I am wondering how much proof people (in general) need before they believe that DT and Jeffry Epstein were deeply involved and that both are (or were) pedophiles?
I believe that enough may be of record already to convict in a court of law. But this is not occurring in any court save that of public opinion.
But Annabel, that republicans might grow a conscience now is completely out of the question as they’ve proven they have no shame, no bottom. With every conceivable opportunity to take the off-ramp away from Trump, they chose instead every single time to disobey their oath to the constitution and the law. They became the party of compromised (or absent) values, totally without conviction if they ever had any.
The Walking Dead is an American horror drama series featuring a large ensemble cast as survivors of a zombie apocalypse trying to stay alive under near-constant threat of attacks from zombies known as "Republicans".
My husband started watching TWD from the start, and I didn't as I thought it was mindless gore. Around season #4, I decided to watch with him as bonding, so we started from the first season. I came to love it, although I admit to covering my eyes for some scenes. (This from a medical lab tech who'd routinely have to walk through the grossing area of pathology! Anonymous piles of flesh never bothered me, but I will admit to averting eyes if dismembered hands/feet were being worked on by the pathologists!)
I found the story of how various groups came to be self-governed was fascinating, and scary. I also became a Jeffrey Dean Morgan fan--what a character arc he's done!
Your TWD story is similar to my Breaking Bad story. I wasn't the least bit interested in watching it until someone convinced me to give it a try and then my wife and I binge watched the whole series. Still not convinced about TWD, but maybe some day.
James ever notice how much fentanyl addicts resemble the walking dead?
You know that stooped over cartoonish struggle to stand up!
By the way the reason they can still stand is, ironically, because fentanyl nubs you and your brain, but the portion of the brain which provides the person balance is not affected.
Life is tough, it's even tougher if you are stupid. I mean you want to fall down and you can't. You cannot make this stuff u p!
I recall onne Brad Raffensperger, Georgia Secretary of State, who refused to find Trump the votes he needed after the 2020 Presidential Election. I think he's an example of one Republican who retains some principles.
I agree Mike. They fit the sociopathic/psychopathic profile. The traits that the two diagnoses have in common are:
-Lack of empathy or remorse
-Takes no responsibility for their actions
-Doesn't follow rules
-Doesn't respect boundaries
Separate traits are:
Sociopathy
-Frequently gets in trouble with the law
-Makes Impulsive decisions with no regard for safety
-Increased aggression and risk for violence
-Inability to follow through on personal responsibilities
Psychopathy
-Lack of fear
-Difficulty with emotional regulation
-Uses insincere charm to mask true feelings
-Limited understanding of right and wrong
Many seem to be both. It is terrifying that they exist and get away with so much. having read "The Peculiar Institution: Slavery in the Antebellum South" by Kenneth Stampp, I understand that captive young women and girls among men who are sadists is a dangerous combination.
Thx, Linda. My question-has the US always been so infected by such a flood of sociopathy and he just highlights it, or has felon47’s normalizing of such base behaviors allowed more folks to be infected? I’m baffled by the national and local scope of mental illness, especially exhibited by white men (and some of their women) these days. Have I been blind to the sickness around me for all my 66 years or is it really and truly an epidemic of massive proportions?
Jen, I don't know. Someone should definitely be studying this. The Epstein Files are a good example of how much this kind of pathology goes on without seeming consequences. Also, when Trump first became president someone wrote that his personality was typically found in CEOs and management of businesses. I remember a brief stint in corporate America between my undergraduate and graduate degrees, and how I was surrounded by people making ethical compromises each day. I had to leave for that reason. I also felt that way in my teaching jobs until my last one. Of course it was in an elite private school. It is not that there were not a lot of unethical people making decisions, but that I was not forced to be unethical with my students.
Recently I have been wondering how much of the current spread of right wing support is effected by our having gone through Covid and its effects on the social emotional growth of people, as well as the response to the terror and helplessness that people felt in the beginning of Covid. And then the anger that some groups felt at government attempts to keep everyone safe.
I do think that there are way too many people who are totally shut off to empathy, and that is millions and millions of people. Andra Watkins, Christian Nationalism expert says that in the CN community children are punished for showing empathy. Empathy is frowned on. So, it sounds like a mass movement and is clearly different from what I perceived the values to be as a child. I really feel that as Ronald Reagan made neoliberalism the economics of the nation, he also made selfishness and self centeredness a mantra, of "ME! ME! ME!"
Linda, I love your insight-thank you. You’ve given me so much to contemplate. I was an ordained pastor for 40 years (recently retired), and observed much of the same in the organization and structure of my denomination, as well as the community in deep red Florida that I served. I see so many driven by sheer anger, lacking any other emotions. No grief. No loneliness. Certainly no compassion or empathy. Pure anger is what fuels them-all the while they had adequate food and shelter, opportunity, privilege, and safety. Covid restrictions were a fierce battle as I refused to allow people into the building without masks-but since we served a community of primarily retired folks, it wasn’t optional.
I’m just stunned by the psychopathy-it is literally everywhere. And I fear for my grandsons who are growing up in this sick environment. I pray that getting these Nazis out of “leadership” in our nation might help us find a path to healing-although that seems a fairly distant shore.
Jen, it sounds really disheartening. I must say that many people I know who have Christian Charity in their hearts are not practicing Christians, but many things. That is what we need more of. It is important to be clear that Christian is as Christian does. Someone calling the place in which they worship Christian does not necessarily make it so. I am sad at this turn, and we need to be naming the problem and asking, "How is this Christianity? or saying, "This is not what I understand Christianity to be and here is why...." Compassion and empathy are needed and helpful for people to be healthy.
Our history proves beyond doubt that malignantly hateful moral imbecility has always been the ecogenocidal yin to our nurturing yang; note not only the exterminations of the First Nations peoples, but how the Original Nazis used that and our Christian white-male-supremacist sadism as foundational models for their ideology and Holocaust. The techno-Übermenschen, the Christonazis and their puppet Trump have legitimized, normalized and maximized it, so that its fanatical hatefulness is now -- and probably forever shall be -- the majority ethos of this Failed State, the victors' "Unified Reich."
Unequivocal proof that is an ultimate truth is exemplified in these three links illustrating how the atrocities committed by our lynch-mob-minded MAGAT majority remain at an all-time high no matter Trump's vacillations in popularity:
I hope that we can make these people the minority, but am concerned about the articles I am reading in the US and Germany about how young men are being attracted to the far right. We need to be developing an internet world that contradicts this, and in Europe, there needs to be more care to remove these sites.
Linda, I'm sure there are more than two factors that led to prevalent psychosis, but two stand out to me.
You mentioned Christian Nationalism. When white Europeans came to North America, they brought with them their religions, which had their origins with either the Vatican, the Church of England, Martin Luther, John Calvin or John Wesley. In their home countries, one was born into one's religion and stayed with it for life. But in "wild America," people felt less obliged to stick with any tradition, including religious ones. American churches perpetually split up over cultural and doctrinal differences, especially those with Calvinist origins.
Regardless of denomination, all religions promoted the idea that members were part of a community – except for Calvinist churches. Calvin originated the doctrine of predestination, that God "chose" his children even before they were born. Either you were in or you were out, and God decided who was in. They were called "The Elect." Since no one knew if they were in or out, everyone was encouraged to "act like Christians" in case they were in. This inevitably led to a me-versus-them approach to religion that grew into what we now know as evangelicalism.
The economic devastation of the Great Depression left people desperate for any solution to their financial problems. Itinerant evangelical preachers exploited this desperation by preaching the Prosperity Gospel in "tent revivals" across the South and Midwest. In order to qualify for these "blessings," one had to "accept Jesus into one's heart." The measure of your worthiness was not whether you were a member of a church, but whether you had "a personal relationship with Jesus." Though never admitted, this encouraged an every-man-for-himself approach to religion.
"Mainline" denominations still promote community while evangelical denominations promote individual salvation.
Christian Nationalism grew out of these self-serving roots.
The other factor that has precipitated our national sociopathy is the advent of the misnamed "social media," which actually promotes antisocial behavior through its anonymity and unlimited reach. In the before-times, an awful person could be nasty to a relatively limited number of people and was somewhat restrained by the fact that his/her neighbors knew who s/he was. Now, one awful person hiding behind a keyboard has a potential audience of millions, with the potential of causing widespread harm.
Dale, interesting tie into history, and very well put. I have been thinking of the role that Covid played in getting more children onto the internet with parents letting go of previous restrictions and being unable to reverse it.
Excellent post Linda, thank you. My last principal was totally unethical, yet he had his supporters...mostly male, but some women who seemed to think that women had to be attractive to be sexually harassed. Well, no, they need only to be women. The whole episode separated the goats from the sheep. I will have to give your idea about the result of the pandemic some thought. It seemed to me that part of it was suspicion of authority and the idea that God would protect them. We have had a few cases of parents failing to provide medical help for their children. As for St. Reagan, I blame him for getting a lot of problems we see today started. Btw, in grad school, I had to read five extra books each term in my 19th century US history class and write reviews of them. So after one on Jefferson, I decided to focus on slavery and read 14 including Stamp. It was interesting to me how the writing about slavery changed over the years. Finally, I find it abhorrent that children are punished for showing empathy.
Michele, I agree with you. Punishing children who are naturally empathetic for showing their empathy is cruelty. The idea that women need to be attractive to be sexually harassed, and are also at fault for tempting men is sickening.
Our school had some intolerant clothing policy for middle school girls and boys that was never enforced with the boys, only the girls. They had a man checking out whether the girls were inappropriately dressed and sending them to change if they did. I told my daughter that if he ever said anything to her about her clothing I was to be notified. I had already written a complaint to their division head about how they were "slut shaming" the girls and shared a wonderful piece written by a middle school girl who said they could be wearing gunny sacks and the boys would be distracted by them.
We have a long way to go still, and Trump is taking us backwards.
I had lunch yesterday with a friend who expressed how she is feeling about this administration and MAGA and the CN community: "They do not share my values. I am afraid that at least half the country does not share the values we were raised with." We talked about changes we saw (we're both recently retired). My observation was the switch to greed and the end justifies the means really took off as a core value after stock options and IPOs became part of compensation. Basically, people sold their souls, many times not realizing it until too late. I personally walked away from a potential multi-million payoff due to ethical conflicts. It's something I was proud of, knowing that I could walk away. There are many, I'm sure, that would think this is foolish. But I believe that this life is about more than money. We have created several generations being brainwashed by consumerism. So very sad.
P.S. my last position was running a nonprofit that was a frontline support during Covid. I had introduced a motto of LOVE. COMPASSION. COMMUNITY. in January 2020. We embraced this as a team, and our people were able to thrive during this time because they focused on during the right thing: helping those in need.
Marj, a book that kind of explains where this greed became more accepted under Reagan is "Invisible Doctrine: The Secret History of Neoliberalism" by George Monbiot and Peter Hutchinson.
Jen Schaefer, my minimally-informed opinion is that Trump is an outlier as an American politician and, certainly, as an American president. I mean he is an anomaly and as tragically accidental as the massive epidemic you posited. I don't mean as a populist, a far Right-Wing Nationalist or a fascist. Rachel Maddow has shown us we've been afflicted by such people in our past. I mean the severity or magnitude of Trump's psychopathology (lying, plus the list posted by Linda Weide) isn't a feature of American democracy, but is rather an anomaly.
His lying has no bounds and no precedent unless it is the man who schooled him in lying, Roy Cohn. Trump never gives up on a lie, no matter how obvious, ridiculous, or impossible it is. Maybe HCR knows of a previous president who lied as unimaginably as that, but I ain't never seen the like.
Jen, I don’t know the answer to this. I do know that I had a front row seat to a small town political environment had a city counselor who some folks in town viewed as having a sociopathic tendency. Doing some research I came across the same information and concluded that what this counselor did was unpopular, not sociopathic. There are politicians who do meet those, and in combination with their rigid adherence to Evangelical Christian dogma certainly match those criteria.
Jen, please pardon me for butting into your conversation with Linda, but it triggers several thoughts that I'd like to address in a couple on-topic comments. I believe the sociopathy has always existed in the U.S. at levels far higher than were known or acknowledged. This was, in part, because sociopathic behavior was disapproved by society, so it was not discussed or approved. Local and national legislation reflected this disapproval. These laws prevented sociopathic actions, but not the impulses.
Consider that white European "colonists" came to North America because they chafed under the social structure in their home countries. They took land that had belonged to indigenous peoples for millennia because of "Manifest Destiny," a euphemism for white privilege. That theft is rarely labeled as sociopathy because deep in the subconscious of many, people with darker skin are classified as less than. For many, sociopathy is thought to be harm against equals.
Exposure of this sociopathy has occurred in "plateaus" during our national history. I would argue the first major revelation was when a group of colonial aristocrats decided to set up a government that would protect their assets and promote their ability to increase their wealth. An extension of that thinking was the practice of slavery in the South. Other exposures have been less offensive. For example, the rise of materialism in the 1950s resulting from new affluence following the Great Depression. More people with more disposable income could afford to satisfy their selfish desires. That led to the "sexual revolution" in the 1960s, characterized by the expression, "If it feels good, do it." This self-centeredness led to the "Me Generation" of the 1970s and 80s in which Gordon Gekko in the "Wall Street" movie uttered the famous phrase, "Greed is good."
Unbridled pursuit of self-interest always precipitates harm to those who are not the self, either because they are left behind or "in the way."
Dale, no pardon necessary as Linda and I were discussing in this public forum! The hive mind mentality enlightens us all. Thx so much for these insights-so much to ponder in these waning hours of hellish 2025.
DJT made what was there to be made okay to speak about, act like, act in. He gave the permission and example many , not all, yet 77 million had been waiting for. Now there is clarity.
Jen, let me weigh in here for a moment. And I could be very wrong. I don’t have academic study in this area but there are several causes that affect human behavior. Just like there were several reasons we elected the worst person on earth to be our president. How could this happen?
My gut tells me it was a perfect storm of events. Smaller things like Trump getting clipped with a bullet. He became a surviving hero to some. But we really lost because Joe Biden stumbled. Big time. He rapidly slowed down due to age. He has a cranky voice irksome. Trump has mastered a smooth, soft spoken voice. Big on the Biden list was the open border that he didn’t want to follow where Trump had gone. Let’s also take note serious note with our mobile devices. These things have isolated us. The worst of those who are now addicted and this almost includes all of us (you only need to go anywhere there are humans around to understand how addicted we are.) Even I don’t have Pat with people anymore holding these stupid devices. Sure mine is in my pocket often but I don’t reach for it when someone is calling if I’m doing something. But it has made us select the kinds of news we allow into our brains. I know how quick tempered people are now by the way they drive. Crazy I refuse to buy a newer car not with all the crashes from distracted driving.
I’m afraid the bulk of us has been dumbed down. And often during an election, we don’t vote for the best candidate. We revenge vote. We say, “I’m gonna get the slow stumpling bastard back. And besides, it sounds as if our schools are now incapable of educating kids especially if teachers need to compete with cell devises. Social media has destroy large segments of two generations of kids. Our corporations rule the day not the politicians in office. They do what the corps tell them to do. We live in a biforcated society. It will ultimately self destruct, hum… in my opinion.
Don't count on it: just look at the RepubliKlans' deliberate slow-motion murder of all the children, women and men they have permanently and therefore fatally denied health insurance. The only question is how big the resultant death toll will be -- and whether the public has the minimal brainpower sufficient to recognize that the Vichy Democrats who surrendered to the RepubliKlans, ended the shutdown and thereby enabled this aspect of Trump's vastly expanded resurrection of the Original Nazi Holocaust should be indicted as murderous co-perpe-traitors.
And what happens when children with measles go to the hospital for treatment. Over 200 kids have been admitted to the hospitals in TX alone and this is just the beginning. So millions of people, many without insurance will have to forego treatment of serious diseases and illnesses because Robert F Kennedy is an anti-vaxxer surrounded by anti-vaxxers.
Which is more evil, withholding vaccinations or killing innocent fishermen on boats in the ocean?
Robert Reich asked, rightfully, where are the AMA in condemning Kennedy’s actions and the ABA in publicly condemning Bondi and her band of incompetent and/or corrupt lawyers. They are the national and medical and legal professional associations respectively.
YES! I listened or read that piece. Are they being paid off or have they been threatened? This corruption is so wide spread it is hard to wrap my head around it.
GL, they do not care, those children, those fishermen are peasants, they (we) do not matter. I think there are many small actions us peasants can take to stop this insanity, but it will take huge community support and protection.
Thank you very much, Gary, for the addenda: I was thinking also of these atrocities but opted to omit them for brevity's sake, and now am more than a bit ashamed I did. Therefore thanks again. Truly, the only way to comprehend what is being done to us is to describe it correctly -- as Trump's resurrection of the Original Nazis' Holocaust -- this time expanded to exterminating literally anyone in the 99.999 Percent who is not "fit" enough -- that is, wealthy enough (and morally imbecilic enough) to survive without government assistance.
Yes, did you see the number of warehouses they are turning into detention camps across the country. Blonde white Christians will be exempt - especially the men.
The oath of office hasn't been something the right wing has honored for generations; instead of supporting voting rights for all, they have endlessly endeavored to disenfranchise citizens whom they think will not vote for right wing policies. The fact that they help the trump administration's ICE behaviors, such as remaining masked while they brutally attack individuals regardless of whether they are resisting or if they are citizens, pregnant women, or Congress people. That behavior is criminal and the true reason they keep their faces covered.
It is impossible for me to believe that the DOJ was not aware of the additional million Epstein documents. The DOJ should be forced to turn over to honest brokers to redact and release all Epstein files, including the files already released. Jack Smith would be my choice to handle the job. Every aspect of the trump administration has proven to be dishonest and untrustworthy.
True, but only to save their cowardly hides when it comes to addressing their constituents facing them at midterms. Do you think if the vote to disclose the files was anonymous they would have capitulated?
Mike, the key is two facts of Republican power. The first is Republican members of Congress who fear Trump denouncing them and encouraging primary opponents to run against them. Their Congressional seat is more important than the country. The second factor is Republican fear of losing control of government. The Republican Party and its leadership will do anything, lie, cheat or steal, to retain power. At this point, the party is totally corrupt!
Annabel, I am sure you know that the exploitation and abuse of women and girls by men who claim and gain power and privilege for no reason other than their dangling bits is almost never treated as criminal behavior. Rather, those men are cosseted, protected, and excused. And until MEN start challenging this particular status quo in real numbers, rather than doing absolutely nothing, remaining silent, and hoping that their own behaviors are beyond scrutiny, nothing will be done. If you want any examples, just look at almost all the men in Congress. Not just Republicans. And because they are able to hide behind their offices and claims of non-involvement, public naming and shaming is considered inappropriate. Because of course male sensibilities are utterly fragile and their egos tender. And women who depend on the approval of the male gaze are even more culpable because they experience the abuse and exploitation directly but sacrifice themselves to gain reflective power. There will never be a reckoning until men as well as women reject the claims of male dominance and demand equity and justice for all. In other words, the final passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, which is the only legal tool all oppressed groups, including women, nonbinary people, underrepresented minorities, etc. could use.
Yes, Linda -- for when "MEN start challenging this particular status quo in real numbers."
Except, one problem. Schools used to have a fantastic tool for exploring how, where, and why people are hurting. It was called books: novels, memoirs, and histories.
But we said goodbye to all that, so the billionaires could draw more profits from all the nicely-laminated, corporate-packaged textbooks and their peer, standardized testing.
These billionaires, most all empty souls, dehumanized, and neutered, conditions which all these expensive tools of theirs for decades now have been inflicting on Americans.
For many years, after my retirement, I set myself up as an online book seller and ran a fairly profitable business providing textbooks to a very highly respected independent school. I was appalled by what used to pass for history textbooks these were beautifully presented with glossy pages full of snippets of information taken from other texts which students were expected to comment on what somebody else had decided to bring to their attention. when I did history, albeit almost 70 years ago, we were given a topic usually handwritten on a blackboard and told to get our arses down to the library and find out about it. our results, wish were always handwritten, were assessed not only for their intellectual content but for spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
Today, more than ever, we need to relearn how to extract meaning from the original texts.
The bias in reporting is incredible. I did a post on my stack about just the bias inherent in an NYTimes headline and subhead versus the most authoritative source for the 20-point plan to end the war in Ukraine. The implications were totally inverted.
I noticed this in the times coverage of Bernie Sanders. The language used could be strongly against, but more often simply subtly leading the reader to believe Bernie was crazy and didn't have a snowballs chance in hell.
One of the best grammar teachers I ever had was a history teacher that graded our papers on the grammar as well as content. She was brutal! Points off for commas, periods, dangling participles, and of course, spelling. Loved her!
