh you’re a smart man not to subscribe to Robert unless you just read what he says and know that the opposite is gonna happen
I listen to his discussions, too. I listen to as many podcasts and substacks that have been recommended by people on this thread that reveal the reality of this era and its travails.
I really like Rick Wilson too. He has a way with words. And for relief there’s Dave Barry and Andy Borowitz.
I pay for two others that I learned about here, and so grateful for the recommendation to Robert Hubbell, Today's Edition Newsletter for a sober, fact based daily dose of of perspective with citations, actions, and even an astro photo to end each letter, reminding us the universe is vast and full of beauty:
https://open.substack.com/pub/roberthubbell/p/addressing-reader-concerns-about?r=44m7t&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Yes. And consider Reich and Vance and Craven. I cancelled WaPo and now read Substacks and the Guardian.
Forgive my naïveté, but isn’t the guardian a British newspaper?
I subscribe to Timothy Snyder too. I read others, most frequently Joyce White Vance. The other comments here are a good summary of the wonderful voices we have access to.
I recommend Paul Krugman’s and Robert Hubbell’s as well.
Paul Krugman is like Carville He hasn’t been right in 20 years. He actually predicted a recession in Trump’s first term when the market has never turned better with Houstan earnings for the middle class and lower class like never before stable pricing no inflation, low mortgage rates, low gas prices, and he predicted just the opposite so think twice about Krugman, or maybe more than twice. IMO
At least he knows how to use punctuation.
Karen, thank you very much for your input. I voice text everything and I believe in content over form. I’m not writing my college thesis here.
If you’d like to have a discussion about something important like world, peace, or climate change, feel free to chime in, but please when punctuation forces somebody to push the atomic bomb button I’ll be concerned about my punctuation until then let’s focus on the issues at hand shall we
I subscribe to HCR and Jeff Tiedrich. The contrasting approaches seem to balance things out for me. Balance has been a challenge lately.
same!!
me too!
Me, four! 😊
I joined Substack because of Heather! 😁
Same !
Hear! Hear!
Yes, thank you Heather. You are my first morning read and your perspective is grounding
"Legendary all right" is the exact phrase I muttered to myself as I opened the Comments Section.
Honestly, I am far more worried by the 'Extreme Court' ruling allowing Trump to proceed, at least for now, with the Aliens / Enemies Act, and by funnelling this particular case through the right-wingnuts wearing robes of pretense in Tejas courts. 😵🤬🤢💔😢😱 https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/07/politics/supreme-court-deportation-flights-trump/index.html
Absolutely agree…she works so hard. We appreciate Dr Heather!
Totally True!!! THANK YOU for supporting us during this very dark time for Our Democracy Heather!! You are a beloved person in America !!
Professor is a hero and leader of this historic crisis we are in. We are foot soldiers. This letter hits the true motiv of Trump besides destructing governement to release more money for the wealthy people. That is "For his part, Trump appears to be enjoying that he is now undoubtedly the center of attention." We need to wait another week or so, and let Repbulican senators take over.
My vision of the Republican President as negotiator goes something like this: Someone (person, corporation or country) comes to make deal for "the ranch". Trump advises them that he is a tough, the best, negotiator. The supplicant then tells Trump that he is an impossibly tough negotiator, undoubtedly the toughest in the world. Trump, flattered of course, immediately says, "You want the ranch? It's yours! What else can I give you?
Yes, well said. This column is my first stop every morning….thanks to Heather for one measure of stability in this crazy time.
It’ hard to remain hopefull but we must because there is something in us that refuses to die .It is not a refusal to recognise reality It is the recognition that in the world there is more than darkness
You already know how he’s gonna treat this man he’s gonna be on Mount Rushmore
And I’m gonna love to see how Heather approaches what happened today. Fully, she’ll approach it with glee and happiness for what it did for the American people today and all the investors that were screaming and yelling a few days ago. It’s nowhere near over but now that 90 countries are asking for a negotiation tends to be a positive sign
I wish I could see how history treats the Republicans in Congress that have given over their tariff-making power to a man who controls them through fear of losing their jobs and fear for the safety of their families, their children. And how history threats the law firms bending to Trump’s whim and will alike to atone for having clients that challenged Trump’s illegal orders. How history treats universities turning over their curriculum, their libraries, their academic honour to Trump. Maybe they won’t believe it’s as bad as it is because such behaviour is unthinkable. How could it be as bad as the people who lived through it back in 2025 claim? It simply couldn’t ha been the bad.
But it is that bad. But it can still be reclaimed.
Simply said, Thank You.
Thank you, Heather. This gives me hope that the momentum may be shifting with some Republicans daring to stand up to Trump over tariffs.
I just watched Heather’s Political Chat on April 8. Together her insights have really given me clarity and some hope that ’we the people’ can overcome this nightmare of a Regime exercising illegitimate control. The infighting in the White House and open criticisms by the boot licking tech and bank accomplices certainly helps. But it seems essential that it is the citizens that need to control the narrative of what comes next so we don’t end up back where we started from, living docilely under terms set by the oligarchs and the Project 25 extremists.
Just stop buying stuff from the guys who empower him. It is working on the Muskrat. He's down for the count, maybe to rise again...who knows.
We are not just Voters, WE ARE THE MARKET.
I am trying hard to do a “buy nothing” year. It is also good for me- to make more mindful decisions about what is necessary.
Valerie-I just made my first conscious decision to avoid Amazon and turned to another company. My first choice is to buy local, but not always possible. It felt like I took the first step, anyway.
Nancy, what alternative are you using if not Amazon? I didn't renew my membership this year and I only used it basically for Prime Video.
You can buy directly from the vendor. Do your search. If products come up on Amazon, go directly to that product’s site. Often they offer a nice discount and sometimes ship it free.
Hi, Vivian
My purchase was for only one item from a small retailer.
I’m working on it, too. I actually normally don’t buy much stuff, but this past year I bought several books related to this pivotal political wrinkle in time. I have several subscriptions now, too. Accumulating “stuff” has never interested me. I’m capable of creating my own stuff. I’m particularly interested in not buying stuff online. I like to go into stores. Will there still be stores?
Jan, a friend of mine always gifts books for birthdays. She finds a local (to her friends) bookstore and orders the book from the store local to the giftee. (gifted??)
Avoid the dilemma: Recipient. 😊
I'm hopeful that there will be more stores. Buying online is so sterile. Society may see the ease of buying online as a convenience; however, the need for folks to intermingle is a powerful motivator. I cannot stand buying online; if I buy the wrong size, I find it more troublesome to return the stuff than going out to the brick-and-mortar store and returning it. We all need to get out more.
“(talking about when he tells his wife he’s going out to buy an envelope) Oh, she says well, you’re not a poor man. You know, why don’t you go online and buy a hundred envelopes and put them in the closet? And so I pretend not to hear her. And go out to get an envelope because I’m going to have a hell of a good time in the process of buying one envelope. I meet a lot of people. And, see some great looking babes. And a fire engine goes by. And I give them the thumbs up. And, and ask a woman what kind of dog that is. And, and I don’t know. The moral of the story is, is we’re here on Earth to fart around. And, of course, the computers will do us out of that. And, what the computer people don’t realize, or they don’t care, is we’re dancing animals.”
― Kurt Vonnegut
In the same spirit, I avoid self-checkout lanes. A self-checkout device eliminates employment for 3 people. Working a checkout lane may not be a great job, but it's a job. Also, I prefer interacting with a human being when I pay for my purchases, even if I sometimes have to distract them from texting on their phone.
I think this will really resonate with you. It did with me.
https://youtu.be/jaIQj76l_00?si=tbxzmxiw9oKmKgOd
Only if you walk into them. With your whole family!
I recommend the app, "Goods Unite Us." We think we're not buying, but we still are paying for insurance, mortgages, food/drugs, etc. It's good to see what corporations do with their $.
Bless you Valerie!
Valerie, I love the use of the word 'mindful' here. It sums up my approach as well.
We made all our purchases before Trump took office with the exception of trading the Tesla in for the Mini Countryman the first week in February. Thank goodness we didn’t wait any longer or the trade-in value would have been miniscule.
Well, isn’t that what people like Bezos and Jamie Diamond are worried about….even without targeted boycotts American consumer buying power is going to plummet and credit card defaults are going to escalate. Zuck’s advertising proceeds will wither.
I understand that Trump tried to persuade Tim Cook to move Apple here. Not goin' happen. Cook replied that during the Christmas season he employs a number of Chinese farmers(!) who work to assemble the phones. Cook also replied, as we all know, that the iphone would cost over #3,000 if he brought back its plant here. Trump knows shit about economics....
Yes....? But do it now.
Hey Stephanie, a tentative and a for current purposes only I have a word for you. Ooooooooooooops. I keep telling you guys patience no one listens
Bruce (or anyone): I've not seen any reporting on the effect of the 'buy nothing but local' day that happened in late February. I've wondered, but haven't researched its effects. We've stopped buying from Amazon (except when it's the only option for something we need); Whole Foods, Target, haven't bought from Walmart in years, etc. etc. Our buying habits have become, in commenter Valerie's word, more 'mindful', checking ourselves against impulse purchases.
Edit: I did a quick Google search, and from what I see it had a "mild impact" of perhaps -4% aggregate. February '25 sales were down compared to '24 due to many possible factors: the boycotting, cold weather, shoppers pulling back, etc.
Doug, my research indicates that it is too early to show much in the way of tangible results. The “Buy Everything Local” movement, as part of the broader “economic blackout” on February 28, 2025, appears to have had mixed results in its early stages. The initiative, led by The People’s Union USA, aimed to demonstrate the economic power of consumers by encouraging them to avoid unnecessary purchases from major retailers for 24 hours and instead support local businesses if needed.