Such is capitalism -- the economic and political fulfillment of apocalyptic greed by for-profit ecogenocide perpetuated by patriarchal theology and its derivatives -- serial-killer moral imbecility; white-male-supremacist racist and misogynistic sadism; and de facto slavery cunningly disguised as freedom. Its tyranny -- enabled by the Orwellian principle of "ignorance is strength" -- will continue to intensify our species' ever-worsening mental disability until capitalism is triumphantly slain or We the last remaining Empathetic People are extinct.
Like music, Loren, capitalism has evolved, morphed, reincarnated.
I can live with the latter, provided its respect for the rule of law, and even more respect for educational institutions keyed to humanity and humanities.
I heard another startling fact, teachers are not assigning books to students these days - only excerpts from books. This is due to, for example, kids having shorter attention spans,
As I know from my own interactions with youth, assuming they have mastered the skill of reading (as for example would be required by a lawyer), there are two reasons they dislike contemplative or thought-provoking reading: firstly there is the fact it compels them to recognize the existential hopelessness implicit in life in a failed state on a planet doomed by ruling-class greed; secondly there is the fact such reading subtracts from the time available for immersion in social media, the de facto addiction that is their most-readily available drug of choice for achieving the total oblivion they need to sustain life in the face of such unprecedentedly bottomless hopelessness.
Time to pay educated teachers salaries commensurate with their value. Then we get an educated populace. But we may be too far gone in greed (and racism) to redeem ourselves.
Yes, I agree, Virginia, we need to build up our Public Education system in the U.S. rather than bulldoze it (which seems to be the Trump “plan”). I was a public school teacher for 35 years and loved my job and still am in communication with some of my students. Right now, I am thrilled to be watching my 4 grandkids (ages 10 to 16) as they progress through school, and was especially impressed with the youngest, whose development, especially in reading, was obviously slowed by the COVID situation, but now - with some special help, provided by her public school, has caught up. The oldest is now starting to search for colleges and the middle two - boy cousins - are making me proud, even though one of them on Thursday said to me, “No, Papa, that was the 14th Amendment.” (And he was correct.) Yikes, he is 13 years old! Just sayin’!!
Subscribe to David Pepper's Substack, "https://davidpepper.substack.com/ He focuses mainly on Ohio schools, but the rot he exposes extends to most states these days, sadly.
The head of history in that particular school who I’ve known for almost 20 years had a great line in subversion. He got me to search out and supply original works of scholarship which he used to stock a departmental library and insist his students read. I have a funny feeling that even those who managed to get to Oxford or Cambridge were quite relieved not to have such a punishing reading schedule!
That’s a lovely account! At 91, looking at US voters, I started looking at my own public schooling in a small, poor public school in Virginia. We learned geography through WWII, had to take two years of foreign language, starting with Latin (which is still useful to anyone learning languages), we sang every song of both world wars that anyone knew, accompanied by a pianist who also gave piano lessons at the school and played for the Baptist Church on Sundays and Baptist Bible School in summer. I learned enough to go to college and University and to recognize that my greatest treasure is my liberal arts education. When things are tough, I think of Aristophanes, who is still funny after millennia.
Very well said Linda. It’s patriarchy. Entitled rich white men who think they can take anything they want including young girls like they are property. And yes sadly some women allow it. Unfortunately I saw this in my own family so I know it well…
I don’t know if any of what you suggest would happen. Men are basically cowards. Strong, intelligent, capable women frighten men. Since caveman days, men have required women to do the chores, and raise the kids, while all the men sat around and planned hunting parties.
Nothing has changed. Men in power don’t want women in power!
If only American women had voted to restore their hard-won rights of privacy and equal medical sovereignty in 2024, the country would be a lot better off today.
The fact that a majority of white women voted for trump indicates to me that they do believe that, all things considered, women really are second class citizens and don't deserve to be treated equally.
A discussion of forms of power, manipulation, predation and subjection needs to be part of introduction to all our social institutions. Middle school. (A refresher course in graduate school!) Every workplace. Sex is an important kind of power, as it is a form of fun and comfort at the core of the reproduction of our family ties and species. The problem is when it becomes a tool for promoting other forms of power. Except for the few of us blessed with a wise and frank parent, auntie or grandma who laid it out explicitly, none of us are educated in these essential matters.
I’m getting a strong “Nero fiddling” vibe from Mar a Lago. The nation is surrounded by smoldering brush fires and potential conflagrations. There is no federal governing happening. Executive Orders fly like arrows from the White House and land where they may. Strangely garbed and masked “ICE” bounty hunters patrol our cities, kidnapping racially profiled “illegal aliens” and citizens without due process. The Speakership of the House has devolved onto an empty suit. It’s been left to the nation’s courts to corral the crazy and hinder the unconstitutional. The DOJ has become a wholly owned subsidiary of the President’s obsession for revenge and need for a coverup. This is an untenable situation. It may well get worse before it gets better, but it’s not gonna stay the same.
So important we not lose sight of the center stage. They are flailing, not yet failing. How we force failure, rather than just fulminate against their many sideshows, remains our great challenge.
The run up to the midterm elections will be when be the most dangerous actions by trump and the right wing happen, in order for the right wing to retain political power, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised when trump declares yet another fake national emergency to implement martial law in an effort to cancel elections in 2026.
Amen to THAT comment! And winning BIGLY in the midterms is our solution to the problem! We must gain a HUGE majority in BOTH Houses of Congress and take back control. We need to get rid of feckless leaders (Schumer needs to GO! and Hakeem needs to step it up big time or he’s out, too). With a HUGE majority, Congress can impeach the idiot! It can also pass much-needed legislation for voting rights, healthcare and many other matters. Come on America! Get out the BLUE VOTE up and down ballots all over this country!
I think that some Americans are beyond redemption and will support the racist rapist no matter what. But to me the biggest shift is the realization by many that the Epstein associates are the morbidly wealthy who believe they are above the law -- even raping little children. We are obviously repulsed by pedophiles, but now even more so by those who hoard wealth and get away with anything.
These Epstein class individuals are powerful because of their wealth, and both political parties rely on them to fund their political campaigns.
That is the only reason I can think of to explain why the DOJ under both parties hasn't prosecuted, much less truly investigated pedophiles identified by their victims.
The "morbidly wealthy;" may they perish soon. What a perfect descriptor of insane people living their entire lives in the pursuit of imagined wealth that can never, ever satisfy the human soul.
Their depravity has no end and their desire to destroy a child's innocence by rape is similar to the alcoholic who demands his/her buddies to get as blindingly drunk as they. The evil that rapists perpetrate grows and infects all around them.
I was raped in childhood by my oldest brother. Much later I learned that those who were abused as children, could, in turn, abuse others. Oh, HELL NO! I remember specifically telling myself, "This abuse stops with me!"
With society's taboos against incest and the rape of children, it seems to be the most heinous behavior that morbidly wealthy people do in order to feel anything in their depraved souls. Or perhaps they know, deep down they are horrible people, and they are subconsciously trying to destroy themselves. I wish they would hurry up killing themselves and leave the rest of us alone.
Hard to like your comment, and I have seen far, far too much of that. I maintain punishment should be to fix tho offending appendage to a heating fuel soaked log with a nail, place a knife within reach, and light the log.
Thanks for the laugh. I understand this is a common feeling among survivors. For the guys who recoil at reading this, for me it's a tongue-in-cheek rage, an imaginative punishment that I would never carry out.
I didn't talk about it until I was 30 years old. I imagine he was punished by having to live with the knowledge of what he did. I recently learned he passed away this summer. He never married nor had children. I had not had any contact with him or my parents (who did know and did nothing) for over 33 years.
When my family members showed me who they are, (and they are horrible humans,) I moved far, far away when I turned 21. I severed all contact at age 30. That turned out to be one of my best decisions. There was nothing to salvage in any of those relationships.
My chosen friends are my family now. I also stumbled into sexual trauma-based therapy, and it changed my life.
My sister-in-law provided sexual trauma-based therapy for most of her career, and that it seems to finally becoming more available. More is needed but I'm relieved that you eventually found your new family.
Heather: "The Justice Department has not released many of the documents as required by the ... Transparency Act".
Yesterday, 12/26/2025, Survivor Attorney, JAMES MARSH, was interviewed on CNN by WOLF BLITZER.
MARSH pinpointed "a million more" files' located at the SDNY arising from the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein's lease out of the infamous, "TOWER FINANCIAL SCAM".
I'm trying to keep count... so Bondi's said she has 3.6 Million flies. So adding another "million or more" documents & by my count that makes current TOTAL of Epstein documents at over 4.6 Million documents.
The hard reality is that the Epstein Disclosure Act deadline has been ignored. We need an independent, accessible database that is searchable by the Survivors which at last count number over 1200.
Anything & everything for the victims & survivors.
It will take releasing ALL the files, especially the ones that include Trump. Do recall, he was not even a twinkle in the idea of becoming POTUS back when Epstein was first convicted, such as that conviction was! So the government would have collected info on him as though he was just another Epstein associate. Trump is IN those files in some very compromising ways. If victims are ready to talk, and it appears they are to corroborate testimony in the files, Trump is toast. The whole question is, will they release the info? Personally, I think not. He’s already defying an Act of Congress, so what more will it take?
The immunity ruling protects Trump personally for "official" acts in both his administrations but no one else for what he has done as President. He could be impeached again, but it requires 67 members in the Senate to convict and that is a reach, at least right now. And that gets you Vance as President, who I think would be worse than Trump because you would lose the crazy bits and gain better ability in execution.
But previous Trump bad behavior is fair game, barring statutes of limitation in civil and criminal laws.
I think the best option would be to get majorities in both houses of Congress. Investigate Vance on his possible criminal dealings with Thiel like steering contracts to Palantir, and refuse to confim Trump's replacement VP which requires a simple majority in both Houses, and then go for removal of Trump by impeachment. if there are enough senators to convict. Article 25 won't work with his cabinet of loyalists as long as he isn't comatose.
That sequence of moves means the Democratic Speaker becomes President...
Actually what SCOTUS did is hand der neu Führer -- whether Trump or his successor -- the perfect rationale for declaring a national emergence and siccing the Christonazis' oath-breaking military on anyone who dares protest or resist.
No, it was never sleeping. The Roberts Six is the deep state command of the attack on us and our constitution by the free enterprise system. They are just adjusting the range of fire as the election is nearing.
I often wonder about what people means when they speak of "freedom". "Free enterprise" as such strikes me as a fundamental freedom in and of itself, but the devil is in the details. Our national charter recognizes universal rights, some of which are freedom from and some of which are freedom to, side by side together. Freedom from tyranny, for example, and freedom to pursue happiness. Clearly there is no protection for freedom to dispense tyranny, at least according to the theory. We're still working to make that real. .
When those with a tyrannical bent speak of "freedom" they are actually proposing a freedom to bully, a freedom to exploit others, not the egalitarian, universal freedom out founding documents propose. Modern "Republicans" use the phrase "free trade" or "free market"when they mean an absence of restrictions on monopolization and exploitation, an absence of accountability. Isn't that what the Declaration of Independence condemned?
A free society is not one in which power is monopolized in the hands of a few. Neither is a real "free market". The real deal preserves universal liberty in law. Like the British Crown of the 1700s, bullies are to park their bullying at the door.
J L, you are on target here. Freedom for me, not for thee. The public safety the wealthy want is not ours, otherwise they would be against the lack of gun safety laws, the lack of education, worker safety, consumer safety, environmental laws and so on. I said this in an essay w while back. While the masses struggle through airports and TSA inspections, they show up at their private hangers and hop on either their private plane or a Netjet by passing the inspections the rest of us go through. They live in their private gated communities or compounds with their private security guards which are staffed by former military recruited by a billionaire owner of the company.
The way our Masters are setting themselves apart – let us begin the consciousness-raising act of unflinchingly labeling them by the slave-plantation identity they presume is theirs to flaunt – is reminiscent of post-Roman history, when the ruling class began bunkering itself in castles the better to facilitate their savaging of the rest of us. Obviously they view the self-imposed ecogenocidal apocalypse as the onset of a new Dark Age, and they are preparing themselves accordingly by establishing de facto baronies and embracing a new feudalism of hired mercenaries and technological omnipotence. Which mandates yet another revolutionary vocabulary change: what obtains with the environment is most properly labeled “terminal climate change” – this in recognition of its already unprecedented toll of extinctions.
(Note: I was in the midst of posting this comment when all my contributions to the entire 26 December thread, “likes” and all related dialogue as well, were suddenly disappeared from anything I could see on my monitor for at least an hour c. 03:30-04:30 PST 27 December 2025, though it all re-appeared literally seconds after I posted an all-caps protest. Ergo, again the relevance of Audra Watkins’ repeated warnings of Substack falling prey to MAGAstapo censorship.)
Charlie Kirk died with a shirt having a single word on it, "FREEDOM". Thus he could attack naive college youth who like that word. To paraphrase Lincoln who was speaking of "Liberty." We all proclaim for freedom but in using the same word we don’t all mean the same thing. To working class Americans, the word freedom includes freedom to breath safe air, drink safe water, eat safe food, buy safe goods, swim in safe lakes, be paid a livable wage, et cetera. To those of the free enterprise system the word freedom inspires a Rosy picture of creatures of statute operating free of regulations (laws written to protect people, the environment and our Earth) and free of corporate taxation and a starving minimum wage. It should be noted that corporate taxes are in fact a trade-off where government wins by taxing both the corporation for it’s profits plus the shareholders for their profits from dividends or by selling their shares in the market for a profit, and shareholders win by not being "personally responsible" for the bad acts of that state chartered creature of statute (aka, "Person"), negligence, products liability, pollution, personal injuries, et cetera. Oh, and many of those shareholders pride themselves for being Republicans, the party of "personal responsibility." Thus, like that famous line, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means," as said by the character Inigo Montoya (played by the wonderful actor Mandy Patinkin) in the outstanding classic 1987 movie "The Princess Bride", the words "FREEDOM" , "Person" and "personal responsibility" would appear to be nebulous to the naive.
My whole family enjoyed that movie. Freedom in the larger sense, liberty, is the fruit of social responsibility; to be aware of, contributing to, and protective of "unalienable" rights of all. I keep posting this but it is so poetically precise:
"What constitutes the bulwark of our own liberty and independence? It is not our frowning battlements, our bristling sea coasts, the guns of our war steamers, or the strength our gallant and disciplined army? These are not our reliance against a resumption of tyranny in our fair land. All of those may be turned against our liberties, without making us weaker or stronger for the struggle. Our reliance is in the love of liberty which God has planted in our bosoms. Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands, everywhere. Destroy this spirit, and you have planted the seeds of despotism around your own doors. Familiarize yourselves with the chains of bondage and you are preparing your own limbs to wear them. Accustomed to trample on the rights of those around you, you have lost the genius of your own independence, and become the fit subjects of the first cunning tyrant who rises."
Hardly! Don’t give SCOTUS one ounce of credit for doing the right thing or even following the law/Constitution! This is a brief hiccup on their part. They’ll be back to partisan rulings in Trumps favor in no time. They want those payoffs to keep coming. And don’t think they aren’t!
80 years after the death by suicide of a certain Austrian corporal you still find (lots) of people who state (and believe) that this Austrian corporal was an a-okay fellow..... dispite all the proof of "you know what".
A better question is — what will it take to stop a current criminal engaged in current criminal conspiracies and multiple violations of the Constitution, especially now that the ships are leaving the Sinking Rat? (Hint: something maybe to do with the 2026 mid-terms?)
My die-hard tRump loving aunt will never believe that this is anything but a witch hunt. She doesn’t believe the women who have come forward because she says “they’ve all been paid to lie.” She doesn’t believe anything not reported by FOX Entertainment because “they’re the only ones who don’t have it out for him”. She doesn’t believe anything that I say because I “hate him and will never admit that he does anything good even though Biden was the worst thing to ever happen to this country.” Because just like her savior EVERYTHING goes back to Biden. When I ask her what exactly did Biden do to hurt the country she spews verbatim FOX Entertainment quotes…mostly about the “illegals he just let walk into our country.” It’s the most frustrating thing I have ever endured. And she’s not wearing his t-shirts and hats and buying his merch…so I can only imagine how much more defense is heralded by the full-blown TDS cultists.
I spent a day with my 80+ cousin and his family (including his twin brother) a few days ago. We had a wonderful time bc his wife strictly prohibited him from talking about his conspiracies and MAGA (which only he subscribes to and in which he is fully immersed) although he did let loose a single comment or two. I can’t believe what MAGAnation has turned this man into. It’s so sad.
Did you tell her that more illegal immigrants ( actual criminals and rapists and truly illegal people ) were removed from our country during his 4 years than any other president? I believe the number that HCR stated was 440,000 !! And they were all removed legally and returned to their original countries. But for some reason, they kept this fact out of most corporate news stations!
Every rebuttal is met with “Is that what you heard on MSNBC?” My aunt is enjoying a very comfortable retirement because her husband worked as a welder in a union for 40 years and retired at a time when pensions were still a thing and your retirement wasn’t left to be a gamble on the current state of the stock market. Of course, he was able to invest in the stock market so at this point her (his) money is making her more money (he has passed). She had one job in her life as a part-time lunch lady while her kids were in school. Anyway…my point is that she and her kids were instructed to vote Democrat while he was working but as soon as he retired his true colors were free to fly and that whole side of the family became staunch Republicans.
yes, I hear you. But that information came from HCR herself, so perhaps she can share where she got that information from. Not sure she would have gotten it from Msnbc . I have found that many of the Republican’s I know voted for him the first and second time for financial reasons only . AND they never believed that Project 2025 could ever really happen. His bad behavior was pushed aside because fro some reason unknown to me, they thought it would be a good thing to have someone who knew nothing about being a politician, but instead fight for them to not be taxed so high. But I don’t understand that, because just before his first term, it was a well known fact that he was or had been bankrupted. But then it came out much later that he “ suddenly after his russia visit had money” There is a reason he has never revealed his taxes.. The first term he said it was because the IRS was going over them.. remember that BS?
I often wonder if there is research into methods of hypnosis via media broadcasting (including podcasts and chat rooms).
Am I the only one to remember that subliminal messages were central to advertising strategies in the late 60s? There is no way that those techniques were abandoned, rather than improved.
Given that there was clearly BDSM on the island, wondering if the still hidden, unspeakable was deaths of young women and/or girls, and it was covered up.
what is that? I actually think it had to do with Epstein's illegal international financial dealings, plus the fact that he provided young girls in all of those countries to his financial cohorts. ( perhaps all one and the same thing?? ) Much of which was in the Soviet Union /Russian oligarchs. He had big financial doings in Russia. And then his" former" best buddy, Donnie, was in Russia and having meetings with these same rich oligarchs. Don't you remember reading about (or actually watching on TV,) DJT bringing his beauty pagent to Russia? I believe it was in 2012?? ... but it was right before he did the surprise run for president. It was a well known fact that he was flat broke, and came back from Russia suddenly with money in his pocket! AND was out of the blue, running for the presidency!! Although, I would not be surprised if there was an accidental death of some young girl that they hid. They certainly loved picking up sad teenagers and promising them big things... no one would know what ever happened to them... ugh.. I hope not.
Cate, I honestly did not pay Trump much attention prior to his run for the presidency, except to occasionally shudder at something I read or heard about him.
Nothing to See Here, Please Panic Quietly: A Satirical Holiday Guide to Constitutional Amnesia and Selective Outrage
‘‘Laws still exist, which seems to be the central misunderstanding of the moment.’’
The Supreme Court has gently reminded the President of the United States that the Constitution is not a mood board. You do not get to deploy troops because you feel annoyed, misunderstood, or bored on a Tuesday. Apparently, there are steps. Laws. Procedures. A whole genre of paperwork.
Six justices explained, patiently, that the country is not a parking lot where you can just drop off the National Guard while you run errands. You must first attempt to use the regular military, discover you cannot, and then, only then, panic creatively. This sequence matters.
Justice Kavanaugh, sensing the public noticed things, added a helpful footnote clarifying that immigration stops should not be racist, violent, or excessive. This clarification arrived after people were racially profiled, beaten, and detained while holding birth certificates. Timing is everything in jurisprudence.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department announced it has discovered over a million more Epstein documents. This is the bureaucratic equivalent of saying you finished your homework and then finding an entirely new backpack labeled “definitely important.”
Officials promise transparency soon. Very soon. Not now. Soon, like infrastructure week.
The documents already released show that Donald Trump’s claim of never being on Epstein’s plane appears to have been aspirational rather than factual. Flight logs place him there repeatedly, sometimes alone with Epstein, sometimes with Ghislaine Maxwell, sometimes with unnamed young women who mysteriously disappear behind redactions.
Trump appears in the files over one hundred times, which is impressive for someone who insists he barely remembers the guy. Most people manage to forget acquaintances after fewer than ten documented plane rides.
Under mounting pressure, Trump took to social media to wish America a Merry Christmas by accusing everyone else of loving Epstein, demanding all names be released, and insisting this is both a hoax and extremely important. This is what therapists call cognitive dissonance. This is what Truth Social calls a post.
Republicans are beginning to peel away, cautiously, like people realizing the dinner host is yelling at the furniture. Subpoenas are being drafted. Contempt citations are circulating. Impeachment language is warming up in the bullpen.
Observers note Trump seems to be unraveling. Supporters insist he is simply expressing strength loudly and repeatedly.
The files continue to drip. The excuses multiply. The Constitution remains stubbornly in place, refusing to dissolve into vibes.
Well Annabel, some actual proof would be nice! So far there's plenty of circumstantial evidence of Trump being far more closley involved with Epstein than he now cares to admit, but this has surely long been known about him. His past record of behaviour towards women also does him no favours.
His problem now is that his base is riven with conspiracy theorists and one of their most persistent beliefs is that the Deep State is controlled by a cabal of paedophiles, most likely Democratic party politicians. It has clearly shaken many of his supporters to discover that their saviour himself is deeply implicated with this notorious paedophile. This will also strike at the core of his evangelical base, in some ways I think the most profoundly credulous of all his followers. It also doesn't help much that he's presently acting like a guilty person would and using the offices of state to cover up his involvement. Bombing islamists in Nigeria on the pretext of saving christians there from persecution is not going dispel these aspersions and his appearance of guilt.
Epstein has proved beyond a doubt that *enough* American men devalue and disdain women so much that monsters like him can not only exist here, but thrive. This is the core of the rot.
Yes, for those yelling "not all men", then righteously sitting back on their haunches, not all men.
But certainly ENOUGH American men out there do not believe women's stories have adequate weight and value as compared to men's, definitely not sufficient evidence to take notice and firmly stop the abuse. How many women must accuse a man, telling identical stories of assault, for American men to refuse that man power? Trump was accused by dozens of women, and convicted of sexual assault in court. It didn't matter to the majority of male voters in this country. Rank misogyny and racism led directly to an economic disaster for this country.
Remember, Phyllis Schlafly's anti-abortion campaign in the 70s was the kick-off of the Republican and Christian Nationalist campaigns to suppress women. Especially minority women who would quickly die without proper miscarriage healthcare, while well-off white women--if their men allowed it--could quietly spend the money to take care of their pregnancy, or in the name of white supremacy be forced to pop white babies out.
Next came Reagan's attacks on so-called welfare Queens--remember, they railed about Queens, never Kings, and their images were all of Black women.
Then Reagan fired the Air Traffic Controllers, trying to break Unions. Especially white collar Unions in government agencies which often negotiated for better conditions that were most helpful to the most vulnerable workers--usually women and minority populations that surged into our workforce and have done the toughest jobs all along.
So Republicans began with a massive intrusion on female bodies, then ripped the government support for poor families away from poor women and their children, then tried to make our jobs even more unbearable so women would quit in frustration.
It has been decades of foolish and relentless disrespect for women, all with the goal to weaken women and make them totally dependent on men for money, to try and tip the scales towards forcing more white baby births.
It is such a short step from deciding men have the right to totally control women's bodies, that they are no more than vessels for the fetuses, over to the idea that women shouldn't vote--or only vote as their husbands direct them to vote. In fact, certain red states are already floating bills to eliminate contraception medication and remove women's right to vote.
Until 'good' men decide to fight this dehumanization of women (especially minority women) with every ounce of their being, we're stuck in this ugly loop and Epstein along with Trump are not the root cause of this moral failing.
Annabel, Some are beyond seeing. I actually had one tell me this week that she will always vote for law and order (in all caps). I did point out to her the lawlessness of the regime, but then I have TDS, don't you know. The discussion was about immigration and several women were opining that they would never come here undocumented or leave their baby....the case was two parents arrested (the child was not with them) and quickly deported. They have no idea what people go through to get here or why they come. They live in their snug all white world and do not have to make desperate decisions.
Best part of Heather's today on Donald's hiding and covering up -- the finance info bits.
Sleuths into this horror show of underage girls, rich men, and rape will likely emerge with the most compelling stories after they've pieced together certain connections involving the money they paid, the money they got.
Sure, they liked raping girls. But for true fulfillment, it's all about their $$$. These rapists are all hollow men.
I like Heather on how "Trump has been lying about his involvement with the convicted sex abuser Epstein." But that's (his predictable lying) by now ho-hum. It's the many, many co-conspirators and their money trail that will lead eventually to the Hollywood blockbuster we all need.
But a big tip of the hat to Heather's last sentence, affirming what we all also see, how he's "disintegrating, rotting."
As you can discern, as the story of childhood and female exploitation continues and increases which is important for many reasons, Trump keeps falling into a madness of his own making. The Epstein/Trump event will be written in future novels and movies. It will be up for awards. A noted actor or actors will take a bow on the academy stage and all those MAGAs scum will face this repeatedly until their lives burn out. And then history will be taught in schools that this devil attempted to spearhead the total destruction of the United States and failed.
Of course there is outrage but let’s not as well understand this series of events must be revealed repeatedly until it breaks him and the MAGA movement. Imagine if Jeffery Epstein did not kill himself which I think he did.
Lololol. 11 different attempts at denting Trump and everyone has failed and you keep falling on your swords and I’m loving it. From the Russia hoax to the Hunter laptop, hoax to Biden’s and perfect health hoax to the east ballroom to the drug running boats in the Caribbean to changing the name of the Kennedy center to Al Green attempts at another impeachment debacle to a number of trials that tried and failed and one that is about to be overturned, maybe two. Climate change hoax. An epstein file is not your last bastion of hopes. It’s just another dead sea turtle waiting to be buried and I love that. Everybody here is hanging with a fingernail or hanging by a thread hoping that something happens when you all know nothing is gonna happen. It never would’ve happened and it never will happen. But in the meantime, you’re willing to overlook all the people that have been found to be child predators apparently, Mr. Clinton, apparently Mr. Summers, apparently Mr. Gates, any Democrat that dares have the temerity to seemingly enjoy the company of minors you dismiss entirely because you have one purpose. And unfortunately, it’s a misguided purpose. You keep trying and we’ll keep smiling.
You really should purchase my new edition book, “Donald’s Vanity Tantrums.” It has about 15 more rather revealing stories - some of which are guaranteed to give you belly laughs.Go for it it’s out on all platforms. If you buy from me, I’ll autograph it for you and make a dedication, Rick. Treat yourself.
Bill, I think taking Trump less than serious is not worthwhile He is the 45th and 47th president of the United States and doing a great job on behalf of America. That is what the central issue of your book should be, and if you wanna take a couple of shots at him… that would also be good. But when you talk to everybody, that knows him he’s got the most biting and according to many of the most hysterical sense of humor on the planet maybe you should get to know him better and his humor and his self deprecating humor and then you might come to enjoy him even more. I don’t need a book to tell me what I see before my eyes. But thank you very much for the invitation. While, I have not read your book and haven’t eaten broken the cover or the binding. I have it in one of my display cases and smile every time I see it. So thank you for that.
Oh, and by the way, did you see Hunter’s last interview? Looks like Hunter is becoming a republican. Uh oh. Blame his father for the illegal immigrant infestation blames his father for the dramatically horrible Afghanistan abandonment and the 13 soldiers killed needlessly. Hunter has apparently seen the light now that he’s not addicted like the most of you.
He’s right. As awful as it is these girls were abused, it is so commonplace. I hate with every fiber in me to say that. But men raping women is not uncommon. Men salivating over little girls is all too common and gross. I agree wholeheartedly. And I’m not sure that’s what the commenter meant to convey although I’ll let them speak for themselves.
But the real story is how it could have possibly gone on for so long, known by so many, indulged, overlooked, even courted to get to the money.
The reason why women and little girls are not raped repeatedly right in front of the world is because women gained power and money. there is a decided push to recall that power and money going on right now. Women in Congress are resigning, misogyny is on the rise. And the moneyed class of men, gay and straight, are punishing women for any advances.
Today the NYT ran and unbelievably lack of self awareness article by a Silicon Valley billionaire talking about how sad he was AI will make jobs obsolete for many. The push to claw back advances made by women is calculated. These billionaires will hand out only so much of their fortune to keep the masses on the dole…and who will rise up?
So as much as it is painful to say it, right now with Epstein dead and these women in Recovery, hopefully, the money is the most important facet of the story. It sadly always was. Epstein didn’t go to prep schools filled with rich, connected girls. He went to the poorest middle and high schools to use MONEY to lure these girls into trafficking. He used MONEY to make them feel dirty and not tell because who wants to tel,their mother they were just paid to give an old man a naked massage? The abuse started with money, it continued with money and it is being covered up because we as a society Va,he money over people.
All of that is true but you know who will stop this madness and fix the problem? Women. Every effort to take away rights just fuels the fire and now that women are educated and have money we will fight back at levels never before seen.
That said, being so dismissive of sexual assault against girls was gross and that's what I am reacting to.
I read the Handmaid's Tale and then watched the series and I also read The Testaments. Gilead was brought down by women. The Epstein empire and all of Maga will also be brought down by women.
You're most correct in especially one regard, Pamela.
Rachel Maddow, Heather, Joyce Vance, Mary Trump, Stephanie Ruhle, Nicole Wallace, Katie Phang, Jane Mayer, Sarah Kendzior, Rebecca Solnit, and many more American women testify marvelously as to how we've all in their debt.
Here in Japan, where patriarchy has ruled for centuries, it's the men who most visibly have become enfeebled by the privileges they've so long accrued. From Chie Nakane, whose "The Vertical Society" 60 years ago paved the way, to Minae Mizumura, whose "The Fall of Language in the Age of English" summed up how men have led a mass neutering of institutions and culture,
we've seen how largely it's been women saving the culture.
Women great in manga. And novels: "Twenty-four Eyes," by Sakae Tsuboi, "Out," by Natsuo Kirino, "The River Ki," by Sawako Ariyoshi, "All She was Worth," by Miyuki Miyabe, "Kiki's Delivery Service," by Eiko Kadono, "Hidden Hunger," by Aya Hirata Kimura, and "How Do You Live?" by Genzaburo Yoshino.
If you’ve ever seen the Handmaids tale when the government shut down women’s bank accounts and forced their employers to fire them, That’s what I’m waiting for. I hope it doesn’t happen in my lifetime because I will not go down without a fight but some. Of these billionaires like Thiel etc would love to see it happen. They hate women.
Marques I am very proud of you because not once and because of reality and facts did you not mention the name of Donald Trump, which is the purpose of all the attacks you seem to be one of the only people that care for the reasons that matter not just to be able to Destroy Donald Trump as the left continues to attempt to do with absolutely no success whatsoever
So I want to thank you in advance of being rational, realistic, and using facts rather than wild imaginations to write your post. Well, I don’t agree with all of it as I don’t think women are being put back in their place I believe just the opposite and it’s only a matter of time till there’s a woman president and by every rational pundit , which I thought this is pretty incredible every single pundit that I’ve read believes that the first woman president will indeed be a republican.
You're right that it's all about their money but I think you have it backwards as to why. They raped and abused (and continue to do so) because, first and foremost, they wanted to and secondarily because of their money - they had it to spend and believed that it would insulate them from prosecution for these crimes and so far they were right. For the group of co-conspirators, which way more than likely includes Trump, it may have been about making money with the sex trafficking coupled with the ever fresh supply of young girls but it was always about the cruelty. Rape is about violence and control far more than it's about sex. But instead of media headlines about what the girls (now women) experienced, we get mealy-mouthed stories about the DOJ breaking the law. Yes, the DOJ broke the law and Bondi should be held accountable for her bad acts but, she should not be the sole scapegoat for very rich men who continue to quash the truth of their crimes and depravity.
, and threats to the victims and their families is being paid for.
With upwards of 1000 victims, it has to be very expensive.
Is there some kind of Epstein trust set up to finance it? Maybe one or a combination of wealthy perpetrators are paying to intimidate the victims from naming names.
Let’s see we have Benedict Arnold. We have Aaron Burr. We have Robert e lee. Douglas Chandler. We have the Rosenberg’s. We have Tokyo Rose
We have Adam Gadhan. These are a list of traitors to the US.
Maybe Mystic you should wake up and realize that JUST LIKE ROE V WADE
THESE WOMEN COULD HAVE SPOKEN UP AT ANY TIME WITHOUT REVEALING THEIR NAMES. But it still wouldn’t live up to your dream of having Donald Trump’s name included in the list. Awwwwww so sorry
Because honestly, that’s all you care about for four years you saved silent while Biden had the files on his desk the whole time. And not a peep from the Democrats. InCredible hypocrisy. But no surprise
Thank you Heather for your lucid understanding of what’s happening here. Your commitment to a clear and truthful explanation helps us all! We love what you do. You are a heroine of our time and will be remembered. This is just a thank you, because everyday we appreciate your hard work- it uplifts us all and makes us resilient.
The crimes against young girls are appalling, but please don't forget to also focus on the $$$. Epstein was amassing huge wealth. Ghislaine was the daughter of Robert Maxwell and they were both privy to his connections. Russian (former Soviet) money wash awash in their dealings. There is a big story here about money laundering and international corruption. I feel sure that Trump is mostly worried about the dodgy dealings, laundered money, corruption and Russian influencing.
The more he says "Russia, Russia, Russia" the more it becomes obvious that he was in deep. It's like someone who is compelled to return to the scene of their crime.
I absolutely agree Grae- the Putin trump Epstein trafficking women including children with Putin’s election interference in 2016, 2020 and 2024. And why the fake movie about melania except to cover the Epstein Putin trump connection with melania and how she was brought to the us... traitor trump the Putin puppet is losing control of the cover up.
Where does Putin Trump and Epstein come together? But you need to catch up with reality all those supposed Putin’s election interference lies have been totally forwarded and dismissed and fake and a lie and a deception that you’ve obviously swallowed unfortunately really makes me sick when people can be so gullible, especially people when they’re supposedly intellectuals.
Another person who uses the word Trump in vain. Another person that doesn’t have a fucking clue, but it is willing to use his name willy-nilly to satisfy their thirst for blood.
Funny I don’t see you talking about Clinton. Funny I don’t see you talking about Summers. Funny I don’t see you talking about gates Hmmmmm this is the hypocrisy of the left who lives at the corner of hypocrisy and double standard
Let us assume Trump has been proven guilty of everything he has been accused of in the Epstein scandals? Will he be impeached and convicted for those crimes, when he wasn’t impeached & convicted for attempting to overthrow the Constitution? Yes, coverage of the Epstein files needs to continue, but not at the expense of covering his outright violations of the rule of law at home and his continued collusion with Putin,Netanyahu , and global autocrats abroad. We are being distracted from focusing on the daily flood of White House criminality and corruption.
How about we start impeaching the almost dead man, Mitch McConnell, for his role in working with Leonard Leo, The Koch Bros., the Bradley and Olin foundations?
Marlene, when I think of McConnell, I picture him as the ghost of Marley weighed down with the many chains of his dereliction of duty. He had the opportunity to do what was right, but right out loud for all to hear, chose not to. That is a stain no bleach can remove.
I wish more people understood that where there’s smoke, there isn’t necessarily fire — or to be more accurate, not the most important fire in a conflagration of epic proportions.
A great many commenters here indulge themselves fulminating against the obvious, rather than strategizing about where the firehose actually needs to be aimed. At this very moment, the worst, most incompetent, must deluded, most criminally-minded administration in history is right now killing people, openly violating the Constitution, every single day.
On Christmas Day, when they believed nobody was paying attention, they attacked ISIS targets in Nigeria, supposedly to show how much they love Baby Jesus. (The only other person on earth to bomb during Christmas right now is Vladimir Putin.) Kegsbreath then wasted no time dashing out a Department of "War" tweet to "our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ" complete with an American flag, driving the illegal distraction home. A sideshow meant to swell the phony Pharisee hearts of phake evangelicals, nothing more.
And not just illegal, but inane. Their new National Security "Strategy" barely mentions Africa, except as a stage for fighting China to gain access to the continent’s rare earth minerals. As far as governments in the region go, it explicitly accepts them "as they are." No mention of a holy crusade against ISIS whatever. In March, they themselves jettisoned American 'soft power' on the continent by destroying USAID (also illegally), causing the deaths of tens thousands, depriving us of any moral authority, let alone influence or flexibility in the region. Which military leaders think that’s a good idea? (None, if they all spoke up).
In 2026, choosing our battle wisely is critical. Eyes on real prizes, rather than distractions, will pay dividends in the future. Fulminating alone won’t cut it.
So, which is the distraction? The files? The bombing in Nigeria? Venezuela? Greenland?
What do you believe they are distractions from?
Could it be that they are not distractions but each is an issue important in and of themselves?
Bannon wanted a firehose of issues, is that what we're dealing with, not distractions but a flood of controversies, each intended to promote a separate result?
Open, direct violations of the Constitution, especially those blundering us into wars based on vanity alone, together with subversions of the Emoluments Clause — in my book those would come first.
There’s no such thing as ‘all issues are the same.’ They are not. If that’s true, prioritization requires strategy. I fear whatever is in ‘the Epstein Files’ doesn’t hold a candle to violating Article I and the War Powers Act, the persecution of tens of thousands based on skin color and language.
The “files” contain reprehensible conduct on a large and disgusting scale. The direct violations of our constitution are a threat to our democracy. While the conduct of both may arise from the same place*, the latter is far worse on a global scale; I say this with absolute concern for the children who were victimized while watching the disintegration of our democracy.
* The place is the assumption that white men are the peak of human evolution and their reprehensible conduct is excused.
First, at your suggestion I now read the comments "Oldest first". Much better.
Not sure about the White men thing, plenty of men of color involved, and what of Maxwell? Lest we forget her financing and connections propped up Epstein's rise to wealth and power.
The degradation of these girls knew no color or sex. It was reprehensible on the part of many. That Epstein and Maxwell were able to operate so long took more than just White male eyes to look away.
OK,. Yet that each is important is not the same as deeming them all "the same".
From a military standpoint, to concentrate all you defenses on repelling a frontal assault while ignoring your flanks is a recipe for defeat. The importance of the 'Files' is this; many on the right and center right will tolerate military incursions, troops in liberal enclaves, violations of the Fourth Amendment, etc. if it serves their purposes. What disturbs MAGA and many who have life responsibilities and may not have the time to follow the nuances as we do, is pedophilia. Yes, Trump has a history of sexual indiscretions, abuse, and misogyny, those are all tolerable when you believe he is the instrument of Jesus's salvation of a corrupt culture. But sex with girls is a bridge too far. No way is Jesus good with that, especially as Trump denies it. Repentance, not denial is the key to salvation.
Criticism of military strikes of drug smugglers on the open sea? Police stops based on race, color, or ethnicity? Sex with adult women? Grabbing them? Leering at them? All forgivable. We can live with that.
Paying for sex with underage girls? And lying about it? Too much even for the Marjorie Taylor Greene's of the world.
But why concentrate our forces on this diversion? A good question.
Because the other issues aren't weak points, they are his strength.
Kill the drug dealers! Deport the illegals! America First!
You won't win on those points.
Pedophilia is his Achilles Heel.
That is where we must place the shot. We see the arrow crippling him. He is wounded. Now is the time to twist it and not let go.
I reject the term fake Evangelicals, a more accurate description is fascist white Evangelicals. These are the people who worship the prosperity doctrine and have supported the fascist right wing to implement their idiotic beliefs that they can foist their religious superstitions on the country. They want white evangelical men to have all political power to rule over everyone else. These are truly evil people.
Steve, without the crime, there would be no need for a cover up.
I believe that the crime is every bit as important as the cover up and the cover up only enhances the crime and provides more charges to convict the perpetrators and reason for harsher sentences.
There’s a calendar on my spreadsheet so we can target our calls/letters/emails/faxes to flood offices in an organized manner.
Use/share this spreadsheet (bit.ly/Nokings) as a resource to contact members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Call. Write. Email. Protest. Unrelentingly.
Reach out (beyond your own) to as many in the Senate and House as you can. All of this is bigger than “I only represent my constituents” issues.
Add a comment to help keep this bumped ✊ New eyes seeing this means new ripples for change! 🤞
Megan as I’ve told you, but I haven’t heard back from you. I haven’t seen any one of your cohorts here calling for. Accountability for people like Bill Clinton or for Larry Summers or for Prince Andrew or for Bill Gates I wonder why that is. ?
And I will again be see you when you do your tax return this year since you think Trump is horrible or worse. Make sure that you return to me all the tax dollars you say when you file your Social Security and you qualify to get all the taxes returned to you send them to me so that people actually see that Trump did something for the poor And those deservedly not to have to pay taxes on Social Security benefits, and I will return them to you and Heather to use at your disposal, but at least people will actually see factually that their hate is for naught. And Trump is fighting to bring America back and everybody’s fighting against bringing America back who’s fighting against Trump?
Well, glad to see Justice Kavanaugh putting some limits, at least, *on racist profiling. *The Epstein stain is playing out like Watergate. As President Nixon tried to do with volumes of printed transcripts about Watergate, little of which was relevant and one incriminating, the million page blabber-mouth is trying to divert us from the incriminating evidence.