Key Observations:
1. Consumer Participation and Awareness:
• The event gained significant attention, with endorsements from celebrities and grassroots organizations. It was part of a growing trend of consumer resistance movements, such as “No Buy 2025,” which similarly encouraged reduced spending and greater mindfulness about consumption.
2. Impact on Retail Sales:
• While specific data on the February 28 blackout’s impact is not yet available, online retail sales have continued to grow overall, reaching record highs in early 2025. This suggests that while the movement may have raised awareness, it has not yet reversed broader consumer trends toward online shopping.
3. Inflation and Economic Indicators:
• The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for February 2025 showed a modest increase of 0.2%, with food prices remaining stable and energy costs declining slightly. These figures indicate that while inflationary pressures persist, they have eased compared to previous years. However, it is unclear whether the blackout had any direct influence on these trends.
4. Long-Term Goals:
• The February 28 event was described as a starting point for a larger campaign. Future actions include a week-long boycott of Amazon and other corporations in March, signaling that the movement is focused on sustained efforts rather than immediate results.
Conclusion:
While the “Buy Everything Local” movement has successfully drawn attention to issues like corporate greed and consumer empowerment, its measurable economic impact remains uncertain at this stage. Continued participation in planned boycotts and shifts in consumer behavior will be critical to determining its long-term effectiveness.
Thanks Bruce, for the info. I agree about raising consumer awareness, and the power of the pocketbook as regards to discretionary spending (as well as some indiscretionary.) I've maintained that this action must be repeated and extended, or it simply becomes a hazy blip on a balance sheet.
yep...let's hope people pick it up. The DNC should be making a lot of noise in this direction.
FYI - I read recently that Walmart is fighting back against tRump and his tariffs. Good News- Walmart has a very poor history of mistreating their employees but maybe they are changing with the times.
I've heard the same about CostCo including the continuing of their DEI programs.
Thanks, Rachel -- it would take a major, major shift before we start buying at Walmart, but fortunately we live in an area of retail abundance, so Walmart isn't the only option, unlike parts of the country I've read about.
Rachel, the Walton family has many sins to atone for, but at least they are making the effort, compared to Jeff Bezos, who has a similar track record regarding mistreatment of employees, and is doing nothing.
Alice Walton founded Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, which has quickly become one of the premier museums in the U.S. boasting an impressive collection of works. Admission is free. https://crystalbridges.org
Meanwhile, Bozo seems more interested in buying bigger yachts and more mansions.
I will spend the rest of my life being against anything Musk touches. I hope he gets deported eventually. He's not stable enough to withstand much more of this hatred towards him. The public melt down he had playing a video game is a good sign.
Hey Denise, yes, but just add one word in your comment if I may suggest: "being ACTIVELY against". One writer can do it!
Actually, Bruce, you’re a little bit less than half the market. Although your population is crumbling, despite you have a majority of people who side with the Democrats, except the Democrats are now left of Santa Claus, and have lost all sense of common sense
We will have to wrest control of the narrative from the person in the White House. His ability to control the narrative led him there.
I just want him OUT of there. Enormity. Fraud. Dangerous stupid vanity.
Be careful what you wish for. If Trump is gone, what then? Who then? Those who have promulgated their theory of the unitary executive have been using him, but are they dependent on him? He's perhaps the only one some of the MAGA cultists will follow, but once power is concentrated in one person, I'm guessing that those who have been behind the scenes will find another pliant and compliant individual to do their bidding, and maybe in a less fragmented and unpredictable way.
Trump is the worst president in the most catastrophic way. Not just for the US but for the rest of the world!!
1. Read Feathers of Hope. https://jerryweiss.substack.com/ Only takes 3 Republican House members t kick it off.
2. A few right wing Republicans are opposing him. Grassley has a bill that would remove his power to adjust tarriffs. A right-wing group with financial ties to Leonard Leo and the Koch network, the New Civil Liberties Alliance sued, claiming that Trump’s decision to invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act did not give him the power to “usurp” Congress’s right to control tariffs or “upset the Constitution’s separation of powers.” https://newrepublic.com/post/193612/donald-trump-lawsuit-tariffs-far-right-group
3. He now is at odds with Musk, who is recommending a tariff free zone, the US and EU.
Will spineless Johnson even introduce them to Congress-just like he did with the border bill?
For me, here is the point: we need to make a clean sweep of all of them. I know it's a tough road to hoe, and for that matter, it may not get done this way. What I'm hoping for are multiple impeachments: Trump, Vance, Kegsbreath, Bondi...the whole lot of them need to be gone in one swoop. If we get Trump and Vance at the same time, the writing may well be on the wall for others to go. Of course, we'll need to work on the House Speaker, Mike Johnson, should he climb to take the helm. That in a word, would be also disastrous.
I agree. His cabinet members are just as bad, and most of them are completely unqualified for their jobs.
Which Congress is going to do this?
But will the MAGAts follow anyone else? They worship the power mad wanna be king like a GOD. Can you see that transferring to Vance?
No.
If $Trump were to exit stage left, Vance would be awful. He is smarter and younger. And in theory, more dangerous. But he lacks that "Je ne sais quoi". Nobody can hypnotize like $Trump.
He would not have the gravitas, the persona, the power to "primary" and threaten other Republicans. His lies would be transparent. He would have a lot of vocal competition for influence. He would reign over a chaotic party of competing selfish interests.
The elders of the Republican Congress would see Vance for what he is. An opportunistic punk. The adults would want their money back.
Maybe if Vance adds "Rapist" to his resume.
No. Vance is worse!!!! See below.
that is our only hope, given the line of succession - after Vance, Johnson! after Johnson, Rubio. Fanatical clowns all the way down.But probably none of them capable of sustaining a mindless and vicious cult as Trump somehow manages to do.
Narrative, Kathy?
There used to be a time when we understood novelists, memoirists, biographers, essayists, and historians to nurture narrative.
American schools junked all that when the billionaire classes demanded fealty instead to testing -- to their reductions of all life to numbers, otherwise fearing and being paranoid at "the complicated," "the personal," and everything that couldn't be reduced (passive voice here intended) to machine-gradable instruments for abstracting, categorizing, packaging, labeling.
Am I repeating myself here?
I think the world may be on a suicide trip.
Many nations, threatened by the fat, obese, orange madman could organize to help the U.S. get just three Republicans -- Nebraska's Don Bacon, New York's Mike Lawyer, and Pennsylvania's Brian Fitzpatrick -- to join with Dems to have Hakeem Jeffries Speaker of the House. (These Republican moderates in a new, bi-partisan House could have committee chairs of their choice.)
But the final result would be the House enforcing the Constitution's Article 14, Section Three -- removing the convicted criminal and insurrectionist from the White House. (I welcome those like Jon Rosen often here bragging of his law school experience, but steadfastly ignorant -- like Chuck Schumer -- of the actual language of Article 14, Section Three.)
There's a story, Kathy. It's called narrative. Where bastards other living dead have long promoted the death of schools to testing.
Yes, KSC: "it is the citizens that need to control the narrative of what comes next."
It's for this good logic you cite that the Constitution vested powers of the purse in the Congress. Its two houses fairly well let varieties of voices be heard in deciding these issues of public import -- vital to the U.S. and to many allies and other partners worldwide.
Indeed complicated, these alliances and partnerships. And the opposite of that? The fat orange felon. As Heather says near the end, "Trump appears to be enjoying that he is now undoubtedly the center of attention." See, KSC? He's no good at all at any complications. Just needs to be everyone's drama queen.
Worse, how the Republicans in Congress (though it may be changing) have been doing nothing but suck up this convicted criminal, Putin ally.
Why? Because American schools have stopped complicated. No one reads whole books anymore. Fewer and fewer write essays. Instead, the simplicities of testing rule: the categorical, the linear, the abstracted and the group-packaged.
We've got a major problem, KSC. Not just the obvious criminal deep in yet more recklessness and world stage narcissism. But schools that have so lost, abnegated the personal and the complicated.
"Everyone's drama queen ".
I would much rather have a drag queen in office at this point, than this drama queen.
Hey Jody so tell us all about the drama turn off the TV stay off this site nothing has happened and changing your life not one little bit. Ooooops
"Our fascination here is “narrative,” writ large, or more simply put: story. Generally speaking, the stories we believe in—those to which we hold true—move our actions in the real world. And the stories at the heart of identity weave together to form the stories that define our social fabric and our shared reality."
https://literalmayhem.substack.com/p/storytime-the-old-world-is-dead-accept
As a public school teacher, I have to disagree that schools have abrogated their responsibility to teach complicated critical thinking. In my state of NC, Republican legislators have been making war on public education by forcing standardized testing on schools, underfunding the schools in defiance of the state constitution, and sending public taxpayer funds to private schools with a voucher system. This war has been going on for almost 50 years. The R’s damage the public schools, then tout “school choice” vouchers as a way to get a quality education. But that’s a lie. The vouchers mostly go to charter schools which don’t have to follow the rules governing public schools, can select their students, and don’t perform any better than public schools with regard to student outcomes. The R’s just want to get public money into private pockets any way that they can.
Good for you, Jenn.
Agree with you totally.
I have, however, never said "schools have abrogated their responsibility to teach complicated critical thinking." I've said, instead, that schools have been taken over by the corporate testing rapists.
Key difference, Jenn? The teachers. They've been with us, with the kids, with the families. But they've been taken over (yes, passive voice) by $$$.
It might be good to consider where we are now in the order of media communications. The printing press revolutionized the world then but times have changed. the Internet revolutionized our lives and now social media is revolutionizing our brains. The digital world has arrived. Teach our kids how to survive in the digital world, how to think critically about where and how they get their information, and humanities based virtues might reappear. THIS is the new content and process for education reform.