Trump's poll numbers are about ten percentage points higher than those of President Nixon in January 1974. But President Nixon never inspired a cult of personality. At least President Nixon had enough respect for the rule-of-law to turn over the incriminating evidence. Trump will drumpf everything before he goes down, And then liar-liar-Vance-on-fire will be worse.
EDIT P.S., not forget the Christmas bombing parallel,
If Nixon had fox "news" back then he and right wingers would have behaved just like today's right wing.
I remember lots of Republican voters claiming that Nixon didn't do anything that all Presidents had done. Of course like today's right wing, they never could prove their claims.
Wow I had not seen the Bondi impeachment information before. House R’s must be supporting this. More cracks in the wall. His tweets about the “Sleazbags that loved Epstein” have the ring of truth. He was there. I think implosion is imminent 🤞. No way Vance will command the loyalty 47 gets. Johnson? Please. Buckle up.
Bondi and Bobby and Kas$h, and Kegsbreath and Kristi may go but as Jon points out it is a longshot to get conviction in the Senate. More likely they go based on criminal investigations.
No way Vance wins an election in 2028.
But should Vance replace Trump before then, he doesn't have to be popular. He just has to be obedient to the broligarchs. He is very, very good at that. It is how he got to be VP.
And all that bro money can buy a lot in Congress especially if Dems don't control both houses with a solid majority after the midterms.
Well then you should listen to Hunter Biden. Uh oh. Who now speaks the truth that he is no longer Biden addicted unless you want to make him an exception uh-oh again isn’t that right pal. Lmao.
He blasted his father for allowing the festering of illegal immigrants into this country, taking the privileges of citizenship money that they’ve earned their whole lives and wasted on people who didn’t deserve it
And he blasted his father for the Afghanistan withdrawal which leaving billions of dollars a brand, new military equipment and killing 13 soldiers in the process and that’s just the beginning of his ran NO EXCEPTIONS. LET’S SEE HOW THAT STORY HOLDS. OMG
The house GOP majority is so slim that it is not unthinkable that 4 or 5 GOP critters will vote to impeach her. But don't forget it takes 67 Senators to convict and remove from office and that will NEVER happen. 20 GOP Senators out of 53 would need to support a conviction. When Nixon was about to be impeached the Dems had a strong majority in the Senate and it wad very likely they could have found the few Gop votes to convict. That forced Nixon to decide to resign and avoid an impeachment trial.
Bondi isn't going to be convicted. Zero chance of that.
I could Be off by a few Senate seats (I think there are 20 GOP seats up for election) but the point is still the same. There is simply no rational way for Dems to win enough Senate seats to convict in an impeachment trial unless a bunch of GOP Senators go along. And most won't.
Keep hoping that it will be a "blowout". It won't. It will be VERY close. I think we will be lucky to win back both the House and Senate. I'd be happy just winning back one. And even a "blowout" will be lucky to get us 10 Senate seats let alone the 20+ needed for an impeachment conviction.
You are smoking too much pot if you think we can win HUGE (your emphasis) majorities in 2026. I believe there are 20 GOP Senate seats up for election. Assuming we lose none of the current Dem seats (47) we would need to win ALLof the 20 GOP seats to get to 67 votes, the 2/3 needed for an impeachment conviction. I will wager $50,000 that the Dems will not win all 20 GOP seats that are up for election. NOT. GOING. TO. HAPPEN. In fact I think it is at best a 50-50 proposition that we win the Senate by even 1 or 2 votes. Winning both the House and Senate by even 1% would be a HUGE victory but still wouldn't give us anywhere near the number of votes needed to convict on an impeachment trial.
And remember, GOP senators went to the WH and informed nixon the votes were there. The spineless GOP cohort would never do the right thing today. They govern like the voters do not matter.
They were pretty spineless back then too but the Dems had the votes to oust Nixon in '74. I think Dems held 61 seats in the Senate and enough GOP Senators hatred Nixon to make that possible.
Right now the GOP have control and even if the Dems do great in the mid terms at best they will have a 2 or 3 vote majority. There is no way most GOP Senators will vote to convict a Gop defendant.
Everyone said this when he was indicted on all his other State crimes, of trying to steal votes, taking confidential documents. . .nothing sticks with this guy. . it's his twisted not so super power. His many lies have a vine that they are thriving on.
Why do you think it does a stick Shannon because none of it is true it’s all concocted for the purpose of demeaning him destroying him even though he’s the best president of your life for what he’s doing to this country right now and for this country right now not only domestically but Global
Implosion is imminent, indeed, to people like you, Mr. Rich turn your wrath elsewhere
Advanced will have a primary and a debate just like everyone else and who are the candidates you were gonna put on stage the represent the Democrats
Even the most stringent Democratic strategist kinda laugh when they say who are they gonna put on stage? The guy that destroyed California ? A woman who can’t even speak English.? a woman who predicted the end of society in five years from climate change? Whitmer, who actually supported Trump and his conquest against crime, but then had to hide behind her self in order to not fear the Democrats pushback on the fact that she was actually supporting somebody that was doing something positive for this country.
The only one or two that has the possibility at this point in the race is a Jew, from Pennsylvania which the Democrats hate and continue to support Palestinian rants, violence, and murder.. and in many cases, blame the October 7 disaster on the Jews themselves
And John Federman, who is the only rational democrat aboard, who unfortunately is also Jewish.
ICE is still patrolng in Illinois. Why hasn't the governor stopped them? I have a friend who lives there and she's patroling to alert people in her neighborhood.
Donald, Homan, Noem, Patel, Bondi, Vought, Miller, and Vance all talk that way. But it's actually "the work" of Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, and Three Percenters. Or it's "the work" of fascists whose leader the Clarence Court (or the John Roberts Court) has ruled -- for white supremacy, fascism, the dominance of billionaires -- must be as far from the world of law as any mob boss, or any admixture of Putin, Xi, Orban, Netanyahu, Mohammed bin Salman, Milei, Bukele, Kim, Sisi, Erdogan, and Modi.
And I should continue what it’s doing because crime has never been lower in Chicago nor in Washington DC, nor in any city that Trump’s troops have been there and if you want to have more crime, no problem go live in it yourself
>>>Currently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is holding a 22-year-old Maryland woman, Dulce Consuelo Diaz Morales, for deportation, although she has produced a U.S. birth certificate and Maryland immunization records and her lawyer insists she is a U.S. citizen. ICE officials say the documents are not valid and she is in the country illegally.<<<
This dovetails with ICE agents in the field revoking valid Green Cards on the spot, with no due process. But Ms Morales' situation clearly and unequivocally reveals that the goal is not to remove "illegal" aliens but to punish, deport, and potentially torture ANYONE whom ICE thugs (they are NOT professional officers) harbor a racial animus against, based on perceived physical characteristics. Citizen or not. Emboldened by an administration power structure that encourages, even celebrates, this abuse.
How about if you wait till the truth comes out there and the facts come out there, pal
You do realize that two judges just as an example have now been indicted and one has now been found guilty of harboring not only illegals but illegal criminals and that’s why they were swept up in the in the mix. Wait until proof is offered and the case is over or you’re just like just like the people in the George Floyd riot unwilling to wait for justice and took hands. It took justice in your own hands and cost $2 billion of damage and 1000 police Wounded.
"But “Trump appears to be disintegrating, rotting, collapsing before our eyes, mentally and physically, and Republicans in Congress—first of all with the vote to release the Epstein files—are breaking from him.”"
The Trump administration continues its Republican Reign of Terror throughout the United States. Its piracy along the Venezuelan coast. And now military attacks in Syria and Nigeria. While Trump and his family continue to use the presidency to make billions. As Timothy Snyder has pointed out, a weakened Trump does not make us safer. But it certainly should be a spur to our resistance and especially our determination to unite and get out the vote now for 2026 Democratic candidates.
Determined public oversight working for and insuring election integrity, from the precinct level on up, is crucial to the midterm elections process. Starting now. There is a lot of work to be done here.
Election integrity how great so here’s how you come here’s how you create election intercurrent. Everybody has a ballot they pick it up at their point of voting. They put it in the machine themselves and they walk home or drive home. They don’t mail it in. They don’t send it in baskets with other envelopes. They don’t use fake ID, which is OK with Democrat precinct that don’t require it. That’s how you do election and integrity and no other way but why did the Democrats fight that at every turn and maybe Greg you’ll wake up and understand that’s exactly what the left is doing fighting election integrity.
And you actually think that Biden, who did nothing his entire life but live off the government paycheck got 13 million more votes than Obama the God ?
I think that while “disintegrating, rotting…” are taking place, there seems to be no imminent collapse of the regime, lin•. While my hope is for an administration implosion, I just don’t see it happening; there is too much investment in the Project 2025/Leonard Leo takeover for the crumbling of the chief executive to matter much.
Why you should go rooming with Jimmy Kimmel he’s very popular you know. Lmfao. Right now the only imploding party and self imploding is a matter of fact are the Democrats who have an 18% approval rating in Congress the lowest in history while the Republicans with the same Pohl have a 35% approval rating with Quinnipiac The left has no leaders except for a fascist in New York. They have no agenda other than hate Trump so who’s self imploding
Ali, your Oregon dreaming. You need to get out of your environment and see what other people think or feel or hear or see you’re in a little bubble a little self immerse bubble of group thing which is not doing your mentality any good and your outlook any good? Trump is the best thing that’s happened to this country since Bill Clinton.
You are really deep into drugs, right? Trump is winning every battle and as soon as you were use the word republican you’ve lost your case. Even the Washington Post to your utter stupidity is supporting Trump’s efforts in Nigeria from random acts of violence and murder, not only to Christians, but to Muslims as well you fucking moron. Even the Washington Post, his arch enemy.
ICE is completely out of control. Refusing to recognize a birth certificate and other documentation and basically insisting they're right and are going to deport a US citizen is beyond dystopian. I can't imagine the heartache and fear that poor woman is going through.
As for Beer Bong Kavanaugh, he should maybe start paying attention to what he's wrought with his ignorant "racial profiling is A-OK" decision.
And Dumpf is positively flailing. Funny how it went from "I'd release the files" to "It's a Democrat hoax" when he's finally forced to release whatever is being held on Epstein. It must be utterly devastating, or else he wouldn't be trying so hard to keep it covered up. Frankly, I think he may well have been one of those co-conspirators.
Or, maybe he's the money man after all. Maybe HE'S the one who was providing a conduit for the millions and millions that were flowing through that enterprise.
Since everyone is already assuming that, I don't think that's something he'd consider devastating. Not that I don't think he ISN'T a pedo-rapist, just that you have to remember his psyche.
I'm sure it's something much worse to HIM, whether the rest of us think it's bad or not is irrelevant.
Ice is actually in total control removing criminals from the street lowering crime and the murder rate in this country is now almost at a record level low. Thanks to Donald Trump. Ooooops. And the minute you use the Word drum you become a fidiot.
Well, at least I'm not an idiot who shells out $400 on a pair of golf sneakers, wear diapers on the outside of my pants, slap a cotex on my ear, buy giant flags to plant in my yard, and generally idolize a pedophile rapist felon.
Well, let’s let’s deal with these one at a time. Do you have a problem with $400 sneakers ? Almost every single professional golfer on the Tour wear $400 sneakers. Are you jealous?
I’ll tell you what why don’t you be brave enough to stand in a crowd get your ear shot at that kills other innocent victims behind you and go out there again with a Kotex on your ear and see how brave you are pal lmao. You people only talk a good game you can’t live.One
And if you have a problem with American flags, go live somewhere else.
Send me the picture of Trump wearing a diaper outside of his pants. Oh sorry you can’t send me a picture of your dream
If you work hard enough someday you can afford $400 shoes IF YOU WANT THEM that’s what America is all about.. choice.
Prove he was shot at, that there were innocent victims, and that his ear didn't magically heal in about 2 weeks.
As for standing in a crowd and getting shot at, I did that in Grenada, Panama, and Iraq.
As for American flags, I'd say any American flag that has Trump's image emblazoned on it is a disgrace and a disrespectful to the actual American flag. No, sorry Mr. Delusional, I'm talking about the Trump 2028, or Trump flags in general.
As for Trump, who said anything about HIM wearing diapers on the outside of his pants. No, I'm referring to the mental midgets who worship at the idol of Trump, yet still claim to be "Christians".
And, I wouldn't want a pair of cheaply made gilded sneakers regardless of the price, as I don't like tackiness on full display.
So again, have the life your delusions deserve, and if America was about choice, then women would be able to choose whether or not to bear a baby in every state. But, alas choice is only for some, and not for all.
by the way, the people that you display, or you describe as mental midgets are the leaders of industry science and business leaders of this country’s. And if you’d like to further distance yourself from the truth the top leader in the bunch is actually gay and was handpicked by Trump and is doing an incredibly great job.
So if you prefer liars like Alejandro Mallorca, who said the border was secure or Merrick Garland, who left the Epstein files dormant on Biden’s desk for four years or Kamala Harris, who said the border was closed
Or Pete Buttigieg, who spent billions and delivered nothing then you’re a bit misguided
Well, I personally have never seen an American flag with Trump’s name emblazoned on it , so kindly tell me where you’ve seen this however, in my home unfortunately I can’t send you pictures. I have aWell, I personally have never seen an American flag with Trump’s name in blazoned on it however, in my home unfortunately I can’t send you pictures. I went to New York City two weeks after the 911 disaster to bear witness I went to New York City two weeks after the 911 disaster to bear witness and I have a flag called the flag of honor that I bought there sometime later . It’s a 5’ x 3’ flag and the stars of all 50 states are there and every stripe in red and blue is listed with the 2996 people that died on 911 and it’s in huge display in my home.
Wow, you are one of the few conspiracy theories still left from that story.
I didn’t think anybody was that stupid or that hateful that they still thought that this was a conspiracy wow. Here’s your own Bible the New York Times story. And I will continue to send you links until you wake the fuck up.
On July 13, 2024, Donald Trump, then a former president of the United States and the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party in the 2024 presidential election, survived an assassination attempt while speaking at an open-air campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania.[6][7] Trump was shot and wounded in his upper right ear[8][9][10] by 20-year-old Thomas Crooks,[3][11] who fired eight rounds from an AR-15–style rifle from a nearby building's roof.[3][12][13] Crooks also killed an audience member[b] and critically injured two others.[3] Four seconds after he began firing, a member of the Butler County Emergency Service Unit[c] shot at him and hit his rifle, preventing him from firing more shots. Twelve seconds later, Crooks was shot and killed by the Counter Sniper Team of the United States Secret Service.[14]
And the named other victims.
Butler, PA – The Pennsylvania State Police today released the names of the three attendees shot during the attempted assassination of former President Trump at yesterday’s rally in Butler County.
The deceased victim was identified as Corey Comperatore, 50, of Sarver, PA. The second victim has been identified as 57-year-old David Dutch, of New Kensington, PA, who is currently listed in stable condition. The third victim was identified as 74-year-old James Copenhaver, of Moon Township, PA. He is also listed in stable condition.
“These victims and their families are certainly in our thoughts today,” said Colonel Christopher Paris, Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner. “The Pennsylvania State Police continue to work tirelessly alongside our federal, state and local partners as this investigation continues.”
Governor Shapiro ordered United States and Commonwealth flags on all Commonwealth facilities, public buildings, and grounds across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to fly at half-staff immediately in honor of Corey Comperatore. The Governor also extends the prayers of all Pennsylvanians to the two Pennsylvanians who remain hospitalized and their families.
Now do us all a favor and slink back into your cave and I’ll have more when I read the rest of your hate-filled drivel of denial
“State attorneys general have jurisdiction over conduct that violates state law. The statutes exist, the evidence exists, and state-level prosecution is legally viable right now, today, without permission from the federal government or the Supreme Court. The tools exist. We need people willing to use them.”
‘The Single Question That Will Decide 2026 and 2028’
Proud of the legislators in my State (D and R) who have held firm in their convictions and incarceration of Peters.
She was found guilty by a jury of her peers in one of the “most red” districts in our State - yet everyone involved in her prosecution and subsequent incarceration remain steadfast in their belief of her guilt and our states right to ignore the felon’s bogus “pardon.”
I am wondering how much proof people (in general) need before they believe that DT and Jeffry Epstein were deeply involved and that both are (or were) pedophiles?
I believe that enough may be of record already to convict in a court of law. But this is not occurring in any court save that of public opinion.
So what will it take?
But Annabel, that republicans might grow a conscience now is completely out of the question as they’ve proven they have no shame, no bottom. With every conceivable opportunity to take the off-ramp away from Trump, they chose instead every single time to disobey their oath to the constitution and the law. They became the party of compromised (or absent) values, totally without conviction if they ever had any.
All Republicans of conscience have been eliminated from the US Congress. All that are left are sociopaths.
Actually, "all Republicans of conscience have been eliminated from" the entire RepubliKlan Party.
The Walking Dead is an American horror drama series featuring a large ensemble cast as survivors of a zombie apocalypse trying to stay alive under near-constant threat of attacks from zombies known as "Republicans".
Thank you for this vision of The Walking Dead all wearing “red hats” and moaning loudly this am.. Great encapsulation of a political cult …
James? LOL!!!
My husband started watching TWD from the start, and I didn't as I thought it was mindless gore. Around season #4, I decided to watch with him as bonding, so we started from the first season. I came to love it, although I admit to covering my eyes for some scenes. (This from a medical lab tech who'd routinely have to walk through the grossing area of pathology! Anonymous piles of flesh never bothered me, but I will admit to averting eyes if dismembered hands/feet were being worked on by the pathologists!)
I found the story of how various groups came to be self-governed was fascinating, and scary. I also became a Jeffrey Dean Morgan fan--what a character arc he's done!
Your TWD story is similar to my Breaking Bad story. I wasn't the least bit interested in watching it until someone convinced me to give it a try and then my wife and I binge watched the whole series. Still not convinced about TWD, but maybe some day.
James ever notice how much fentanyl addicts resemble the walking dead?
You know that stooped over cartoonish struggle to stand up!
By the way the reason they can still stand is, ironically, because fentanyl nubs you and your brain, but the portion of the brain which provides the person balance is not affected.
Life is tough, it's even tougher if you are stupid. I mean you want to fall down and you can't. You cannot make this stuff u p!
Stooped over cartoonish struggle to stand up? Sounds like Marco Rubio.
Great twist on the name. Love it.
Thank you.
I recall onne Brad Raffensperger, Georgia Secretary of State, who refused to find Trump the votes he needed after the 2020 Presidential Election. I think he's an example of one Republican who retains some principles.
Selling out to lobbyists will do that. See my other comment here to Annabel!
They are Nazis. Full Stop!
I agree Mike. They fit the sociopathic/psychopathic profile. The traits that the two diagnoses have in common are:
-Lack of empathy or remorse
-Takes no responsibility for their actions
-Doesn't follow rules
-Doesn't respect boundaries
Separate traits are:
Sociopathy
-Frequently gets in trouble with the law
-Makes Impulsive decisions with no regard for safety
-Increased aggression and risk for violence
-Inability to follow through on personal responsibilities
Psychopathy
-Lack of fear
-Difficulty with emotional regulation
-Uses insincere charm to mask true feelings
-Limited understanding of right and wrong
Many seem to be both. It is terrifying that they exist and get away with so much. having read "The Peculiar Institution: Slavery in the Antebellum South" by Kenneth Stampp, I understand that captive young women and girls among men who are sadists is a dangerous combination.
Thx, Linda. My question-has the US always been so infected by such a flood of sociopathy and he just highlights it, or has felon47’s normalizing of such base behaviors allowed more folks to be infected? I’m baffled by the national and local scope of mental illness, especially exhibited by white men (and some of their women) these days. Have I been blind to the sickness around me for all my 66 years or is it really and truly an epidemic of massive proportions?
Jen, I don't know. Someone should definitely be studying this. The Epstein Files are a good example of how much this kind of pathology goes on without seeming consequences. Also, when Trump first became president someone wrote that his personality was typically found in CEOs and management of businesses. I remember a brief stint in corporate America between my undergraduate and graduate degrees, and how I was surrounded by people making ethical compromises each day. I had to leave for that reason. I also felt that way in my teaching jobs until my last one. Of course it was in an elite private school. It is not that there were not a lot of unethical people making decisions, but that I was not forced to be unethical with my students.
Recently I have been wondering how much of the current spread of right wing support is effected by our having gone through Covid and its effects on the social emotional growth of people, as well as the response to the terror and helplessness that people felt in the beginning of Covid. And then the anger that some groups felt at government attempts to keep everyone safe.
I do think that there are way too many people who are totally shut off to empathy, and that is millions and millions of people. Andra Watkins, Christian Nationalism expert says that in the CN community children are punished for showing empathy. Empathy is frowned on. So, it sounds like a mass movement and is clearly different from what I perceived the values to be as a child. I really feel that as Ronald Reagan made neoliberalism the economics of the nation, he also made selfishness and self centeredness a mantra, of "ME! ME! ME!"
Linda, I love your insight-thank you. You’ve given me so much to contemplate. I was an ordained pastor for 40 years (recently retired), and observed much of the same in the organization and structure of my denomination, as well as the community in deep red Florida that I served. I see so many driven by sheer anger, lacking any other emotions. No grief. No loneliness. Certainly no compassion or empathy. Pure anger is what fuels them-all the while they had adequate food and shelter, opportunity, privilege, and safety. Covid restrictions were a fierce battle as I refused to allow people into the building without masks-but since we served a community of primarily retired folks, it wasn’t optional.
I’m just stunned by the psychopathy-it is literally everywhere. And I fear for my grandsons who are growing up in this sick environment. I pray that getting these Nazis out of “leadership” in our nation might help us find a path to healing-although that seems a fairly distant shore.
Again, thank you!
Jen, it sounds really disheartening. I must say that many people I know who have Christian Charity in their hearts are not practicing Christians, but many things. That is what we need more of. It is important to be clear that Christian is as Christian does. Someone calling the place in which they worship Christian does not necessarily make it so. I am sad at this turn, and we need to be naming the problem and asking, "How is this Christianity? or saying, "This is not what I understand Christianity to be and here is why...." Compassion and empathy are needed and helpful for people to be healthy.
Thank you, Jen & Linda, for letting us read the wonderful dialogue between you two! I find myself reflecting deeply on your thoughts!
Our history proves beyond doubt that malignantly hateful moral imbecility has always been the ecogenocidal yin to our nurturing yang; note not only the exterminations of the First Nations peoples, but how the Original Nazis used that and our Christian white-male-supremacist sadism as foundational models for their ideology and Holocaust. The techno-Übermenschen, the Christonazis and their puppet Trump have legitimized, normalized and maximized it, so that its fanatical hatefulness is now -- and probably forever shall be -- the majority ethos of this Failed State, the victors' "Unified Reich."
Unequivocal proof that is an ultimate truth is exemplified in these three links illustrating how the atrocities committed by our lynch-mob-minded MAGAT majority remain at an all-time high no matter Trump's vacillations in popularity:
-- https://www.readtpa.com/p/the-rules-of-grief/
-- https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/style/coldplay-concert-couple-kiss-cam-woman.html?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us
-- https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/us/cinnabon-fired-worker-video-racial-slur.html (this link -- describing how the nazi-minded rabble raised $130,000 almost overnight to reward a white woman fired for racist viciousness -- may be paywalled.)
I hope that we can make these people the minority, but am concerned about the articles I am reading in the US and Germany about how young men are being attracted to the far right. We need to be developing an internet world that contradicts this, and in Europe, there needs to be more care to remove these sites.
Linda, I'm sure there are more than two factors that led to prevalent psychosis, but two stand out to me.
You mentioned Christian Nationalism. When white Europeans came to North America, they brought with them their religions, which had their origins with either the Vatican, the Church of England, Martin Luther, John Calvin or John Wesley. In their home countries, one was born into one's religion and stayed with it for life. But in "wild America," people felt less obliged to stick with any tradition, including religious ones. American churches perpetually split up over cultural and doctrinal differences, especially those with Calvinist origins.
Regardless of denomination, all religions promoted the idea that members were part of a community – except for Calvinist churches. Calvin originated the doctrine of predestination, that God "chose" his children even before they were born. Either you were in or you were out, and God decided who was in. They were called "The Elect." Since no one knew if they were in or out, everyone was encouraged to "act like Christians" in case they were in. This inevitably led to a me-versus-them approach to religion that grew into what we now know as evangelicalism.
The economic devastation of the Great Depression left people desperate for any solution to their financial problems. Itinerant evangelical preachers exploited this desperation by preaching the Prosperity Gospel in "tent revivals" across the South and Midwest. In order to qualify for these "blessings," one had to "accept Jesus into one's heart." The measure of your worthiness was not whether you were a member of a church, but whether you had "a personal relationship with Jesus." Though never admitted, this encouraged an every-man-for-himself approach to religion.
"Mainline" denominations still promote community while evangelical denominations promote individual salvation.
Christian Nationalism grew out of these self-serving roots.
The other factor that has precipitated our national sociopathy is the advent of the misnamed "social media," which actually promotes antisocial behavior through its anonymity and unlimited reach. In the before-times, an awful person could be nasty to a relatively limited number of people and was somewhat restrained by the fact that his/her neighbors knew who s/he was. Now, one awful person hiding behind a keyboard has a potential audience of millions, with the potential of causing widespread harm.
Dale, interesting tie into history, and very well put. I have been thinking of the role that Covid played in getting more children onto the internet with parents letting go of previous restrictions and being unable to reverse it.
Excellent post Linda, thank you. My last principal was totally unethical, yet he had his supporters...mostly male, but some women who seemed to think that women had to be attractive to be sexually harassed. Well, no, they need only to be women. The whole episode separated the goats from the sheep. I will have to give your idea about the result of the pandemic some thought. It seemed to me that part of it was suspicion of authority and the idea that God would protect them. We have had a few cases of parents failing to provide medical help for their children. As for St. Reagan, I blame him for getting a lot of problems we see today started. Btw, in grad school, I had to read five extra books each term in my 19th century US history class and write reviews of them. So after one on Jefferson, I decided to focus on slavery and read 14 including Stamp. It was interesting to me how the writing about slavery changed over the years. Finally, I find it abhorrent that children are punished for showing empathy.
Michele, I agree with you. Punishing children who are naturally empathetic for showing their empathy is cruelty. The idea that women need to be attractive to be sexually harassed, and are also at fault for tempting men is sickening.
Our school had some intolerant clothing policy for middle school girls and boys that was never enforced with the boys, only the girls. They had a man checking out whether the girls were inappropriately dressed and sending them to change if they did. I told my daughter that if he ever said anything to her about her clothing I was to be notified. I had already written a complaint to their division head about how they were "slut shaming" the girls and shared a wonderful piece written by a middle school girl who said they could be wearing gunny sacks and the boys would be distracted by them.
We have a long way to go still, and Trump is taking us backwards.
I had lunch yesterday with a friend who expressed how she is feeling about this administration and MAGA and the CN community: "They do not share my values. I am afraid that at least half the country does not share the values we were raised with." We talked about changes we saw (we're both recently retired). My observation was the switch to greed and the end justifies the means really took off as a core value after stock options and IPOs became part of compensation. Basically, people sold their souls, many times not realizing it until too late. I personally walked away from a potential multi-million payoff due to ethical conflicts. It's something I was proud of, knowing that I could walk away. There are many, I'm sure, that would think this is foolish. But I believe that this life is about more than money. We have created several generations being brainwashed by consumerism. So very sad.
P.S. my last position was running a nonprofit that was a frontline support during Covid. I had introduced a motto of LOVE. COMPASSION. COMMUNITY. in January 2020. We embraced this as a team, and our people were able to thrive during this time because they focused on during the right thing: helping those in need.
This blows my mind! Christian Nationalism expert says that in the CN community children are punished for showing empathy.
Marj, a book that kind of explains where this greed became more accepted under Reagan is "Invisible Doctrine: The Secret History of Neoliberalism" by George Monbiot and Peter Hutchinson.
Jen Schaefer, my minimally-informed opinion is that Trump is an outlier as an American politician and, certainly, as an American president. I mean he is an anomaly and as tragically accidental as the massive epidemic you posited. I don't mean as a populist, a far Right-Wing Nationalist or a fascist. Rachel Maddow has shown us we've been afflicted by such people in our past. I mean the severity or magnitude of Trump's psychopathology (lying, plus the list posted by Linda Weide) isn't a feature of American democracy, but is rather an anomaly.
His lying has no bounds and no precedent unless it is the man who schooled him in lying, Roy Cohn. Trump never gives up on a lie, no matter how obvious, ridiculous, or impossible it is. Maybe HCR knows of a previous president who lied as unimaginably as that, but I ain't never seen the like.
JD Vance is not an improvement over Trump.
Jen, I don’t know the answer to this. I do know that I had a front row seat to a small town political environment had a city counselor who some folks in town viewed as having a sociopathic tendency. Doing some research I came across the same information and concluded that what this counselor did was unpopular, not sociopathic. There are politicians who do meet those, and in combination with their rigid adherence to Evangelical Christian dogma certainly match those criteria.
Jen, please pardon me for butting into your conversation with Linda, but it triggers several thoughts that I'd like to address in a couple on-topic comments. I believe the sociopathy has always existed in the U.S. at levels far higher than were known or acknowledged. This was, in part, because sociopathic behavior was disapproved by society, so it was not discussed or approved. Local and national legislation reflected this disapproval. These laws prevented sociopathic actions, but not the impulses.
Consider that white European "colonists" came to North America because they chafed under the social structure in their home countries. They took land that had belonged to indigenous peoples for millennia because of "Manifest Destiny," a euphemism for white privilege. That theft is rarely labeled as sociopathy because deep in the subconscious of many, people with darker skin are classified as less than. For many, sociopathy is thought to be harm against equals.
Exposure of this sociopathy has occurred in "plateaus" during our national history. I would argue the first major revelation was when a group of colonial aristocrats decided to set up a government that would protect their assets and promote their ability to increase their wealth. An extension of that thinking was the practice of slavery in the South. Other exposures have been less offensive. For example, the rise of materialism in the 1950s resulting from new affluence following the Great Depression. More people with more disposable income could afford to satisfy their selfish desires. That led to the "sexual revolution" in the 1960s, characterized by the expression, "If it feels good, do it." This self-centeredness led to the "Me Generation" of the 1970s and 80s in which Gordon Gekko in the "Wall Street" movie uttered the famous phrase, "Greed is good."
Unbridled pursuit of self-interest always precipitates harm to those who are not the self, either because they are left behind or "in the way."
Dale, no pardon necessary as Linda and I were discussing in this public forum! The hive mind mentality enlightens us all. Thx so much for these insights-so much to ponder in these waning hours of hellish 2025.
Dale, thank you for this addition to the discussion.
DJT made what was there to be made okay to speak about, act like, act in. He gave the permission and example many , not all, yet 77 million had been waiting for. Now there is clarity.
It goes back a good three thousand years.
Jen, let me weigh in here for a moment. And I could be very wrong. I don’t have academic study in this area but there are several causes that affect human behavior. Just like there were several reasons we elected the worst person on earth to be our president. How could this happen?
My gut tells me it was a perfect storm of events. Smaller things like Trump getting clipped with a bullet. He became a surviving hero to some. But we really lost because Joe Biden stumbled. Big time. He rapidly slowed down due to age. He has a cranky voice irksome. Trump has mastered a smooth, soft spoken voice. Big on the Biden list was the open border that he didn’t want to follow where Trump had gone. Let’s also take note serious note with our mobile devices. These things have isolated us. The worst of those who are now addicted and this almost includes all of us (you only need to go anywhere there are humans around to understand how addicted we are.) Even I don’t have Pat with people anymore holding these stupid devices. Sure mine is in my pocket often but I don’t reach for it when someone is calling if I’m doing something. But it has made us select the kinds of news we allow into our brains. I know how quick tempered people are now by the way they drive. Crazy I refuse to buy a newer car not with all the crashes from distracted driving.
I’m afraid the bulk of us has been dumbed down. And often during an election, we don’t vote for the best candidate. We revenge vote. We say, “I’m gonna get the slow stumpling bastard back. And besides, it sounds as if our schools are now incapable of educating kids especially if teachers need to compete with cell devises. Social media has destroy large segments of two generations of kids. Our corporations rule the day not the politicians in office. They do what the corps tell them to do. We live in a biforcated society. It will ultimately self destruct, hum… in my opinion.
Sounds like everyone in the Trump administration. Everyone else has either quit or been fired.
Yup ! Also looking at the MAGAs in Congress and the SCOTUS. They fit the bill too.
Tony Soprano et al.
There may now be enough in the House to get started.
https://www.justice.gov/archives/jm/criminal-resource-manual-1728-protection-government-processes-obstruction-federal-criminal
Don't count on it: just look at the RepubliKlans' deliberate slow-motion murder of all the children, women and men they have permanently and therefore fatally denied health insurance. The only question is how big the resultant death toll will be -- and whether the public has the minimal brainpower sufficient to recognize that the Vichy Democrats who surrendered to the RepubliKlans, ended the shutdown and thereby enabled this aspect of Trump's vastly expanded resurrection of the Original Nazi Holocaust should be indicted as murderous co-perpe-traitors.
And what happens when children with measles go to the hospital for treatment. Over 200 kids have been admitted to the hospitals in TX alone and this is just the beginning. So millions of people, many without insurance will have to forego treatment of serious diseases and illnesses because Robert F Kennedy is an anti-vaxxer surrounded by anti-vaxxers.
Which is more evil, withholding vaccinations or killing innocent fishermen on boats in the ocean?
both acts are beyond evil.
Robert Reich asked, rightfully, where are the AMA in condemning Kennedy’s actions and the ABA in publicly condemning Bondi and her band of incompetent and/or corrupt lawyers. They are the national and medical and legal professional associations respectively.
YES! I listened or read that piece. Are they being paid off or have they been threatened? This corruption is so wide spread it is hard to wrap my head around it.
GL, they do not care, those children, those fishermen are peasants, they (we) do not matter. I think there are many small actions us peasants can take to stop this insanity, but it will take huge community support and protection.
Thank you very much, Gary, for the addenda: I was thinking also of these atrocities but opted to omit them for brevity's sake, and now am more than a bit ashamed I did. Therefore thanks again. Truly, the only way to comprehend what is being done to us is to describe it correctly -- as Trump's resurrection of the Original Nazis' Holocaust -- this time expanded to exterminating literally anyone in the 99.999 Percent who is not "fit" enough -- that is, wealthy enough (and morally imbecilic enough) to survive without government assistance.
We don't need them to convert -- just investigate the obstruction of justice. At least 4 Republican House members are already on record.
If not the crimes, per se, the coverup is probably actionable.
IMHO there's also stuff like money laundering, accepting illegal foreign influence.... Krasnov/Putin?
Yes, did you see the number of warehouses they are turning into detention camps across the country. Blonde white Christians will be exempt - especially the men.
We must never forget how malignant these “failures of conscience” are to the exercise of democracy.
The oath of office hasn't been something the right wing has honored for generations; instead of supporting voting rights for all, they have endlessly endeavored to disenfranchise citizens whom they think will not vote for right wing policies. The fact that they help the trump administration's ICE behaviors, such as remaining masked while they brutally attack individuals regardless of whether they are resisting or if they are citizens, pregnant women, or Congress people. That behavior is criminal and the true reason they keep their faces covered.
It is impossible for me to believe that the DOJ was not aware of the additional million Epstein documents. The DOJ should be forced to turn over to honest brokers to redact and release all Epstein files, including the files already released. Jack Smith would be my choice to handle the job. Every aspect of the trump administration has proven to be dishonest and untrustworthy.
It looks to me like the values of today's GOP are Greed and Cruelty.
Au contraire, many Republican legislators are demanding the release of the Epstein papers. There could be more.
True, but only to save their cowardly hides when it comes to addressing their constituents facing them at midterms. Do you think if the vote to disclose the files was anonymous they would have capitulated?
Mike, the key is two facts of Republican power. The first is Republican members of Congress who fear Trump denouncing them and encouraging primary opponents to run against them. Their Congressional seat is more important than the country. The second factor is Republican fear of losing control of government. The Republican Party and its leadership will do anything, lie, cheat or steal, to retain power. At this point, the party is totally corrupt!
Mike, I vote for absent values. Not only that but some seem to fans of cruelty.
Annabel, I am sure you know that the exploitation and abuse of women and girls by men who claim and gain power and privilege for no reason other than their dangling bits is almost never treated as criminal behavior. Rather, those men are cosseted, protected, and excused. And until MEN start challenging this particular status quo in real numbers, rather than doing absolutely nothing, remaining silent, and hoping that their own behaviors are beyond scrutiny, nothing will be done. If you want any examples, just look at almost all the men in Congress. Not just Republicans. And because they are able to hide behind their offices and claims of non-involvement, public naming and shaming is considered inappropriate. Because of course male sensibilities are utterly fragile and their egos tender. And women who depend on the approval of the male gaze are even more culpable because they experience the abuse and exploitation directly but sacrifice themselves to gain reflective power. There will never be a reckoning until men as well as women reject the claims of male dominance and demand equity and justice for all. In other words, the final passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, which is the only legal tool all oppressed groups, including women, nonbinary people, underrepresented minorities, etc. could use.
Yes, Linda -- for when "MEN start challenging this particular status quo in real numbers."
Except, one problem. Schools used to have a fantastic tool for exploring how, where, and why people are hurting. It was called books: novels, memoirs, and histories.
But we said goodbye to all that, so the billionaires could draw more profits from all the nicely-laminated, corporate-packaged textbooks and their peer, standardized testing.
These billionaires, most all empty souls, dehumanized, and neutered, conditions which all these expensive tools of theirs for decades now have been inflicting on Americans.
For many years, after my retirement, I set myself up as an online book seller and ran a fairly profitable business providing textbooks to a very highly respected independent school. I was appalled by what used to pass for history textbooks these were beautifully presented with glossy pages full of snippets of information taken from other texts which students were expected to comment on what somebody else had decided to bring to their attention. when I did history, albeit almost 70 years ago, we were given a topic usually handwritten on a blackboard and told to get our arses down to the library and find out about it. our results, wish were always handwritten, were assessed not only for their intellectual content but for spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
Today, more than ever, we need to relearn how to extract meaning from the original texts.
The bias in reporting is incredible. I did a post on my stack about just the bias inherent in an NYTimes headline and subhead versus the most authoritative source for the 20-point plan to end the war in Ukraine. The implications were totally inverted.
I noticed this in the times coverage of Bernie Sanders. The language used could be strongly against, but more often simply subtly leading the reader to believe Bernie was crazy and didn't have a snowballs chance in hell.
One of the best grammar teachers I ever had was a history teacher that graded our papers on the grammar as well as content. She was brutal! Points off for commas, periods, dangling participles, and of course, spelling. Loved her!
We're paying the price, John, for having turned so much over to such corporate.
Such is capitalism -- the economic and political fulfillment of apocalyptic greed by for-profit ecogenocide perpetuated by patriarchal theology and its derivatives -- serial-killer moral imbecility; white-male-supremacist racist and misogynistic sadism; and de facto slavery cunningly disguised as freedom. Its tyranny -- enabled by the Orwellian principle of "ignorance is strength" -- will continue to intensify our species' ever-worsening mental disability until capitalism is triumphantly slain or We the last remaining Empathetic People are extinct.
You might like this new book by Sven Beckert.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/23/capitalism-by-sven-beckert-review-an-extraordinary-history-of-the-economic-system-that-controls-our-lives
I ordered a copy after reading this book review.
Like music, Loren, capitalism has evolved, morphed, reincarnated.
I can live with the latter, provided its respect for the rule of law, and even more respect for educational institutions keyed to humanity and humanities.
I heard another startling fact, teachers are not assigning books to students these days - only excerpts from books. This is due to, for example, kids having shorter attention spans,
As I know from my own interactions with youth, assuming they have mastered the skill of reading (as for example would be required by a lawyer), there are two reasons they dislike contemplative or thought-provoking reading: firstly there is the fact it compels them to recognize the existential hopelessness implicit in life in a failed state on a planet doomed by ruling-class greed; secondly there is the fact such reading subtracts from the time available for immersion in social media, the de facto addiction that is their most-readily available drug of choice for achieving the total oblivion they need to sustain life in the face of such unprecedentedly bottomless hopelessness.
Time to pay educated teachers salaries commensurate with their value. Then we get an educated populace. But we may be too far gone in greed (and racism) to redeem ourselves.
Yes, I agree, Virginia, we need to build up our Public Education system in the U.S. rather than bulldoze it (which seems to be the Trump “plan”). I was a public school teacher for 35 years and loved my job and still am in communication with some of my students. Right now, I am thrilled to be watching my 4 grandkids (ages 10 to 16) as they progress through school, and was especially impressed with the youngest, whose development, especially in reading, was obviously slowed by the COVID situation, but now - with some special help, provided by her public school, has caught up. The oldest is now starting to search for colleges and the middle two - boy cousins - are making me proud, even though one of them on Thursday said to me, “No, Papa, that was the 14th Amendment.” (And he was correct.) Yikes, he is 13 years old! Just sayin’!!
🩷
Subscribe to David Pepper's Substack, "https://davidpepper.substack.com/ He focuses mainly on Ohio schools, but the rot he exposes extends to most states these days, sadly.
The head of history in that particular school who I’ve known for almost 20 years had a great line in subversion. He got me to search out and supply original works of scholarship which he used to stock a departmental library and insist his students read. I have a funny feeling that even those who managed to get to Oxford or Cambridge were quite relieved not to have such a punishing reading schedule!