I’m actually feeling sorry for you and your ilk.
Hey Phil, it’s the Congress you so blessed that has caused us to be in $36 trillion worth of debt. I would like to see you write checks with no money in the bank. Please do me a favor take the word Russia out of your vocabulary. It makes you look silly and diminishes your credibility.
Only four times in recent history have Republicans had control of the three chambers. Hi Republic, so please tell me how Republicans in Congress have caused problems here. I believe the Republicans have had control six out of the last 15 or 21 Presidents one of the other I just can’t remember
I just finished watching it, too.
I don’t know how she does it. She is on the road and speaking live on the road, doing the political chats and writing her Substack posts everyday. She is Super Woman incarnate.
How can we access the chats?
I've found her chats on YouTube a day after she's done them.
They are available for replay very shortly after the live chat ends. You don't have to wait until the next day. On YouTube. They are also on Facebook but that's different can of worms. YouTube is a better access point. Subscribe to her YouTube feed and you will get notifications.
Thank you.
Just type in "Politics Chat" on a Tuesday and up it comes on YouTube. She starts in silence, just looking at the bottom of her screen where she can see who's logging in from where, and greets them joyfully.
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19TwrzDPL4/?mibextid=GOdwvm
She has them on Facebook immediately. They are also on youtube.
Right On.
Trump is a legend in his own lunchbox. This is not a financial crisis, it's a mental health crisis.
"Behold, at the resolute desk, a jumbo shrimp!" - C. Blow
Your hilarious comment reminded me of this quote, Kazz.
Stuck in the timbers of the "Resolute".
Megalomaniac narcissist?
I'll raise you: psychopathic megalomaniac narcissist.
And see you: psychopathic, megalomaniac, narcissistic, demented old dotard.
OK: I'll play: pink-haired psychopathic, megalomaniac, narcissistic, demented old dotard. He arrived freshly-coiffed, to talk of the beauties of coal, before adorning a foolscap page with his two-inch high felt-tipped "signature".
Having lived in WV for a number of years, I know more than I'd like to about King Coal. There is, for example a mine in PA, where I now reside. It caught fire, like 200 years ago, and is still burning underground, causing the evacuation of the town nearby. Talk about a Trumpster Fire!
Keep going Anne-Louise........:)
Anything else to add Leigh ? We have plenty of room ,don't be shy. :)
How would you call those that love their ass to be kissed as he does?
Was that a question regarding him being a Megalomaniac narcissist or it's too early for you ? :)
Regarding above: "This is not a financial crisis, it's a mental health crisis."
(Does that provide clear context?)
Yes, Kazz McKnight,
Yesterday Dr. Bandy X. Lee wrote in her posting: It is Happening Here…With a Flag, a Cross, and a Bible. Congress must save us from the current mental pathology in politics.
I think they have their own mental pathologies. In fact, I think the whole party does. We better make sure they know we know in next year’s midterms. Too often they get reelected.
That mental health crisis involves at least half of the population Kazz. It's an emergency, not just a crisis.
Truly, I think so too.
I like trump is a legend in his own delusional mind.
Now how to move him into mental health therapy and OF HIS FAVORITE SOAP BOX .
Ruth, I also hope that Republicans will realize that Trump only does tariffs to achieve two goals: make CEO’s and foreign government leaders beg him to exempt them from the tariffs, and to partially pay for his tax cuts for the wealthy by taxing consumption (which hurts low/middle class consumers more than wealthy consumers). Wealthy taxpayers have also been given a green light to cheat on complicated tax returns since DOGE has fired the auditors and subject matter experts who have recovered up to six times more money than they cost.
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-tops-1-billion-in-past-due-taxes-collected-from-millionaires-compliance-efforts-continue-involving-high-wealth-groups-corporations-partnerships
Mary, yes, he enjoys the begging, but that's not what motivates him. What motivates him, always and forever, is money. It's classic organized crime stuff. He wants other government leaders to pledge vast sums of money to his bank accounts.
Note that he's already successfully extorted millions from U.S. billionaires and CEOs, including Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook, Zuckerberg, ABC and probably CBS.
That is his art of the deal: extortion is at the heart of all of his deals.
I have been thinking Trump fances himself a character in The Gilded Age - a kind of Bertha and George Russell combo.
I keep thinking he believes he is living in The Apprentice reality TV Show, not connecting the dots, not understanding this is real life with real consequences. This “new reality TV Show” is one no one wants to watch.
Actually, his reality should be a strait jacket and life in a padded (or not!) cell.
Three walls padded. The other wall lined with books. Which he can't read. And a small TV that plays only endless loops of Rachel Maddow.
Well, today is not the end-all and be-all but I’d like you guys to swallow your words for a few seconds when I keep telling everybody here to be patient, and they wanna judge him on a daily basis, even though he’s only been an office some 70 days]
Based on the panic you guys were showing I’m sure you all sold everything in your 401(k)
I truly believe you are correct, except that he loves the consequences. He has the power to crater the world’s economy. Remember his comment following the deplorable Oval Office ambush of Velensky, “This is going to be great television.”
let’s see what happens if the big bill passes and no tax on Social Security fits your needs. Let me see what other bullshit you can come up with to hate him.
Hey Mary maybe you haven’t heard the news but there have been a plethora of billionaires complaining about what’s going on with Trump and if that’s the case, why would they be complaining? Hmmmmmm.
Stop being so gullible there are no tax breaks for the wealthy in any of his legislation. It’s all for the middle and lower class. In fact, it starts at the lower class and works up no tax on tips no tax on overtime no tax on Social Security. You tell me how that benefits the wealthy would you? Your comment would stump the pharaohs
We also need momentum to shift in the Senate this week to vote against the SAVE Act, which will cause many people (such as married women who changed their name) to lose the right to vote. Per activist extraordinaire Jessica Craven this evening, Jared Golden of Maine is planning to vote yes. What is the plan of your representative?
Mainers, as constituents, please call Rep. Golden to vote NO on the Save Act!
(202) 225-6306
(207) 241-6767
(207) 249-7400
Yes. This. Extremely concerned it is not getting more attention. Obtained a certified copy of my birth certificate. Now working on getting my passport. Not an easy process.
Golden is in the House, not the Senate.
"Haste makes waste." Thanks for the catch--edited accordingly.
Do me a favor stop the ridiculous panic. The world is coming to an end. The sky is falling. It’s an existential threat to democracy. Lololol
I read last night that he has signed an executive order that gives him control of the FEC, basically enacting the SAVE act on his own. Please correct me if I am wrong. Someone is suing.
I certainly need a morale booster-shot right now. I happened upon this ninety year old poem by Langston Hughes that captures my depression right now. https://allpoetry.com/Let-America-Be-America-Again Eighty-seven years ago, Artie Shaw tuned into the mood in a similarly dark time. https://youtu.be/-vbghyhIZCk 😰
Alas, Mr Shaw, much like Dr Richardson cold also capture the possibility of America. https://youtu.be/5baD3h13QUc 🤞
We will prevail, with the help of Canada, the E.U., Great Britain, even China with healthy retaliation; hopefully, that will be the wake-up call need. ✌🏽
We are learning, the hard way, that we need our allies a lot more than they need us. 🤝
Thank you for sharing this poem. It is sorely needed now.
You are welcome, Maureen.
“Some Republicans daring to stand up” to Trump ? At his mammoth remarks at that Republican dinner - 2 whole hours ! - he was reveling in the fact that foreign leaders are begging him to revoke these odious tariffs. Only he was much more crude. He loves this chaos and has attracted those who despite their backgrounds have the same defiant streak. This is a very dangerous time and I hope more than just a handful of Republican Congressmen and Senators decide that they have given up too much of their Constitutional power.
Let me make this really clear see if any of you are adult enough to understand. I don’t care for what comes out of Trump’s mouth, but I love what comes out of Trump’s pen.
Some GOP members do seem to be softly speaking out. However, the MAGA base still seems all aboard.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/05/us/tariffs-trump-voters-reaction.html?rsrc=flt&unlocked_article_code=1.-U4.O2JR.OKxHmVsOxpc4&smid=url-share
I really do think Americans need to touch the stove and we need to feel economic pain for at least 6 months to a year. Then, and only then will the MAGA brand be toxic enough for these people to stop supporting MAGA, the long-term pain isn't here yet.
Hopefully the power is shifting, but I have zero respect for these “checks and balances for me but not for thee” Republicans
Yes Ruth, that provable fact that Republicans never care until it affects THEM. Now it's the billionaires' turn.
My thoughts exactly. HOPE. Thanks to Heather's voice I’m seeing some light again through a scaring dark tunnel.
Ruth, I pray for that to be true. I’m “banking” on it.
As if relations weren't bad enough between the US and China, a few days ago the Taiwanese manufacturer TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) introduced the world’s most advanced microchip: the 2 nanometre (2nm) chip. Mass production is expected for the second half of the year. TSMC recently struck a US$100 billion deal to build five new US factories. However, they are understandably reluctant to say whether these new chips will be manufactured in the US because they fear that to do so would threaten the so-called 'silicon shield' (which they believe is the main reason why the US protects them from a Chinese invasion). The island depends on imported fossil fuel for around 90 percent of its energy and lives under the growing threat of blockade, quarantine, or invasion from China. In addition, for political reasons, the government has pledged to close its nuclear sector by 2025. Their energy system is fragile even though they supply 60% of the world's semiconductors and 90% of the more advanced ones. Trump's tariff war with China and this unique dilemma for Taiwan threatens to bring the issue of the island's autonomy to a head. Not a great time to have chosen an idiot as your president.
Definitely. And and maybe some of that 90% of the worlds most advanced semiconductors would be produced here but for Reaganomics and letting so much of our manufacturing base slip abroad because it suited billionaires. Some kind of "Chips" act might rebuild such business, but just charging tariffs? The ship already sailed. Even Reagan knew that tariffs had limited utility.