That’s a lovely account! At 91, looking at US voters, I started looking at my own public schooling in a small, poor public school in Virginia. We learned geography through WWII, had to take two years of foreign language, starting with Latin (which is still useful to anyone learning languages), we sang every song of both world wars that anyone knew, accompanied by a pianist who also gave piano lessons at the school and played for the Baptist Church on Sundays and Baptist Bible School in summer. I learned enough to go to college and University and to recognize that my greatest treasure is my liberal arts education. When things are tough, I think of Aristophanes, who is still funny after millennia.
"my greatest treasure is my liberal arts education" - love it, Virginia!
I have concluded that the most insecure creature in the known galaxy is the white male human.
And I say this as a white male.
{sigh}
Seems to be the case.
Very well said Linda. It’s patriarchy. Entitled rich white men who think they can take anything they want including young girls like they are property. And yes sadly some women allow it. Unfortunately I saw this in my own family so I know it well…
I don’t know if any of what you suggest would happen. Men are basically cowards. Strong, intelligent, capable women frighten men. Since caveman days, men have required women to do the chores, and raise the kids, while all the men sat around and planned hunting parties.
Nothing has changed. Men in power don’t want women in power!
Well said.
If only American women had voted to restore their hard-won rights of privacy and equal medical sovereignty in 2024, the country would be a lot better off today.
The fact that a majority of white women voted for trump indicates to me that they do believe that, all things considered, women really are second class citizens and don't deserve to be treated equally.
We had a chance to elect a woman president, but many women did not take that chance and voted for one of their abusers. Why?
A discussion of forms of power, manipulation, predation and subjection needs to be part of introduction to all our social institutions. Middle school. (A refresher course in graduate school!) Every workplace. Sex is an important kind of power, as it is a form of fun and comfort at the core of the reproduction of our family ties and species. The problem is when it becomes a tool for promoting other forms of power. Except for the few of us blessed with a wise and frank parent, auntie or grandma who laid it out explicitly, none of us are educated in these essential matters.
I’m getting a strong “Nero fiddling” vibe from Mar a Lago. The nation is surrounded by smoldering brush fires and potential conflagrations. There is no federal governing happening. Executive Orders fly like arrows from the White House and land where they may. Strangely garbed and masked “ICE” bounty hunters patrol our cities, kidnapping racially profiled “illegal aliens” and citizens without due process. The Speakership of the House has devolved onto an empty suit. It’s been left to the nation’s courts to corral the crazy and hinder the unconstitutional. The DOJ has become a wholly owned subsidiary of the President’s obsession for revenge and need for a coverup. This is an untenable situation. It may well get worse before it gets better, but it’s not gonna stay the same.
So important we not lose sight of the center stage. They are flailing, not yet failing. How we force failure, rather than just fulminate against their many sideshows, remains our great challenge.
Well said. You are at your best when you are succinct.
The run up to the midterm elections will be when be the most dangerous actions by trump and the right wing happen, in order for the right wing to retain political power, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised when trump declares yet another fake national emergency to implement martial law in an effort to cancel elections in 2026.
I think there are a lot of thoughtful people who share your concern. Thus far, we’ve been guilty of a lack of imagination - it hasn’t served us well.
Amen to THAT comment! And winning BIGLY in the midterms is our solution to the problem! We must gain a HUGE majority in BOTH Houses of Congress and take back control. We need to get rid of feckless leaders (Schumer needs to GO! and Hakeem needs to step it up big time or he’s out, too). With a HUGE majority, Congress can impeach the idiot! It can also pass much-needed legislation for voting rights, healthcare and many other matters. Come on America! Get out the BLUE VOTE up and down ballots all over this country!
I think that some Americans are beyond redemption and will support the racist rapist no matter what. But to me the biggest shift is the realization by many that the Epstein associates are the morbidly wealthy who believe they are above the law -- even raping little children. We are obviously repulsed by pedophiles, but now even more so by those who hoard wealth and get away with anything.
Laurie, I’ve seen the term “Epstein Class” used to refer to the folks you mention. If the shoe fits……🤷🏻♀️
These Epstein class individuals are powerful because of their wealth, and both political parties rely on them to fund their political campaigns.
That is the only reason I can think of to explain why the DOJ under both parties hasn't prosecuted, much less truly investigated pedophiles identified by their victims.
The "morbidly wealthy;" may they perish soon. What a perfect descriptor of insane people living their entire lives in the pursuit of imagined wealth that can never, ever satisfy the human soul.
Their depravity has no end and their desire to destroy a child's innocence by rape is similar to the alcoholic who demands his/her buddies to get as blindingly drunk as they. The evil that rapists perpetrate grows and infects all around them.
I was raped in childhood by my oldest brother. Much later I learned that those who were abused as children, could, in turn, abuse others. Oh, HELL NO! I remember specifically telling myself, "This abuse stops with me!"
With society's taboos against incest and the rape of children, it seems to be the most heinous behavior that morbidly wealthy people do in order to feel anything in their depraved souls. Or perhaps they know, deep down they are horrible people, and they are subconsciously trying to destroy themselves. I wish they would hurry up killing themselves and leave the rest of us alone.
I can’t like your comment, but I want to show support. I’m so sorry that happened to you.
Hard to like your comment, and I have seen far, far too much of that. I maintain punishment should be to fix tho offending appendage to a heating fuel soaked log with a nail, place a knife within reach, and light the log.
Thanks for the laugh. I understand this is a common feeling among survivors. For the guys who recoil at reading this, for me it's a tongue-in-cheek rage, an imaginative punishment that I would never carry out.
But I won't speak for Ally! ;)
I am so sorry. I hope you were able to tell someone and he was punished.
I didn't talk about it until I was 30 years old. I imagine he was punished by having to live with the knowledge of what he did. I recently learned he passed away this summer. He never married nor had children. I had not had any contact with him or my parents (who did know and did nothing) for over 33 years.
When my family members showed me who they are, (and they are horrible humans,) I moved far, far away when I turned 21. I severed all contact at age 30. That turned out to be one of my best decisions. There was nothing to salvage in any of those relationships.
My chosen friends are my family now. I also stumbled into sexual trauma-based therapy, and it changed my life.
💔❤️🩹❤️ 💖thanks for sharing your healing journey, Linda….live long and prosper 🖖
My sister-in-law provided sexual trauma-based therapy for most of her career, and that it seems to finally becoming more available. More is needed but I'm relieved that you eventually found your new family.
Heather: "The Justice Department has not released many of the documents as required by the ... Transparency Act".
Yesterday, 12/26/2025, Survivor Attorney, JAMES MARSH, was interviewed on CNN by WOLF BLITZER.
MARSH pinpointed "a million more" files' located at the SDNY arising from the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein's lease out of the infamous, "TOWER FINANCIAL SCAM".
I'm trying to keep count... so Bondi's said she has 3.6 Million flies. So adding another "million or more" documents & by my count that makes current TOTAL of Epstein documents at over 4.6 Million documents.
The hard reality is that the Epstein Disclosure Act deadline has been ignored. We need an independent, accessible database that is searchable by the Survivors which at last count number over 1200.
Anything & everything for the victims & survivors.
It will take releasing ALL the files, especially the ones that include Trump. Do recall, he was not even a twinkle in the idea of becoming POTUS back when Epstein was first convicted, such as that conviction was! So the government would have collected info on him as though he was just another Epstein associate. Trump is IN those files in some very compromising ways. If victims are ready to talk, and it appears they are to corroborate testimony in the files, Trump is toast. The whole question is, will they release the info? Personally, I think not. He’s already defying an Act of Congress, so what more will it take?
The immunity ruling protects Trump personally for "official" acts in both his administrations but no one else for what he has done as President. He could be impeached again, but it requires 67 members in the Senate to convict and that is a reach, at least right now. And that gets you Vance as President, who I think would be worse than Trump because you would lose the crazy bits and gain better ability in execution.
But previous Trump bad behavior is fair game, barring statutes of limitation in civil and criminal laws.
I think the best option would be to get majorities in both houses of Congress. Investigate Vance on his possible criminal dealings with Thiel like steering contracts to Palantir, and refuse to confim Trump's replacement VP which requires a simple majority in both Houses, and then go for removal of Trump by impeachment. if there are enough senators to convict. Article 25 won't work with his cabinet of loyalists as long as he isn't comatose.
That sequence of moves means the Democratic Speaker becomes President...
Or wait 3 long years for 2028.
A woman can dream....
much like the machinations to remove Agnew before impeaching Nixon
Maybe after the midterms when there could be a different house speaker as 3rd in line.
MAGA is stirring.
SCOTUS seems to be awakening from its slumber.
Not really…they just handed us a bone for the time being. They know they are being closely scrutinized by the public now.
Actually what SCOTUS did is hand der neu Führer -- whether Trump or his successor -- the perfect rationale for declaring a national emergence and siccing the Christonazis' oath-breaking military on anyone who dares protest or resist.
No, it was never sleeping. The Roberts Six is the deep state command of the attack on us and our constitution by the free enterprise system. They are just adjusting the range of fire as the election is nearing.
I often wonder about what people means when they speak of "freedom". "Free enterprise" as such strikes me as a fundamental freedom in and of itself, but the devil is in the details. Our national charter recognizes universal rights, some of which are freedom from and some of which are freedom to, side by side together. Freedom from tyranny, for example, and freedom to pursue happiness. Clearly there is no protection for freedom to dispense tyranny, at least according to the theory. We're still working to make that real. .
When those with a tyrannical bent speak of "freedom" they are actually proposing a freedom to bully, a freedom to exploit others, not the egalitarian, universal freedom out founding documents propose. Modern "Republicans" use the phrase "free trade" or "free market"when they mean an absence of restrictions on monopolization and exploitation, an absence of accountability. Isn't that what the Declaration of Independence condemned?
A free society is not one in which power is monopolized in the hands of a few. Neither is a real "free market". The real deal preserves universal liberty in law. Like the British Crown of the 1700s, bullies are to park their bullying at the door.
J L, you are on target here. Freedom for me, not for thee. The public safety the wealthy want is not ours, otherwise they would be against the lack of gun safety laws, the lack of education, worker safety, consumer safety, environmental laws and so on. I said this in an essay w while back. While the masses struggle through airports and TSA inspections, they show up at their private hangers and hop on either their private plane or a Netjet by passing the inspections the rest of us go through. They live in their private gated communities or compounds with their private security guards which are staffed by former military recruited by a billionaire owner of the company.
Many are building Bond Villain lairs to retreat to when their greed strains society to the breaking point, socially and physically.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2022/sep/04/super-rich-prepper-bunkers-apocalypse-survival-richest-rushkoff
The last family standing in such palatial prisons will reach the Holy Grail; they will literately own everything.
The way our Masters are setting themselves apart – let us begin the consciousness-raising act of unflinchingly labeling them by the slave-plantation identity they presume is theirs to flaunt – is reminiscent of post-Roman history, when the ruling class began bunkering itself in castles the better to facilitate their savaging of the rest of us. Obviously they view the self-imposed ecogenocidal apocalypse as the onset of a new Dark Age, and they are preparing themselves accordingly by establishing de facto baronies and embracing a new feudalism of hired mercenaries and technological omnipotence. Which mandates yet another revolutionary vocabulary change: what obtains with the environment is most properly labeled “terminal climate change” – this in recognition of its already unprecedented toll of extinctions.
(Note: I was in the midst of posting this comment when all my contributions to the entire 26 December thread, “likes” and all related dialogue as well, were suddenly disappeared from anything I could see on my monitor for at least an hour c. 03:30-04:30 PST 27 December 2025, though it all re-appeared literally seconds after I posted an all-caps protest. Ergo, again the relevance of Audra Watkins’ repeated warnings of Substack falling prey to MAGAstapo censorship.)
Though I have found Substack glitchy. It's a good service but no technical marvel.
Something similar happened to me today around 12:30-1:30EST
I couldn't open any of my emails. Later it was fine.
Interestly the Founders rarely used the term freedom. They used the term liberty, a different animal.
Charlie Kirk died with a shirt having a single word on it, "FREEDOM". Thus he could attack naive college youth who like that word. To paraphrase Lincoln who was speaking of "Liberty." We all proclaim for freedom but in using the same word we don’t all mean the same thing. To working class Americans, the word freedom includes freedom to breath safe air, drink safe water, eat safe food, buy safe goods, swim in safe lakes, be paid a livable wage, et cetera. To those of the free enterprise system the word freedom inspires a Rosy picture of creatures of statute operating free of regulations (laws written to protect people, the environment and our Earth) and free of corporate taxation and a starving minimum wage. It should be noted that corporate taxes are in fact a trade-off where government wins by taxing both the corporation for it’s profits plus the shareholders for their profits from dividends or by selling their shares in the market for a profit, and shareholders win by not being "personally responsible" for the bad acts of that state chartered creature of statute (aka, "Person"), negligence, products liability, pollution, personal injuries, et cetera. Oh, and many of those shareholders pride themselves for being Republicans, the party of "personal responsibility." Thus, like that famous line, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means," as said by the character Inigo Montoya (played by the wonderful actor Mandy Patinkin) in the outstanding classic 1987 movie "The Princess Bride", the words "FREEDOM" , "Person" and "personal responsibility" would appear to be nebulous to the naive.
My whole family enjoyed that movie. Freedom in the larger sense, liberty, is the fruit of social responsibility; to be aware of, contributing to, and protective of "unalienable" rights of all. I keep posting this but it is so poetically precise:
"What constitutes the bulwark of our own liberty and independence? It is not our frowning battlements, our bristling sea coasts, the guns of our war steamers, or the strength our gallant and disciplined army? These are not our reliance against a resumption of tyranny in our fair land. All of those may be turned against our liberties, without making us weaker or stronger for the struggle. Our reliance is in the love of liberty which God has planted in our bosoms. Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands, everywhere. Destroy this spirit, and you have planted the seeds of despotism around your own doors. Familiarize yourselves with the chains of bondage and you are preparing your own limbs to wear them. Accustomed to trample on the rights of those around you, you have lost the genius of your own independence, and become the fit subjects of the first cunning tyrant who rises."
Abraham Lincoln
OK.
Hardly! Don’t give SCOTUS one ounce of credit for doing the right thing or even following the law/Constitution! This is a brief hiccup on their part. They’ll be back to partisan rulings in Trumps favor in no time. They want those payoffs to keep coming. And don’t think they aren’t!
I think they follow the law when it suits them. It's part of the con.
Doubtful
Dear Annabel, some people are immune to proof.
80 years after the death by suicide of a certain Austrian corporal you still find (lots) of people who state (and believe) that this Austrian corporal was an a-okay fellow..... dispite all the proof of "you know what".
A better question is — what will it take to stop a current criminal engaged in current criminal conspiracies and multiple violations of the Constitution, especially now that the ships are leaving the Sinking Rat? (Hint: something maybe to do with the 2026 mid-terms?)
My die-hard tRump loving aunt will never believe that this is anything but a witch hunt. She doesn’t believe the women who have come forward because she says “they’ve all been paid to lie.” She doesn’t believe anything not reported by FOX Entertainment because “they’re the only ones who don’t have it out for him”. She doesn’t believe anything that I say because I “hate him and will never admit that he does anything good even though Biden was the worst thing to ever happen to this country.” Because just like her savior EVERYTHING goes back to Biden. When I ask her what exactly did Biden do to hurt the country she spews verbatim FOX Entertainment quotes…mostly about the “illegals he just let walk into our country.” It’s the most frustrating thing I have ever endured. And she’s not wearing his t-shirts and hats and buying his merch…so I can only imagine how much more defense is heralded by the full-blown TDS cultists.
I spent a day with my 80+ cousin and his family (including his twin brother) a few days ago. We had a wonderful time bc his wife strictly prohibited him from talking about his conspiracies and MAGA (which only he subscribes to and in which he is fully immersed) although he did let loose a single comment or two. I can’t believe what MAGAnation has turned this man into. It’s so sad.
Did you tell her that more illegal immigrants ( actual criminals and rapists and truly illegal people ) were removed from our country during his 4 years than any other president? I believe the number that HCR stated was 440,000 !! And they were all removed legally and returned to their original countries. But for some reason, they kept this fact out of most corporate news stations!
Every rebuttal is met with “Is that what you heard on MSNBC?” My aunt is enjoying a very comfortable retirement because her husband worked as a welder in a union for 40 years and retired at a time when pensions were still a thing and your retirement wasn’t left to be a gamble on the current state of the stock market. Of course, he was able to invest in the stock market so at this point her (his) money is making her more money (he has passed). She had one job in her life as a part-time lunch lady while her kids were in school. Anyway…my point is that she and her kids were instructed to vote Democrat while he was working but as soon as he retired his true colors were free to fly and that whole side of the family became staunch Republicans.
yes, I hear you. But that information came from HCR herself, so perhaps she can share where she got that information from. Not sure she would have gotten it from Msnbc . I have found that many of the Republican’s I know voted for him the first and second time for financial reasons only . AND they never believed that Project 2025 could ever really happen. His bad behavior was pushed aside because fro some reason unknown to me, they thought it would be a good thing to have someone who knew nothing about being a politician, but instead fight for them to not be taxed so high. But I don’t understand that, because just before his first term, it was a well known fact that he was or had been bankrupted. But then it came out much later that he “ suddenly after his russia visit had money” There is a reason he has never revealed his taxes.. The first term he said it was because the IRS was going over them.. remember that BS?
Correct, they believe outlets like Fox. Anything else is “an arm of the Democratic Party.”
They completely believe Fox “News” and that other media outlets are lying.
I often wonder if there is research into methods of hypnosis via media broadcasting (including podcasts and chat rooms).
Am I the only one to remember that subliminal messages were central to advertising strategies in the late 60s? There is no way that those techniques were abandoned, rather than improved.
Given that there was clearly BDSM on the island, wondering if the still hidden, unspeakable was deaths of young women and/or girls, and it was covered up.
what is that? I actually think it had to do with Epstein's illegal international financial dealings, plus the fact that he provided young girls in all of those countries to his financial cohorts. ( perhaps all one and the same thing?? ) Much of which was in the Soviet Union /Russian oligarchs. He had big financial doings in Russia. And then his" former" best buddy, Donnie, was in Russia and having meetings with these same rich oligarchs. Don't you remember reading about (or actually watching on TV,) DJT bringing his beauty pagent to Russia? I believe it was in 2012?? ... but it was right before he did the surprise run for president. It was a well known fact that he was flat broke, and came back from Russia suddenly with money in his pocket! AND was out of the blue, running for the presidency!! Although, I would not be surprised if there was an accidental death of some young girl that they hid. They certainly loved picking up sad teenagers and promising them big things... no one would know what ever happened to them... ugh.. I hope not.
Cate, I honestly did not pay Trump much attention prior to his run for the presidency, except to occasionally shudder at something I read or heard about him.
That's what I think...
BDSM?
It's good you don't know. :)
Bondage and Discipline Sadism and Masochism sex practices.
Nothing to See Here, Please Panic Quietly: A Satirical Holiday Guide to Constitutional Amnesia and Selective Outrage
‘‘Laws still exist, which seems to be the central misunderstanding of the moment.’’
The Supreme Court has gently reminded the President of the United States that the Constitution is not a mood board. You do not get to deploy troops because you feel annoyed, misunderstood, or bored on a Tuesday. Apparently, there are steps. Laws. Procedures. A whole genre of paperwork.
Six justices explained, patiently, that the country is not a parking lot where you can just drop off the National Guard while you run errands. You must first attempt to use the regular military, discover you cannot, and then, only then, panic creatively. This sequence matters.
Justice Kavanaugh, sensing the public noticed things, added a helpful footnote clarifying that immigration stops should not be racist, violent, or excessive. This clarification arrived after people were racially profiled, beaten, and detained while holding birth certificates. Timing is everything in jurisprudence.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department announced it has discovered over a million more Epstein documents. This is the bureaucratic equivalent of saying you finished your homework and then finding an entirely new backpack labeled “definitely important.”
Officials promise transparency soon. Very soon. Not now. Soon, like infrastructure week.
The documents already released show that Donald Trump’s claim of never being on Epstein’s plane appears to have been aspirational rather than factual. Flight logs place him there repeatedly, sometimes alone with Epstein, sometimes with Ghislaine Maxwell, sometimes with unnamed young women who mysteriously disappear behind redactions.
Trump appears in the files over one hundred times, which is impressive for someone who insists he barely remembers the guy. Most people manage to forget acquaintances after fewer than ten documented plane rides.
Under mounting pressure, Trump took to social media to wish America a Merry Christmas by accusing everyone else of loving Epstein, demanding all names be released, and insisting this is both a hoax and extremely important. This is what therapists call cognitive dissonance. This is what Truth Social calls a post.
Republicans are beginning to peel away, cautiously, like people realizing the dinner host is yelling at the furniture. Subpoenas are being drafted. Contempt citations are circulating. Impeachment language is warming up in the bullpen.
Observers note Trump seems to be unraveling. Supporters insist he is simply expressing strength loudly and repeatedly.