Unfortunately, dream on my friend. The only Machines that allow TSMC to produce n2 level Chips are designed and Assembled by ASML of the Netherlands, but only with support from the following companies and institutes. The USA currently hasn't a hope in Heck of matching that. A US company would have to buy ASML and all it's IP and that of other EU companies. No way are they going to deal with the USA after Trump for a long time.
ASML’s advanced N2 EUV chip manufacturing machines rely on a network of key suppliers and partners to produce and integrate their highly complex components. Below is a list of notable contributors:
Key Suppliers and Partners
1. ZEISS Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology (SMT) Germany
ZEISS provides the high-precision optical systems that form the core of ASML’s High-NA EUV lithography machines. These systems are essential for achieving the extreme accuracy required in chip production.
2. TRUMPF Germany
TRUMPF supplies high-power lasers used to generate the EUV light by vaporizing tin droplets, a crucial step in the lithography process.
3. Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering (IOF) Germany
Fraunhofer contributes to the development of optical technologies, supporting the precision engineering required for EUV lithography.
4. Imec. Belgium
The Belgian research hub collaborates with ASML on semiconductor R&D, focusing on advanced nodes, silicon photonics, memory, and sustainable innovation. Imec also operates a pilot line for sub-2nm chip research using ASML’s full product portfolio.
5. Intel USA
Intel is a major customer and partner, securing ASML’s High-NA EUV machines for its chip manufacturing processes. Intel collaborates with ASML to optimize these systems for high-volume production.
6. TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) Taiwan
TSMC works closely with ASML to deploy High-NA EUV machines for its cutting-edge 2nm technology, which entered production in 2025.
7. Samsung Electronics S. Korea
Samsung collaborates with ASML on next-generation lithography tools and is expected to integrate High-NA EUV machines into its production lines starting in 2025.
European Partner Network
ASML’s High-NA EUV development is supported by a strong European network of scientific and industrial partners, showcasing successful collaboration between science, industry, and politics over decades.
These partnerships highlight the collaborative effort required to advance semiconductor manufacturing technology to meet increasing demands for smaller, faster, and more efficient chips.
Note also that the first generation ASML UEV machine took 18years to calibrate.
And we have been proven to be an unreliable ally to all of these countries. Who would invest here when things can turn on a dime every 4 years. Businesses don’t like that. Even a capitalist should realize that.
Trump is too ignorant and invested in his “gut,” which has led him astray more often than not. He thought he knew everything and wasn’t willing to learn from his fellow students and professors at Wharton. One of them went on record calling Donald Trump the dumbest student he ever had.
IMHO the person with the most Congressional influence on this subject is Elaine Chao....
Trump can turn policy on a dime in four hours or less. He's too mercurial. He thinks saying he can negotiate tariff deals makes him seem smart, but it actually undermines the goal of re-shoring manufacturing. Few business will gamble on investing in a multi year process of building manufacturing plants without a guarantee the US trade rules won't be rewritten on the whims of Trump.
Irony much? First thing I noticed on the list, TRUMPF Germany.
You are first to catch that, Vivian, Bravo. Freaked me out when I first saw that reference.
And then dementia appeared. And took hold along with TDSEDSRDS etc..
Do you want the rest of an Americans and you hate Americans at the same time we can do anything might take time and there’s plenty of billionaires that can buy companies like that. In fact, one billionaire spent 40 billion on a company and offered 96 billion to buy AI you don’t think there’s people out there think again
Of course you're right. Bardeen, Shockley and Brattain were all Americans.
Point taken and correct, Russell, but that was 1947, and Moore's law is driven by the rapid and wholesale re-configuration of "transistors" and their application to Silicon, so that the manufacturing technology today has little to do with US science any more, to my knowledge. You reference outstanding American science for sure, but also outdated. The NA UEV tech has had American input, but it is more an example of the need for broader, global specialized inventiveness, which because of Trump trampeling our global alliances may never happen again to America's benefit. Going IT alone as a cowboy does, doesn't make spaceships out of horses.
ASML’s Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology was developed over several decades through a collaborative effort involving ASML, its partners, and global research institutions. The foundational research into EUV began in the 1980s, with significant industrialization efforts starting in 1994. ASML played a central role, working with partners like Carl Zeiss SMT, Oxford Instruments, and others through initiatives like the European R&D consortium EUCLIDES (formed in 1998) and the American EUV LLC (joined in 1999) to advance the technology.
The first prototype EUV lithography system was delivered by ASML in 2006 to research facilities for testing. However, it took until 2010 for ASML to ship its first pre-production EUV system, the TWINSCAN NXE:3100, to a Samsung facility. This marked a critical milestone in the commercialization of the technology.
The full-scale market deployment of EUV systems began in 2017 after ASML had invested over €6 billion and more than two decades of R&D. This achievement was made possible by overcoming significant challenges in optics, light sources, and precision engineering, often described as pushing the limits of physics and engineering.
Bruce, I will happily defer to your superior knowledge of these things! My point was only that there was no intrinsic reason why the US should have fallen behind so badly. This administration, like previous Republican administrations, seems to have something against basic scientific research. It broke my heart to read that they were considering closing down the observatory on Mauna Loa that has recorded CO2 emissions since 1958 (and produced the Keeling Curve). They recently sacked a young lady at the USGS whose job it was to maintain reference samples of critical minerals - exactly the stuff so coveted by Donald Trump. They probably didn't even know the importance of the work she was doing. They also sacked the Atomic Spectroscopy Group at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology. They maintain and update the Atomic Spectra Database, a catalog of industry-leading spectroscopy information and measurements that plays a crucial role in fields like astronomy, astrophysics, and medicine. It's vandalism of the worst sort and it will be hugely to the detriment of the United States.
I agree completely with what you say. The destruction of our Scientific capabilities across the board is a travesty, and just another big part of the shit sandwich we are being served by Trump and his co-conspirators. The destruction of the US capabilities and culture.
of course you agree with him wholeheartedly otherwise you wouldn’t be welcome here LMAO. The gullible liberal lemming brigade all information. By side sides I don’t know what you’re worried about. AOC said we’ve only got four more years or so to live before the planet implodes on itself due to climate change.
Thank you for pointing this out. So many disastrous scenarios are looming on the horizon because of this idiot's incessant daily edicts, executive 'orders', nonsensical rantings and sadistic impulses. Idiot is actually too nice a word for the malevolent, sociopathic dotard Donold.
He is still telling people that due to his tariffs money is pouring in from those countries on whom the tariffs have been imposed. Ypu could tell him until you're blue in the face that it's American importers who are having to pay those tariffs and then pass at least some of the extra costs to American consumers, but it would make no difference. He doesn't how tariffs work; he doesn't understand why trade imbalances are not necessarily a bad thing; he thinks that his tariffs are generous, only half what others are charging the US, when in fact his stupid equation multiplies them fourfold. Furthermore, he's surrounded himself with sycophants and idiots like Navarro and Loomer have his ear. Even his principal donor, Elon Musk, has been sidelined.
IMHO he has surrounded himself with people who know how to short the market.
I suspect that you might be right. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaoOIde_u80
Wired's latest bulletin that arrived in my inbox had an article entitled: 'Tariffs Will Make Electronics More Expensive. If You Need a New Gadget, ‘Buy It Now’ '. Right below it, another article - '111 Great Apple Deals on MacBooks, iPads, and AirPods'.
Many businesses were stocking up for Trump's tariff war. Apparently, imports doubled in January.
I still think national security is his Achilles heel. He has lonstanding heel problems. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5186439-trump-mistake-ukraine-russia/
I thought for a moment you were referring to his now infamous bone spurs diagnosis to avoid the Vietnam draft - https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/26/politics/trump-bone-spurs-vietnam-war/index.html
Seriously though, he once told Sean Hannity that as president he was able to declassify documents merely by the power of thought - https://www.politico.com/video/2022/09/22/trump-tells-hannity-he-could-declassify-documents-even-by-thinking-about-it-708317
What a guy! No wonder so many people voted for him. As we've seen he's also conceived a global tariffs policy without even so much as thinking about it.
This guy managed the comms team for special forces communications. And other things. He does a good job of trying to hide how freaked he is. Yes, many permanent heel problems, as well as mental capacity issues. Narcissism is a terrible disease to manage.
Maybe a suggestion: Don't buy anything from those companies empowering dictators.
If any money is really pouring in- where is it going? Into tRumps pockets! There is no $$ pouring into Americans pockets.
Indeed. Elon Musk is arguing that without swingeing cuts to federal spending the country will go bankrupt. How do they get away with this sort of DoubleSpeak?
Deja vu all over again? https://alternativefundinsight.com/how-next-us-treasury-secretary-once-broke-the-bank-of-england/
This may be one of those rare occasions when Donald is telling the truth. Possibly (likely), the money "pouring in" is going straight to his bank accounts. I think the word is "extortion."
The New York Post reported in January that Trump would raise around $500 million by the summer of this year.
That had to be a conservative estimate.
Good chuckle at your finale !
Thank you, Russell, for valuable information of the kind you never fail to provide this forum.
It's all out there. Ned. I guess I just have the time to read it now I'm retired.
The accumulation of all power, legislative executive, and judiciary in the same hands...may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.” – James Madison, Federalist 47
This is the basic premise of Project 2025 - a unitary executive taking control of the Federal Government. It seems I may have been wrong. I thought that Trump was doing everything for himself and the oligarchs. It's all just for himself.
"Unitary executive" is another word for king.
Gary, are you talking about Proyect 2025, the one the scumbag president didn't know anything about?
Yes. I attended a meeting about Project 2025 in ME. There were about 100 attendees in a room built for 75. Most of the attendees were 65 and older. We were already aware of many of the horrible things in Project 2025 like electing a unitary executive. I was there to learn more. We all knew, including the moderator, that we were in a world of hurt if Trump was elected and here we are.
And now even the bros and the oligarchs regret supporting Trump.
The groups promoting this idea want to keep the public from understanding the concept of the unitary executive violates the constitutional separation of powers, and puts the president above the law when the founders were explicitly clear the president was subject to the law. The behavior of the majority of SCOTUS makes it clear what a crock “originalism” really is. Their pet theories are a way to ignore the Constitution and engage in decision making which ignores established precedent.
In the same way that Christians cherry-pick the Bible, originalists cherry-pick the Constitution. It's not a coincidence that there's a significant overlap in SCOTUS.
Well said Kathy. Hypocrisy rules.
Bait and Switch.
And no refunds.
The bros are all in. Managing the "state" left to AI (with a skim for them off every transaction). AI figuring out that the best defense is a good offense, thus nuke alla the countries on its list. What's left of the world afterward will be free to build palaces upon the rubble for their extended families, tradwives and spawn.
Nirvana!
That happens when you trust a scumbag Gary. For that, they are going to pay a price too.
Er, does he actuall have a 'self' or is he more like a well thumbed rolodex of his greatest hits of the 80's plus a copy of Mein Kampf and a shirtless pic of Vladimir Putin on horseback inside an100% honest to god gold Trump Inc. picture frame?
Excellent info (quote above)
Other than the fact that they were elected by popular majority.
And the Republicans have only had control like this four times ever
and by the way, how do you figure that we have the judiciary when there’s been hundreds of lawsuits against them administration there have been four times as many injunctions on a national basis than ever happened with a Democrat, so do me a favor spirits all your one-sided story
The Democrats have done it at least twice as many times.
And I love when you guys bring up ancient history.
Perhaps Navarro is getting his retribution from Trump for his jail time.
Thank you Professor.
"Many billionaires want more influence and power and, therefore, more wealth. While some have the vision and courage to drive innovation and create societal value. They are the disruptors, the exception case. If wealth is a pie, they are expanding the pie, growing the economy, and the few I have known have my respect.
More common are millionaires or billionaires who amass vast wealth and yet, are unsatisfied. They want more and attempt to influence law and policy by making outsized “donations” or bribes, to create special rules for themselves. Think of the owner of a sports team who threatens to move the favorite local team elsewhere if the city refuses to fund (with taxpayer money) the new stadium (and then doubles ticket prices for the same people who effectively built the stadium).
They attack regulation and enforcement of important societal protections such as clean air and safe drinking water -because filtration and capture systems cost them money -while respiratory disease due to emissions costs them nothing (externalizing their costs to you and me).
They attack fair taxation because Fred Trump, Donald Trump, and others have demonstrated that taxes are not for the wealthy, taxes, like wars and serving your country are for losers.
They stop funding Social Security after they’ve taken their first $176,100 (the 2025 cap) in regular income -some high-earners stop paying in January -while everyone else is paying throughout the entire year.
They want to privatize prisons, police, fire, and other governmental services -so they can shift the objective from providing services to generating profit instead.
They especially want to privatize education so they can eliminate uncomfortable parts of an educational curriculum regarding civics, fair economics, climate protection, and parts of history that don’t cast a wealth concentrated few in a brilliant patriotic red, white, and blue light. They are not expanding the pie -they are doing all they can to use their extensive means to eat from your slice, my slice, and slices from our future.
For them, (and for Putin) the criminal-elect and his hillbilly represent a weak, intellectually-challenged Executive Branch that is easy to manipulate. It is a fragile marriage of convenience. As long as they “donate” to the criminal-elect and flatter him he will demand his criminal enterprise passes permanent tax cuts and other quid pro quo favors for the donor class."
When the criminal-elect's imbecilic proclamations become stubbornly entrenched, there will be increasing pressure to shift to their pretend hillbilly/Heritage mascot. In the meantime the damage to the United States and world is incalculable.
I am convinced the only method to drive lasting positive change in the United States is through a prolonged general strike until the Trump regime, his incompetent corrupt Cabinet, and all election deniers in government are removed.
https://open.substack.com/pub/bomdia/p/trumps-last-stand
Some excellent points here regarding how high-wealth individuals and companies, in "cooperation" with the various governments (city, state and federal), manage to use the public treasury for their own financial gain. This is a reason why there needs to be clear barricades put in place between government and private industry. No government should be legally able to offer financial incentives to private industry in order to relocate their business.
If the new location is beneficial enough for the private industry to want to move, I am all in favor of that, but to have one arm of government in one state offer what is essentially a bribe for a company to move or locate there which then causes substantial loss to another location is simply madness and makes no economic sense.
We see this in all kinds of industries. Sports businesses seem to be the tip of the iceberg, especially because large numbers of people ("fans") in one community lose big time while fans in another community "win", and there is no actual economic REAL gain that is achieved for anyone except the owners who get paid off by the new location which wants to lure the franchise to their town.
If franchises have a good economic reason to move, no problem. Move, but do NOT expect government to offer you incentives to do that. Theoretically if the economic reason for moving is sound, they will make more money by moving anyway. They don't need governmental payoffs. Such payoffs should be illegal across the country.
"Public-private partnerships" usually mean the public takes the risk/cost and the private reaps the benefit. That's true for everything from public university-funded research to roads and bridges.
Well, that’s how the Democrats have been running the government for almost 35 years. Or more. How the hell do you think we got to $37 trillion in deficit. How many times have you written the check when you know there’s no money in the bank? Obviously so you don’t need to answer that
Well-stated Jon. Thank you.
There’s a bright red line (from my perspective) between wealth/value creation and wealth transfers. I’m all for incentives for innovation and the creation of societal value. Using wealth to accumulate more without the generation of societal value is usually about externalizing costs and diminishing the quality of life for many in order to enrich the few.
President Clinton decimated the middle class from the minute he invoked Nestor, and you all know it. We had a choice, pay Americans more money, and therefore more for a product that we buy or ship jobs overseas and take away the middle class. America chose the latter, and now it’s paying big-time
Jon, good comment and analysis. It brings to mind all the incentives Ohio gave Intel to encourage them to build their semiconductor manufacturing here. Intel is now offering delay after delay, pushing it back to 2031 now. Microsoft has canceled its expansion in that area too. We were told that offering these incentives would bring jobs. That seems very unsure now, and the state government is not even thinking about clawing back the incentives. Great.
Zero sum game. If someone lost $3 trillion, somebody else won it.
Government is just another venue...check out VIX.
By the way, it’s not a zero sum game. America’s $37 trillion in debt, who won it? I think I’m gonna love your answer or your attempt at one
Power historically and psychologically is shown to tend to corrupt, and money is very much a form of power. That has a lot to do with why, to secure commonly held rights, we institute governments with the consent of the governed. Money does not always corrupt, it is a bad mix for those with sociopathic predilections. And absolute power is the worst.
Thank you J.L.
I frequently write about the Powell Memorandum -because it is a concise, important, and well-used GOP plan to organize wealth against the interests of society. Ironically it falls slightly short of establish a union -not of workers, however of those possessing extreme wealth.
The Powell memorandum is why we are in this mess. Democratic Party leadership does not understand what we are up against. We need a housecleaning and more effective leadership who can effectively communicate with the public. Right now, we have an ineffective opposition.
So very true Kathy -not only in messaging, however understanding the need to fund and build countervailing infrastructure. Sending $5 every ten minutes to the candidate du jour, while sadly necessary, is not going to drive the sweeping critical changes we must make if we are to have hope.
Taking shape Kathy, too slowly but taking shape.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island has written about this. He has dubbed it 'The Scheme.' It is on his website and he has also written a book called "The Scheme."
This is a link to an article in The Guardian about it:
https://www.theguardian.com/law/2022/feb/22/the-scheme-senators-highlight-rightwing-influence-supreme-court
GREG OLEAR'S Substack article is excellent:
https://gregolear.substack.com/p/how-the-court-was-captured-with-sen
You are actually quoting Sheldon WhiteHouse? You are a very daring individual.
Aw, shucks ... don't thank me ...... but I hope you will take a look ......
I think Greg Olear was the first Substack author I followed.
"They attack regulation and enforcement of important societal protections such as clean air and safe drinking water -because filtration and capture systems cost them money -while respiratory disease due to emissions costs them nothing (externalizing their costs to you and me)."
And many who make little enough to escape income tax pay FICA.
And there within lays the base of the whole problem. The rich could care less about the working people. Their wages, families, communities etc, the care naught.
The sad thing is that many of those same workers believed the ultra rich would help them, if only they could get into power... a scam replicated many times over. This is simply the latest iteration...
J L,
I call it the "profit loop" of making people sick so "industry" can cure them. What is the incentive to protect people from carcinogens and microplastics? And if there is enough lead and mercury in our water and food, the populace will have lost any ability to think critically - cognition collapse. We search for the "cures" when they are right in front of us. Parkinson's is everywhere but there are hot spots of it where Paraquat is used on crops - a pesticide BANNED in other countries. There is so much DUH and CRUELTY embedded in this American nightmare.
My pitch sounds like socialism and I think that is a GOOD thing when we discuss healthcare, education and our penal system. Time to nationalize - not privatize.
I live in a wealthy blue state that just saw two hospitals close because the owner ripped off the profits and bankrupted the place. People died for lack of equipment as he enjoyed his yacht. And now the towns those facilities served are healthcare deserts. People will die because the nearest hospital is now much farther away.
We need a whole lot of Corey Booker moments. And we need April 5th to be remembered as a tip of the iceberg beginning. Won't April 19th be the perfect symbolic day to continue the resistance?