The files continue to drip. The excuses multiply. The Constitution remains stubbornly in place, refusing to dissolve into vibes.
And somewhere deep inside the Justice Department, another box quietly whispers, “Open me next.” https://essayx.substack.com/p/nothing-to-see-here-please-panic
Well Annabel, some actual proof would be nice! So far there's plenty of circumstantial evidence of Trump being far more closley involved with Epstein than he now cares to admit, but this has surely long been known about him. His past record of behaviour towards women also does him no favours.
His problem now is that his base is riven with conspiracy theorists and one of their most persistent beliefs is that the Deep State is controlled by a cabal of paedophiles, most likely Democratic party politicians. It has clearly shaken many of his supporters to discover that their saviour himself is deeply implicated with this notorious paedophile. This will also strike at the core of his evangelical base, in some ways I think the most profoundly credulous of all his followers. It also doesn't help much that he's presently acting like a guilty person would and using the offices of state to cover up his involvement. Bombing islamists in Nigeria on the pretext of saving christians there from persecution is not going dispel these aspersions and his appearance of guilt.
Epstein has proved beyond a doubt that *enough* American men devalue and disdain women so much that monsters like him can not only exist here, but thrive. This is the core of the rot.
Yes, for those yelling "not all men", then righteously sitting back on their haunches, not all men.
But certainly ENOUGH American men out there do not believe women's stories have adequate weight and value as compared to men's, definitely not sufficient evidence to take notice and firmly stop the abuse. How many women must accuse a man, telling identical stories of assault, for American men to refuse that man power? Trump was accused by dozens of women, and convicted of sexual assault in court. It didn't matter to the majority of male voters in this country. Rank misogyny and racism led directly to an economic disaster for this country.
Remember, Phyllis Schlafly's anti-abortion campaign in the 70s was the kick-off of the Republican and Christian Nationalist campaigns to suppress women. Especially minority women who would quickly die without proper miscarriage healthcare, while well-off white women--if their men allowed it--could quietly spend the money to take care of their pregnancy, or in the name of white supremacy be forced to pop white babies out.
Next came Reagan's attacks on so-called welfare Queens--remember, they railed about Queens, never Kings, and their images were all of Black women.
Then Reagan fired the Air Traffic Controllers, trying to break Unions. Especially white collar Unions in government agencies which often negotiated for better conditions that were most helpful to the most vulnerable workers--usually women and minority populations that surged into our workforce and have done the toughest jobs all along.
So Republicans began with a massive intrusion on female bodies, then ripped the government support for poor families away from poor women and their children, then tried to make our jobs even more unbearable so women would quit in frustration.
It has been decades of foolish and relentless disrespect for women, all with the goal to weaken women and make them totally dependent on men for money, to try and tip the scales towards forcing more white baby births.
It is such a short step from deciding men have the right to totally control women's bodies, that they are no more than vessels for the fetuses, over to the idea that women shouldn't vote--or only vote as their husbands direct them to vote. In fact, certain red states are already floating bills to eliminate contraception medication and remove women's right to vote.
Until 'good' men decide to fight this dehumanization of women (especially minority women) with every ounce of their being, we're stuck in this ugly loop and Epstein along with Trump are not the root cause of this moral failing.
They are the symptom.
I heard Tim Miller say this so I looked it up. Doesn’t surprise me.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/epstein-brother-wild-trump-fbi-024151627.html
Annabel, Some are beyond seeing. I actually had one tell me this week that she will always vote for law and order (in all caps). I did point out to her the lawlessness of the regime, but then I have TDS, don't you know. The discussion was about immigration and several women were opining that they would never come here undocumented or leave their baby....the case was two parents arrested (the child was not with them) and quickly deported. They have no idea what people go through to get here or why they come. They live in their snug all white world and do not have to make desperate decisions.
Best part of Heather's today on Donald's hiding and covering up -- the finance info bits.
Sleuths into this horror show of underage girls, rich men, and rape will likely emerge with the most compelling stories after they've pieced together certain connections involving the money they paid, the money they got.
Sure, they liked raping girls. But for true fulfillment, it's all about their $$$. These rapists are all hollow men.
I like Heather on how "Trump has been lying about his involvement with the convicted sex abuser Epstein." But that's (his predictable lying) by now ho-hum. It's the many, many co-conspirators and their money trail that will lead eventually to the Hollywood blockbuster we all need.
But a big tip of the hat to Heather's last sentence, affirming what we all also see, how he's "disintegrating, rotting."
Happens to the most hollow among us.
As you can discern, as the story of childhood and female exploitation continues and increases which is important for many reasons, Trump keeps falling into a madness of his own making. The Epstein/Trump event will be written in future novels and movies. It will be up for awards. A noted actor or actors will take a bow on the academy stage and all those MAGAs scum will face this repeatedly until their lives burn out. And then history will be taught in schools that this devil attempted to spearhead the total destruction of the United States and failed.
Of course there is outrage but let’s not as well understand this series of events must be revealed repeatedly until it breaks him and the MAGA movement. Imagine if Jeffery Epstein did not kill himself which I think he did.
Lololol. 11 different attempts at denting Trump and everyone has failed and you keep falling on your swords and I’m loving it. From the Russia hoax to the Hunter laptop, hoax to Biden’s and perfect health hoax to the east ballroom to the drug running boats in the Caribbean to changing the name of the Kennedy center to Al Green attempts at another impeachment debacle to a number of trials that tried and failed and one that is about to be overturned, maybe two. Climate change hoax. An epstein file is not your last bastion of hopes. It’s just another dead sea turtle waiting to be buried and I love that. Everybody here is hanging with a fingernail or hanging by a thread hoping that something happens when you all know nothing is gonna happen. It never would’ve happened and it never will happen. But in the meantime, you’re willing to overlook all the people that have been found to be child predators apparently, Mr. Clinton, apparently Mr. Summers, apparently Mr. Gates, any Democrat that dares have the temerity to seemingly enjoy the company of minors you dismiss entirely because you have one purpose. And unfortunately, it’s a misguided purpose. You keep trying and we’ll keep smiling.
You really should purchase my new edition book, “Donald’s Vanity Tantrums.” It has about 15 more rather revealing stories - some of which are guaranteed to give you belly laughs.Go for it it’s out on all platforms. If you buy from me, I’ll autograph it for you and make a dedication, Rick. Treat yourself.
Bill, I think taking Trump less than serious is not worthwhile He is the 45th and 47th president of the United States and doing a great job on behalf of America. That is what the central issue of your book should be, and if you wanna take a couple of shots at him… that would also be good. But when you talk to everybody, that knows him he’s got the most biting and according to many of the most hysterical sense of humor on the planet maybe you should get to know him better and his humor and his self deprecating humor and then you might come to enjoy him even more. I don’t need a book to tell me what I see before my eyes. But thank you very much for the invitation. While, I have not read your book and haven’t eaten broken the cover or the binding. I have it in one of my display cases and smile every time I see it. So thank you for that.
But you would be surprised about the good things I have no said about him. I think you would like the added reading.
Well, why don’t you them say here? give me a little taste.. whet my appetite.
Oh, and by the way, did you see Hunter’s last interview? Looks like Hunter is becoming a republican. Uh oh. Blame his father for the illegal immigrant infestation blames his father for the dramatically horrible Afghanistan abandonment and the 13 soldiers killed needlessly. Hunter has apparently seen the light now that he’s not addicted like the most of you.
'Sure they liked to tape little girls but let's talk about the money' is something only a man could say. Ew. Shame on you
He’s right. As awful as it is these girls were abused, it is so commonplace. I hate with every fiber in me to say that. But men raping women is not uncommon. Men salivating over little girls is all too common and gross. I agree wholeheartedly. And I’m not sure that’s what the commenter meant to convey although I’ll let them speak for themselves.
But the real story is how it could have possibly gone on for so long, known by so many, indulged, overlooked, even courted to get to the money.
The reason why women and little girls are not raped repeatedly right in front of the world is because women gained power and money. there is a decided push to recall that power and money going on right now. Women in Congress are resigning, misogyny is on the rise. And the moneyed class of men, gay and straight, are punishing women for any advances.
Today the NYT ran and unbelievably lack of self awareness article by a Silicon Valley billionaire talking about how sad he was AI will make jobs obsolete for many. The push to claw back advances made by women is calculated. These billionaires will hand out only so much of their fortune to keep the masses on the dole…and who will rise up?
So as much as it is painful to say it, right now with Epstein dead and these women in Recovery, hopefully, the money is the most important facet of the story. It sadly always was. Epstein didn’t go to prep schools filled with rich, connected girls. He went to the poorest middle and high schools to use MONEY to lure these girls into trafficking. He used MONEY to make them feel dirty and not tell because who wants to tel,their mother they were just paid to give an old man a naked massage? The abuse started with money, it continued with money and it is being covered up because we as a society Va,he money over people.
All of that is true but you know who will stop this madness and fix the problem? Women. Every effort to take away rights just fuels the fire and now that women are educated and have money we will fight back at levels never before seen.
That said, being so dismissive of sexual assault against girls was gross and that's what I am reacting to.
I read the Handmaid's Tale and then watched the series and I also read The Testaments. Gilead was brought down by women. The Epstein empire and all of Maga will also be brought down by women.
You're most correct in especially one regard, Pamela.
Rachel Maddow, Heather, Joyce Vance, Mary Trump, Stephanie Ruhle, Nicole Wallace, Katie Phang, Jane Mayer, Sarah Kendzior, Rebecca Solnit, and many more American women testify marvelously as to how we've all in their debt.
Here in Japan, where patriarchy has ruled for centuries, it's the men who most visibly have become enfeebled by the privileges they've so long accrued. From Chie Nakane, whose "The Vertical Society" 60 years ago paved the way, to Minae Mizumura, whose "The Fall of Language in the Age of English" summed up how men have led a mass neutering of institutions and culture,
we've seen how largely it's been women saving the culture.
Women great in manga. And novels: "Twenty-four Eyes," by Sakae Tsuboi, "Out," by Natsuo Kirino, "The River Ki," by Sawako Ariyoshi, "All She was Worth," by Miyuki Miyabe, "Kiki's Delivery Service," by Eiko Kadono, "Hidden Hunger," by Aya Hirata Kimura, and "How Do You Live?" by Genzaburo Yoshino.
If you’ve ever seen the Handmaids tale when the government shut down women’s bank accounts and forced their employers to fire them, That’s what I’m waiting for. I hope it doesn’t happen in my lifetime because I will not go down without a fight but some. Of these billionaires like Thiel etc would love to see it happen. They hate women.
Marques I am very proud of you because not once and because of reality and facts did you not mention the name of Donald Trump, which is the purpose of all the attacks you seem to be one of the only people that care for the reasons that matter not just to be able to Destroy Donald Trump as the left continues to attempt to do with absolutely no success whatsoever
So I want to thank you in advance of being rational, realistic, and using facts rather than wild imaginations to write your post. Well, I don’t agree with all of it as I don’t think women are being put back in their place I believe just the opposite and it’s only a matter of time till there’s a woman president and by every rational pundit , which I thought this is pretty incredible every single pundit that I’ve read believes that the first woman president will indeed be a republican.
You're right that it's all about their money but I think you have it backwards as to why. They raped and abused (and continue to do so) because, first and foremost, they wanted to and secondarily because of their money - they had it to spend and believed that it would insulate them from prosecution for these crimes and so far they were right. For the group of co-conspirators, which way more than likely includes Trump, it may have been about making money with the sex trafficking coupled with the ever fresh supply of young girls but it was always about the cruelty. Rape is about violence and control far more than it's about sex. But instead of media headlines about what the girls (now women) experienced, we get mealy-mouthed stories about the DOJ breaking the law. Yes, the DOJ broke the law and Bondi should be held accountable for her bad acts but, she should not be the sole scapegoat for very rich men who continue to quash the truth of their crimes and depravity.
I wonder how the ongoing stocking, harassment
, and threats to the victims and their families is being paid for.
With upwards of 1000 victims, it has to be very expensive.
Is there some kind of Epstein trust set up to finance it? Maybe one or a combination of wealthy perpetrators are paying to intimidate the victims from naming names.
Let’s see we have Benedict Arnold. We have Aaron Burr. We have Robert e lee. Douglas Chandler. We have the Rosenberg’s. We have Tokyo Rose
We have Adam Gadhan. These are a list of traitors to the US.
Maybe Mystic you should wake up and realize that JUST LIKE ROE V WADE
THESE WOMEN COULD HAVE SPOKEN UP AT ANY TIME WITHOUT REVEALING THEIR NAMES. But it still wouldn’t live up to your dream of having Donald Trump’s name included in the list. Awwwwww so sorry
Because honestly, that’s all you care about for four years you saved silent while Biden had the files on his desk the whole time. And not a peep from the Democrats. InCredible hypocrisy. But no surprise
Carole, unfortunately for you this taking advantage of women probably happens more with the poor than it does with the Rich.
Why do you use the words more than likely you don’t have a fucking clue
May “discovery” go well beyond the “pedophiles” and into the systems that sustained this illegal international operation for so many years.
You know I’ve seen lost soles before Phil but you’re so lost. You wouldn’t be able to find your soul if you went looking for it.
Thank you Heather for your lucid understanding of what’s happening here. Your commitment to a clear and truthful explanation helps us all! We love what you do. You are a heroine of our time and will be remembered. This is just a thank you, because everyday we appreciate your hard work- it uplifts us all and makes us resilient.
Agreed. This community helps as well.
Well said.
The crimes against young girls are appalling, but please don't forget to also focus on the $$$. Epstein was amassing huge wealth. Ghislaine was the daughter of Robert Maxwell and they were both privy to his connections. Russian (former Soviet) money wash awash in their dealings. There is a big story here about money laundering and international corruption. I feel sure that Trump is mostly worried about the dodgy dealings, laundered money, corruption and Russian influencing.
That must be pursued.
Bingo. As a 39-times indicted felon once said, “Russia, Russia, Russia…”
The more he says "Russia, Russia, Russia" the more it becomes obvious that he was in deep. It's like someone who is compelled to return to the scene of their crime.
Once said? That's one of Donold's favorite mantras.
Lmao. Obviously, you’ve never played bingo. And if you’re still hoping the Russia hoax is true, it’s come to this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Ed Nuhfer posted some great links above.
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/jeffrey-epstein-iran-contra-planes-leslie-wexner-pottinger-leese-arms-weapons-smuggling
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/jeffrey-epstein-leslie-abigail-wexner-pro-israel-philanthropic-foundation
I absolutely agree Grae- the Putin trump Epstein trafficking women including children with Putin’s election interference in 2016, 2020 and 2024. And why the fake movie about melania except to cover the Epstein Putin trump connection with melania and how she was brought to the us... traitor trump the Putin puppet is losing control of the cover up.
Where does Putin Trump and Epstein come together? But you need to catch up with reality all those supposed Putin’s election interference lies have been totally forwarded and dismissed and fake and a lie and a deception that you’ve obviously swallowed unfortunately really makes me sick when people can be so gullible, especially people when they’re supposedly intellectuals.
🎯
Another person who uses the word Trump in vain. Another person that doesn’t have a fucking clue, but it is willing to use his name willy-nilly to satisfy their thirst for blood.
Funny I don’t see you talking about Clinton. Funny I don’t see you talking about Summers. Funny I don’t see you talking about gates Hmmmmm this is the hypocrisy of the left who lives at the corner of hypocrisy and double standard
Let us assume Trump has been proven guilty of everything he has been accused of in the Epstein scandals? Will he be impeached and convicted for those crimes, when he wasn’t impeached & convicted for attempting to overthrow the Constitution? Yes, coverage of the Epstein files needs to continue, but not at the expense of covering his outright violations of the rule of law at home and his continued collusion with Putin,Netanyahu , and global autocrats abroad. We are being distracted from focusing on the daily flood of White House criminality and corruption.
How about we start impeaching the almost dead man, Mitch McConnell, for his role in working with Leonard Leo, The Koch Bros., the Bradley and Olin foundations?
Marlene, when I think of McConnell, I picture him as the ghost of Marley weighed down with the many chains of his dereliction of duty. He had the opportunity to do what was right, but right out loud for all to hear, chose not to. That is a stain no bleach can remove.
Absolutely!!
I wish more people understood that where there’s smoke, there isn’t necessarily fire — or to be more accurate, not the most important fire in a conflagration of epic proportions.
A great many commenters here indulge themselves fulminating against the obvious, rather than strategizing about where the firehose actually needs to be aimed. At this very moment, the worst, most incompetent, must deluded, most criminally-minded administration in history is right now killing people, openly violating the Constitution, every single day.
On Christmas Day, when they believed nobody was paying attention, they attacked ISIS targets in Nigeria, supposedly to show how much they love Baby Jesus. (The only other person on earth to bomb during Christmas right now is Vladimir Putin.) Kegsbreath then wasted no time dashing out a Department of "War" tweet to "our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ" complete with an American flag, driving the illegal distraction home. A sideshow meant to swell the phony Pharisee hearts of phake evangelicals, nothing more.
And not just illegal, but inane. Their new National Security "Strategy" barely mentions Africa, except as a stage for fighting China to gain access to the continent’s rare earth minerals. As far as governments in the region go, it explicitly accepts them "as they are." No mention of a holy crusade against ISIS whatever. In March, they themselves jettisoned American 'soft power' on the continent by destroying USAID (also illegally), causing the deaths of tens thousands, depriving us of any moral authority, let alone influence or flexibility in the region. Which military leaders think that’s a good idea? (None, if they all spoke up).
In 2026, choosing our battle wisely is critical. Eyes on real prizes, rather than distractions, will pay dividends in the future. Fulminating alone won’t cut it.
So, which is the distraction? The files? The bombing in Nigeria? Venezuela? Greenland?
What do you believe they are distractions from?
Could it be that they are not distractions but each is an issue important in and of themselves?
Bannon wanted a firehose of issues, is that what we're dealing with, not distractions but a flood of controversies, each intended to promote a separate result?
Open, direct violations of the Constitution, especially those blundering us into wars based on vanity alone, together with subversions of the Emoluments Clause — in my book those would come first.
There’s no such thing as ‘all issues are the same.’ They are not. If that’s true, prioritization requires strategy. I fear whatever is in ‘the Epstein Files’ doesn’t hold a candle to violating Article I and the War Powers Act, the persecution of tens of thousands based on skin color and language.
The “files” contain reprehensible conduct on a large and disgusting scale. The direct violations of our constitution are a threat to our democracy. While the conduct of both may arise from the same place*, the latter is far worse on a global scale; I say this with absolute concern for the children who were victimized while watching the disintegration of our democracy.
* The place is the assumption that white men are the peak of human evolution and their reprehensible conduct is excused.
First, at your suggestion I now read the comments "Oldest first". Much better.
Not sure about the White men thing, plenty of men of color involved, and what of Maxwell? Lest we forget her financing and connections propped up Epstein's rise to wealth and power.
The degradation of these girls knew no color or sex. It was reprehensible on the part of many. That Epstein and Maxwell were able to operate so long took more than just White male eyes to look away.
There's plenty of blame to go around.
I agree. Restoring democracy will be integral to protecting the rights and safety of all people.
OK,. Yet that each is important is not the same as deeming them all "the same".
From a military standpoint, to concentrate all you defenses on repelling a frontal assault while ignoring your flanks is a recipe for defeat. The importance of the 'Files' is this; many on the right and center right will tolerate military incursions, troops in liberal enclaves, violations of the Fourth Amendment, etc. if it serves their purposes. What disturbs MAGA and many who have life responsibilities and may not have the time to follow the nuances as we do, is pedophilia. Yes, Trump has a history of sexual indiscretions, abuse, and misogyny, those are all tolerable when you believe he is the instrument of Jesus's salvation of a corrupt culture. But sex with girls is a bridge too far. No way is Jesus good with that, especially as Trump denies it. Repentance, not denial is the key to salvation.
Criticism of military strikes of drug smugglers on the open sea? Police stops based on race, color, or ethnicity? Sex with adult women? Grabbing them? Leering at them? All forgivable. We can live with that.
Paying for sex with underage girls? And lying about it? Too much even for the Marjorie Taylor Greene's of the world.
But why concentrate our forces on this diversion? A good question.
Because the other issues aren't weak points, they are his strength.
Kill the drug dealers! Deport the illegals! America First!
You won't win on those points.
Pedophilia is his Achilles Heel.
That is where we must place the shot. We see the arrow crippling him. He is wounded. Now is the time to twist it and not let go.
I can't agree with this one.
So true
I reject the term fake Evangelicals, a more accurate description is fascist white Evangelicals. These are the people who worship the prosperity doctrine and have supported the fascist right wing to implement their idiotic beliefs that they can foist their religious superstitions on the country. They want white evangelical men to have all political power to rule over everyone else. These are truly evil people.
The great lesson of Watergate is “It’s not the crime. It’s the coverup that brings a President down.”
I think Trump may be the one President brought down by both the coverup and the magnitude of the crime!