Call me crazy, but countries like South Korea and Turkey are taking action and we who rebelled and created a nation from scratch 250 years ago are dozing. Maybe we just have to feel the pain of $20 eggs? Are we that inwardly focused? That self absorbed?
All true debilitating a society with lightening speed.
You can fell a tree in minutes that took centuries to grow.
And you can dig up and mine all the petroleum in a hundred years that took millions of years to mature in the ground. And soon, it will all be gone.
The societal collapse is all around us, and the question is what will we do about it.
The organizers of the Hands Off protests did a great job of bringing like minded people to the streets. Many people want to take action, such as a general strike, but feel as one person it will not be effective. Hopefully an organization will rise to pull a general strike together. I believe it would be remarkably effective.
I do hope it could be coupled with strong opposition party support. It should be treated with the same level of urgency as the Wall Street bailout and the pandemic stimulus with the formalized retroactive support of a new government.
Better yet would be what I knew as the Opposition Coalition (or Caucus) as a result of the 1854 election, and seated as the the 34th Congress House majority in 1855.
Wikipedia has it as Opposition Party (Northern U.S.), in response to the very recent passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opposition_Party_(Northern_U.S.)
"...Following the 1854 election, the Opposition Party actually was the largest party in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the resulting 34th United States Congress, the U.S. House's 234 Representatives were made up of 100 Oppositionists, 83 Democrats, and 51 Americans (Know Nothing).[5] That was a very dramatic shift from the makeup of the 33rd United States Congress (157 Democrats, 71 Whigs, 4 Free Soilers, 1 Independent, 1 Independent Democrat). As a provisional coalition more united by what it opposed and not yet fully having agreed on what it stood for, being the largest party did not lead to control of Congress. The new Speaker of the House, elected by plurality, was Nathaniel P. Banks of Massachusetts, a former Democrat who campaigned as a Know Nothing in 1854 and as a Republican in 1856..."
The important indication of the changes is a bit clearer comparing the Wikipedia articles for the 33rd and 34th Congresses where the 33rd had a 66.7% Democratic majority, and described the beginning of the next Congress as the "Opposition coalition" as having 154 of 233 seats (66.1% as I calculate it), a nearly perfect reversal of who had a 2/3rds majority.
George, you touch on something my wife and I were discussing last night. Why do these billionaires never feel like they have enough? Stop for a second and think about how much money “only”a billion dollars is. There is very little materially that you can't have with that. So what is it that drives them to want more and more? I think it's because all that money still doesn't make them revered. So they have to purchase influence by purchasing our government, and thereby commanding “respect.” It's a fool’s errand, but because of their wealth, they never have to give it up. So they continue to unlevel the playing field in their favor while they become more hated every day. The crazy thing is if they were more like a McKenzie Scott, a Mark Cuban, or a Bill Gates, they would secure the respect and legacy they so desperately crave. But their greed has blinded them.
Thank you Chris -and yes grateful for those who, through philanthropy, freely give back to society to improve the quality of life for many (although I still delineate between the wealth that's been amassed by earning it versus wealth transfers and externalities). Larry David has a hilarious "Curb Your Enthusiasm" episode in which a donor gives "anonymously", however makes certain everyone knows he was the donor for the very reverence you were discussing.
When I've spoken about outsized political "donations" I am often asked -why I hammer on Musk, Mellon, Adelson, and Seid (among others) but not Soros?
The difference being Musk, Mellon, and others donating to candidates like Trump, Reagan, and "Dubya" were working to purchase lower taxes, deregulation, and other favors to enrich themselves at the expense of everyone else.
George, I get it. You’re mad as hell. We’ve collectively created a huge deeply impactful mess that we get to own.
Getting dollar voting by outrage while possible and even if effective is using people as cannon balls unless the people themselves are acting at least in their own intelligent best interest. Reacting to fear by getting angry and then taking action out of anger never ends well. This is not news.
As soon as I see name-calling I know reactivity is speaking and the message is not what it seems.
Sure, George, we have a mess to clean, let’s generate a self-sustaining conversation that leaves people being leaders and not merely a blind angry mob-like group groping for objects to vent against.
Education as a leading out from is a lot more truly difficult work but the degree of satisfaction is worlds away from mere manic-like glee success in beating an opponent offers. A profound sense of goodness, truth, and beauty is always available. Acting out of anger will not get us there
Yes. A self-sustaining conversation. That is certain to address 45+ years of the erosion of democracy, justice, and equality. Sorry for the snark here. Am I angry? Yes I am. When the treasury is being raided, people are being imprisoned (or worse) without due process, we are supporting genocide and ethic cleansing, abandoning allies, starting profoundly stupid trade wars, embracing "big beautiful coal power plants", and addressing 250 years of systemic racism -by encouraging more, yes, I am angry.
Perhaps you aren't angry enough?
Thank you George. Your expression and generosity is clear and very appreciated!
Staying with the topic of anger. I grew up with a very angry father. The beatings taught me the meaning of running for your life. The suffering I endured and in turn inflicted has demonstrated beyond any doubt that anger, however understandable or justified remains absolutely unworkable.
I’m recalling a time after I was married and with a couple of kids that my father came to visit. We were on the driveway and got into it. At one point he raised his fist in preparation to strike me as if I was still that child he had beaten up many times years before. I looked straight in his eyes and said in a clear voice that if he hit me I would take him off the planet. I’m quite sure I would have. He later thanked me for that moment saying that something in his world shifted right then.
Even just a very brief moment of speaking truthfully and even when what is said is surprising, can be astonishingly powerful.
So no George, I do not need to be angry at all to act. The full range of possible actions are available to me and I will do whatever is needed in the moment. I do not need a head of steam to get in action. Neither does anyone else. In fact, love or even ecstasy gets people moving surprising fast.
I wish I could give you the space I was given in which the world now occurs for me (and can for anyone) and from which a freedom to be and act is available, but each must make their own journey.
If courage or leadership were properties or characteristics located inside one’s self that one has and should feel confident about or lack and therefore needs to find outside of one's self and then somehow get inside so to have them, we would be in trouble as that reduces being to a kind of thingness that can be manipulated and dealt with like all the other things in the world. Being like a presence is not a thing at all. There isn't even a you in the moment of being in action. You only show up when you are no longer in action and then show-up like an observer giving an account of what happened.
This comment area isn't set up for this type of conversation so I won't go on and I hope this leaves you with something to inquire about.
Thank you again George for opening a crack of possibility.
Thank you for sharing Bern. I'm a taoist, however an admittedly over-caffeinated very bad example of one. I can be angry and still present an effective course of societal action. I embrace non-violence and that is precisely why I believe sustained societal-level economic actions are vital. To me they present the only realistic opportunity to avoid a violent response to what are clearly illegal and/or unconstitutional actions.
There is great conversation, discourse, and history available -always compelling for me. However, if uncoupled from action, we will always be talking about exploitation, abuse, and powerlessness.
If I left you with the impression of suggesting that what is wanted and needed is going to be handled by a few nice or even sterling conversations alone, then I apologize for failing to communicate. As I said, this is not a space suited for this type of conversation.
Obviously, like down there is the floor obvious, action must be taken. The circumstances need to be moved around.
What I am pointing to, hinting at, is that the actions need to flexible, effective, and sure rather than reactive, defensive, and mechanical. I’m going to leap over tall buildings which is always dangerous and suggest you put down the caffeine and whatever else you’re altering your experience with and get back to the practice of just being with whatever is there for you and stay with it until it become a raft that takes you to the far shore.
Doing that work by yourself is a road I haven’t traveled so can’t recommend or say is effective or not. Meditation and study seems a very long road to suggest during these urgent times.
There are short-form programs, I personally did the three-day Landmark Forum which is excellent and I doubt the only short-form course available.
While nothing is ultimately required to access a deep sense or experience of self and I hate those who set themselves up as gatekeepers to self, it seems anecdotally that the experience is rare and only come upon randomly. There seems to be something in taking the risk over and again to trusting oneself and others that opens a space for possibility. Trust is not a trivial ask while exploitation, abuse, and powerlessness are the history cast before us.
Much milder in my case, but my father's threat to slap me when I was 18 was met with a similar response (I enlisted partially because of that but we came to much greater mutual respect afterwards).
I was lucky enough to gain enough self confidence from an incident on a tobacco farm (one town over from where Martin Luther King Jr., had worked on a similar farm). I was always the second smallest in my class during my early years in high school, but got in great physical shape though the summer when I turned 15. A group of three bullies, two mindless followers of the biggest and most threatening had come to work on the farm much later in the season and declared we should all go on strike. All the other workers sitting on the tail side of the 3 benches (arranged along the sides and middle), simply got off and went to work. I was the only one stuck behind the three and directly behind the biggest, as scared as I had ever been but so full of adrenaline that when I bolted past him, the leader grabbed my arm, which with all the adrenaline, backhanded him off the bench to land at the front, looking shocked (perhaps because he was trying to pull me back). I figured I couldn't outrun them so was prepared to be beaten so just looked at him and asked what he wanted as the other two looked back and forth waiting to see what their leader would do. When I took a step towards him, he cringed as if expecting me to hit him again, so I just shrugged and casually left to join the others.
Though I was smaller than most, and never considered starting a fight (except to punch a big guy chasing a young Vietnamese girl), I was never again afraid to fight or get between guys that wanted to fight. I think the self confidence has helped me stand the ground for me and others without having to fight, in fact opening up more opportunities to talk to so many others.
Thank you for sharing finding your way through fear to confidence. Good for you!
I consider it much more luck than anything else, having him trying to pull my arm back, which, with his weight shifted back pulled my arm back even faster so it seemed like his two friends like I hit him so much harder than I actually did.
The resignation to expecting a beating and not trying to out run them, made them hesitate and stepping back towards him since I was off balance, helped, too. Perhaps an earlier 7th grade incident had helped in prompting me to ask him what he wanted, with just enough delay before shrugging an walking away.
The earlier incident was when two friends and I were walking back from school and I was trying to encourage them to join me in throwing snowballs at the sides of box trucks as they came from the opposite direction. They were too scared of getting into trouble so I just threw two of them in my right hand to my left, without seeing the car approaching from behind us. What were the odds that both of them would go through the open passenger window and hit two of the four guys in black leather jacks and motorcycle boots? They all jumped out and ran at the three of us as I stood there with my eyes closed ready to accept the beating for what I was guilty of. I opened my eyes as they bumped me on both sides, me to find that they were chasing my two friends, whom they apparently thought had thrown them since they had new found incredible new speed they couldn't match to catch them. I quietly found a new way home, and found my friends had indeed gotten away, too.
You mean like George Soros, Hollywood, entertainers and producers and directors?
Maybe you mean like Michael Bloomberg, Orita, Hoffman, or Dustin Moskowitz?
Fred Eychaner, read Hoffman Garrett, Steven Mendell, Wayne, Jordan.
Happens on both sides of the aisle pal.
They wanna privatize education so that our children can get educated again. 1979. The US is ranked first in the world 2009 the US is ranked 18th today we are ranked 40th do you want to talk about education? Bring it
Do you ever ask yourself why there’s a limit on Social Security I don’t think I should be but you should understand why
You see how you frame things as well you’re you’re nothing but deceptive and deceitful. What he said about soldiers being suckers is that we sent 57,000 of them to their death for no reason at all. Wtfu
Thank you for a perfect example of why we need to rapidly improve the education system.
I agree with Trump. These tariffs are legendary. That is what is scaring anyone with any sanity left.
He doesn’t care about the Republican Party - only his own power. It is congressional Republicans who can stop this so-called emergency and make us normal again. There are cracks in their Trump loyal minds. Let”s hope the crack becomes enough to pass legislation that can”t be overridden.
We’ve been waiting to see what atrocity would finally create outrage in Republicans , 9 years later…still waiting .
I was thinking that they deserved two hours of his self-serving meandering. Maybe that will bring some sanity back to a lot of them.
Survival instinct.
The ultra-rich losing money ought to do it.
.
Sorry Phil
Congress doesn't control the military.
That's where you are at now
Please pardon my ignorance here, but tariffs are not the only emergency at hand here. Also, if you please, what does " make us normal again" even mean?
Trump is claiming an "emergency" so he can impose tariffs. What is the emergency?
"Normal," in this case, means international trade without artificial barriers.
Placing a tariff on something like cinnamon, a product we can't grow in our country, is an exercise in stupidity. The same with coffee, tea, etc. Trump sees tariffs as replacing income taxes. However, unlike a progressive tax system, tariffs are regressive. Low income people are forced to pay the same price for a product with the added tax as the wealthy. The billionaires in his cabinet, in support of this regressive tax, won't resist based on self-interest. So much for lowering prices.
The American Prospect article " We Never Had Free Trade" by Robert Kuttner is pretty informative here.
One problem with hoping republicans take back some control ( like their constitutional responsibilities). Some of them are as dumb as a rock or better put as dumb as a Trump. Not to mention being cowards. Thinking Jordan and Coach for starters. They would need to stroll down the yellow brick road, get a brain and some courage then use them.
"These industry leaders, the reporters write, did not expect Trump to place such high tariffs on so many products and are shocked to find themselves outside the corridors of power where the tariff decisions have been made."
Those who screw unto others will screw even unto you. The Billionaires were happy with Trump so long as it was only the proles getting bashed.
Trump and his billonaires are waging class war against all with less money. Trump is also an adjudicated rapist. Anyone who understands just what this flags psychologically and how impossible it is, under any capitalist’s system, to make charges of sexualised bullying stick, let alone be judicially fairly dealt with, tells you all you need to know about how this tyrannical US government cartel will continue to behave both to us and each other.
" A privately owned world can never be a free world and a society based upon warring classes cannot stand." E. V. Debs
By the way, who’s billionaires ? As if the Democrats don’t have. THEIR billionaires. So sad.
This is a global class war and the wealthy (whatever political costume they choose to wear on any given day) are winning.
So what does any of Trump’s history have to do with today?
He is currently president of the United States and nothing is going to change that other than another gunshot by some left-wing loon.
He is doing what he campaigned on and he is succeeding
You wanna worry about a global class war and ignore history or change history have a good time. In the meantime why don’t you come up to the current time? Do you think Bill Clinton would’ve been elected based on his past? Do you think John Kennedy would be elected based on his past? How does any of that have to do with what comes out of his pen?
Actually be careful Mona never convicted of rape. Hopefully none of nobody sends your comment on to Pam Bondi. May defamation possibility there.
Thanks for the warning. I know he has never been successfully convicted of committing sexualised violence. That is why I specifically wrote ‘adjudicated rape’ , which is a different and in his case, legally accurate term. Like many other millions, I am a veteran pursuant of justice for survivors and so am very familiar with how perpetrators and their legal teams think and act regarding those they have consciously, casually and carelessly indulgently harmed. They do seem to get off on victmising the vulnerable unto destitution and death. So, thanks again for caring 🐈⬛
Do you know who the vulnerable are now? Democrats and they put themselves there. They have no leader they have no agenda. All they have is hate and violence oh, and the hate totally misguided.
Shocked, I say, shocked that he would turn on the billionaires. They obviously didn’t read fables as kids. The scorpion and the turtle?
The example of Putin was another clue!
👆this!!!!
Wow, I am in agreement with Elmo! Peter Navarro really is a "moron" and "dumber than a sack of bricks." 20+ years ago, when he was your standard-issue Acadamaniac at US-Irvine and trying desperately to become a Cheese Whizz in the SoCal Democratic Party, people didn't wait till he turned his back to laugh at him to his face. Like other talentless failures (think Dennis Quaid or that SNL comedian-who-wasn't funny, I can't remember talentless people that long) he ended up in Talentless Loserville, aka the American Right, where the morons thought he must be smart since he went to Harvard, and we can see the results of his talentless BS in both Maladministration I and II. He's the only "economist" who could put the wrong figures in that formula (as the guy who invented it demonstrated tonight on CNN) and get the idiot numbers that "the most persistent ignoramus I ever knew" in the words of John Kelly would use in his Moron Tariffs.
And he quoted Ron Varo…. SNL couldn’t make this pile of Schitt up.
I would not have understood that reference before yesterday. For those who still don't, "Ron Varo" is a fictitious person who is quoted in several of the books that Peter Navarro supposedly wrote. Of course, the name is simply a rearrangement of Navarro's name and is a totally non-existent person. Was it just me who missed that?
Just heard about it couple of days ago, but I thought I was late in hearing the insanity of that anagram. Love the Latin retort. So much of this Schitt show is like the freak shows of yesteryear. Chump love to entertain. But it’s revenge humor. Entertaining to no one else.
Varo oh Varo, ubi sunt legiones meae?
🤣 Oh Bruce: you are good for a giggle from the Latin-loving branch of the HCR fam!
Not everyone would get that one! You guys are good. :)
I'm a medieval historian, Bruce. I deal with Latin every day of my life . . . And I appreciate when people make jokes with it, preferably not the ones we did as children, such as "semper ubi, sub ubi." 🤪
For those who have forgotten their Latin: “Varus, oh Varus, where are my legions?”
More details here, as I have no time to elucidate and must get ready for school: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publius_Quinctilius_Varus
Thank you! That was better than my search for the Latin translation!
As an aside, I grew up living next door to the HS Latin teacher in the Medford school system. I don't know if she was widowed or divorced (her daughters babysat me when I was 4-7 years old) but her nickname was "The Dragon Lady". She had retired, and Latin was no longer offered by the time I attended high school. I always wanted to have taken Latin...
I love that anecdote! I have a friend who used to have a bumper sticker on her car: Life is short; Latin is long. Start Early.
Like saboteur RFK Jr. who seemed to think that having famous kin meant he was owed celebrity as well, by any means possible. If you can lick the enemy, join 'em. It doesn't take rocket science to hit stuff with a sledge hammer.
Republicans grumble. But they cannot grow a spine without being perceived as unfaithful to the Führer. How can they incrementally scale back the tariffs to assure their personal wealth without revealing the whole gaslighting shenanigans of gop-trickle-down-economic-duplicity? “No man wants to live under a king?” News flash: neither do women, or other “unworthy-of-humanity- groups-targeted-by-the-gop-vilification-machine”. Yet only NOW when it hits their
$$$ millions does the insanity and chaos suddenly appear bat-shit-crazy-bonkers. DUH! Y’all should have listened to Democrats. This guy coulda/woulda/shoulda been history already.
A small part of me was glad to know Koch was feeling some regret and pain about the ripple effects of all his choices, i.e. backing T, M and Project 2025.
The plan has always been to destroy our democracy and move into an autocracy. The tech billionaires have a world vision where they are controlling everything and we are the fallout for that. When crony capitalism overrode our Constitution it laid the groundwork for this lunacy. Decimate free and independent media, co-opt the judiciary and lie to the uninformed repeatedly, and then you have divided all of us. Distract, deny and conquer. With a spineless and willing Congress hoping they can hang on to their power . Then as Vance said in 2021( driven by Peter Thiel) then we can step in and make it what we want. Vance is part of a hedge fund group poised to gobble up the farm land across the country as farmers are bankrupted. Not even avoiding an appearance of conflict of interest. So base and truly evil.
And public land. Re: Montana.
Don't forget they're bringing the same ethos to Gaza and Ukraine.