Praying this turns out to be true in the year to come.
Steve, without the crime, there would be no need for a cover up.
I believe that the crime is every bit as important as the cover up and the cover up only enhances the crime and provides more charges to convict the perpetrators and reason for harsher sentences.
Trump will not be brought down. And, will the walking dead wake up and see straight. I'm not holding my breath.
We deserve better. Demand accountability.
There’s a calendar on my spreadsheet so we can target our calls/letters/emails/faxes to flood offices in an organized manner.
Use/share this spreadsheet (bit.ly/Nokings) as a resource to contact members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Call. Write. Email. Protest. Unrelentingly.
Reach out (beyond your own) to as many in the Senate and House as you can. All of this is bigger than “I only represent my constituents” issues.
Add a comment to help keep this bumped ✊ New eyes seeing this means new ripples for change! 🤞
Happiest of holidays, Megan. Best wishes in the New Year.
And thank you for all you do.
👍👍👍
Thank You Megan!
Thank you Megan -- and wishing for a better year ahead for us all!
Thank you, Megan.
Megan, thank you for this.
Thanks, we need to keep up the pressure.
Megan as I’ve told you, but I haven’t heard back from you. I haven’t seen any one of your cohorts here calling for. Accountability for people like Bill Clinton or for Larry Summers or for Prince Andrew or for Bill Gates I wonder why that is. ?
And I will again be see you when you do your tax return this year since you think Trump is horrible or worse. Make sure that you return to me all the tax dollars you say when you file your Social Security and you qualify to get all the taxes returned to you send them to me so that people actually see that Trump did something for the poor And those deservedly not to have to pay taxes on Social Security benefits, and I will return them to you and Heather to use at your disposal, but at least people will actually see factually that their hate is for naught. And Trump is fighting to bring America back and everybody’s fighting against bringing America back who’s fighting against Trump?
And the beat goes on. Thank you for reminding all why and how very old laws were created, and how they're being exploited currently.
Well, glad to see Justice Kavanaugh putting some limits, at least, *on racist profiling. *The Epstein stain is playing out like Watergate. As President Nixon tried to do with volumes of printed transcripts about Watergate, little of which was relevant and one incriminating, the million page blabber-mouth is trying to divert us from the incriminating evidence.
Trump's poll numbers are about ten percentage points higher than those of President Nixon in January 1974. But President Nixon never inspired a cult of personality. At least President Nixon had enough respect for the rule-of-law to turn over the incriminating evidence. Trump will drumpf everything before he goes down, And then liar-liar-Vance-on-fire will be worse.
EDIT P.S., not forget the Christmas bombing parallel,
Kavanaugh's little combs are too little too late.
Had I been a Senator, I would have been a Republican; I never would have voted to confirm Justices Thomas and Kavanaugh.
If Nixon had fox "news" back then he and right wingers would have behaved just like today's right wing.
I remember lots of Republican voters claiming that Nixon didn't do anything that all Presidents had done. Of course like today's right wing, they never could prove their claims.
Absolutely!
Yeah, that everybody-does-it apology for President Nixon's malfeasance was complete scheiße back then, as it should be today.
Wow I had not seen the Bondi impeachment information before. House R’s must be supporting this. More cracks in the wall. His tweets about the “Sleazbags that loved Epstein” have the ring of truth. He was there. I think implosion is imminent 🤞. No way Vance will command the loyalty 47 gets. Johnson? Please. Buckle up.
"Sleazbags that loved Epstein" etc is autobiographical.
His pathological projection showing again!
Bondi and Bobby and Kas$h, and Kegsbreath and Kristi may go but as Jon points out it is a longshot to get conviction in the Senate. More likely they go based on criminal investigations.
No way Vance wins an election in 2028.
But should Vance replace Trump before then, he doesn't have to be popular. He just has to be obedient to the broligarchs. He is very, very good at that. It is how he got to be VP.
And all that bro money can buy a lot in Congress especially if Dems don't control both houses with a solid majority after the midterms.
Every accusation a confession. No exceptions…
Well then you should listen to Hunter Biden. Uh oh. Who now speaks the truth that he is no longer Biden addicted unless you want to make him an exception uh-oh again isn’t that right pal. Lmao.
He blasted his father for allowing the festering of illegal immigrants into this country, taking the privileges of citizenship money that they’ve earned their whole lives and wasted on people who didn’t deserve it
And he blasted his father for the Afghanistan withdrawal which leaving billions of dollars a brand, new military equipment and killing 13 soldiers in the process and that’s just the beginning of his ran NO EXCEPTIONS. LET’S SEE HOW THAT STORY HOLDS. OMG
The house GOP majority is so slim that it is not unthinkable that 4 or 5 GOP critters will vote to impeach her. But don't forget it takes 67 Senators to convict and remove from office and that will NEVER happen. 20 GOP Senators out of 53 would need to support a conviction. When Nixon was about to be impeached the Dems had a strong majority in the Senate and it wad very likely they could have found the few Gop votes to convict. That forced Nixon to decide to resign and avoid an impeachment trial.
Bondi isn't going to be convicted. Zero chance of that.
UNLESS we take back a HUGE majority in Nov 2026!
23 Republican Senate seats are up for election in 2026
30 Republican Senate seats are not up for relection in 2026.
I could Be off by a few Senate seats (I think there are 20 GOP seats up for election) but the point is still the same. There is simply no rational way for Dems to win enough Senate seats to convict in an impeachment trial unless a bunch of GOP Senators go along. And most won't.
Agreed. But it is worth a look after the midterms. If it is a Dem blowout the calculus may change for those R’s that are left.
Keep hoping that it will be a "blowout". It won't. It will be VERY close. I think we will be lucky to win back both the House and Senate. I'd be happy just winning back one. And even a "blowout" will be lucky to get us 10 Senate seats let alone the 20+ needed for an impeachment conviction.
You are smoking too much pot if you think we can win HUGE (your emphasis) majorities in 2026. I believe there are 20 GOP Senate seats up for election. Assuming we lose none of the current Dem seats (47) we would need to win ALLof the 20 GOP seats to get to 67 votes, the 2/3 needed for an impeachment conviction. I will wager $50,000 that the Dems will not win all 20 GOP seats that are up for election. NOT. GOING. TO. HAPPEN. In fact I think it is at best a 50-50 proposition that we win the Senate by even 1 or 2 votes. Winning both the House and Senate by even 1% would be a HUGE victory but still wouldn't give us anywhere near the number of votes needed to convict on an impeachment trial.
Sorry, I wish i was wrong but I'm not.
And remember, GOP senators went to the WH and informed nixon the votes were there. The spineless GOP cohort would never do the right thing today. They govern like the voters do not matter.
They were pretty spineless back then too but the Dems had the votes to oust Nixon in '74. I think Dems held 61 seats in the Senate and enough GOP Senators hatred Nixon to make that possible.
Right now the GOP have control and even if the Dems do great in the mid terms at best they will have a 2 or 3 vote majority. There is no way most GOP Senators will vote to convict a Gop defendant.
Everyone said this when he was indicted on all his other State crimes, of trying to steal votes, taking confidential documents. . .nothing sticks with this guy. . it's his twisted not so super power. His many lies have a vine that they are thriving on.
Why do you think it does a stick Shannon because none of it is true it’s all concocted for the purpose of demeaning him destroying him even though he’s the best president of your life for what he’s doing to this country right now and for this country right now not only domestically but Global
Implosion is imminent, indeed, to people like you, Mr. Rich turn your wrath elsewhere
Advanced will have a primary and a debate just like everyone else and who are the candidates you were gonna put on stage the represent the Democrats
Even the most stringent Democratic strategist kinda laugh when they say who are they gonna put on stage? The guy that destroyed California ? A woman who can’t even speak English.? a woman who predicted the end of society in five years from climate change? Whitmer, who actually supported Trump and his conquest against crime, but then had to hide behind her self in order to not fear the Democrats pushback on the fact that she was actually supporting somebody that was doing something positive for this country.
The only one or two that has the possibility at this point in the race is a Jew, from Pennsylvania which the Democrats hate and continue to support Palestinian rants, violence, and murder.. and in many cases, blame the October 7 disaster on the Jews themselves
And John Federman, who is the only rational democrat aboard, who unfortunately is also Jewish.
ICE is still patrolng in Illinois. Why hasn't the governor stopped them? I have a friend who lives there and she's patroling to alert people in her neighborhood.
SCOTUS ruled Trump couldn’t send in National Guard troops, not that ICE couldn’t continue their work.
". . . their work," Kathryn?
Donald, Homan, Noem, Patel, Bondi, Vought, Miller, and Vance all talk that way. But it's actually "the work" of Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, and Three Percenters. Or it's "the work" of fascists whose leader the Clarence Court (or the John Roberts Court) has ruled -- for white supremacy, fascism, the dominance of billionaires -- must be as far from the world of law as any mob boss, or any admixture of Putin, Xi, Orban, Netanyahu, Mohammed bin Salman, Milei, Bukele, Kim, Sisi, Erdogan, and Modi.
Thanks for that clarification. It's very important.
And I should continue what it’s doing because crime has never been lower in Chicago nor in Washington DC, nor in any city that Trump’s troops have been there and if you want to have more crime, no problem go live in it yourself
>>>Currently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is holding a 22-year-old Maryland woman, Dulce Consuelo Diaz Morales, for deportation, although she has produced a U.S. birth certificate and Maryland immunization records and her lawyer insists she is a U.S. citizen. ICE officials say the documents are not valid and she is in the country illegally.<<<
This dovetails with ICE agents in the field revoking valid Green Cards on the spot, with no due process. But Ms Morales' situation clearly and unequivocally reveals that the goal is not to remove "illegal" aliens but to punish, deport, and potentially torture ANYONE whom ICE thugs (they are NOT professional officers) harbor a racial animus against, based on perceived physical characteristics. Citizen or not. Emboldened by an administration power structure that encourages, even celebrates, this abuse.
I believe that they are all proud boys or whatever those guys are which is why they wear masks. Trumps army of thugs. I hope they all rot in hell.
The thing that blows my mind is that a significant portion of ICE officers are members of minority groups.
They are paid very well to be trumps masked thugs.
How about if you wait till the truth comes out there and the facts come out there, pal
You do realize that two judges just as an example have now been indicted and one has now been found guilty of harboring not only illegals but illegal criminals and that’s why they were swept up in the in the mix. Wait until proof is offered and the case is over or you’re just like just like the people in the George Floyd riot unwilling to wait for justice and took hands. It took justice in your own hands and cost $2 billion of damage and 1000 police Wounded.
"But “Trump appears to be disintegrating, rotting, collapsing before our eyes, mentally and physically, and Republicans in Congress—first of all with the vote to release the Epstein files—are breaking from him.”"
The Trump administration continues its Republican Reign of Terror throughout the United States. Its piracy along the Venezuelan coast. And now military attacks in Syria and Nigeria. While Trump and his family continue to use the presidency to make billions. As Timothy Snyder has pointed out, a weakened Trump does not make us safer. But it certainly should be a spur to our resistance and especially our determination to unite and get out the vote now for 2026 Democratic candidates.
Determined public oversight working for and insuring election integrity, from the precinct level on up, is crucial to the midterm elections process. Starting now. There is a lot of work to be done here.
Election integrity how great so here’s how you come here’s how you create election intercurrent. Everybody has a ballot they pick it up at their point of voting. They put it in the machine themselves and they walk home or drive home. They don’t mail it in. They don’t send it in baskets with other envelopes. They don’t use fake ID, which is OK with Democrat precinct that don’t require it. That’s how you do election and integrity and no other way but why did the Democrats fight that at every turn and maybe Greg you’ll wake up and understand that’s exactly what the left is doing fighting election integrity.
And you actually think that Biden, who did nothing his entire life but live off the government paycheck got 13 million more votes than Obama the God ?
I think that while “disintegrating, rotting…” are taking place, there seems to be no imminent collapse of the regime, lin•. While my hope is for an administration implosion, I just don’t see it happening; there is too much investment in the Project 2025/Leonard Leo takeover for the crumbling of the chief executive to matter much.
I'm hoping the fascist party (GOP) implodes.
Why you should go rooming with Jimmy Kimmel he’s very popular you know. Lmfao. Right now the only imploding party and self imploding is a matter of fact are the Democrats who have an 18% approval rating in Congress the lowest in history while the Republicans with the same Pohl have a 35% approval rating with Quinnipiac The left has no leaders except for a fascist in New York. They have no agenda other than hate Trump so who’s self imploding
Yes. Exactly.
Charles Koch et al via Leonard Leo versus Theil, Musk et al.
Oil men oligarchs v Tech Bro fascists.
Lynn you need to see a doctor and I don’t mean a medical doctor I mean a psychiatric one
Ali, your Oregon dreaming. You need to get out of your environment and see what other people think or feel or hear or see you’re in a little bubble a little self immerse bubble of group thing which is not doing your mentality any good and your outlook any good? Trump is the best thing that’s happened to this country since Bill Clinton.
Other people are pulling the strings: like Stephen Miller. And others.
You are really deep into drugs, right? Trump is winning every battle and as soon as you were use the word republican you’ve lost your case. Even the Washington Post to your utter stupidity is supporting Trump’s efforts in Nigeria from random acts of violence and murder, not only to Christians, but to Muslims as well you fucking moron. Even the Washington Post, his arch enemy.
ICE is completely out of control. Refusing to recognize a birth certificate and other documentation and basically insisting they're right and are going to deport a US citizen is beyond dystopian. I can't imagine the heartache and fear that poor woman is going through.
As for Beer Bong Kavanaugh, he should maybe start paying attention to what he's wrought with his ignorant "racial profiling is A-OK" decision.
And Dumpf is positively flailing. Funny how it went from "I'd release the files" to "It's a Democrat hoax" when he's finally forced to release whatever is being held on Epstein. It must be utterly devastating, or else he wouldn't be trying so hard to keep it covered up. Frankly, I think he may well have been one of those co-conspirators.
Or, maybe he's the money man after all. Maybe HE'S the one who was providing a conduit for the millions and millions that were flowing through that enterprise.
Or maybe he’s a pedophile rapist.
Since everyone is already assuming that, I don't think that's something he'd consider devastating. Not that I don't think he ISN'T a pedo-rapist, just that you have to remember his psyche.
I'm sure it's something much worse to HIM, whether the rest of us think it's bad or not is irrelevant.
Most likely 🤬🤬🤬
Ice is actually in total control removing criminals from the street lowering crime and the murder rate in this country is now almost at a record level low. Thanks to Donald Trump. Ooooops. And the minute you use the Word drum you become a fidiot.
And nothing more than a biased fool
Well, at least I'm not an idiot who shells out $400 on a pair of golf sneakers, wear diapers on the outside of my pants, slap a cotex on my ear, buy giant flags to plant in my yard, and generally idolize a pedophile rapist felon.
Have the life you deserve.
Well, let’s let’s deal with these one at a time. Do you have a problem with $400 sneakers ? Almost every single professional golfer on the Tour wear $400 sneakers. Are you jealous?
I’ll tell you what why don’t you be brave enough to stand in a crowd get your ear shot at that kills other innocent victims behind you and go out there again with a Kotex on your ear and see how brave you are pal lmao. You people only talk a good game you can’t live.One
And if you have a problem with American flags, go live somewhere else.
Send me the picture of Trump wearing a diaper outside of his pants. Oh sorry you can’t send me a picture of your dream
If you work hard enough someday you can afford $400 shoes IF YOU WANT THEM that’s what America is all about.. choice.
Prove he was shot at, that there were innocent victims, and that his ear didn't magically heal in about 2 weeks.
As for standing in a crowd and getting shot at, I did that in Grenada, Panama, and Iraq.
As for American flags, I'd say any American flag that has Trump's image emblazoned on it is a disgrace and a disrespectful to the actual American flag. No, sorry Mr. Delusional, I'm talking about the Trump 2028, or Trump flags in general.
As for Trump, who said anything about HIM wearing diapers on the outside of his pants. No, I'm referring to the mental midgets who worship at the idol of Trump, yet still claim to be "Christians".
And, I wouldn't want a pair of cheaply made gilded sneakers regardless of the price, as I don't like tackiness on full display.
So again, have the life your delusions deserve, and if America was about choice, then women would be able to choose whether or not to bear a baby in every state. But, alas choice is only for some, and not for all.
Good day to you sir.
by the way, the people that you display, or you describe as mental midgets are the leaders of industry science and business leaders of this country’s. And if you’d like to further distance yourself from the truth the top leader in the bunch is actually gay and was handpicked by Trump and is doing an incredibly great job.
So if you prefer liars like Alejandro Mallorca, who said the border was secure or Merrick Garland, who left the Epstein files dormant on Biden’s desk for four years or Kamala Harris, who said the border was closed
Or Pete Buttigieg, who spent billions and delivered nothing then you’re a bit misguided
Well, I personally have never seen an American flag with Trump’s name emblazoned on it , so kindly tell me where you’ve seen this however, in my home unfortunately I can’t send you pictures. I have aWell, I personally have never seen an American flag with Trump’s name in blazoned on it however, in my home unfortunately I can’t send you pictures. I went to New York City two weeks after the 911 disaster to bear witness I went to New York City two weeks after the 911 disaster to bear witness and I have a flag called the flag of honor that I bought there sometime later . It’s a 5’ x 3’ flag and the stars of all 50 states are there and every stripe in red and blue is listed with the 2996 people that died on 911 and it’s in huge display in my home.
PS thank you for your service but not for your mental disabilities that you currently experience
Wow, you are one of the few conspiracy theories still left from that story.
I didn’t think anybody was that stupid or that hateful that they still thought that this was a conspiracy wow. Here’s your own Bible the New York Times story. And I will continue to send you links until you wake the fuck up.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/14/us/corey-comperatore-trump-shooting-victim.html
https://people.com/corey-comperatore-killed-at-trump-rally-remembered-by-family-1-year-later-11771011
And cnn https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/14/politics/corey-comperatore-trump-shooting-victim
And Wikipedia, he also lists the others Wounded
On July 13, 2024, Donald Trump, then a former president of the United States and the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party in the 2024 presidential election, survived an assassination attempt while speaking at an open-air campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania.[6][7] Trump was shot and wounded in his upper right ear[8][9][10] by 20-year-old Thomas Crooks,[3][11] who fired eight rounds from an AR-15–style rifle from a nearby building's roof.[3][12][13] Crooks also killed an audience member[b] and critically injured two others.[3] Four seconds after he began firing, a member of the Butler County Emergency Service Unit[c] shot at him and hit his rifle, preventing him from firing more shots. Twelve seconds later, Crooks was shot and killed by the Counter Sniper Team of the United States Secret Service.[14]
And the named other victims.
Butler, PA – The Pennsylvania State Police today released the names of the three attendees shot during the attempted assassination of former President Trump at yesterday’s rally in Butler County.
The deceased victim was identified as Corey Comperatore, 50, of Sarver, PA. The second victim has been identified as 57-year-old David Dutch, of New Kensington, PA, who is currently listed in stable condition. The third victim was identified as 74-year-old James Copenhaver, of Moon Township, PA. He is also listed in stable condition.
“These victims and their families are certainly in our thoughts today,” said Colonel Christopher Paris, Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner. “The Pennsylvania State Police continue to work tirelessly alongside our federal, state and local partners as this investigation continues.”
Governor Shapiro ordered United States and Commonwealth flags on all Commonwealth facilities, public buildings, and grounds across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to fly at half-staff immediately in honor of Corey Comperatore. The Governor also extends the prayers of all Pennsylvanians to the two Pennsylvanians who remain hospitalized and their families.
Now do us all a favor and slink back into your cave and I’ll have more when I read the rest of your hate-filled drivel of denial
“One question decides 2026 and 2028. Every candidate, every level; dog catcher to governor, state rep to attorney general.
Will you criminally prosecute?
Will you use the power of your office to hold these people accountable? Will you put them in prison?”
https://open.substack.com/pub/cmarmitage/p/the-single-question-that-will-decide?r=kxzps&utm_medium=ios
“State attorneys general have jurisdiction over conduct that violates state law. The statutes exist, the evidence exists, and state-level prosecution is legally viable right now, today, without permission from the federal government or the Supreme Court. The tools exist. We need people willing to use them.”
‘The Single Question That Will Decide 2026 and 2028’
Christopher Armitage
DEC 26 2025 | Substack
Tina Peters sentenced to 9 years in Colorado.
Yes! Thank you!
Proud of the legislators in my State (D and R) who have held firm in their convictions and incarceration of Peters.
She was found guilty by a jury of her peers in one of the “most red” districts in our State - yet everyone involved in her prosecution and subsequent incarceration remain steadfast in their belief of her guilt and our states right to ignore the felon’s bogus “pardon.”
Thank you, Professor. I have only one word. Busted. ☮️❤️ everybody. The rotting ship is taking on water…..
Yeah, they’re called the Democrats. And the ship is sinking under hatred.