Probably secretly in many areas of our country.
And not so secret, just arrogance. Bankrupt most of us by usurping our hard-earned savings and promised Social Security and gobble up the leavings.
At this point, any power in Congress is illusory. They don't want to hang on to power, they just want to use their positions to escape being in the mud with the rest of us.
Tenant farmers and a serf economy would be fantastic for the overlords, and is their goal. Industry (manufacturing) moved to places where their workforce makes a dollar an hour. Anyone want to move that manufacturing back here and work for even minimum wage? I would make a terrible serf.
That’s what’s problem with you ignoramus is there are 1 millions of people that would take a job for 15 or $20 an hour instead of working at McDonald’s but you don’t get out enough. That’s your problem you’re locked up in your cave of self banishment
As a sort of rejoinder to John Adams' statement that "facts are stubborn things," is probably the truth that ignorance and stupidity tend to settle to the bottom. So long as we live in a Newtonian, physical world, the bill for such things will always come due, sooner or later.
The especially painful part is, these lessons are SO clearly recorded, annotated, taught, commented on and known in our current age, that it makes their obvious repetition all the more without excuse. We gave great thought, after World War II, to ensuring such a thing couldn't happen again. And 80 years isn't a failure. But, clearly, we're gonna need to go even deeper and be even BETTER this time around. If we survive it.
Their ignorance, or maybe arrogance, is blinding me. Or bankrupting.
Hey Robert, tell me what has honestly changed in your life on a daily basis. Here let me help you if you didn’t watch TV and you weren’t here. Nothing would’ve changed in your life not a damn thing. The sky is falling. The sky is falling. The Russians are coming. The Russians are coming. Yikes
Well, I haven't lived in the states for 9 years. I can tell you that both of my brothers' lives have changed considerably in the last few years, at least. And no, "the Russians are coming" won't change your life. Until they do. Collapses of all types nearly always work that way.
Asked about the public fight between two of Trump’s advisors—two of the most powerful men in the world—White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters: “Boys will be boys.”
OK, but some times you just really need an adult in the room.
IT would appear there are no adults anywhere in this administration at all. I'm amazed at myself that I'm cheering for the Koch/Leo suit that is really based on a verifiable legal statute. But will those adults care enough about the rest of us? Start the campaign to replace those with no spine in the House. NOW
Koch/Leo being right for the wrong reasons, but in this instance, it adds some weight to our side of the scale.
I can but hope that weight on the scale extends to SCOTUS.
It just shows that we really are being run by toddlers with axes.
And Predators.
Actually Trump is the only adult in the room having the guts to do what should’ve been done the last 35 years so we’d still have a middle class I wouldn’t have sent 90,000 factories and put 6 million people of the middle and lower class out of work. You people are so bad it’s been said that if Trump cured cancer, you’d still have an issue, you’d find something wrong. For 10 years musk was your idol and he built something that helped you save your climate change hoax and now you’re burning cars and you’re proud of it. ?
They have the only adult in the room. God forbid people aren’t like you no matter what people say above you and below you oh yes, I agree. Oh my God you’re so correct.
I hope to God you’re never on a jury or you’re never convicted of a crime and have a jury of people like you that only hear one side of the story
J L, bet neither appreciated being call « boy », and also bet she was called on about it.
Ya think??
Trump is stark, raving mad. Mentally unstable and impaired. The emperor wears no clothes. Thanks, professor, for mapping it out so plainly.
OMG, sorry, but that is REALLY a sick mental picture, Trump with no clothes LOL!
Ewww, mom, do we hafta look?
The very thought of the emperor with no clothes makes me wish for brain bleach.
It cured my Covid-19, /S
🫣
He's insane you know. A mad King if there ever was one.
The English had a special tower for mad Kings...
Wow and here we have the gullible liberal lemmings all in a row commiserating with each other because there’s no counter point. You only hear from one year and you only see one eye change the freaking channel and view some reality would you please
Embarrassing, America’s shame. The world’s problem. All for the pleasure of the carnival barker’s ego. He still has enough time left to bow to Vlad, give home grown evil the government, and reward the oligarch’s for their treachery. And he will. The bull in the china shop is well on the way to total destruction. Is there an Ike in the house…
Note another of Trump's (now predictable) Hitler re-dos: the German aristocracy who financed the Original Nazis' destruction of the Weimar Republic assumed they could make Hitler their puppet, much as Emperor Elon and his gaggle of gazillionaires appeared to be doing. But just as Hitler did, this vorm too has turned -- my abuse of the old Germanic term for predatory dragon deliberate -- and as the new Führer, Trump is (again) mimicking his one true messiah, running amok, sneeringly imposing a cataclysm of Absolute Ruin, ever-more-obviously dancing toward an unspeakable embrace of Absolute Evil.
Since we're already re-learning the White Rose Society's lesson that internal resistance to such a tyrant is futile, that our liberation -- if it comes at all -- must necessarily come from without, the only remaining question is how far Trump intends to go. Because I (involuntarily) spent most of the first quarter of my life in the South -- a born New Yorker, I am now 85 years old, exiled from the City by gentrification, thus to live the remainder of my life in the Pacific Northwest -- I know the Neoconfederate hatred not only of the federal government but the entire (anti-fascist) modern world is literally bottomless; I also know the Christonazis with whom the Neoconfederates are united in Trumpite triumph are fanatically committed to bringing on what in my youth they glorified as "the end of the Satanic world" -- the hateful reduction of our Mother Earth back to Precambrian lifelessness -- this time permanently.
MAGA is thus actually MAHA -- Maximizing America's Hatefulness Again. Jim Crow on (global) steroids.
Thus too, Trump -- like Hitler -- intends to either conquer the world or destroy it. We survived World War II because Hitler never acquired the destructive capability he so desperately sought. But thanks in large measure to its anti-Soviet partnership with Original Nazi war criminals, the U.S. has global-surveillance-enforced thermonuclear omnipotence, which means Trump has everything he needs to not only kill the planet, but to eternally reverse the drive toward consciousness that our species' existence proves was implicit in every earthly atom. Now he is proving to the world he is indeed moral imbecile enough to push the proverbial button, and sadist enough to welcome doomsday with a grin. As I said above, Absolute Evil.
Wow, you read my mind. Almost as old and a product of the South as well. His admiration for and lean towards Nazis have been evident for years. Got banned by T and FB five years ago for saying so. Internal resistance will be useless by July. Maybe is now. You nailed it. unspeakable embrace of absolute evil.
And for many of you who think you’re historians the minute, you mention Hitler, your credibility goes below. The zero credibility line into the negative territory.
As I mentioned to many of you, why not just meet me in Auschwitz let’s lie down in the ovens there let’s look at the video footage of Eisenhower walking through the carcasses and dead bodies in the ovens and the millions of pairs of glasses and boots you people make me sick stop using Hitler use something realistic would you please
Thank you. It's always informative when a collaborator self-reveals.
Hey Lauren, here’s your problem. There were 77 million collaborators and now there’s probably 100 million collaborators and where your favorability rating was 36% when this started it’s now down to 20 so keep doing what you’re doing. All 77 million of them revealed themselves. On the other hand 75 million or so in 90 days made a decision that Kamala was the woman of the world. She was the leader of the free world. ? And she raised $2 billion in 90 days. Democracy is what happened on November 5 try to put that in your head, even though you hate to hear it.
And a 1996 the strongest supporter for tariffs were none other than Nancy Pelosi and the 2008 the strongest supporter of tariffs none other than Bernie Sanders. Here’s the links. https://twitchy.com/amy-curtis/2025/04/03/flashback-pelosi-on-china-trade-deficits-and-tariffs-n2410909 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5euzuDFsyboNancy in case you didn’t like twitchy as a source. And here’s Bernie on C-SPAN condemning sending jobs overseas and not promoting Tariffs https://x.com/mazemoore/status/1907883583228051964
Now let me see if I can say it to you in English. It has nothing to do with Elon Musk nothing. By the way, he could be doing this from South Africa and it wouldn’t change a thing that’s today’s computer world. But Donald Trump could’ve picked any number of people to do what those is doing and have Elon working behind the scenes to get it done if necessary not that it would be Ted Cruz or Lindsey Graham or Matt Gates or Cash Patel could’ve done the same thing then what would you say because it’s not about the person it’s about the task at hand
You guys are out of your element you guys are over your head
I could post four or five of these links, including one from Chuck Schumer, who said exactly the same thing about tariffs And about reducing the size of government
I’ll send you over one or two, but you are lost absolutely lost talking about musk who gives a shit. Oooooops
We don't need an Ike; we need a Zhukov.
Had to google Zhukov. Agree. Sadly he and Ike served their countries, but are no longer available. But a clone would do.
I can't believe I'm in agreement with Rand Paul. Must be that is 3:30 am where I live?
Rand Paul gave the most "suck up" explanation of why he's opposed to the tariff's yesterday. He grovels with the best of the Republican sycophants.
And now him and the entire state of Kentucky will suffer the wrath of Trump.
I live in ME and he continues to withhold funding allocated for whatever he feels like withholding. School lunches for kids are one of his current targets.
Hail to Governor Mills for standing up to the cruel and mean spirited asshole Trump.
Gary, take my "agreement" with a grain of salt. It's limited to the statement quoted by HCR. Period. 😉
I did Ricardo. Just relaying what I heard on MSNBC yesterday. 😎
More of a point of common contact than agreement I suspect, but yes Mr. Paul uttered a sensible thought.
Even a dead clock is right twice a day. It happens through no intellect nor mechanism of their own.
Me too, and Muskrat. For once, Paul and Musk said something sensible about how damaging the tariffs will be. Tesla cars, just like any other car in this country, are made with both domestic and foreign parts, and there are no domestic manufacturers for some of these parts.